Poll: Do you link to other people from your Web site?
Thursday June 28, 2007
One of the best ways to improve your rankings in search engines like Google is to get more links from other Web sites.
And one of the best ways to get links is to link to other people. After all, most people are going to be much more inclined to link to you if you've already returned the favor. You should also make it easy for people to link to your site. Provide "how to link here" pages with suggested graphics and text to use to link to your site. Keep in mind that being argumentative about links to your site is not a good way to get more links. For example, some sites used to insist that people only link to their home page and would threaten to sue page owners who linked deeper into their pages. Also, you should be aware of how links are viewed in the law. If you have ads or frames on your links, you should be willing to remove them if asked or remove the link.
Do you link to external pages from your Web site?
- Vote Now
- Yes, I prefer external links
- Yes, but only to extremely relevant links
- Yes, when I think about it
- I don't have a policy one way or the other
- No, I don't link outside my own site
Do you write to Web designers asking for links? How successful are you in those requests? What about webrings and linksharing, do you do that? And do they work well for you?
Comments
You mention websites and webrings. Shouldn’t you add blogs also?
Well, sure blogs are included - but frankly, I don’t consider blogs to be substantially different from Web pages in general.
I very very rarely write *anyone* asking for a link. Maybe I’ve done it once. Rather, I get all kinds of people sending me requests and honestly, they usually piss me off because they do it all wrong! Here’s a list of what NOT to do (assuming you’re legit and your link is appropriate on my site):
1. Do not propose we exchange links and say that after I’ve posted your link, you will then add mine. No no. If you’re the one approaching me, YOU do it first, then I might.
2. Do not say that cross linking to you will increase my ranking. Rather, the only one it benefits at this point is YOU and if you suggest otherwise, you either don’t know my site traffic or ranking or you think I’m stupid.
3. Before you ask for a link, spend some time on my site. Is your link appropriate? Do I already link to sites like yours? If not, I probably don’t link to sites like yours for a reason. Trust me, I’m savvy. Sites like yours have not escaped my notice.
If you want me to link to you, the best way to have that happen is to link to me first. You don’t have to tell me about it either. Once you’re sending traffic, I’ll figure it out. If I like your content and it is suitable for my site, I’ll return the favor. That is the best way to get me to notice you.
I never email someone saying I’m linking to them. Believe me, they figure it out quickly! I realize not all sites are as highly trafficked as mine but these are simple, respectful considerations to extend to anyone, no matter how large or small.
No, I don’t link to other sites but they link to me without permission; especially the x rated junk. It is a long, tiresome job writing to those places and telling them to remove the link.