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Two tier linking strategy

will this hurt?

         

lorax

11:20 am on May 14, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



I'm building a website in which I want to use a two tier link strategy.

First tier is a link directory. I will instruct the spiders to not visit nor cache the page using robots.txt, .htaccess, and metatags. Primary purpose is to appease those who ask for reciprocal links.

Second tier are the links I sell within on-topic content. Definately spiderable (is that a word?).

Now it seems obvious to me that I shouldn't have any problems if I've basically cut the links directory off from the rest of my website as far as the spiders are concerned. But have I overlooked something?

Mike12345

3:14 pm on May 14, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I cant see why there would be any problems, if you ve blocked access. I dont think youve over looked anything, id double check my robots.txt and hta prior to goin live to be extra sure.

And no, spiderable is not a word lol! ;)

lorax

12:05 am on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



Thanks Mike12345,

I suppose it was an obvious answer but I had to ask. I'd hate to spend the time engineering the site only to learn it wouldn't work!

heini

12:25 am on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



>Primary purpose is to appease those who ask for reciprocal links
mmm, I wouldn't be appeased when being put into a dead end street. The more knowledgable linkpartner would prolly refuse the link exchange or be miffed later on.

lorax

12:42 am on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



>> The more knowledgable linkpartner would prolly refuse the link exchange or be miffed later on.

That's a good point. It is unfortunate that many of the folks that ask for that recip link are basically not that knowledgable. They haven't a clue about the value of the link in terms of PR and SERPs. They are happy just having the "face" value of the link in the directory where it will be seen and visited as this audience does have a propensity for using directories.

clueless

6:37 am on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Just curious why you say that it is unfortunate that most of the recip request don't have a clue about PR and SERPs. Aren't you counting on them being clueless for your strategy to work?

Mike12345

8:13 am on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I think its ok to have your links diretory as a "dead end street", remember that links serve others purposes than to pass PR.

So even if they do know about PR and the SERPS they shouldnt be miffed as at no point should you advertise that the links were meant to pass PR.

Your not do anything wrong by structuring your links diretory in anyway you see fit, if it complies with SE guidelines theres no problem.

Cant we all go back to the days when links where about getting traffic to your site and making the web more accesible? Damm you PR, you have your uses but you hinder us.

Hmm... sorry if i got carried away a bit then. ;)

robertito62

1:02 pm on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



"...Second tier are the links I sell..."

so, webmasters who DO get PR from your site will have to pay. Are links about traffic or money?

heini

1:35 pm on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I think it's a legitimate model under certain conditions:
The links you sell must provide serious value. Either in terms of PR or in terms of qualified traffic.

To make that work longtime you will have to have a very very good standing in the web IMO. Rock solid foundation. Tons of backlinks from reputable places.
Otherwise you risk getting booted by the SEs or by SEs discounting links from you site, which would make your paying customers somewhat unhappy.

lorax

1:37 pm on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



>> Aren't you counting on them being clueless for your strategy to work?

No. There are three levels of links recip requests. Personal, non-profits within the industry, and for profits which cater to the industry. I wish the non-profits had more of a clue. Part of the reason my site is being built is to help them out and to help out their members. The for profits are the ones willing to pay for the links. The personal sites are definately relegated to the directory. Anyone can have links in the directory.

I will give the non-profits some links on those high traffic pages but I need to make a living so they don't get everything they want. I have to determine a policy which makes it clear but I haven't gotten to this yet.

>> Are links about traffic or money?

In this case, some of those links are about both. If a for profit wants that traffic and/or PR they will need to cough up some $.

Another interesting conundrum I haven't thought through yet is what if I have both a non-profit and a for profit requesting a link on the same page?

Mike12345

1:44 pm on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



"If a for profit wants that traffic and/or PR they will need to cough up some $."

Id steer away from selling links for PR, i mean you can do it, but i wouldnt state at any point that they are for the purposes of PR. Its like Heini said you dont want to get booted.

Not sure if that needed a mention, but i said it anyway there are a few stories about peeps doin that and then the site ends up in the bin.

ogletree

2:12 pm on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



So is the links page even accessable from your web site or is it just a lone domain.com/links.htm.

lorax

3:01 pm on May 15, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



RE: $ for PR links. Point well taken. Personally, it's the traffic that matters to me and I think to them.

The linking structure is not about PR (except ensuring my position in the SEs) but rather about promoting the theme, helping those non-profits that haven't a clue to accomplish thier missions, and getting it paid for by those who can afford it the most - the for profit corporations that make their money off the non-profits and the individuals the non-profits support.

Yes, the directory is accessible from the site. It will have a prominent link in the main navigation.