The lazy man's way to get links...

[digitalpoint]

I'm not into "reciprocal" linking, and I've found that you can get a TON of links simply by giving away cool stuff. Then you don't even need to ask for links. Our keyword tracker has brought 500-600 links so far, keyword suggestion tool about 200, etc. I also recently released a system where you can easily add search functionality to any site and that has brought another 1,000 or so links.

So in my book, natural linking seems to be easier (for me at least). The time it takes to actually ask someone for a link, I could make something new to give away. :)

- Shawn

[Foxy]

Spot on Shawn

[Mr T]

A bit easier though when you are offering something that webmasters want, cos they are the people with websites to put links on. Not saying its not possible other wise, just not quite as profitable.?

[digitalpoint]

Of course... If you give away things that brew-masters like, you might get some beer as a "thanks", but not a whole lot of links. :)

- Shawn

[schmeg007]

I'm not into "reciprocal" linking, and I've found that you can get a TON of links simply by giving away cool stuff. Then you don't even need to ask for links. Our keyword tracker has brought 500-600 links so far, keyword suggestion tool about 200, etc. I also recently released a system where you can easily add search functionality to any site and that has brought another 1,000 or so links.

So in my book, natural linking seems to be easier (for me at least). The time it takes to actually ask someone for a link, I could make something new to give away. :)

- Shawn

Yeah, I agree with your strategy for getting backlinks. I don't like to do reciprocal linking because I only wish to link to sites that I think my visitors will find interesting/useful. I have gotten most of my links the hard way, which just tells me that I need to improve my web site (surpass w3schools :) ) before I will start seeing a large influx of links.

However, I do think it's useful to ask for links from web sites with related content and high page rank (6+). Nevertheless, a massive link building campaign is simply too costly, as I cannot afford that time nor pay someone to do it for me. I await the day that I finish school and have the extra time to hopefully develope some useful tools like the ones you at Digitalpoint provide.

[compar]

Changing the subject slightly, do the signature links or other links included in post on this forum show up to Google's bots?

[digitalpoint]

Yep...

http://216.239.53.104/search?q=cache:SZhRGddwggoJ:forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php%3Fgoto%3Dnewpost%26t%3D3&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

- Shawn

[compar]

Yes I knew the answer as soon as I hit the submit button. All you have to do is mouse over any link and look at the URL it points to. It is a pure link rather than being handed off by some script as other forums do to avoid link pop.

BTW this is my 30th post so now I should move from a Peon to a Grunt. Damn, I'm not sure that is a promotion :rolleyes:

[respree]

It is a promotion. There's a bunch of us peons out there that are just wishing we could be grunts. ;)

[I, Brian]

The trouble is that with Digitial Point the product offered was rather unique - at least, the repertoire was.

So no wonder you built up plenty of links. :)

[digitalpoint]

Agreed... Is a big harder to do without truly unique content. :) Although the bulk of the links to digitalpoint.com have nothing to do with search engine stuff. They come from our Optigold ISP billing software product. Search Google for optigold (http://www.google.com/search?q=optigold&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8), and you can see there are a decent number of external links (Optigold is a registered trademark of Digital Point Solutions, so it all has to do with our product... no other products that share the name).

- Shawn

[compar]

Any site with information or products that are unique or valuable will attract links. Nobody can deny this, and it is really nice when it happens.

But if you are competing in a really competitive market place you may need thousands of links to get to the top. And I don't think you can get thousands of links without working for them.

[digitalpoint]

Well, you *can*, it's just very, very, very difficult. CNN doesn't do link exchanges for example (at least I assume they don't) and they are pretty high up for "news" which is pretty competitive. :)

- Shawn

[JazzyBen]

I don't think that offering unique and valuable free stuff is the lazy option at all.... I have enormous trouble trying to get my clients to give away some of their "valuable" info to get links and traffic (and goodwill and perceived expert status amongst visitors in my opinion).

I do think that trying to get lots of traffic without providing any information value is the option of the lazy, though i agree that it is harder work in the long run.

Ben

[Mr T]

I have a new site that is going to provide a free service. Its gonna be a really good test of getting free links from providing a free service, cant wait to get it released.

[0BroadProspect]

another way is to simply put a free link exchange plug-in into your site that checks for recipocal links like the new http://www.link-swapper.com and wait for people to see it and exchange links with you, it works great especially if you have many sites
/BP

[GuyFromChicago]

another way is to simply put a free link exchange plug-in into your site that checks for recipocal links like the new http://www.link-swapper.com and wait for people to see it and exchange links with you, it works great especially if you have many sites
/BP

Hasn't there been a lot of talk of these link exchange sites/software eventually being penalized in Google?

I don't think I would be comfortable building a site primarily around links from something like this...why take chances?

[Foxy]

In short

Don't do link machines, sites and anything else that is not from your own effort in some way or another as at some time in the future, if not now, you will be penalised.

[0BroadProspect]

using an automated tool does not mean that you are abusing google, it seimply removes a lot of work on your site on managing the links and checking for recipocals, googleguy said it is OK if you do not link to bad places
so I think that link swapper is OK
/BP

[GuyFromChicago]

using an automated tool does not mean that you are abusing google, it seimply removes a lot of work on your site on managing the links and checking for recipocals, googleguy said it is OK if you do not link to bad places
so I think that link swapper is OK
/BP

I don't think it's wrong to use, it just makes me a little nervous. Call me scared, but I would hate to build a site's traffic and popularity based on something that may cause problems in the future. That's just me though....to each their own!

[0BroadProspect]

I guess that you are still using notpad to build your sites and not WYSIWYG HTMl editors, what is wrong with using tools that are OK and make your work easier and faster ?
/BP

[digitalpoint]

For me, WYSIWYG editors never do EXACTLY what I want. I use BBEdit (a text editor) for coding HTML (and PHP).

- Shawn

[Foxy]

Likewise and with the same tool - I very occasionally, like when I'm very tired and can't visualise the page, use a very old [1997] wysiwyg editor to see the page and make a very small visual change to the code, then straight back to the code because, in my opinion, it is actually easier and faster in code.

[ferret77]

are those sites in your sig all hand coded?

[Foxy]

are those sites in your sig all hand coded?

Yep - Basically, except for the php where I have taken other peoples handcoded and hacked it around. Originally I started with the old WYSIWYG editor but soon changed to hand but you will notice quite a lot of template work - Why? :)

[ferret77]

they look kind of similiar

[Foxy]

Oh they are - they are meant to be as we own them all.

We start with a plan that I work out by hand - including an SEO linking strategy - then I hand code using BBEdit, but use the WYSIWYG [because it is faster, as it is old and small] to check my overall style, look, but after that it is all hand written - CSS included on BBEdit.

By copy paste of the code of the style of the page I save time - each domain has the same structure same folder names for eg graphics which has other folders such as backgrounds, logos etc which each have the same file names altered to take up the domain name.

Even then I never have enough time and there are errors everywhere [do as I say not what I do!!] but I have promised myself a target of end May to bring this untamed beast into order and to use good seo everywhere!!! :D

No more Excuses!!!

[exam]

Funny how spammers revive *really* old threads... but hey- it's a good thread.