Backlinks are defined as links that point to your site on other site. They are one of the most important aspects to consider when optimizing your site for traffic. The more backlinks your site has, the higher it will rank with search engines. And, the more backlinks you have out there, the more people are bound to see your site. Thankfully, there are lots of great ways to obtain backlinks.

One way is to utilize forums and message boards, especially those that relate to your site in some way. You will find that on these forums and message boards, you can use a signature. Make sure to read the policies of the site, and if they allow advertisements in the sig line, then by all means take advantage of this. By including your link in your sig line, then making a good number of regular, quality posts (no spam!) you will get more backlinks pointing to your site.

Another way to get backlinks is through link trading. Link trading is where you exchange links with another webmaster. This is especially effective if the sites you are trading with have a high Page Rank. One way to find websites to trade with is to visit webmaster forums. Many of these types of forums have a special section devoted to link trading. You can also search for sites that you feel are of good quality, then email the webmaster and request a link trade. Some webmasters will be happy to trade with you, some won't. In some cases, you can even purchase links on quality sites.

Then there's the directory route, another great way to get links. There are hundreds of different web directories out there where you can submit your site. Some of them cost money to list your site, while some of them are free. DMOZ is probably the best example of a free quality directory. Getting your site listed on directories can take time, especially if the directory is large, so be prepared to wait a few weeks.

Listing on directories serves several purposes. First, it allows people searching the directory a way to find your site. Second, it builds the quantity of quality backlinks you have.

Now, let's talk more about those free article directories, one of the best ways to get backlinks to your website. There are probably hundreds of these sites out there, and you can submit to them all. The key is to write articles that relate to the topic of your site in some way. Then at the bottom of each article, you're given a space to include a short bio and the link to your site.

When webmasters come to these free article directories seeking free content, it's possible they'll use your article. So not only are you getting the backlink from the free article site, you're getting backlinks from all the sites that are using your free articles. These backlinks will improve your Page Rank, and people who read the articles may click your link and end up at your site.