It’s been around for around a decade now, but social bookmarking has really taken off in the last few years. Phrases like “Digg this” are becoming more commonplace in the online world. And Internet marketers are definitely catching on that this is more than just a trend but rather it is an effective way to attract some major, targeted traffic.  Still, there are plenty of IMers who aren’t yet convinced it is worth their time.

So why is social bookmarking so hot right now?

For starters, it is a simple, nearly fool-proof way to promote your websites for free. Furthermore, the results for using social bookmarking sites are pretty impressive. Take, for example, the Internet marketer who signed up for a social bookmarking site, submitted his own websites and then saw his traffic explode as well as his indexing on Google increase within days. Days not weeks! Those are the kind of reports marketers who are using social bookmarking are sharing.

Search engine spiders tend to be all over the social bookmarking sites, so it makes sense to get connected there. Go where the spiders are….that’s a no brainer! Once you have signed up for one or more of the many bookmark services available, you can begin to register your personal sites. Make sure the content is quality and you will attract people who may either bookmark you site to share with others or who choose to give your site a high rating. The more bookmarks and high ratings your site receives, the more traffic potential you have.

If you are wondering where to begin, the first step is choosing the best social bookmarking services and simply giving it a go. This is really easy work! But don’t be fooled, the results can be astounding if you have good content. Check out these top bookmarking sites below to determine where you should begin. Whether you choose to compare bookmarking services or just want to try them all, this list will give you a good starting place.

· Digg.com

· Propeller.com

· StumbleUpon.com

· Reddit.com

· Del.icio.us.com

· Newsvine.com

· Fark.com

· Blinklist.com

· Clipmarks.com

· Shoutwire.com

Interested in learning more about social bookmarking? Check out Matt’s Hubpage containing the top 7 reasons to try social bookmarking.