Best Link Exchange "meeting" site

Not software or program related

[johnnydequino]

Is there such a site, not software related (Zeus, etc) or program related (Linkpartners) that allows webmasters to exchange links with like partners?

Sort of like a middleman site without posting links or buying anything?

jd

[netcommr]

1. Go through results on search engine A for the keywords you want to rank for, get links from those pages. Then do the same for search engine B, etc... Get 100's to start, but never stop

2. List yourself on all global, local, and topic specific directories. More the better if legit sites.

3. Make sure all pages/sites which link to you do not participate on the above mentioned programs. btw, this includes your own pages.

4. Keep wishing for a middleman site which could do 'all of the above' for you.

[Perplexed]

It's an interesting thought though isn't it. A dmoz like directory made up not just of sites but sites that are actively looking for people to link to..... If a site is in there, and your site is relevant, then they will respond to your link request.... Hmmmmm

[netcommr]

I actually built a site once for that a couple years ago, but lost interest and never opened it. I sent ya a sticky mail with the URL. Just be aware I wrote that stuff 3 years ago so terminoligy is different but the concept is sound.

[johnnydequino]

Perplexed - exactly. A link exchange site, run by human editors. I think it would be huge. =)

To bad none exists....

jd

[Perplexed]

After starting a string like this.... There might be soon. This could occupy my mind all weekend.

[Staffa]

Actually something along those lines does exist and has a weekly newsletter including 3 sites looking to exchange links.

Unfortunately, for most website owners links exchange boils down to applying once and then forget about reciprocal links all together, that is if they so much as know what we are talking about.

I have no input in this particular site but the webmaster is a friendly chap and I have received his newsletter for the past two years.

Anybody interested, I can sticky the url

[johnnydequino]

Perplexed - kind of makes you want to buy a new domain name and get started, huh?

I personally think it would be an outstanding idea.

jd

[mil2k]

A link exchange site, run by human editors. I think it would be huge.

There are sites like these :)

[killroy]

I volunteer server space and coding prowess (4 years directory writing experience)... just don't ask me to design or copywrite anything..

SN

[jeremy goodrich]

Ya, I've seen a few / trouble is, most (if not all...) of the sites included in these types of sites are far too "inclusive" of other sites links.

I like to be a bit more selective in chosing who to link to & how to link, etc.

[Perplexed]

"Ya, I've seen a few / trouble is, most (if not all...) of the sites included in these types of sites are far too "inclusive" of other sites links.
I like to be a bit more selective in chosing who to link to & how to link, etc."

Not sure what you mean. All we were talking about was a straight forward directory ( it could look just like dmoz or any of the others ) The only real difference is that ....

a.... The sites listed would be actively looking for link partners.

b... That they would include an email address ( in some form ) for people to request link exchanges from.

No automation of any kind - No rules forcing links or exclusivity -

NOT A LINK FARM OF ANY DESCRIPTION.

Just a "meeting place" as Johnnydequino was looking for.

It would need funding of course. Maybe a one off listing fee in US$ single figure.

I am seriously tempted.

[killroy]

don't think it needs funding. I could plump it on my dedicated server without extra "cost" could be financed by adsense for example.

categories could be things like:

- reciprocal
- PR
- - below 3
- - greater then 3
- - greater then 4
- - greater then 5
- - greater then 6
- - greater then 7
- one-way theme based only
- front-page link only
- deep-link/product-link

And so on, and you could find pages that suit your desired type of link.

I'm still up for it for the technical side.

SN

[rogerd]

Interesting thought... if it was really loose, it might pass Google's scrutiny. I'd still be fairly cautious, though.

The more organized any exchange scheme looks, the more likely it is to draw negative attention.

I personally think Google will have to move beyond its current algorithm - between PR sales, outsourced link campaigns, and more subtle forms of link farming, the predictive value of links and their text will certainly decline.

[netcommr]

seems like a bit of interest in this. I'll fire it back up but may take a few weeks to rewrite things and move it, little busy right now. What I have is written in Perl and needs a complete rewite, the old pages are out of date and needs a new template, content needs rewriting as well. Basically a start over.

Something like:

-free service, but requires login to keep obscured from public
-no marketing on the site ( may run something like Adsense ), but keep free from any bias
-category based directory, PR will not be any option on this site.
-on site message system for contact between users, similar to StickyMail here
-multi-field entry into a database for code to be placed on page linking to you
-advanced entry box for code to accept html, scripting, styles, etc.
-no automation, the service displays code from db, entered by userA, to be copied an moved by userB manually to his system
-trade agreements are between users, but must follow certain rules
-moderated, continued or unresolved violations of rules gets ya booted
-feedback, rating, complaint system
-options such as email alerts of potential trade partners, coice of contact, multiple links and code
-anonymity and privacy options, as hiding your domain from users until agreement reached if needed
-information section for articles, news, faq, instructions, help, etc. (input welcome)

If there is enough interest I'll do it just to satisfy my curiosity, sticky me.

... this topic should be moved off WebmasterWorld though!

[mil2k]

if it was really loose

Yes that's the key. There is at least one reputed site doing this (that I know of). And I am not talking of Linkmanager. If anyone else is doing this I would love to hear and give inputs :)

[jk3210]

>>I personally think Google will have to move beyond its current algorithm - between PR sales, outsourced link campaigns, and more subtle forms of link farming, the predictive value of links and their text will certainly decline.<<

Exactamundo. And I wonder what percentage the above mentioned activity represents of the total linking done on the net...1%?...more?

[georgeek]

I was thinking about providing a service similar to this too! I guess quite a few of us have at some time or another. I was thinking of doing it with top of the range forum software i.e. like here but with extras such as user ranking, post rating, member rating system etc. Each forum section arranged by PR value and moderated or even pre-moderated. Members only with a small signup fee to cover the costs and deter time wasters. That's as far as I got but the advantage is that it could be up and running in a day and apart from the moderation with almost zero maintenance.

Any thoughts anyone on this approach?

[deejay]

I fully support the idea of such a site.. {clarification: a link exchange meeting point - not referring to any particular proposed model}

But I would seriously NOT want any reference to Google PR on site... and certainly not 'ordered by' or search by PR.

Whether money was changing hands or not, that just screams "penalise me".

[mil2k]

Members only with a small signup fee to cover the costs and deter time wasters.

There lies the first hurdle. Not many people are going to pay to sign up. Also, there already exists a forum which does this work for free. So who is going to pay and sign up? :)

[deejay]

yeah.. 'fraid I wouldn't pay for it either.

Might be worthwhile for some.. but I'm smalltime bones-of-my-bum sort of thing - I pay for domains and hosting and that's it.

[georgeek]

...that just screams "penalise me"

Does it really matter though deejay? It would be more of a club for people who know what they are doing and these people will find it even if it's not listed in Google. In fact it might be an advantage not to be listed at all :)

Not many people are going to pay to sign up.

Maybe not, but does it need many people - a couple of hundred or so? Also a bit like here - those that want something for nothing don't always get it and if you anti up you get what you pay for.

..there already exists a forum which does this work for free

Kind of but it is full of spam, is very badly organised, unmoderated and consequently not really used (if it is the same one as I am thinking of). I was thinking of something more professional and for the professional.

Anyway it is just an idea worth talking through at the moment! More than likely it wont fly :)

[dirkz]

killroy et al, I'm with you. I would do anything else that's still needed (design etc).

I would not require paying for signup, because first you need users. Thinking of a free trial or free at all, only paying bandwidth etc. by advertising.

[farside847]

I would use such a site in a heartbeat.

[killroy]

Well, as long as traffik isn't stiffling I'd cover it, I have an unlimited bw server.

Ok, so we got the setup, we got a programmer, a designer. Now we need a manager/team leader, and someone with a nice domain to spare :)

SN

[dirkz]

Shouldn't the domain be registered to your server? Otherwise, we would have to use redirects.

[killroy]

of course.

SN

[Perplexed]

Looks like we are going to have a competition on our hands (lol)

[georgeek]

...a nice domain to spare

How about odlep.com (Open Directory Link Exchange Project)? It's available.

[dougs]

I know of several sites out there that already do this sort of thing.....but they are real sites with real purpose they do not focus on link exchanges but it is a by product and it works.

Doug