Is your web site not getting as much traffic as you'd like? One good way to increase traffic is with linking partners.

The question, of course, is how do you do this?

First, learn to network. Get to know people on line. Spend time every week emailing back and forth with people who are in the Internet business. Compare notes. Find out what's working and not working for them. Ask about their link mates. Create some alliances. Offer to exchange links.

Second, you will need to find web sites where you can become possible link mates. This is actually pretty easy. Just go to a good search engine such as Google and type in words that complement but do not compete with your products or services. For example, if your site sells flower and vegetable seeds, you might search on a term such as garden tools.

As you search on your keywords, make sure you keep a list of those sites that are receiving the highest traffic.

NOTE: You can check the popularity of each keyword with the Yahoo Keyword Selector tool (http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/). Just type in each keyword and the tool will show you how many people searched using that keyword the past month. Again, make sure you're choosing those sites.

Once you have identified those sites with the most traffic, do a WHOIS search (/www.allwhois.com/) to see who's behind the site. Then give that

person a call. That's right. Call him or her. Introduce yourself. Don't make it all about you. Ask questions about their site. When it's your turn, describe your site and your successes. Then try to set up a win-win situation. For example, you might offer a premium position on your site in exchange for a small listing on his or her site.

Will you always get a "yes?” You won't. But you will get enough link mates to make the effort worthwhile and to increase your traffic.

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