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What are "key phrases" and why are they important?
How do I select good "key phrases"?
Why do I need to exchange links with other quilting sites?
How do I get other quilting sites to exchange links?

What are "key phrases" and why are they important?
One of the major ways new customers can find your website is via the search engines. Your prospective customer will do a search for what they are looking for. For example, they might search for "quilt shop" or "Hoffman fabrics". If you are a quilt shop or a website selling Hoffman fabrics then these are key phrases that are important for you. You want your web site to be in the top results for searches done for these key phrases.

How do I select good "key phrases"?
In selecting key phrases you want to pick phrases that your prospective customers would be likely to use to search for a business like yours. However, you don't want to select a key phrase that has also been used by a huge number of your competitors. For example, you probably wouldn't want to have your primary key phrase be "quilt". It is best to focus on fairly specific key phrases rather than single key words. The Overture search engine allows you to query its search engine about the popularity of any key phrase. Go to http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion to see how many searches have been conducted over the past month for key phrase you are considering. You won't want to select key phrases that have very few searches done, nor will you want to select key phrases that generate thousands upon thousands of searches. The key phrases you select should always be highly relevant to your site.

Why do I need to exchange links with other quilting sites?
In determining what ranking to give a web page most search engines rely heavily on analyzing the links that lead into the page. At one extreme a website with no links at all leading into it will never even be found by the search engine. Most search engines base their rankings, in part, on the number and quality of the links leading into your website. Getting links from other quilt-related sites is helpful, especially sites that have high rankings on the search engines for the key phrases you want your site to rank well on.

How do I get other quilting sites to exchange links?
Go to one of the search engines that you'd like your site to rank well on. Do a search for a key phrase that is important for your site (e.g. quilt shop). Go to the sites that show up for your search. See if that site has a "links" page. If it does that means the site is probably open to link exchanges. Find the contact email address for the site, looking especially for a webmaster address for the site if that is available. Send an email asking for a link exchange. Provide them with the information they'll need to link to you and ask them to send you the information you'll need about their site in order to set up your link (i.e. web site address, name of the site, short description of the site). If they are agreeable add your link to their site and go to their site to make sure that the link they put up to your site is working properly.