Links from trust sites

Advice needed on contacting webmasters of trusted sites

[HoHum]

I believe (rightly or wrongly) that my site has a shot at getting links from authority sites (like some of the niche uk government ones). I've seen a 'serps competitor' on a similar .gov site so it can be done.

Does anyone have a positive experience in contacting via email or (gulp) phone either .org, .gov or even .ac.uk type websites and asking for a link? Of course the problem is how do you pitch yourself differently from the dozens/hundreds or similar requests they get each day?

Further info: My site is an information/data source, is of genuine benefit for UK (and wider) consumers and doesn't sell anything (though runs some google ads).

Grateful for any help.

[willybfriendly]

Hard to get a commercial site linked from a .gov or anything more than a student's .edu. "Commercial" seems to include adsense these days.

That said, if it really is a good, non-commercial site, I have had occasional luck getting a hold of the listed contact person(s) and pointing out all the dead links - before suggesting mine. A lot of these sites are not well maintained, and suggesting the removal of deadwood while suggesting a replacement seems to work sometimes.

[freelistfool]

I've had good success with .gov and .edu type sites with a very short and to the point message. I state what my site has to offer and suggest that they should link to it because it would be valuable to their visitors.

[HoHum]

I've only ever contacted one of these sites before and the response was if we do it for one 'commercial' site then we have to do it for all...

Willybfriendly: Thanks. I have tried the be helpful tack before with commercial sites. They come back friendly and thanking you but no cigar - so far, but bridges built. Like you say though many of these sites were set up in haste (knee-jerk government policies tsk!) and aren't kept very up to date. I'll have a good trawl through to see what comes up.

Freelistfool: Thanks. Was that via email or phone? Do you run any adverts at all?

[wheel]

>>>> I've only ever contacted one of these sites before and the response was if we do it for one 'commercial' site then we have to do it for all...
Keep asking. If all it takes is 10 no's to find the one person that says yes, then it's pretty straightforward how to get those backlinks - just ask 11 times.

Personally I've never had the brass to go after a .gov. I really should reconsider that.

[savantcreative]

It's definitely a challenge to get those links. If you really want them you have to keep selling.

[HoHum]

OK will feedback any tips I pick up - unless they're are too juicy to share :)

[howardam]

I try to make sure that the part of my site that I point them to is very specifically relevant to their site. I've had far more success getting .gov's and .edu's to deep link into articles than to the site as a whole. This has even worked with basically commercial sites that have additional content. Point them to the content, and if they find it to be valuable, they will link to it.