Link Exchange: A Better Way for 2006
While traditional link exchanges still hold some value, it may
be time to add a different tactic to your link-building arsenal.
Why? Because it appears that swapping links doesn't provide
quite as much 'oomph!' for moving up in the search engine
rankings as it used to, at least not for sites in highly
competitive niches. Many sites that were on the first page of
results and relied heavily on exchanging links have lost those
coveted positions after recent search engine updates (especially
the 'Jagger' update at Google).
Disclaimer: Only employees who are in the know at the search
engines can say with certainty which factors determine rankings.
The decrease in link exchange benefit is speculation based on
testing and some consensus among 'experts' outside of the
engines.
Build More One-Way Links
Assuming that it's true about link exchanges becoming an
obsolete way to get higher search engine rankings, it's wise to
find ways to build one-way inbound links. At the very least, no
web site owner should rely completely on one form of link
gathering. It's never smart to put all of one's eggs in the same
basket, after all.
The rub here is that most site owners still pursue link swaps as
their 'bread-and-butter' means of building links. That can play
against you in your own link strategy if you don't continue to
offer exchanges. What to do?
What you need is a sort of hybrid approach. That is, find a way
to appeal to the barter mindset of exchanging something of value
for something else of value that most web site owners have
ingrained in their modes of thinking. Along those lines, here's
a great way to continue building links without swapping them:
offer original, unique content in exchange for a one-way link.
Trade Content for Links Instead
Here's how it works...
Instead of offering to exchange links on your links page, write
a short notice that you will write a few hundred words of
original, exclusive content (300-500 is plenty) that the other
site owner may use on his or her site. In exchange, they must
post a link to your site on either their home page or another
important page that is linked directly from the home page. Make
it clear that your link must not appear on their links page,
where it would just share space with many others. For the value
to be equal, your link should get special handling in exchange
for that great page of new content.
Now, expect not to get too many takers at this stage. The link
exchange notion is pretty ingrained in most site owners. That
being the case, there's another part of this strategy you should
definitely pursue.
Be proactive! Seek out related sites from which you'd love to
have a link, and approach the site owner or webmaster with an
offer to write a page of high quality content in exchange for a
return link. We've been following this strategy for months with
our network of sites and the results are impressive! You can
expect a much higher rate of agreement from this approach than
the tired old "I love your site! let's exchange links!" routine,
which is increasingly too time consuming to be worth the effort.
Some Important Points
First, follow through and write truly excellent content. Don't
just dash off a quick article that doesn't convey useful and
interesting information. Savvy web site owners will quickly
refuse to post your link if you abuse the situation in this way.
Second, make the content you give away original and exclusive.
This is your 'hook' - your best selling point. If you try to
give a site owner the same content that appears somewhere else,
you'll lose a wonderful opportunity to get a great one-way link.
Perhaps the most important point of all is to use this strategy
only with closely related sites that have high quality content.
Be picky! Start by checking out the top ranked sites in your
niche. Search Google or another major search engine to get a
list of the top sites, then visit each one and, if you deem it
worthy, find their contact information and send a short, polite
inquiry to see if they are interested in an exchange of content
for a link back to your site.
When other site owners approach you from the notice on your
links page - again, be picky. You'll be spending some of your
valuable time to write them a page of high quality content. You
will want a high quality link in return. If a site does not meet
your high standards, take a pass. In all cases, if you agree to
the content-for-link exchange, always request a link from their
home page. It's the best possible place for your link and, at
worst, the other site owner will refuse and suggest a different
page. It can't hurt to ask!
Ultimately, the real long-term value in following this
link-building strategy is the return on your investment of time.
The relatively short amount of time you invest in writing the
content you give away may produce dividends in traffic and
higher search engine rankings that last for years. Viewed from
that perspective, doesn't this make good sense?