Internet Promotion: Link Exchange Services
| Category: Online Promotion | Date: 2002-08-09 |
I've run across several link exchange services, and they are all tempting. Oh wait, what is a link exchange service? Well, a link exchange is a page or more of links on your site which you have agreed to display in exchange for your link on a page on the listed sites. A link exchange service is a company or group which attempts (more or less successfully) to automate this process to a certain extent.
The idea is you can get far more "bang for the buck" by teaming up with a few thousand other sites, and let the management of the exchange be handled by someone else.
These services range from fairly primitive to extremely sophisticated. In all of them, you submit your site's name, URL and description (and sometimes additional information as well) to be added to a directory of some kind. What is done with that information depends upon the service.
Linkstoyou - This service enters your site name, URL and a brief description into a directory. You may choose one of about a dozen different directories, each of which corresponds to a subject. The effect is to provide a way for your visitors to surf the lists, looking for sites about a specific subject.
The idea is you receive these directories (one per page) and add them to your site. A small heart graphic is hyperlinked to the root file (your subject). You receive an email about once a month with new pages to replace the pages. As long as the Linkstoyou robot finds the heart graphic and URL you will continue to be listed.
LinkTopics - This service is similar to Linkstoyou, only it's a bit more sophisticated. You can make your pages a little different than anyone else's by adding a custom footer and header, keywords and other information. It does, however, operate almost identically to Linkstoyou in that you periodically receive updates via email which are intended to replace the pages on your site.
There are other services which are similar all over the internet. Some other companies offer JavaScript based link exchanges, in which you sign up, then add some JavaScript to your site. The JavaScript rotates a series of text links in a small box.
Besides automating the link exchange process, why are people doing this? The primary reason has nothing to do with creating a link exchange (which usually has an attempt to create a directory of sites of some value to your visitors). No, really, the reason is to improve search engine rankings.
You see, some search engines (Google is the best example) use links to your site as a criteria to determine how high in the rankings your site appears. Thus, the theory goes that by increasing the number of links you actually force your site higher and thus get more traffic.
The theory, however, is basically flawed.
Taking part in one of these programs is called search engine spamming. If you are caught the search engines will typically drop your ranking way down - or they may remove you from the engine entirely.
A now-defunct service called "linkme" had the following to say:
LinkMe has become little more than search engine spam and I am embarrassed to be associated with it. This was never my intention..."
I think that sums up the issue nicely.
Should you partake of these services? I would not advise it. First, your site may be downgraded or banned from search engines, and second, they really don't gain you any traffic. You see, these services are not real link exchanges.
A real link exchange adds value for your visitors. The object is to present some links which may be of interest to people who are looking at your site. These services contain largely random sites, few of which are of interest to anyone. Since you did not review them and pick them, you have no control over what appears.
What's my advice? Take the time and build your own link exchange with quality sites. That will add value to your visitors and improve the look and feel of your own pages.
About the Author
Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets. This website includes over 1,000 free articles to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.
Weekly newsletter: http://www.internet-tips.net/joinlist.htm
Daily Tips: internet-tips@GetResponse.com
Claudia Arevalo-Lowe is the webmistress of Internet Tips And Secrets and Surviving Asthma. Visit her site at http://survivingasthma.com
List of articles available for reprint: article-list@internet-tips.net
articles@internet-tips.net
http://www.internet-tips.net
The idea is you can get far more "bang for the buck" by teaming up with a few thousand other sites, and let the management of the exchange be handled by someone else.
These services range from fairly primitive to extremely sophisticated. In all of them, you submit your site's name, URL and description (and sometimes additional information as well) to be added to a directory of some kind. What is done with that information depends upon the service.
Linkstoyou - This service enters your site name, URL and a brief description into a directory. You may choose one of about a dozen different directories, each of which corresponds to a subject. The effect is to provide a way for your visitors to surf the lists, looking for sites about a specific subject.
The idea is you receive these directories (one per page) and add them to your site. A small heart graphic is hyperlinked to the root file (your subject). You receive an email about once a month with new pages to replace the pages. As long as the Linkstoyou robot finds the heart graphic and URL you will continue to be listed.
LinkTopics - This service is similar to Linkstoyou, only it's a bit more sophisticated. You can make your pages a little different than anyone else's by adding a custom footer and header, keywords and other information. It does, however, operate almost identically to Linkstoyou in that you periodically receive updates via email which are intended to replace the pages on your site.
There are other services which are similar all over the internet. Some other companies offer JavaScript based link exchanges, in which you sign up, then add some JavaScript to your site. The JavaScript rotates a series of text links in a small box.
Besides automating the link exchange process, why are people doing this? The primary reason has nothing to do with creating a link exchange (which usually has an attempt to create a directory of sites of some value to your visitors). No, really, the reason is to improve search engine rankings.
You see, some search engines (Google is the best example) use links to your site as a criteria to determine how high in the rankings your site appears. Thus, the theory goes that by increasing the number of links you actually force your site higher and thus get more traffic.
The theory, however, is basically flawed.
Taking part in one of these programs is called search engine spamming. If you are caught the search engines will typically drop your ranking way down - or they may remove you from the engine entirely.
A now-defunct service called "linkme" had the following to say:
LinkMe has become little more than search engine spam and I am embarrassed to be associated with it. This was never my intention..."
I think that sums up the issue nicely.
Should you partake of these services? I would not advise it. First, your site may be downgraded or banned from search engines, and second, they really don't gain you any traffic. You see, these services are not real link exchanges.
A real link exchange adds value for your visitors. The object is to present some links which may be of interest to people who are looking at your site. These services contain largely random sites, few of which are of interest to anyone. Since you did not review them and pick them, you have no control over what appears.
What's my advice? Take the time and build your own link exchange with quality sites. That will add value to your visitors and improve the look and feel of your own pages.
About the Author
Richard Lowe Jr. is the webmaster of Internet Tips And Secrets. This website includes over 1,000 free articles to improve your internet profits, enjoyment and knowledge.
Weekly newsletter: http://www.internet-tips.net/joinlist.htm
Daily Tips: internet-tips@GetResponse.com
Claudia Arevalo-Lowe is the webmistress of Internet Tips And Secrets and Surviving Asthma. Visit her site at http://survivingasthma.com
List of articles available for reprint: article-list@internet-tips.net
articles@internet-tips.net
http://www.internet-tips.net
Copyright © 2005-2006 Powered by Custom PHP Programming