Do you want more backlinks? Create a widget for your website.

• I'm interested in designing a custom widget for my website. I've heard these can create good traffic and generate possible links as well. What is your opinion on creating widgets and what tips can you give me to do it as effectively as possible?

Answer: Widgets are another tool in your SEO bag of tricks that can boost your traffic and your backlinks, but only if you approach them in the right way.

For those who aren't familiar, a widget is a web-based mini-app that can be added into the content of another Webpage. By providing your widget users with a snippet of HTML code, they are able to display your widget on their page. The HTML code of the widget usually includes a link back to your site, which can give you a nice backlink boost.

That's the widget concept in a nutshell, but the possibilities are endless. Widgets can include:

• Contact forms
• Blog themes
• Calculators
• Quote aggregators
• And much, much more

Google even provides a widget directory (they call them gadgets) that site owners can use to promote their widgets in Google. The directory contains both widgets constructed with Google's open-source API and from private companies looking to push their own site or offerings. Regardless, widgets share handy custom features organized by interest that users can install into their pages for free.

As with anything online you want your widget to stand out. The widget directory above currently has well over 180,000 widgets. As such, we recommend you use these four design tips to give your widgets the best chances for success online:

• Be rel...