Does link building software have negative affect on Google backlinks and PR?

[RenderIT]

I am sure this sounds silly to all you boffins out there, but I have been lurking here for a while and read many of your posts and learnt plenty!

However, I still cannot get a PR on google at all (5mths)

I have been using <two different link building programs> to help creating good relevant backlinks. I try to get 2 or 3 per day!

I have built up (mostly by hand) about 20 good links with good anchor text and PR sites of 3-5.

When I do link:www.mysite.com I get NADA!

When I enter link;www.mysite.com I get One of my links listing every page of their site - my index page and one other random page from my site.

could anyone explain why and if it is because I am using "programs" to help me?

At this stage I am about to pull my hair out....Would anyone like to help?

[edited by: tedster at 3:41 pm (utc) on Sep. 25, 2006]

[Quadrille]

There is a downside to many link programs, particularly if you don't monitor closely which sites you exchange links with.

By their nature, they are not choosey in Quality terms - so you need to be - or you'll end up linking to bad neighborhoods and fly-by-nights.

Without the security of the software, you are likely to be much more careful - and your emails much more human.

Many of us treat machine emails as spam; so your effort is wasted, and your email address at risk.

Start with hand-made submissions to Quality directories; get in the habit of linking to any site useful to your readers; tell them you've done so and leave it to them if they wish to reciprocate.

Build a great site, and it will start to pick up links by itself.

Be active and helpful on relevant newsgroups and forums, using a signature (where allowed), and you'll pick up more links.

There is no shortcut (without paying for it!) :)