|
Reciprocal linking is one strategy for generating more site visits
that has quickly become defunct in its usefulness – if it was ever
truly useful in the first place. The constant chasing after
information, from link to link, only to end up in a cyber-space
dead-end is far too frustrating and time-consuming for most people to
tolerate. Web designers have managed to generate a lot of work by
convincing unsuspecting clients that reciprocal links are necessary in
order to eventually realize a boom in business, but the truth of the
matter is that these same web designers are probably only looking for
extra work so that they can boost their own incomes.
One of the biggest traps around is reciprocal linking software.
Savvier web designers use this as a tool to coerce clients into pouring
more money into the process, with the promise that it’s a more
efficient method of creating reciprocal links, ultimately offering a
greater return in a shorter amount of time. Images of a caravan
salesman who’s selling Dr. Good’s Snake Oil Cure-All should be coming
to mind right about now. The fact is that this software is only
speeding up a process that doesn’t work to begin with – and good web
designers know that. Whether or not they choose to share that
information with their clients is another matter entirely.
One-way inbound links which target hot topics and utilize excellent
timing for their releases are far more profitable than reciprocal
linking ever was – and potential customers don’t wander through the
maze of links that never give them any concrete information. In
the end, that will only frustrate them, and sales will drop as a result
of their bad experience with the multitude of links that they’re
expected to muddle through. If the subject matter relates to a
mainstream topic, the title is catchy and the keywords are expertly
placed within the release, you can find yourself enjoying the top rank
in search engine ratings almost immediately. With clear, concise
information being presented to potential customers, as well as a clear
path to additional information and the products that you’re hoping to
sell, consumers are far more likely to click into the release and,
ultimately, visit your site for a look at what you’ve got to offer.
Make no mistake about the fact that, in order for this to be effective,
you’ll have to write effective releases, know where and how to publish
them, and monitor them on a regular basis, so that you can determine
your rankings and take aggressive action if they begin to fall.
For those who choose to do so, eReleases.com offers services that will
send your release to more than 100 of the top ranked news sites, in
addition to several hundred radio, newspaper and television reporters
and those journalists who have signed up to receive such
releases. This is one of the options that some business owners
choose, due to the exposure that it gives them for the modest price of
$400. While that sounds all good and well, it creates a lot of
work and ongoing maintenance in order to create, publish and update
these releases – eReleases.com won’t do that for you.
A better approach for those who are serious about getting the most for
their money through the use of linking would be to contract a marketing
or advertising firm that can not only create outstanding releases for
you, but also take care of the publishing, tracking and updating,
relieving you of the burdens that eReleases.com would drop in your
lap. There are a number of outstanding firms that can do just
that, one of which is DivaDesignWorld in Portland, Oregon. This
particular firm is known for its modest pricing schedule, flexibility
and attention to detail. Since most of us don’t have time to add
anything else to our already-full plates in the business world, this is
a very tempting offer that smart businessmen and women have been
utilizing.
Since the value of one-way linking far exceeds that of reciprocal
linking, it doesn’t make sense to fall into the trap of reciprocal
linking software that desperate-for-work web designers throw your way –
no matter how convincing an argument they may offer. In addition
to the cost of the software and the inconvenience of the never-ending
tracking process, the loss of business will result in an overall
decreased incoming cash flow. When you factor that in with what
you’ll need to pay the web designer for his or her services, you’re
talking big money – and you’re not in business to throw good money
after bad.
In fact, due to its very nature, reciprocal linking will initially
lower your ranking. This is due to the fact that search engines
rank one-way links on a higher scale than those that are reciprocal,
since the concept of reciprocal linking software is widely known in
search engine circles, and they literally devalue the web pages that
utilize them. Since webmasters use them so constantly in order to
achieve a higher ranking, search engines exact a kind of punishment for
their laziness by giving one-way linking pages a significantly higher
rating.
Since many sites are littered with broken or outdated links that take
potential customers virtually nowhere, the web is becoming clogged with
these reciprocal linking pages that business owners ultimately ignore
and leave floating around in cyber-space, which slows things down for
everyone else who’s vying to become Top Dog in the ranking arena.
Due to the importance that Google has placed on linking in order to
achieve a high rank, many have become obsessed with this concept to the
point of becoming completely unrealistic. With so many options
for becoming part of the linking game (including linking software,
reciprocal linking services, link popularity software, linking clubs
and link brokerages), business owners can become overwhelmed with the
whole linking concept.
One of the other cardinal web sins that is often committed by
webmasters is the self-referential linking scheme. According to
this approach, a webmaster will link all of their sites from the footer
of every page (on each of their sites) in order to generate even more
linking. This, combined with the mini-webs that provide redundant
information across virtually hundreds of domains – creating a true
cyber-maze by linking all of their domains to each other – inundates
the web and has potential customers’ heads reeling. It’s far
better to simply use one link from a single page on each domain so that
everything flows smoothly in one direction, rather than looping in and
around several pages, mini-webs and domains.
About the Author: Monique Danielle owns Portland Marketing Agency DivaDesignWorld.com,
a full service firm that offers web development, graphic design,
consulting, and a wide variety of creative services. She is also
the founder of divadirectories.com,
a free online resource designed to promote the growth and development
of female business owners throughout Oregon, Washington, and the
Northwest.
|