Link popularity is an important part of any search engine optimization or traffic building campaign. Having relevant backlinks to your website from other authority websites in your chosen keyword space is essential to achieve good rankings with the search engines. In many cases you will find that webmaster's require a link back to their website from your website before adding your URL to their links page.

If you currently update your links manually each time you have a link request or exchange to perform then you already know how much of a nightmare this can be. The use of an Automated Link Management system alleviates the pain of link building while providing a valuable resource to your website visitors.

Automating your Link Management

1. Purchase or find Link Management Software

• Free: http://www.phpjunkyard.com/php-link-manager.php
• Paid: http://www.reciprocalmanager.com

2. Download link management software to your local hard drive.
3. Read the documentation included with the software package.
4. Create an empty MySQL database and user on your webserver. If you are unfamiliar with MySQL databases and/or you do not have a control panel from which you can create MySQL databases consider downloading and installing PHPMyAdmin.
5. Edit any configuration files or scripts to include the database information from step 3 if required.
6. Upload package files and scripts to a folder on your webserver. Name this folder; directory, resources or partners.
7. Edit file permissions on any files or scripts that require it. See your documentation for a list of files. Normally you will need to make some of the scripts or directories in the package "writable".
8. Run the installation script for your link management software and supply any required information. If you were not required to add your database information to one of the configuration files in step 5 you will need to enter it when prompted.
9. Log in to the "admin" panel for your new link management system and add 20-30 categories which are closely related to your website topic.
10. Edit the "look and feel" of your new directory to match the rest of your website.
11. Place a link to your directory on your home page and interior pages of your website.

You now have an automated link management system installed and linked to your homepage.

Mike Lawrence is the webmaster for a Directory of Website Promotion and Seo Resources. For professional SEO Services visit SEO Web Guide.