Getting Traffic & Links for DogWalker.com
Last week, I started taking the next steps in the development of DogWalker.com, primarily focusing on getting inbound links to the website. I’d like to share how I am going about this, and hopefully it will give you some ideas for when you are looking to build inbound links for SEO and to drive traffic to your website.
Building inbound links isn’t the easiest thing to do, as people can be discriminating when adding site links. I receive anywhere from 3-5 link requests for my blog every week, and I know how annoying it can be as a publisher when someone asks for a link, especially when I don’t know the requestor. However, this is one good reason the site should look good. If people think the site looks like its high quality, you have a better chance of getting a link.
So far, I’ve gone about link building in the following ways: offering link exchanges, seeking relevant (and free) directory listings, and signing up to relevant forums:
Link Exchanges:
I’ve gone about finding websites for link exchanges in a few ways. I searched for terms like “submit a link” along with related content, like “dogs” and “pets.” I figured that if there are sites with both of those terms, I can submit my website. Many of these sites require a link in return, and I am happy to provide it on the Dog Links page. A couple sites have required higher page rank return links, so that has been a bit difficult, since my site is still PR1. I am going to continue working on this.
Directory Listings:
A number of pet websites have directories where they list pet and dog websites by category. I’ve been searching for the best free sites, figuring that even though many of these are small, they are very targeted. I try to keep the primary title pretty consistent – either “Dog Walker,” “Dog Walkers,” or “Find a Dog Walker,” and the brief descriptions are changed for most submissions. Soon enough I will sign up for Yahoo’s directory, and I also submitted the site to a couple of DMOZ pages.
Forum Links:
I signed up for several dog-related forums, and I plan to continue to do so. Because of my experience with spammers on forums, I am doing my best to avoid looking spammy. I am providing my real information, including my name, where I live…etc. I give full introductions, including the fact that I started a new dog walker directory. Where I can, I add “Dog Walker” links in my signature. I want forum moderators to know I am not trying to be covert and would be happy to participate in the forums.
Free Listings:
On a few sites where dog walkers have free listings (like Craigslist), I have offered a few free listings to dog walkers in exchange for a link on their website. Although my link out to their site might cancel their inbound link’s value, it is also adding content to my site and giving dog owners a reason to visit. IMO, I would rather have a few free listings than nothing, in the event that dog owners visit my site before I have many sign ups. They don’t necessarily know I just launched, and if they have a bad user experience, they probably won’t return.
Magnets/Posters:
I bought 1,000 magnets with the DogWalker.com logo on them. Since I am in Central Park nearly every morning, I have been bringing the magnets to the park with me. I have a few New York City dog walkers listed, so visitors will have some content to see when they arrive on site. I have also been placing magnets on light poles and mailboxes in high density areas. In addition, I am going to be posting pages that say: “Dog Owners: Find a Dog Walker” and below that “Dog Walkers: Get Listed!” These will also be in high density areas I visit. I will also be paying graduate students between $10-20/hr to do this as well.
Results so Far:
As of today, I have over 160 site pages indexed in Google, and the number seems to be growing daily. Surprisingly, some of the dynamic search pages have also been indexed, although the meta content (title and description) hasn’t been updated yet. I expect this to continue to increase as inbound links continue to grow.
Some of my SEO strategy seems to be working. This is a VERY small example, but DogWalker.com currently ranks #1 for the term “Dog walker in Beatrice, Nebraska” as an example. Sure, Beatrice, Nebraska has only 12,000 people, but I assume there are a few people with dogs that live there and there are probably one or two dog walkers. If I get just one paid annual listing for less than 10% of the cities in the US, I will be in the black.
This isn’t going to be easy, but I have been getting sign ups daily 
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