12. Create your own award site for other web sites. Give the winners a graphic or text link to place on their web site when they win. This will link your web site to theirs and draw more traffic to your web site.

13. Create a directory of web sites on a specific topic. Give people the option of adding the directory to their web site by linking to it. Put your business ad at the top of the directory's home page.

14. Offer a free e-book to your web site visitors. The ebook should be related to your target audience. Allow them to give the e-book to their own web site visitors by linking directly to your web site.

15. Are you an expert on a particular subject? Offer people free consulting via e-mail if, in exchange, they either link to your site. People will consider this a huge value because consulting fees can be very expensive.

16. Exchange content with other web sites. You could trade articles, top ten lists, etc. Both parties could include a resource box at the end of the content.

17. Create an online club or association. Tell your visitors what's included in the membership and what it costs to join. Offer them a free membership if, in exchange, they link to your web site.

18. Allow people to use an online service or utilities from your web site if, in exchange, they link to your web site. The online service could be an e-mail account, search engine submission, web page design, copywriting, proofreading, etc.

19. Join or create a web ring. A web ring is a group of web sites on a similar subject agreeing to link together. To find a web ring to join type keywords "web rings" into your search engine of choice.

20. Allow people to download software at no charge from your web site, if they link to your web site. The software could be freeware, shareware or demos.

There is no doubt that getting quality link partners takes a lot of hard work. Many times the benefits are not obvious for months and months. Don't stop with these 20 ways to get link exchanges. Come up with incentives of your own.

In the long run all of this effort is worth it. When your website is getting more free traffic, and is enjoying a position on page one with the major search engines for the keywords that define your website, you will be glad that you have done more than your competition to get quailty link exchange partners.

Copyright 2004 Jeff Schuman

Jeff Schuman has used the strategy of exchanging links to take his website Team-Schuman.Com to page one with all of the major search engines for the keyword phrases "make money", "make money at home" and many other similar keywords. Check out his make money site here:

http://www.team-schuman.com

http://www.ezine-in-a-box.com