Asking for a Reciprocal
Link is Standard Practice On the Internet
Asking another webmaster for a reciprocal link
is standard practice on the Internet. Webmasters have been asking other
webmasters for reciprocal links since the beginnings of the Internet.
The very nature of the web is linking websites to one another. It is
of even higher importance, now that AltaVista and others have changed their ranking algorithms.
If a webmaster considers your email spam then
he can report you. If your emails are unique, without commercials, and
are personalized with unique personal information about the webmaster's
website that you are emailing, then it would be hard to call your email
spam.
All webmasters must be responsible in their
asking of reciprocal links. This includes following simple rules and
guidelines in choosing websites to include in your link directory.
Organizing
a tightly-Themed Vertical Link Directory
Reciprocal links do increase your search engine
positioning if used properly.
Tightly-Themed, Link Directories get high ratings
from search engine robots but only if they are true resources of organized
knowledge. Search engines are getting very smart in their query result
rankings. They include all kinds of advanced calculations pertaining
to how the links point to you and away from you. They can include keywords
in their algorithms and now they know how tightly linked your Themes
or subjects are. Don't try to fool them into better positioning, by
including into your Link Directory, a lot of websites that are outside
your website's real Themes.
Your Link Directory's Theme's must match the
Themes of your website. You must not let your zeal to email and perhaps
get a reciprocal link, overpower your need to create a true web resource.
You don't want to create a directory that includes all the knowledge
of mankind and also sounds like a soft drink. You should be happy with
organizing a tightly Themed Vertical Link Directory. Be the best in
your area, linking only sites that relate to you.
A smaller, tightly-themed Link Directory will
grow much faster than a diluted, loosely-themed, large bulky one. Your
website's traffic will quickly increase, not only with visitors from
your Reciprocal Link partners but will also increase from Search Engine
visitors, once their robots quickly find your Link Directory pages
through your Link Partners!
Email General Guidelines
If you are including websites in your Link Directory
just because you want to send an send an email and possibly get a
link, then you are spamming in mind and spirit. The webmaster who
receives this kind of email is not a happy camper. He or she are proud
of their achievements in creating traffic to his site over the last few
years, millions of hits every month, only to receive an email asking them
to link to a website, that in no way can remotely match their website
or be useful for their visitors. This is spam. Remember the phrase reciprocal
links? Please change it to Reciprocal Themed Links. This
is important !
DO NOT commercialize your email in
any way.
- It shouldn't look like spam or people
will think it is.
- Do not include ANY links in
your email signature area except links to your website.
- Keep it short and to the point. Ask
for a reciprocal link and that's it.
- This message should only be a few lines
and not a long narrative with rules and guidelines. Save that
for your information on your link directory.
Use a unique email reciprocal link
message.
It is possible for webmasters to receive
the same basic message from another webmaster. Each reciprocal
link request MUST look different by being fresh and original.
Do not use Let's Trade Links as
your subject. Let's trade links is probably the most used
email Subject line on the internet today as there are thousands
of webmasters using this phrase on the internet. If you keep this
Subject line then you are sending the same one as everyone else.
It will not be accepted or worse, it will look like spam.
Personalize every email message
Include a personal comment
in the email message to each of your selected email addresses. You
could include something like: "I really like the animations
you had on your home page.", ".. and loved your background
image" or "I loved the content on ...... page". This
personal comment should prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that
you personally visited their website.
Use logic when selecting those to
receive an email.
Before you can send a reciprocal link request,
you need to explore their web site to decide if you want to include
them in your link directory. You need to also use some thought in
who you send a message to. A super large website will probably not
trade links with you in the beginning, perhaps you should save those
for later. If you cannot find a links page, they are not going to
trade links either. Think before sending email.
Written by David Notestine
Creator
of the Zeus Internet Marketing Robot
