How do I efficiently manage reciprocal links?

Reciprocal link management

[spikedo55]

Lately, I've been busy sending e-mails to other webmasters asking for reciprocal links. Now, my page is starting to get really long and unmanageable. I've never managed so many links before so any veteran webmasters out there, please offer up some guidance on how to manage this problem. Specifically my questions are as follows:

1)Is there software to do this? Ideally, it would be great if it's FREE!
2)Are their free web-based services that do this?
3)What software and services do you use?
4)Is there free software that helps webmasters send reciprocal link requests. I've been doing this manually and it's tiring after 50 e-mails.

Thanks so much. I've recently joined this forum and have been getting a lot of great advice.

[martinibuster]

it's tiring after 50 e-mails.

Oh brother, you said a mouthful, there. I initiated a discussion last month about sending emails, and the consensus seemed to be that hand made & personalized emails are the way to go and that automated one size fits all email requests generally receive negative responses.

There are indeed scripts for automating reciprocal links on a web page, but I'm not going to mention any. This is something, in my opinion, you don't want to automate. You're getting into Link Farm Country there.

A better way, in my opinion, is to have a simple formmail request on your web site for prospective linkers to make requests from, and to list your guidelines and standards.

There are purported "software" solutions for gaining links (and they all claim to be safe), as well as so-called "safe" web-based reciprocal link programs. Someone dropped their name here a few weeks ago, and that web site received a tepid response.

Call me paranoid or call me conservative, but I am very wary about putting my site's good will and ranking into someone else's hands via a web based solution, or software.

Links are so important to me that I maintain as much control over them as possible; from sending emails to posting the links on my web site.

Maybe others think differently?

:) Y

[spikedo55]

One more question: Should I break up the links into multiple categories or by alphabet (first letter)? Will that have any negative effect on search engines, page ranking? Or do I just keep all links on one very long page? Thanks again.

[Mohamed_E]

From the Google Webmaster Guidelines [google.com] (last item in the Design and Content Guidelines section):

> Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number (fewer than 100).

Since the links should be useful to your visitors I would recommend multiple categories rather than an alphabetical listing.

[spikedo55]

Thanks for your input. I'm still considerably worried about this issue. I've been adding 4 or 5 links a day and am quickly approaching the 100 link mark. I have this funny feeling that if I break everything into categories, those who already linked to me might come back to check their link and not find it on the main page and see only the category page. Then, they might remove my link. But I guess I must do this sooner, rather than later, if its going to happen. Geez, more work. It never ends. [sigh]

[pshea]

Best advice from me is once you add the link TO them, make sure you add a second link to the page FROM them which includes your linked location on their site. Keep both links near each other on your page. Then use the second link, the one where their reciprocating link is located, to check to make sure a) their link to you is still there and b) their website hasn't been taken over by someone else.

[spikedo55]

Can you show me an example of what you're talking about? I can't follow what you said. Sorry.

[pshea]

I actually felt myself tripping over my own words there

My Favorite Links

<a href='http://blah-blah-company'>Name of linking parter</a> and
<a href:='//blah-blah-company/linkpage1.html'>Location of their link back
to you</a>

Yes, you give them two links but the second one makes it easy for you to keep track of the pages where the links back to you are located. You don't, of course, have to use the language, "Location of their link back to you", you can use a graphic or another word or word sequence. It's a matter of easier maintenance for you down the road.

[Clark]

That recip link, with both near each other is a great idea...

Use a links program then you can link to anyone in your industry, but put the reciprocal linkers will get placed ahead of the others and put the recip link pages on a graphic little star...other's will see the advantage to giving the recip link and it'll be ez 4 u to manage.

[spikedo55]

Yes, I get it now. It's a lot of work, but easier to maintain. Do you do this one your link pages?

[pshea]

>>on a graphic little star<<

I use a little checkmark, but a star is good!

[spikedo55]

Can you send me the address of the url so I can see how you did it?