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Those .edu and .gov backlinks are still gold mines to backlink builders. There’s no proof that they are given any sort of preferential treatment in search engines, so don’t believe it if someone tells you that they do. There is one important thing to note about these sites: they tend to be seen as “authority figures” on the internet, and many people link to them. That’s most likely why they appear so high in search rankings…here’s a further explanation about why this is so, and what you can do to get a link to your site from an .edu or .gov!

Think about link building for a minute. How often do you link to someone else’s site with a dofollow link just for the hell of it? Not very often, because you’re probably into internet marketing to some degree, and you probably have the “what’s in it for me” and “this guy’s just going to get my visitors and ad clicks” attitude…that’s ok, it’s only normal.

However, I’m willing to bet that you wouldn’t think twice about linking to a .edu or .gov site, because you know the process that they had to go through to get that extension, and that they are the “real deal.” You also have no regret in doing so, because these two extensions include non-profit sites, and your instinctive selfishness as a marketer doesn’t kick in due to that fact. The point I’m making here is not accusative, but is a general consensus: lots of webmasters link to these sites, that’s just the way it is. Regardless of if they say “last updated: June 1995″ and adorn their page with 15 point Times New Roman with a gray backdrop, they probably get steady traffic, and a degree of search engine praise. We all know about those old .edu’s that seem to be cemented at the top of a Google page 1 search result…it’s in your best interest to get your link onto one of those! Forget about page rank for a second…we’re talking about a residual traffic source here.

How I Got an .EDU Backlink

First of all, this might eliminate most of you, but your site should deal with a topic that is related to something that can be found on a .edu or .gov. If your site is about something in the legal, medical, agricultural field or likewise: you’re in luck. There are plenty of .edu’s and .gov’s on these topics. You’ll have to find one that has an “additional resources” or “related links” page. That’s where your chances of getting listed are best. It’s how I did it with one of my project sites, which was in the legal field.

If you’re attempting to get a backlink to an affiliate or other sales site, you might not even stand a chance: educators and webmasters of these high-caliber sites are not going to want to help you sell books or other trinkets. They want to provide their visitors with high quality, helpful educational resources. Make sure that’s what you have.

This is what you have to do:

1. Think of the keyword you want to rank for. Don’t think long-tail…this is all about short-tail, difficult-to-rank-for stuff. For instance, how about “physical therapy.” It’s an impossible term to rank for, but it sure would be nice to get a backlink for it from an authority site if you have an all-encompassing physical therapy-related site. Make sure your home page is professional and easy to navigate. Be ready to show off examples of masterfully-written articles in clear, concise and professional language that are ad-free.
2. Find a .edu or .gov site that has a section where they link to other related sites, and email the webmaster.
3. Mention that you have a recommendation for their external links/resources page, and offer yours. If you’re brazen enough, simply give them your home page link – that’s the real money backlink to have. Also, offer a few sub-pages for examples as to why this site would be a good inclusion. Make sure your email sounds professional, since the person who receives it is either going to be a professor of some kind, or a government employee. If you sound sincere and un-salesman like, you just might get accepted, and see a shiny new backlink from one of these sites.

If you do happen to get the backlink, then congrats! You’ve gotten a trophy achievement in backlinking. From that point in, simply monitor the traffic coming in from this resource. Personally, I have gotten up to an additional 20 hits per day from one particular .edu site. It’s not shabby at all, and I have even begun to rank for a major 2-keyword term that keeps rising as the months go by (I don’t attribute it solely to getting an .edu backlink, but I certainly was “put on the radar” after I got that backlink!)

Why .EDU Backlinks Are Awesome

Before, I mentioned that .EDU and .GOV backlinks aren’t God, by any means. They might not count more than some regular old link from any other extension. However, what they will give is residual traffic. Most of these .EDU’s are getting Google page 1 treatment. Think of a traffic funnel – these old, crappy sites are passing on visitors to whomever else they’re linking to (which could be you). In this case, it’s all about being seen. Maybe you will never get the rankings these .EDU’s have gotten, but it’s sure nice to get some of their trickle-down traffic.