NoahFleming.com

Exchanging links is free, slow and steady.  You won’t see a flood of money coming in or a huge increase in adsense clicks when you are adding links.  Guess what?  That’s not the benefit we look for when exchanging reciprocal links.

You launch your site on the World Wide Web - with reciprocal links you are attaching your site to that web.  Reciprocal links create paths to your websites and search engine bots as well as visitors follow those paths.

With a good reciprocal link campaign, you are creating a spider web with your site in the center.  All of those paths leading to and from your site build that web and help anchor your site.   Your site is at the center of this web, and less likely to be hurt by the ever changing whim of search engines.

The information here is only what you need to know to add good reciprocal links to your websites.  It is not necessary to understand the nuances of PR in link trading – or to know every little trick some site owners use.  This is an easy process, requires no expenditure at all – and carries long term ongoing benefits for your site.

Exactly what IS a "Reciprocal Link" Anyway?

This is a "trade" - you put a link on your site pointing to another webmaster’s site and he does the same for you.  How simple is that?

Done right, it’s not quite that simple.  The focus of the site you trade links with, the design and quality of that site, where links are placed, etc determines how much benefit a link will add to your site.

Just a tad of linking history here:

In 2000, it was common for new webmasters to "exchange links" with hundreds of sites.  The majority of content sites contained multiple links page with 80-100 links to other sites on each page.

Where there is opportunity, someone will exploit it.   Software developers launched scripts that would automate parts of linking program and marketers built membership sites where all the members could link to each other.

The software was a great help - but the link member sites often fill up with new site owners indiscriminately linking to anyone who suggests it.  Google responded by changing the value given to some link trades.

By 2002, smart site owners placed no more than 25 links per page and shortly after that they stopped naming those pages "links".  They became "sponsored sites", "partner sites".

In the next couple years, a Google insider leaked the information that "Google values one way links much higher than reciprocal links".  Blogs, sites and tutorials began telling new site owners to focus on one-way inks.  The crowd rushed to find as many ways as possible to get one-way links….and guess what happened last year?  You got it - information "leaked" from Google indicated that one way links are not carrying the weight of importance they once did.

Reciprocal linking is often ignored by new IMers - they concentrate on one-way links, on PPC, post all over forums and blogs.  They believe the advice that "reciprocal linking isn’t worth it now"…

- AND THAT IS GOOD FOR YOU!!!

Experienced webmasters did not stop trading links with other sites.  They refined their methods, combined reciprocal links with one way links.

What are the benefits of exchanging links with other webmasters? 

There are several:

1.  It’s free - totally, completely, no-hidden-costs FREE

2.  It’s spider-bait!   Finding links to your site on many other good sites, the spider bots travel the link paths to your sites again and again.  I’ve always imagined a little bot saying "aha, all paths lead to this site - must be very important site"….or something like that.

3.  Site stability.  The maze of links anchors your site and connects it to other sites on the web.  The internet is an interactive community - To the great Google, it is much better to be connected to others in the community than floating alone in cyberspace.

4.  Branding.  Using the right anchor text helps brand your niche and your site or name.

5.  Traffic.   Yes - you do get traffic from reciprocal links.  Using a strong anchor text and interesting description will increase the traffic potential.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU???

The rules for two way links in 2007 have changed.  You don’t need or want hundreds of link exchanges.  You choose link partners carefully and you check your links monthly to make sure they remain active.

Do you leak page rank?  Yes, a bit.  If you have a PR5 site with a reciprocal link to a PR3 site - it’s not an even trade.   If you place a link to another marketers PR4 site on a PR4 page on your own site — and his link back to you is on a PR0 site, it’s an "oops".  But for new site owners, it’s not a big deal.

As a general rule, you will be trading links with sites of page rank similar to your own site.  There is no benefit to a high ranked that links to a low ranked site.  It’s a loss for them.

If you have a PR3 home page, you can increase your chances of getting high ranked sites to link to you by adding them to a linking page with only 10 links on the page.   The more links on any one page - the less value there is to each link.  Makes sense, right?

About Page Rank:

Download and install the Google Toolbar: http://toolbar.google.com/ .  This will show you the Page Rank of the page you are viewing. Page Rank is a measure, rated from 1 to 10, of the "importance" that Google gives to that page.

Ahhh - the great mystery.  Except there is no mystery at all.  Page rank is exactly what it sounds like - it is the rank of importance that Google assigns to a page!  It serves little real purpose except when you are linking with other sites.

"Common knowledge" can be dangerous.  Marketers comment confidently that Page Rank means nothing.   All that counts is where your site ranks in the Google lists.

Site placement in Google can change drastically and quickly and staying on top may require close monitoring and repeated effort.   Reciprocal links, once secured, only need to be checked every month or two. 

Google placement is extremely important but it does not follow that page rank means nothing.  When requesting reciprocal links, Page Rank enables you to link with better sites.  Linking is perhaps the most important reason to gain good Page Rank…but also the easiest way to get that PR.

If your site is new, it’s possible your page rank is PR0.  That doesn’t mean you can’t get good link partners.  It does mean that you need to be realistic. 

Reciprocal links are mutual benefits for the two sites involved.  There is no incentive for a PR4, PR5 or PR6 site to link to a low or no PR site - unless
the high PR site is owned by a good friend or relative.

That’s not a problem, though.  A new site owner that carefully chooses to link with other high quality new sites will find his links become more and more important because those sites move up in PR with time.  What began as a low page rank site linking to other new sites in a year can be a PR4 site with link partners that are PR4 or even higher.

Target link partners with page rank approximately the same as your own.  There is no benefit to you in asking for links from a PR4 or higher site if your own site is PR0 or PR2.  You will be rejected because it is not a valuable link for the other site owner.

How to Start and Run Your Reciprocal Link Campaign

Before you begin, there are a couple of text docs you can make that you will use again and again.

1.  In a text editor (notepad) enter the site information that you will be adding to forms when you request a link.

   Site title:  xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

   Site url:   xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  *Description:   xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

*very important - If you need to, visit some good sites and become familiar with how descriptions are used.  Your title can be your anchor link and you can reinforce that in your description. Search engines pick up only the first 5-6 words of your description

Bad Description:
    A site with full information and articles for those who want to
    begin making money with a home business.

Much Better Would Be:
    Make money with a home business  Free tutorials, articles
and more available at (your site’s title)

Be truthful about your site - but get some "oomph" in the first few words.
A bit of time spent on this will increase your results.  Get your keywords
into the first 5-6 words of your description!

Save this in a folder on your computer titled "linking"

2.   Open another notepad and write a brief email that includes

    site title
    site url
    site description
    your name
    your email address

Write a SIMPLE, friendly email to use in requesting links from sites that do not have a "submit link" form.  Avoid the newbie mistake of lecturing the other site owner about the value of reciprocal links!  If they have a linking program, they know about trading links.

The email below is close to what I use myself and is a good place to start when writing your own.  Write one up on notepad and save it to your links folder.

********************************************************************************************

Dear [their name here if you have it]
I added an active link to your site and would appreciate a reciprocal link from you.   You can find that link at [give the EXACT page url where the link appear on your site].

The information for a link to my site is:

Title:   xxxxx

URL:    xxxxx

Description:   xxxxx

I’d appreciate an mail when the link to my site has been added.  Thank you for your consideration.

your signature

P.S.   I really liked your site!!! 

********************************************************************************************

Now save that short email in the same linking folder

Many websites use link manager scripts and will have a form to fill out to submit your link.  For these submissions, Roboform or form filling function in a browser such as Firefox will save time and typing for you.  NOTE:  When a form asks where you placed THEIR link, always give them the exact page location url.  Do not list your home page and expect them to look through your site for the link.

Finding Sites to Link to:

Use good old Google search.  In the search box, enter

"your topic" "exchange links"

("exchange links" will result in a better search than "link exchange")

You can also try other terms:

"your topic" "partner links"
"your topic" "link partners"
"your topic" "add link"
"your topic" "reciprocal link"

You get the idea. 

This is the tedious part of linking.  You need to visit those sites and look for

1.  page rank of the home page
2.  is topic relevant to yours?
3.  site quality
4.  is there a visible link to the partner link pages?

Many of those sites will have a form to fill out "submit link" to request a reciprocal link.   Others will have a link to send an email.

Choosing Potential Link Partners

Judging a Potential Link Partner’s Site:

You are looking for a quality site.  Does the site load quickly?  Are images used well/overused?  Is there real content on the pages or is it an MFA (made for adsense) site plastered with ads everywhere you look?

Use "consumer think" - would you look at more pages on that site?  Is it attractive?  Is it interesting?  Is it keyword optimized and SEO friendly?

Now check out the location of the reciprocal links on that site.  The links should be no more than 2 clicks (and preferably one click) from the site’s home page.

Beware of webmasters who add your site to their "directory" which requires 4-5 clicks to find the page where links appear.  Do not request a link from such a site.

The PR of the link you receive is based on the Page Rank of the exact page where your link appears, not the home page of the partner site.

Stick to Similar, Related Themes/Topics/Niches

If you have a site about horses, it makes sense to trade links with other horse themed websites.

Once you have some of those links in place, you can expand a bit into other pet categories and still retain theme based links.  Pet sites, veterinarian sites, etc.  

You would never link with insurance (unless it’s pet insurance), or "make money" or skin care sites as they have no relationship at all to your own website topic.

Some niches have a wider range of potential link partners.  A site about orchids could link effectively with any number of garden sites without having links outside the niche area.

Remember - the narrower your own sub niche site, the more you can widen your link partner search in that niche.

If you are developing an authority site you can link to sites that are related to any one of the topics on your own site.

You will stay within the same general theme of your site because that is the target market for your site topic and keywords.  Though a pet person may well have an interest in clicking on your dog training link….someone looking for fishing gear will pass you by.

Never link to any site that does not have a live link to its own partner or link pages visible on its HOME page.   Not all sites have link trade policies so if a "sponsored sites" or "partner sites" or "submit" link does not appear on the home page, move to the next potential site.  You will not be linking to common sales pages and mini-sites used to promote products.

Once you begin a linking program, you will begin to receive emails from site owners requesting a link trade.  Do not automatically accept these.  Always check out the site for relevance to your topic and for link pages easily found.

A Good Shortcut:

There is always an easier way - and this one will save a lot of time and frustration.

Do the search above and find a site that meets your requirements as a link partner.   Take a look at their link pages.   Are they doing a good job of getting related sites to link to them?   If so, good for YOU.

That’s a goldmine for you!  You have a list of sites that are related AND that have link exchange programs, too.   Wow!  

You just open those links in a new window one by one, decide if they are a good fit for your site  If so, add them as a link on your own link page - and submit your site for consideration through their "submit a link" page or email. 

Making the Link

Did you notice that in the text above I said "add them as a link on your own link page"?

That is the FIRST step in requesting a link.   Before requesting a link from another site, add their site as a live link on your link partner’s page!!!  Don’t play games with "if you do, I will" - just do it.

When creating your linking pages for your site, do NOT name them:
    links1
    links2
    links3

Instead use your anchor text as page titles such as

    "make money partners"
    "home business partners"

On the link partners site,…remember (repeating myself here but it’s important)…

When you email them….or enter the information in their "submit link" form, give the webmaster the EXACT page url where you have placed the link to their site.   Do not just put your site url and expect the other site owner to spend time sorting through pages to find their link. 

Tell them "the link to your site is at 
 http://wwww.yourdomain.com/partnerpagetitle

Getting the Link Bank

Impatience will not work here and can damage your chances of getting good reciprocal links.  When you begin linking, you may be adding links daily or a couple times a week.  The other webmaster may be checking links only monthly or even every other month.  

Keep in mind you are requesting a "service JV" with the link trade partner.  Be professional, be polite, be patient.  If you receive a "sorry, can’t do it" reply – don’t take it personally.  On occasion, you may have a rude reply.  90% of the time this comes from someone new who doesn’t know the value of linking – the other 10% are from higher ranked sites with arrogant owners.  Don’t explain, don’t answer, just move on.   About 6-12 months from now, it like those people will be asking YOU for a link.  Believe me – it happens a lot!

When that happens, you are still polite and graciously agree – and then put their link on the last page of your link partners – a PR0 page (nice has limits; payback is a "feel good" moment - even if only you know about it).

Add the link to your site, fill out the form or send email requesting a link back from them….and move on to the next link.

After a month, you can start checking to see if your links have been activated on their site.   Some will send an email - some will just activate the link.  Some may move it to a different link category.   Go through the link pages of the site and use "edit/find" to locate your site in the source code to find your url link.  Then view the actual link on the html page.

If you can’t find the link after 4-6 weeks, send a polite email to the webmaster and give it a couple more weeks.  If there is still no link, you can send a simple email stating that you are unable to find a live link leading to your site and will be removing unreciprocated links on your site at the end of the month.  This is good time to give the other site owner an "out" by saying "I can’t find the link" rather than "the link is not there".

Some sites will link with you - and some won’t.  Be considerate and don’t take any rejections personally.  If you choose sites well as describe in this report, you will have a very good chance of receiving links from most sites you requests them from.

One Note:   If you have a brand new site, it can be frustrating.  You have a PR0 and may be turned down by higher PR sites.  You want the links for popularity of your site….and it’s harder to get good links until your site is popular.  Vicious circle - but getting links back from a few good directories and getting some one way links through article submission will help you get that popularity, too.

It is best to build a good site, submit a few articles, submit to directories and then begin your reciprocal link campaign.

Link Cheats

There are (gasp) webmasters who will cheat reciprocal link partners.  Some will add your link and then a few weeks later, remove it.

To build their own page rank, a few webmasters will use the robots.txt file to block the link directory they are building!

This benefits them because they are getting the link partners’ link in to their site - but are not allow their own linking pages to be spidered.

If you suspect this might be happening, you can find out easily.  In the address bar of your browser, type

www.the-domain-name.com/robots.txt

You will be able to see if the webmaster is blocking any directories in his site.

Another good validation method is to use a site spider service to see if you can view the partner’s link page "like a search engine would see it".  Best free tool I’ve used is the link checker at 

www.instantposition.com  

Remember, you are only interested in the page where YOUR link is posted – not in the partner’s root domain.

Choose Your Own Pace

Linking and exchanging links is an ongoing activity for your site.  Trade a few links a week with other webmasters and the results will begin to show for your site. 

If you are building multiple sites, set aside a couple hours a week and add two links to each site.  This is a low pressure activity, slow and steady will get results.
Once you have 20-30 good link partners, stop a bit and keep monitoring your links to make sure they remain active.  As you gain more Page Rank, add a few more links with sites of higher PR.

A good strategy now is to add only 10-15 links on one page (remember to title the page with your anchor text).  In 2007, reciprocal links remain a highly useful tactic for your site – but it’s quality of the links you trade, not quantity, that Google is looking at.

Free Tools To Automate Link Exchange

There are excellent products such as SEO Elite that will help you with both search engine optimization and link exchange automation.

There are scripts from $97 to $200 that will fully automate a linking program.
In the past, these were necessary for those who were adding hundreds of links.  We no longer add such a huge number – and your link can simply be an html page or pages on your site.

Also free and useful are several free link scripts.  Though I don’t currently use these, they are definitely worth checking out.

http://www.mylinkhelper.com/

http://linkmachine.net/

The most useful function to look for is a script that will check your links on your partner sites to make sure they are remaining active and can be found.

If you don’t use a script that offers a form for submitting a link request through your site, you can have a "submit your site" link at the bottom of your home page and add an html page with instructions to email you to request a link.

Happy linking!