How to Approach
Potential Link Exchange Partners
by
Mark Hochhaus
Exchanging links can be a great way to build
relations with other sites and boost your ranking at the same
time. You never know how many friends you can make and what you
can learn from them. So let's get started.
First, you need to
create a links page. This links page needs to look and feel the
same as the rest of your site and should include instructions on
how to link to your site and an example of the description you
want. If you use buttons for links, make sure you include a text
link somewhere so
search
engines
can find your links page easily.
Now that you have your
links page ready, it's time to start looking for link partners.
When searching for link partners, start by searching for your
keywords in Google and choose 10 to 20 sites that have content
that is related to or can compliment your site. Then, add a
text
link
with a brief description of their site on your links page.
Now it's time to send
off an
email
to each site and ask if they will exchange links with you. I have
a basic form letter I use for this (form letter at end of
article). However, I add something personal about their site, a
compliment about something I liked. This lets them know that I'm
not a bot sending spam, but a real person interested in exchanging
links that has actually took the time to review their site.
If you have not heard
from them in 5 to 7 days, go ahead and send another request but
not the same one, change this one. You might mention that you have
not heard back from them and that you feel your visitors could
benefit from their content. You may also want to see if they have
a phone number listed and give them a call. I know, as a seasoned
webmaster, I enjoy the phone calls I get. Don't be afraid to make
several contact attempts. Following up on your link requests is
essential. However, don't bombard their email with requests.
Always send one last email letting them know you're removing their
link and that maybe you can exchange links another time. Always
end on a positive note. The idea is to build business
relationships,
not upset people.
When you get a response
that your request has been accepted, go and verify your link is
accurate and that the description is to your liking. Don't be
afraid to ask for an edit if you're unhappy with the link.
Having a link on a site
with a high page rank in Google is better than a page with no or
low page rank. Although, until you gain page rank of your own, you
may have to settle for links that have low rank. This does not
mean you can't request links from high ranking sites. Just be
prepared that they may not accept you until you have high page
rank. Save these contacts for a latter campaign.
Form letter example for
approaching link partners.
******************
Dear John Doe,
My name is
Your Name, I am the webmaster for
yoursite.com. I have visited your site,
sitename.com, and I think that the content could be of
interest to our
web
site
visitors.
I have already placed a
link to your site along with a description at
www.yourstie.com/link.html If you want
anything modified or if you have any other cross-promotion ideas,
let me know.
I would appreciate if
you placed a link back to our site. As soon as I am aware that you
have done so, I will move your link to the top of the list in your
category. If you put our link on your main page, I will also do
the same for you. If you have a banner you'd rather use, let me
know.
You can find our linking
code at: www.yourstie.com/suggest-link.html.
Sincerely,
Sign Here
******************
About the Author:
Mark Hochhaus co-owner
of
Technet Internet Marketing has been developing
web
sites and optimizing for search
engines since the early days of the Internet. To keep abreast of
his lastest articles, visit:
Technet's SEO News Blog: The Optimizer
