By EM Beck
I have been experimenting with using certain types of micro-blogging platforms for creating link wheels. Here are a few reasons why I think I have found that they work well for building one-way back links and creating website traffic. These typically are muti-user blogs, but I also include Blogger.com and Wordpress.com in my favorites list for some obvious reasons. These sites are very popular, almost always have high Page Rank, and should be around for a long time to come. Some sites do bomb over time and go away. Others get caught up in a mergers, become paid sites, or evolve into some other kind of website. Just be aware that this can happen.
Other sites I like include Squidoo.com, Webs.com, and Weebly.com. Some people also have had great success with sites like HubPages and Myspace. In reality you can probably locate lists online that have hundreds of possibilities. If you include forums and all the special interest social media sites available, the list gets ridiculous. Test and pick 10-12 and stick with them.
Micro-Blogs That Work well for Link Wheels
I start by looking for sites that have an RSS feed already built into the site. I will use these feeds to submit to RSS directories, and I also use RSS feeds to embed into other websites. Sometimes this can be done with widgets. I also make sure that the sites are free to join and I look for sites that have been around for some time and show signs of longevity. I also want to be sure that the sign up process is easy.
Next I want to be sure that there is a profile page where I can add photos, links to my other websites and blogs, and also add a bio, interests, etc. These are all important aspects of creating a linking profile around the web. This can also be viewed as online reputation management. Don't take short cuts on this, and make sure this is information that you don't mind sharing online. It's worth the time and effort to have your profile information already written in a text file that you can cut and paste from. I also want to make sure that I can create multiple accounts. Lastly, I will check the user interface for ease of use, and be sure to at least scan the Terms of Service (TOS).
Remember that all social media sites and micro-blogs are not created equal. Be sure that each site allows "do-follow links", or else you will be wasting a load of your time. I have found that building link wheels does not have to be tedious, mind-numbing work. In most instances you do not need to build 30-40 site like you see in some of the charts and videos on how-to-build link wheels. If you learn to do it correctly, you really only have to have 5 to 6 sites linked together in each wheel.
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E.M. Beck is an SEO and online marketer. He writes about a lot of different things online, but also enjoys dreaming up and testing new ways to build website traffic and improve search engine position. You can learn about his latest projects, LinkWheel Sage™, RSS Mage™, RSS Mage Lite™, and RSS Mage Pro™ at RSS Mage Website
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