Hi folks, I have been trying to build up my backlinks over the last few days, and have been avoiding sites which require a reciprocal link. I have now implemented the functionality in my site to allow webmasters to place a link on my site however, so I will now also start looking at directories which require a recip link. I was thinking, why would someone want to have a link coming in from my site? It has a PR of 0 and no registered backlinks on google yet. I bought a paid backlink link from an apparently popular site (with PR 5) yesterday although the page which my listing is on as a PR 2 ! Hmmmm.... Does Google use the PR of the exit page in their calculations, or the PR of the domain as a whole?
Google will count the page you are on, not the domain. With a new site and perhaps thinking of building up a links page, could I suggest a different approach. My site is PR6 (at the moment, it has been 6 and dropped back to 5 before). I am getting a lot of link exchange requests and many of them include a pre-arranged link to my site on their directory. I would much rather exchange links with a relevant site that will put my anchor text on a content page than be buried amongst another 100 assorted links on a random links page. Do not hand out links on your homepage but do offer the sites that interest you a text link in the nav bar of a content page in return for an exchange link to be placed at the webowners discretion. Also, we are all swamped with form link requests that look like the enquirer has visited your site. The fact that the proposed recipricol link is from a fertiilzer manufacturer in Poland is a dead giveaway that they have never cast eyes upon your site so personalise as early as you can in your email. I'd much rather read ... 'my visitors would be interested in hairdressers in xxx', than ...'found your site on Google and would like to exchange links'. The first approach would warrent further investigation, the second - straight to the round file.
Thanks e10, I appreciate the info. Useful advice. I was thinking along the same lines, and I have seperate links being displayed at the bottom of the page depending on which category of my site the visitor is viewing. I have also heared that reciprocal links aren't that great, since Google heavily prefers one way links (which obviously indicate that your site is more important). What do you and others think about this from experience? Ta.
I don't mean to sound rude or anything like that, but if that is your attitude about link building, you will find that getting your site to have high PR will be difficult, if not impossible. Unless you have a high PR site with lots of traffic, there won't be a lot of people who will give you a link without you linking back. Directories are good, but won't give you immediate results until your site has been listed in hundreds of them. The secret to link development is mathematical probability. The more webmasters you contact for link exchanges, the higher the probability that your link will end up on a high PR page. For example, when I first started my online game site, it was a PR 0. But I begin contacting lots of webmasters, and I would get my links on PR 5 pages and I only linked them to a PR 0! I just traded homepage links with a webmaster who put my link on a PR 6 page.
hey tesla. My main problem with reciprocal links was that I was under the impression google looked down on this? Also, until I read your post, I assumed I'd keep getting rejected from a lot of directories anyway (as I have done allready) because of my low PR... I shall keep trying...
This is heavily debated by many people. My take on it is that the concept of reciprocal link exchanges predates Google. Many webmasters have been doing it for years and it is a important part of having a successful site which generates lots of traffic. Don't be discouraged if directories or webmasters reject your site. I've been sent rejection letters by directories more times than I can count, and I've had plenty of webmasters email me saying they're not interested in exchanging links. That is fine. Just keep pushing forward. I just got my pr 4 site on a pr 6 page and my pr 5 site on a pr 7 page. Never let anyone discourage you. One more thing. If someone really likes your site they often don't care how low your page rank is. They'll still link to you anyway.
Hi I think you are looking at this from the wrong standpoint. You have no intention of having your site remain a PR0; you are going to use what You have learned here at other places to improve your PR ranking, so what you are asking other sites to do is link with a site that will be a PR6 in the future and will more importantly offer the sites visitors something they wish to see or use. If you asked me for a link I would have a look at the site, if you were going to just sell my visitors something I sell them then no link, if you are going to offer them something I cannot and you are keeping your site up to date then link away. Good luck with your site.
I do have a few links on my homepage. I meant do not hand out homelinks on your homepage indiscrimately.
good comment! its really like that. a webmaster who just considers the current pagerank of a potential site might be a little stupid, because they certainly won't get that link that easy as soon as the site ahs grown to PR5 or even 6. they might even forget about it then at all so its smart to exchange a link if both sites are relevant, and are constantly updated with unique interesting and fresh content!