Requesting a Link Exchange

[x4ntos]

Hi!

 

I am working on positioning my website.

I've made some search engine optimizations already and read quite a lot about SEO on the internet.

 

All SEO, experts empashise, that best way to gether lot's of good ( the more the websites, you want to link with, is related to yours the better link You will have ) inbound links is link exchange.

 

The most content-related links, which also are the most valueable from the point of SEO, can be found on google searching for yours website keywords and in directories in categories to which You would submit your website.

 

I have prepared a big list of websites, with which i would like to exchange links.

Maybe somebody can give me a guidelines that a man willing to make a good link exchange should obey.

 

- What should be included in a letter, where I will be asking for an exchange?

- Should i put a link on my website first before sending a letter to the website, where I would like to have my link listed?

- Maybe somebody could write a sample asking-for-a-link-exchange letter here ?

 

x4ntos

[Guest]

IMO, you should post a link to the other site first. Make sure it's well-presented on a relevant page, and then send a brief email saying that 1) you think their site would be a valuable resource for your customers, 2) you've posted a link to their website on your own site (give the page URL), and 3) you'd appreciate a return link if possible.

 

I should emphasize that all of this should actually be true. Really look at each site first... If it's not a valuable resource for your customers, it has no place on your site. If it IS a valuable resource for your customers, you should be linking to it whether or not you get a reciprocal link out of the deal.

 

Hope that helps... :D

[Guest]

Hi!

 

I am working on positioning my website.

I've made some search engine optimizations already and read quite a lot about SEO on the internet.

 

All SEO, experts empashise, that best way to gether  lot's of good ( the more the websites, you want to link with,  is related to yours  the better link You will have )  inbound links is link exchange.

 

The most content-related links, which also are the most valueable from the point of SEO, can be found on google searching for yours website keywords and in directories in categories to which You would submit your website. 

 

I have prepared a big list of websites, with which i would like to exchange links.

Maybe somebody can give me a guidelines that a man willing to make a good link exchange should obey.

 

- What should be included in a letter, where I will be asking for an exchange?

- Should i put a link on my website first before sending a letter to the website, where I would like to have my link listed?

-  Maybe somebody could write a sample asking-for-a-link-exchange letter here ?

 

x4ntos

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

This is a question I get often both for OSCommerce (and other e-commerce sites) as well as other websites.

 

The answers to your questions are really not that difficult but, they may require a bit of time, effort and maybe a tool or two if you choose to do this yourself. Otherwise, you may prefer to choose a professional which can often do this more efficiently (and less costly) while you do those things you do to handle the rest of your business (e.g. why you started the business to begin with).

 

First, Google doesn't show "all" the links to your site any longer in an easy to find/understand manner (e.g. it used to be type link:www.mysite.com). It may be better for you to use Yahoo or one of the other major search engines (e.g. type linkdomain:www.mysite.com -domain:www.mysite.com which returns the links less those from your own domain). Of course this doesn't give you the answers Google has but, it will show more of the true inbound links.

 

Second, if you plan to have a significant number of links you may need to have a links management application (e.g. a contrib or other application on your site) that will allow people to submit a request to your site with you able to check for valid return link as well as approve/deny/contact via email capabilities. This can prove invaluable over time IMHO.

 

Third, when choosing who/what to link with it is very good to follow some of the instructions given to you earlier (see above notes) and I would suggest checking to see if their pages are blocking the search engines (e.g. using redirects, excluded via robots.txt, etc.). These techniques to block the search engines can leave you giving links to them with nothing in return except, possibly, your customers have a resource to get to the other guys site.

 

In conclusion, it is very important to ensure you are working on link text that has value for you. Getting a number one ranking on any search engine that no one else is looking for has no overall value to you. It is important to find the right keyword phrases that people search regularly and have direct importance to your products/services. I would suggest using both Overture and WordTracker to help determine which phrases you should use.

 

There are many other considerations but, maybe this can help you get started.

[Guest]

...

I have prepared a big list of websites, with which i would like to exchange links.

Maybe somebody can give me a guidelines that a man willing to make a good link exchange should obey.

...

x4ntos

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Link exchange is dead.

 

Unless you can find a kind webmaster that has a content site related to your theme it is going to be virtually impossible for you to conduct this type of link campaign. The simple fact is that you sell online for profit. The odds are that your competitors will not be willing to link to you and lose customer traffic.

 

If anyone tells you different they are either telling a lie to scam your money or won't tell you the truth.

 

I have several PR6 websites and 1 PR7...do you know how many link requests I get daily? Can you guess how many actually receive a reply from me or more time than necessary to add their address to the junk sender list?

 

Before a webmaster will exchange links there must be a benefit for them. If you have a lower PR site or less traffic what motivation do you provide them?

 

I recommend you look into free web directories or even paid inclusion ones where each category *should* be themed and there is no expectation of return benefit. Remember this: unless you have something to offer your link exchange emails will be deleted and your campaign will fail.

 

As a last note, if you decide to allow a person to scam your money and you contract them for SEO work make damn sure that you get a listing of EACH link obtained in your name. Remember, you may be contracting them to help find them but the links belong to YOU and represent YOUR company. They are YOUR property. Most of the so called SEO link building companies will promise "XX" umber of links and never provide a list of places where those links can be viewed. Guess what? They most likely used free directories to obtain those links...which you can do yourself for FREE.

 

Bobby

[x4ntos]

Thanks for Your replies, they were very helpful ( CobraCard I though somehow simillar, but asking twice is always better :P ), however i would like to comment few things.

 

Link exchange is dead.

 

ohh... no it's not, all top sites in google from my branch are still using it...

It's not a very competative niche, i.e there are only 700,000 results for my top keywords in google and few best sites have a PR of 5 or 4 max, which I think was built using link exchange only. I think it might not be too hard to beat them off :)

 

 

If you have a lower PR site or less traffic what motivation do you provide them?

 

If, now when i'm just beginning to position my website they will give me a link, higher PR for my site is also the higher PR for the website linking to mine. It's an investition in PR on future. If they would give me a chance and link me now, there is probability that my site would be popular someday and they will benefit from this link.

 

...I've posted several threads about the topic but you can start with Dan's Free Directory List which...

 

Vilesilencer, Yeap I noticed it just after You post it. Very good list. As for now I have submited my site to all directories till the letter "R". about 20 of them have added my site, 1 rejected it because they found it commercial ( :) ) the rest didn't responded yet.

 

 

if you decide to allow a person to scam your money and you contract them for SEO work...

 

No way! :P A month ago i didn't even know what SEO means, now after many hours i spent browsing through multiple SEO forums, websites, blogs the time to improve my website has come :)

 

I would suggest checking to see if their pages are blocking the search engines (e.g. using redirects, excluded via robots.txt, etc.).

 

Actualy i thought for a second about using Disallow link.php in robots.txt file but i found it unethcial :)

 

 

...it is very important to ensure you are working on link text that has value for you...

 

For directory submission i was using a title contianing three words among which 2 was the ones i would like to position website for :)

 

 

Regards

x4ntos

[Guest]

Link exchange is dead.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I've never heard it put quite that strongly; but what's definitely true is that a "link campaign" will only help if you do it the right way. I think most people do it the wrong way.

 

Wrong way:

Create a new page with nothing (or almost nothing) but links. Only link to sites that link back to you. Search engines will be indifferent, and may even penalize you if they interpret your page as a "link farm." Visitors will get no benefit.

 

Right way:

Incorporate links into your actual content. Use appropriate keywords in and around the link. If the other website links back, fantastic; but the goal is NOT to score another inbound link, the goal is to provide useful information to potential customers. Search engines will think more of your website; and most importantly, so will your visitors.

 

Since you've referred to a large number of potential link partners and a "links.php," I'm guessing you're about to head down the "wrong" path. Turn right. :P

[Guest]

...

Right way:

Incorporate links into your actual content.  Use appropriate keywords in and around the link.  If the other website links back, fantastic; but the goal is NOT to score another inbound link, the goal is to provide useful information to potential customers.  Search engines will think more of your website; and most importantly, so will your visitors.

 

Since you've referred to a large number of potential link partners and a "links.php," I'm guessing you're about to head down the "wrong" path.  Turn right.  :P

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I stand corrected... :)

 

I agree with your point entirely and am of the same school of thought. Maybe I'm a little quick on the gun but definitely want to let the so called SEO experts that will promise the largely uneducated members here about overnight top 10 results and how their services will solve all their problems that I will make it my personal mission to weed them out.

 

Case in point: I was contacted last night by a a member wanting my opinion of a company promising top rotation of the first 3 results of every search engine. The website claimed to be able to manipulate those first 3 results at will...you guessed it...AdSense / Overture scam. However, no matter how much I explained it to them the more convinced they became that this company was solid...I could not convince them that there are scum bags in this world that would take them for a ride and still sleep well at night with this company being one of them.

 

So, content link exchanges that will benefit both sites and also provide value to the visitors of those sites definitely live on...it's the blind, cold call, mass dispatched spam mail recipricol link requests that have long been deceased.

 

Bobby

[Guest]

I stand corrected... :)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Ooh, I corrected Bobby with information I probably learned from him in the first place! :D

 

Just curious -- what is this AdSense/Overture scam you speak of?

[Guest]

Lets stay a little more on topic :D

 

The questions were:

 

- What should be included in a letter, where I will be asking for an exchange?

- Should i put a link on my website first before sending a letter to the website, where I would like to have my link listed?

- Maybe somebody could write a sample asking-for-a-link-exchange letter here ?

 

Matti

[Guest]

The first two questions have already been addressed, and have pretty simple answers:

 

IMO, you should post a link to the other site first.  Make sure it's well-presented on a relevant page, and then send a brief email saying that 1) you think their site would be a valuable resource for your customers, 2) you've posted a link to their website on your own site (give the page URL), and 3) you'd appreciate a return link if possible.

Hope that helps...  :D

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

As for the third question -- take the "1, 2, 3" that I've said above, turn them into complete sentences, add your name, and you're done.

 

Isn't the implied question "how to I get my site to rank higher" far more interesting? :)

[Simplyeasier]

- Should i put a link on my website first before sending a letter to the website, where I would like to have my link listed?

 

x4ntos

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

7 Steps To A Powerful, Useful Reciprocal Links Directory

 

The Problem

 

No matter how good your product or service is, if you are

not receiving targeted visitors to your site or if your web

site is not well ranked by the Search engines you will not

sell much.

 

A solid, reciprocal linking strategy, properly executed will

deliver both targeted visitors and improve your web site

rank for your chosen keywords and all for "no money down."

 

Step #1 - Specific Keyword Search

---------------------------------

 

It is important that your chosen keyword phrases are as

specific as possible.

 

Scott Buresh of http://www.mediumblue.com/ says this

about keywords and using "geographic", "adjective"

and "noun" modifiers to make them specific.

 

"Modifiers are used for two main reasons: to increase the

percentage of ideal prospects in the traffic the phrase

attracts, and to find terms that are easier to target on

search engines. Adding the right type of modifiers to your

search engine key phrases will increase your chances of

success."

 

This step involves effort and a capacity to brainstorm

because you need a minimum of 100 keyword phrases for good

results. Good search engine optimisers build lists of 300

specific or more keyword phrases.

 

The following resources will be of use as you build your

keyword phrase list

 

* Overture Suggestion Tool -

http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

 

* Good Keywords by Softnik Technologies -

http://www.goodkeywords.com

 

* Use a search engine to research "Keyword Phrases" and

learn more practical details on this critical task.

 

Step #2 - Suitable Link Partners

--------------------------------

 

Your ideal link partners are web sites based on

 

* High quality content - Ideally the material should be original, fresh

and informative to visitors.

 

* Tight web site themes - The content addresses a specific

business, product or service type.

 

* Tight directory themes - A link to the link directory

should be prominently shown on main pages and the

directory must be tightly themed and not just a

"link farm" of general, non-related web sites.

 

* Complimentary themes - While you may not want direct

competitors to feature in your directory, complimentary

sites that fulfil the above features will provide great

value to your visitors.

 

Step # 3 - Find and Review Link Partners

----------------------------------------

 

Now, find web sites who may be "good" link partners.

 

Using a search engine or directory, go through each

keyword phrase in your list and visit as many of the web

sites that are returned as you can.

 

Evaluate each site on the basis of the criteria set in

step #2.

 

Decide on the categories you want in your directory.

 

For an Internet marketing business these would typically be

"Affiliate Programs", "Business Promotion", "Income

Opportunities" an so on.

 

Qualifying web sites, may of course fall into more than one

category depending on their business, product or service

offerings.

 

With this information you can now make another list of :

 

* Qualifying web sites for inclusion.

 

* Relevant e-mail address to which link requests must be

addressed.

 

* Web site URL and a short description of the web site and

what it offers.

 

* Make a note of "special" features on the web site which

you can usefully put in your e-mail to *prove* you have

actually visited the site. This goes a long way to

countering SPAM problems.

 

Step # 4 - Build Your Partner Link Directory.

---------------------------------------------

 

Build your Partner Link's directory using a separate HTML

page for each distinct category.

 

Add the URL link and comment for each qualified site into

the relevant category page(s).

 

Make your directory pleasurable to visit, where visitors

find information quickly and easily.

 

Ensure ithe directory is easily found and reached from your

main web pages.

 

Step 5 - e-Mail The Webmaster

-----------------------------

 

Using the e-mail addresses, write to each Webmaster you

have linked to.

 

Tell them :

 

* The URL address of the page where their link can be found

 

* Your own web site link information (URL and descriptive

comments)

 

Finish by asking for a reciprocal link in their directory.

 

Make the e-mail personal and you might like to use the

*special* feature note you made to help your request

achieve success.

 

Step #6 - Maintain Your Directory

---------------------------------

 

A partner directory is a work in constant progress.

 

It must change quickly to reflect obsolete, dead, new,

and modified links and web sites.

 

This maintains it's usefulness to your visitors.

 

Depending on size, verifying the links may be more than

you can achieve easily by your own efforts. Offer prizes to

visitors who find and inform you of links that are no

longer useful.

 

Maintenance also means giving added prominence to entries

for other webmasters who respond to your mail and tell you

that they have added your link and web site information to

their own directories.

 

You can add a small graphic next to each Partner link

making it stand out from the other web sites that have not

provided a reciprocal links.

 

Remember your directory exists to provide useful content

to your visitors. Do not immediately remove a non

reciprocating web site, if it adds value to your visitors.

 

Step #7 - Repeat

----------------

 

Go through the six steps above regularly and over a period

of 3 to 6 months you should notice a significant and

sustained rise in targeted traffic from complimentary

sites as well as a rise in search engine rankings for your

specific keyword phrases.

 

I can tell you more about many software apps to automate this process if interested PM me.

 

Charles

[kitchenniche]

I found a list of directories on this page . Some of them require a backlink, but most are free and without wanting a backlink from you. hopes this helps

 

sandra

[didomia]

"I can tell you more about many software apps to automate this process if interested PM me.:

 

Charles

 

Hi Charles

thank you for writing best article about link exchange I ever red. I am also intrested in software which you mentioned. Could you please email me some information on : [email protected]

[Mediajuggle]

you guys might be interested in this:

 

Site Reference.com

http://www.site-reference.com/articles/Sea...Search-SEO.html

 

Two big things have just happened in Google-land: Jagger and Google Analytics. Together, these two events may have changed the face of search forever.

 

Jagger

 

First, let's discuss Jagger... Just like hurricanes, Google updates have names. (A Google update is a change to the way Google determines its rankings. Google makes these changes periodically, and they're universally feared because they can impact dramatically on a website's ranking.) The latest update is called Jagger, and it has search engine optimizers (SEOs) all around the world in a state of panic.

 

Why was Jagger such a fearful update? Simple... With Jagger, Google once again outsmarted huge numbers of SEOs. You see, many/most SEOs spend their time (and their clients' money) trying to trick Google into thinking that their websites are more relevant and important than they really are. They do this mostly by swapping links, buying cheap links, and placing links on free directories. While there's nothing wrong with these sorts of links (i.e. they're not considered 'black-hat'), they don't really show that the site is relevant or important. All they really show is that the site owner has made a deal with another site owner. In these deals, the incentive for the linking site owner is a reciprocal link, money, or increased link volume. Google much prefers it when the linking site adds the link simply to enhance the value of their content or to increase their own credibility and authority.

 

In other words, Google wants its search results to contain relevant, important sites, not sites that merely appear to be relevant and important. To this end, Google invests millions of dollars and employs the world's smartest mathematicians to create algorithms which identify sites that are trying to trick them. And that's exactly what Jagger did; and when it found those sites, it simply adjusted their ranking to more accurately reflect their true importance. (Unfortunately, it also demoted some sites which actually deserve a high ranking. It is hoped that these mistakes will be ironed out with future minor updates, but that's a topic for another article...)

 

From a technical standpoint, Jagger was well described by Ken Webster in his article, http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/Jagger . To summarize, Jagger:

1) Increased importance placed on IBL (Inbound Links) Relevancy?

2) Increased importance placed on OBL (Outbound Links) Relevancy?

3) Promotion of relevant Niche Directories (related to #1 & #2)?

4) More weight thrown back to PR @ top domain?

5) Increased importance on AdSense placement relevancy?

6) Possible introduction of CSS Spam filtering?

7) Overall Blog demotions?

8) New and unresolved "canonical" issues?

 

Some more interesting effects were reported by WG Moore (http://www.sitepronews.com/archives/2005/nov/9.html) who runs a number of test sites for SEO purposes. By monitoring the links to his test sites as reported by Google, he established that:

 

"all reciprocal links had vanished. We think that this is because Google is down-grading or eliminating reciprocal links as a measure of popularity. This does make sense, actually. Reciprocal links are a method of falsifying popularity. Sort of a cheap method of buying a link, if you want to think of it that way... During the second week of the Jagger Update, a few of our reciprocal links did come back up. However, we also noticed that these were from places where we had highly relevant content. They came from articles where we discussed our area of expertise: Web Analytics, or from forums where we had relevant threads. So we feel that these links came back because of content, not linking.

 

The other group that came back up was one-way inbound text links, regardless of the originating web site. These links also had strong relevance to our web analytics business. In other words, they contained keywords and/or phrases related to our site and its business."

 

In short, Jagger undid the hard work of thousands - if not millions - of people! As a result, hard-won high rankings and revenues plummeted.