Your site's inbound links will have a large impact on your pages rankings. SEO companies are constantly on the lookout for new strategies to build their clients link profiles. Sometimes, the building of links isn't the problem. What people often forget is that links need to be periodically checked on to maintain their function.

A good linking strategy will involve a mixture of maintenance and link building. While your SEO consultant might be a great help with forging good links, it's important for every site owner to know how to look after their own link profile. If you're interested in links and search engine optimization, talk to us at SEO Consult.

Here are four ways to help build and maintain your link profile:

1. Pursue your existing links for new ones. If someone has already linked to you, you have a relationship with them. Use it to see if you can get some more links, either from their site or help you get links from others. One way to ease into this is if someone has linked to your main page, then ask for a link to a specific page that will suit their site's users better. This benefits them as well as you.

It's important not to be too pushy when you're talking to people who have already linked to you. Like any relationship, link relationships can get strained when someone asks too much.

2. Modify your anchor text where possible. Most site owners will either place your link within their own choice of anchor text or anchor it using your site address. A simple request can change the situation so that the link anchors use your keywords, boosting your pages relevancy to your main keywords.

Once more, use your discretion and diplomacy to handle this circumstance. If you demand up front that they place your link within text of your choosing it's possible your request will be refused. A polite request once the relationship is established will have a better effect. It's also a good idea to present it as something that will improve their site, for example pointing out that 'click for [keyword] information' will give their readers a better idea of where they're going.

3. Check on old links. Other people's sites undergo changes, too, and you need to keep up with them. Keep in contact with your existing links to ensure that changes won't affect your link profile, and try to fix errors whenever you find them.

4. Optimize existing links. Inbound links are only good if they're to the right pages. If one of your pages is taken off the index, its links will no longer be of that much value to your SEO campaign. One fix for this is to redirect links to a new, indexed page. Another option is to contact the people providing those links and let them know that there is a better page for them to link to. Of course, the best option of all is to ensure that your pages remain on the index.