Forum Moderators: martinibuster
We get oodles of link exchange requests. Needless to say, I don't accept all of them. Lately I've been checking our reciprocal links on the other guys' sites and find that as many as half of these twits never put up a link for us, didn't bother to put up the links information I gave them, or took down a link that I know was there previously. A webmaster in the UK I mentioned this to said he'd noticed the same thing.
To me this shows really low wisdom--asking someone for a link exchange, then not following through. (These people no longer have links on our links pages, nor will they get them back). It's also very unprofessional! Gr-r-r-r!
Right now I am in the process of deleting ALL my links pages.
The links that I know are reciprecating, I'm moving to a more revelent page, and squeezing them into the text somewhere, (and emailing them a nice note thanking them for linking to me, and send them the url of where I'm moving their link.)
I've had it with links pages. I say "Goodby and good riddance."
One of my competitors put an outbound link to my site and all of the other competition right on his home page possibly thinking it would give him boost in the SEs. I can't decide whether to keep laughing at this guy (he also posts his laughable stats for advertisers) or to yell @ him and tell him to take me off.
incrediBill: don't laught at your competitor (yet) because he is actually trying to become the 'authority in his field' as seen by Google. I did not try this way but please watch them for a month and share with us what you see. Maybe it is the new fashion in linking (spring 2005).
They believe that crime pays...
Not exactly a crime, but underhanded I agree! It happens a lot with in certain specific market areas from what I have seen.
To avoid finding myself in a situation like this, as a routine at the end of each month, I check all the sites with links on my sites to confirm that the links are being reciprocated. Incase, I do not find my links on any of the sites, I just send an email informing that their link is being removed as they broke the deal.
Sure, one needs to invest a little bit of time but, I guess, it is worth it as I would hate linking to some slimy webmaster's site.
Matt
Re: IncrediBILL's comment, I did a check on Google recently and found that a bunch of web sites had put up links to some of my web pages without notifying me. I'm old fashioned. Yeah. I think it's a little tacky to put up a link to someone's site without telling them.
I think it's a little tacky to put up a link to someone's site without telling them.
Hmmm, I feel quite flattered, that someone sees my site as useful for information (content).
On my personal site, I ask people to suggest informative sites for me to link to. I also ask, that those that link to me, inform me, just in case I feel the same about their's. It is not obligatory, though.
be them naturaly or not.
Oh, when I said, "just for the sake of it", I didn't explain myself very well. I actually meant (honestly....) making link exchanges for the sake of getting a rise in position in the serps, which is 'not' always successful...
I will suggest myself to sites, those I think whose visitors would benefit from my content, while raising the kudos for themselves. I don't get upset when they don't use my suggestion, but I'm pleasantly surprised when an unknown links to me!
One of my clients sites, recently, got a link from The Times (London).
We found out (I was explaining what stats are, LOL), that he had visitors from The Times and on looking found an article about the site, with a link (must ask about getting the link text changed ;)). Me? Pleased as punch!
I think it's a little tacky to put up a link to someone's site without telling them.
<cheeky>I hope you are not suggesting....snicker</cheeky>
incrediBill: don't laught at your competitor (yet) because he is actually trying to become the 'authority in his field' as seen by Google. I did not try this way but please watch them for a month and share with us what you see. Maybe it is the new fashion in linking (spring 2005).
I'm not really concerned as my site has been the authority in the field for 7 years now, on AV, Yahoo/Inktomi, Google and MSN. Yes, someone could upset my apple cart but many have tried and failed to date. I'm tracking his keyword relevance and he's not moving up and my domain link has been on his home page for at least 4 months now.
It just irritates me that my site is even associated by reference to his site.
[edited by: incrediBILL at 12:08 am (utc) on Mar. 1, 2005]
Yeah. I think it's a little tacky to put up a link to someone's site without telling them.
It all depends on who put up the link.
If it's someone that thinks you have a cool and useful resource, smile and thank them.
If it's a competitor trying to siphon hits off your popularity, tell them to get it the heck off.
Less than two webmasters out of ten who have linked to me have ever contacted me. However, my sites are information sites and it's hard to see any real competition issues. A few links to me causing inadvertent 302 page hijackings in SE's have forced me to intervene though.
On that note then, I use Arelis to track link exchanges, though for this purpose there surely is other software. I have also moved away from the links page/directory to finding relevant(ish) areas of my site for links.
say you have an information website and would like to link another site you feel helps your readers.
But the other website wants you to take down the link, do you have you? Well i mean can he sue or anything of the like?
I would like to think i can link to who ever i like.
Raymond
I would like to think i can link to who ever i like.
You can, your website your property as such!
create good content and the links (non recip) will eventually roll in automatically...
my two URLs,
-kpaul
At the same time as I hear you all going "phooey, I want to put a link to whatever will benefit my site and page rank," I have also run into people who don't understand the internet at all and feel that any link relating to their site takes traffic away from it. I don't agree with them, but I honor their wishes. I have a little caveat tacked on my wall that says "Be careful of the toes you step on today because they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow."
The people who inhabit this world haven't changed since we first stood upright and thought of ways to outdo our neighbors. I believe that a little prudence and a little courtesy go a long way.
It could be a dangerous development if we let ask-before-linking become the standard on the web. In addition to the intentional trouble webmasters could cause each other there would always be webmasters who do not understand they are expected to respond, and in a timely manner. What do you do if you today ask for permission and get no reply? Do you feel you can still put up that link?
As far as I know legal issues have aroused from cases where a site has contemplated to cash in upon someone else, or damage them in some way, and perhaps refused to take down the link. I.e. intentional or unintentional malicious linking causing losses to another site.
