Real
World Linking - The Content Myths
by Dirk Johnson - LinkStrategy.com
Every
few months, there emerges a barrage of linking articles written by various well-recognized
(and some not so) "experts" in the field. These articles often take
on a "righteous" approach toward linking, with advisories that "content
is king". And they always take the same structure. First come the admonitions
that links based on content are the "right way" to do get links, followed
by a laundry list of link building tactics that are based on that content. Guilt,
then the path to redemption. All
well and good, and the advice is certainly valid for a site that fits a very specific
profile. But how about a linking article about what really works for an ordinary
business, in a competitive environment, against a budget, and accomplished within
a time frame that makes sense? These
"content is king" authors completely overlook the obvious fact that
much of their strategy and the associated tactics are not at all practical, affordable,
or even relevant to many types of businesses. It is very likely that most of their
readers are left wanting. Sure, it all sounds good on paper, but they inevitably
say "what about MY business". The content-based approach to linking
looks like a fantasy for most business owners. Here
are some examples of what is commonly advised, and the practical limitations that
are overlooked: Tactic
#1
"Develop good, deep content, and people will link to it" Let's
look at a local pest control company who needs links to their website. Who is
going to write their "unique content"? The business owner? A hired consultant?
A ghost writer? And how is that content going to be better than what is already
written on the subject by the chemical companies who sell pesticide, or by legitimate
third party scholars on pest control? Also, what are the legal liabilities of
writing unique content? Should they hire a lawyer to review it? If they do decide
to write this content, who is going to see it and cite it? And how long will that
take? I've
even seen these link experts advise that a business owner write a "white
paper" in order to get links. Let's run that one past the local plumber,
who probably has a different take on white paper...:) Tactic
#2
"Get links from your clients and vendors" Sure,
except that, if your clients are consumers, then you might get a link on the Johnson
family vacation page...At the bottom of the page, maybe they'll say that "We
used XYZ Bug Busters while we were at the beach." Right. Alternatively,
if XYZ Bug Busters buys their chemicals from some large chemical corporation,
maybe they can call the company headquarters and inquire about them putting up
that link... Again,
I have seen "experts" go so far as to advise that you write the link
requirement into your contracts with your clients and vendors. That is, unless
it costs you a $10,000 job. Tactic
#3
"Get links from other local businesses or from your Rolodex. Call them
and offer an exchange" Again,
a good idea in theory, but anyone who has tried this for more than two hours knows
how incredibly unproductive this is from a cost/benefit perspective. Asking for
links from sites that are not prepared to provide them is extraordinarily frustrating.
They'll promise the moon, thank you for the offer, tell you that they'll look
into it, and rarely deliver. Tactic
#4
"Get listed in Hub sites that provide one way links" The
practical number of "hub" sites that will list another relevant site
at no charge, with no reciprocal link requirement, is extraordinarily small when
compared to those who simply ask for a reciprocal exchange in return. Also, in
order to track clicks, many of these hub and portal sites use redirect scripts
on their links that do not even provide a "real" link that can be seen
by a search engine. Tactic
#5
"Personally contact writers, blog owners, and portals and explain the
benefits of your site" Again,
a good idea in theory, until you realize very quickly that they'll have virtually
no interest in the website of a local plumbing company. For
most ordinary businesses, establishing content-driven link popularity, in a volume
that will provide competitive advantage, at a cost that is affordable, and within
a timeframe that is practical, is a complete and total fantasy. A
much more practical approach, and one that has worked since the inception of the
World Wide Web, is to simply exchange links with other relevant sites that already
have link directories and already offer to exchange. It is basic, legitimate,
reciprocal linking, as it has been practiced for years. The
"experts" consistently rail against reciprocal linking. They see it
as a dark world, full of spam. Thats because they refuse to participate in the
process, and they are left to only speculate about what actually takes place between
legitimate, honest sites. They consistently fail to realize the level of scrutiny
that is given to sites that ask for links. Not everyone gets links, just for asking.
Especially these days. Rejection is a vital part of the process. A reciprocal
link exchange must pass muster on both sides of the trade. This overlooked fact
actually does keep a lid on irrelevant and "junk site" linking practices.
While
reciprocal linking is not the easiest thing to do, it is stable, affordable, practical,
legitimate, timely, and, most of all, it is accessible to most types of websites.
Especially when compared to content driven linking strategies. What's more, it
provides a ubiquitous branding function that is available only to the participants.
Dismissing
reciprocal linking is very popular among a certain realm of SEO "experts".
Since it is an approach that has been proven to work well, I sometimes wonder
if they do it in order to discourage their client's competitors. The warnings
about it with respect to the search engines are not supported by facts or search
results. Search engines have been aware of reciprocal linking for years, and most
of them appear to have rewarded it, not penalized it. Things may change with the
search engines, but so far, and with ample previous opportunity, they have not.
Those
who do choose to follow only the advice of the experts who dismiss reciprocal
linking might be making a very costly error for their own business, in terms of
the direct cost comparison, but also the competitive disadvantage they've put
themselves in, versus their competitors who are not so constrained. .
Would you like
more detailed information about our services? Please send an email
to djohnson@roiwebsites.com with
your site address and contact information, and we can begin the process of building
a firm quote for our services. Copyright 2004 Dirk
Johnson www.linkstrategy.com The next page on the
tour is:
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