Forum Moderators: mack
My high-ranking competitors, or even most similar-ranking ones, won't even reply to my requests to swap links. (This was even when I ranked fairly well, before my site took a dive in the Google SERPs.) And link exchanges, I understand, are no longer that valuable anyway.
High quality, original content makes others want to link to you, I understand that. BUT, you have no control over who links to you, high-ranking sites or trashy ones.
I'm a little frustrated. Would anyone care to offer some insights? Much appreciated.
won't even reply to my requests to swap links
If you are sending out request messages, they should be hand-crafted for each specific site with specific, unique points for why that poerson should exchange links with you. But as you say, link exchanges are not that valuable anyway. So you should be offering something different besides just a link exchange. There are several good threads in this forum.
It's doubtful that trashy sites linking to you are going to cause you any problems, so I wouldn't spend time worrying about them.
Being self-effacing, it's also possible, of course, that they just don't like the quality of widgets I'm currently crafting, and when I get better at widgeting, they will let me in. I have received link requests from other sites whose widgets I don't respect, so I know what it's like. In my case, I can't afford to turn anyone down, though (so long as their sites are fairly on-topic, as you say).
I figure I need to become both a more prolific and better widgeter, and I'm hoping then other sites will want to link to me.
I hope this doesn't sound like complete gibberish. ;-) I will look for some related threads to read. Thanks again.
I really don't know what to tell a high-ranking competitor in my niche as to why they should link to me, as I truly don't see any benefit to them.
Good, you are thinking realistically. Of COURSE there is no reason for a direct competitor to link to you. Fergedaboudit!
I do request links mostly from direct competitors
Given the above, the reason you do this is...
but in my niche those are the only sites that rank well.
I think you are too narrowly-focused on ranking well in your niche.
Think outside of your niche. Are the other niches with some synergy toward yours? Where poeple might be on a site for something else, but also have an interest in your widgets? They sell eggs. You sell bacon.
This may not give you as much traffic as links within your own niche. But you aren't going to get links within your own niche. This will at least get you SOME traffic, and should help improve your ranking even within your own niche.
Thanks jtara, did not know that. I do have at least ONE link from a high-ranking competitor in my niche, though--someone who requested a link from ME back when I outranked THEM. Just goes to show ya....
Will start thinking outside the niche. :-) Much appreciated.
A good thing about links like those is that you can tell the other website why they'd benefit from linking with yours.
[edited by: Beagle at 1:32 pm (utc) on Jan. 3, 2007]
I agree with all above about the problems of asking for links; it's pretty much a soul-breaking chore, but if you must do it, go for complementary sites, look for a common thread but not a competitor. If you sell Heavy Metal CDs, maybe a Heavy Metal bookstore may link. OK, bad example - but you get my drift ...
In other words, they're wanting stuff that brings them more business. They aren't running their sites to send you more business.
So think about who would want whatever it is that you're offering. Try searching on possible keywords. Find sites that aren't necessarily direct competitors to yours or in the exact same niche of the market, but whose visitors could potentially benefit from following a link along the lines of "For further information on this topic, please visit [yoursite.com]" (or [yoursite.com/yourpage.html]). Poke around the target site you've found, trying to find a page from which a link to your site appears (at least to you) as being obviously useful to their users, and not detrimental to their own marketing.
Then send a polite e-mail, requesting that they consider adding a link to your site (or a particular article or service of direct use, providing the direct URL) from the logical sending page you found (including that URL as well). It would probably help if you included a short description of how your site (or page or service) would be useful to their users. Make it specific and realistic; don't make it sound like an advertising blurb.
And, for heaven's sake, don't say something along the lines of "I'll show you mine if you show me yours". That is, don't offer a reciprocal link of your own as some sort of lame bribe. (If you'd liked their site, you'd have linked to them already, right?) And don't link to them and then make it sound like they "owe" you a reciprocal link. This isn't kindergarten; we don't have to be "fair" and we don't have to "share".
Close your request by thanking the recipient for him time and consideration.
Never, ever "follow up" or complain if the targetted site does not reply, does reply but in the negative, or does not link. You are asking target sites for a favor; they're allowed to say "no".
Anyway, that's what's been most successful for me, and describes the only sort of link request I would consider. Just my opinion, of course; I could be wrong....
Eliz.
IF your widgets are bicycles or jewelry give a used value estimator so they can figure out what to sell (or buy) used merchandise for. If it's golf, provide golf course specific weather forecasts. For anything a glossary of terms that's better than wikipedia. Selling computers? A little program to test how fast their current computer really is, given the actual memory loads, etc.
Not only will people link to you spontaneously, but when you mention it to many enthusiasts, they'll be glad to.
Provide value. Differentiate yourself. If you're just like everybody else, who cares?
(I am not affiliated with any of those websites listed on the dmoz about page, I only list them as an example.)
