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Reciprocal Links Option ... yes or no?

Discussion in 'Directories' started by Blogmaster, May 23, 2007.

?

Should a web directory offer rediction for reciprocal links?

  1. yes

    7 vote(s)
    26.9%
  2. no

    13 vote(s)
    50.0%
  3. depends on the directory (plz comment)

    4 vote(s)
    15.4%
  4. I wonder that myself sometimes

    2 vote(s)
    7.7%
  1. wwws

    wwws Notable Member

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    #41
    You must get a different type of submitters then, base on my experience and if you need a screen shot of what my admin look like right now with reciprocals on them, then you would might agree that it is garbage. Long url and on asp page with at least about a hundred links on that page and had been submitted on top category.

    But yes I do agree with you about the part when the directory owner is part of the problem. But, there are no obligation on the other side of the party to actually reciprocate. So if a directory owner doesn't acknowledge, then move on, the best one can do is to contact the owner and ask if he/she wish to trade links, if he/she doesn't response, the answer is no.
     
    wwws, May 24, 2007 IP
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  2. compostannie

    compostannie Peon

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    #42
    Wow, that's a real eye opener regarding the character of some directory owners. :(

    If the directory is offering reciprocal linking as an option then they are the ones who made the offer so yes, they do have an obligation to acknowledge when a submitter responds to their offer with a reciprocal link that is as good as or better than the directory owner is offering. Why in the world would a submitter contact the directory owner to request a link exchange if the directory owner has already taken the initiative and made the offer himself? :confused: Seems kind of redundant to me.

    If the link is on a worthless page, then yes, the directory owner has the right to simply hit the delete button since the submitter isn't living up to his end of the deal. But if the directory owner makes the offer, he does have an obligation to follow up with sites that provide good links. If he doesn't, then his reciprocal link offer is a scam and he's stealing from the submitter.

    How would you feel if I sent you a message requesting a link exchange with the directory in my sig? If you accepted my offer wouldn't you expect that I had an obligation to to actually reciprocate once you placed my link? Wouldn't you decide I was dishonest if I neglected to place your link or if I removed it without telling you but continued to benefit from your link?

    How is this scenario any different?

    Any directory owner who offers a reciprocal linking option and then claims a submitter who provides a good link from a decent site has no right to expect the directory owner to follow through with their offer is dishonest in my opion

    I'd like to hear if other directory owners feel the same. Is it common for directory owners who offer reciprocal links to just take the link and run? I admit I'm shocked and I'm about to delete all directories from my websites (other than the directory in my sig). I feel strongly about this because I know for a fact that in almost all cases I provide a better link to the directory than they would provide me, if they bothered to follow through. :mad:

    wwws, any directory owner who feels like you do about reciprocal links should remove the option from their directories immediately. It's dishonest to lure in good links when you have no intention of honoring your offer. It's ridiculous to expect the submitter to follow your guidelines and play by your rules and then claim they should have contacted you to request a link exchange if they selected the reciprocal option....unless you specifically instruct them to do so in your guidelines. And I've never seen that in any guidelines, and yes, I always read the guidelines.
     
    compostannie, May 24, 2007 IP
  3. CReed

    CReed Prominent Member

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    #43
    The site is that good even without a reciprocal link.
     
    CReed, May 24, 2007 IP
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  4. wwws

    wwws Notable Member

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    #44
    It's not so much an offer, it's an option and it still needs to meet the submission criteria just as if it were free or paid. Just because I have an option for reciprocals and someone reciprocated with me, it doesn't mean I have to click the approve button and feel obligated to reciprocate. I still need to review the site to see if it does meet my criteria just like anything else.

    1. What or where my links where place and would it benefit me later.
    2. Is the site use full and well constructive.
    3. Where does it's out bound link pointing to.
    4. Where has it been linked to.
    5. Does it promote it's site other than reciprocating to other site or directories (see 1).

    See the above. What offer? I have 3 option field in my submission page:
    Featured links $19.98
    Regular links $9.98
    Regular links with reciprocal free

    Whatever a submitter chooses on anyone of those 3 options, I am still not obligated to list it's site. If they choose the Paid option, it will still need to be reviewed and process and this is the same goes with reciprocals and I am in no way obligated to accept. If one choose Paid, I provide a 100% refund. If I decline to reciprocate then it is the submitters duty to remove my site from his site.

    This is a different case, this is a manual agreement between you and me. As you said that you want to trade links with me, and I accepted and had place your link into mine, but, you failed to do the same? It is my sole duty to check up on my links to yours, if I see that my links are no longer or have never been place, I will contact to you and I will give you some time to respond to my request to put my link back, if you do not respond, then I shall remove your link from mine...Real simple ain't it?

    Where in the world did you get the idea that I do not honor a good link partner. Your talking of two different things between a reciprocal exchange via a directory software and written via PM (personal messages) or email.

    Via the directory software, it needs my guidelines as the site that gets submitted I am not aware of it's existence, so I have not yet agreed to link exchange, therefore I am not obligated to accept. See what i'm getting at? Give it a few days, if your site hasn't been put up, then delete his links from your site...simple and you are not obligated to keep that link on your page either.

    Via PM or Email.
    If you and I were to link exchange via PM or email and I have seen the site you wanting to exchange with and I have agreed later to have a link partner with you, then off course I am obligated to put your link up, when later I feel that being a partner wih you is of no longer benefiting me, I will then contact you about ending it.

    I have a few that I exchange with someone and I have never remove those links....first. I make a round to my link exchange partner(s) and Paid one for that matter and see if my links are up. I had notice some of those people that I have exchange with that have remove my link and had never contacted me, fine I wont be doing it with that person again.

    It is your sole duty to check up on your link partner to see if your links are up and take action if it isn't and why make it complicated is beyond me.

    So basically, if someone wishes to choose the Option on my directory software to reciprocate, they will need to be meet a standard requirement....I can't just approve because you put my link up first, thats crazy:eek:.If you don't see you links up, remove my links from your page..Simple process Annie.
     
    wwws, May 24, 2007 IP
  5. compostannie

    compostannie Peon

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    #45
    Clearly you either didn't read what I wrote or you didn't understand it. I doubt you even took a peek at the example I provided. I won't try to guess which reason is causing your confusion, but like I said, this thread has sure opened up my eyes concerning the character (or lack of) of many directory owners.

    I've decided that only directory owners that I'm familiar with and trust will get precious link space on any of my sites. I have begun the process of purging deadbeat directory owners from my sites. I've known about them for a couple of years, I just didn't think it was that big a deal so I left many reciprocated links in place. No more, now that I realize you guys have this attitude and it's definitely not related to the quality of the site or the link.

    This attitude has the potential to make all small directory owner look suspect. That's a bad thing for everyone.

    Btw, to be clear, when I talk about "my" sites, I'm not talking about the sites in my sig. One is my husbands and the other two are about my favorite Iditarod team. Those are not my sites, although I do help my husband with his directory since he shares my sense of right vs wrong.

    Here's the question you need to answer if you want any respect: Do you actually decline to reciprocate? As in, do you contact them to let them know you've declined? If not then you are a crook, and that is the type of directory owner I'm down on. If you send an email so they know you've declined, then you've done your duty in following up on your offer.

    Think carefully about this.... The failure to send out emails to submitters has earned dmoz.org a lot of bad feelings, hatred even. The directories we're talking about don't even come close to being the authority that dmoz.org is and you aren't required to provide a link back to them. So with that in mind, I'd like to know how many here are so hypocritical as to bash the ODP for not providing feedback, while they themselves use their submission method to gain backlinks and neglect to send feedback telling the submitter they have been rejected? It appears we have at least one who has poked his head out of the closet. Any more?

    Your submitters provide you with content, and usually a submission fee and/or a backlink. Your directory will suck without the content. The fee and backlink is all gravy and it's a heck of a lot easier than going out and finding your own content.
     
    compostannie, May 24, 2007 IP
  6. threebuckchuck

    threebuckchuck Peon

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    #46
    I DO share annie's sense of right and wrong and I attribute the success of our directory to that sense of right and wrong. Our directory uses an AUTOMATED email system that sends a submitter an email as to whether their site has been listed OR rejected.

    If your directory software doesn't have that sort of system, are you rejecting so many sites that you can't be bothered to send out an email every time you reject a site?
    How are they to know to remove it if they don't know you rejected them? They may think it's still under review. I think it's just common courtesy to tell somebody that their site hasn't been listed or rejected, especially a reciprocal one as a paid listing would get a refund.

    Consider all the criticism the ODP gets just because they neglect to send a simple email out to let you know whether your site has been listed or rejected and apply that to your directory. I don't ONLY mean you WWWS, I mean all directory owners that make this practice a habit.
     
    threebuckchuck, May 24, 2007 IP
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  7. wwws

    wwws Notable Member

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    #47
    I don't think this has anything to do with reciprocal questions or polls, I think this is a part where you want to get even;)

    I will say that this time I stop reading all of what you just wrote and I won't make any more comments to it.

    And congratulation, you will be the first on my ignore list and I will be giving you my second ever Red Rep.

    Good day to you and enjoy the red.
     
    wwws, May 24, 2007 IP
  8. compostannie

    compostannie Peon

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    #48
    Only half right. This has nothing to do with polls but it does have everything to do with the reciprocal issue. It's about honor and avoiding giving all small directory owners a bad reputation by taking from your submitters and not giving back.

    There was a discussion in a crafters forum I've been a member of for the past several years regarding the problem a lot of them are having since the last Google update. I advocated submitting to small directories and was shocked at the horror stories. I won't get into details, but lets just say the reputation of small directories with many independent webmasters is suffering. Bad. And with reason. Everyone in this part of the DP forums is supposed to be interested in directories, or so I thought. If you're goal is to build a good directory great. But it seems like too many here are in it to make a run for easy money. Those goals conflict.

    I know this question is off topic but I have to ask...what in the world did you ever do to me that you'd think I want to get even??? Even for what??? Are you high??? :rolleyes:

    Thank you for the red rep, after reading what you've been writing here I'm proud to have your red rep. I'd give you red rep back but what's the point? It's a pretty childish way to try and make a point but I can understand how it would be easier to do that when you know you're wrong.
     
    compostannie, May 24, 2007 IP
  9. LeopardAt1

    LeopardAt1 Well-Known Member

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    #49
    I'd have to agree with having no reciprocal link option if your a paid directory. If your a free directory, it may make more sense to me. If directories offers a free review/listing option for including a reciprocal link, wouldn't that be considered a link exchange (unless you use a redirection method)? I read that Google really dislikes sites that offer link exchanges? Thats the way I view this....not sure if its a good way to or not, but thats my opinion.


    Anyhow, is there any other reason for having a reciprocal link option? Is it part of the verification method?

    For example, in phpLd, you can always trick the reciprocal link option by entering the directory's domain name (most likely it'll have a link back to their site).
     
    LeopardAt1, May 24, 2007 IP