Link Exchange?

[redgrape1985]

Can anyone recomend any good sites for free link exchanging? I have an online jewellery store at http://tinyurl.com/ooze6a
and would like to start link building "myself".

Again, a recomendation would be good, please dont try and sell me your SEO skills, I'm not interested at this moment in time.

Thanks in advance guys...

Dave

 

[fisicx]

Don't do it. Really don't do it. At best is will be ignored by the search engines and at worst it could get you banned.

Google and the others have long been wise to link exchanges and even warn against this practice in their guidelines so steer well clear. It's certainly not going to bring in quality traffic or help your ranking.

Note: reciprocal linking can help if carefully managed but you need to do some research first: http://www.seobythesea.com/?p=1171. Don't skim read if you want to do it properly - the article has lots of warnings.

 

[redgrape1985]

I don’t understand the whole SEO thing! My apologies for being so blunt but I’m getting tired of the SEO secrets etc. Link exchanging helps out with SEO, without getting all tecy, it does right? For sure there are good quality links and poor quality links; hence the original question was asking for link exchange recommendations...

Your slogan implies you don’t need google page rank but you would rather "sell more stuff" contradiction maybe? Play on words? Serious?

When I buy something, I normally like to have a general understanding of how it works (with respect). I would not and will not buy SEO until I know how it works or have given it a bash myself.

My point is, there are hundreds of sites and indeed hundreds of threads on this forum explaining (albeit not too my great understanding) the inns and outs of link building. Then someone comes along and states "don’t do it... Whatever you do, don’t do it"

Do you understand my predicament and confusion?
All I wanted, was a site recommended in order for me to exchange links with to improve my web presence, is this huge problem?

Davey

 

[fisicx]

There's link building and link exchanging - two different animals.

A link exchange is were we link to each other, sometimes with a bit of supporting text. If the sites are related (I sell shoes, you sell socks) and the source and target pages are relevant to the actual links then there can be some mutual benefit. But a links page with hundreds of links is a compete waste of time. Google makes it clear: build an interesting and informative t-site that adds value to the visitor. A links page meets none of these criteria.

Link building on the other hand involves building up trust and expertise, contacting and nurturing relationships so that you get others to link to you without the need for an exchange or reciprocal link. They can take monthes to get but are worth their weight in gold.

Use the general rule of thiumb: the easier as link is to obtain the lower the value of that link.

So to answer your question, link building CAN help you ranking but link exchanging probably won't.

 

[petera]

Davey, i've sent you a private message.

 

[eventdomain]

There's link building and link exchanging - two different animals.

A link exchange is were we link to each other, sometimes with a bit of supporting text. If the sites are related (I sell shoes, you sell socks) and the source and target pages are relevant to the actual links then there can be some mutual benefit. But a links page with hundreds of links is a compete waste of time. Google makes it clear: build an interesting and informative t-site that adds value to the visitor. A links page meets none of these criteria.

Link building on the other hand involves building up trust and expertise, contacting and nurturing relationships so that you get others to link to you without the need for an exchange or reciprocal link. They can take monthes to get but are worth their weight in gold.

Use the general rule of thiumb: the easier as link is to obtain the lower the value of that link.

So to answer your question, link building CAN help you ranking but link exchanging probably won't.

Link building and link exchanging has no difference, I've done it for many years for quite a few different sites, and don't recognise a difference.

It's not 'dangerous' as long as you don't engage in untargeted link swaps eg: Google like relevance, so keep it relevant and you'll do fine. I wouldn't advise linking strictly for the search engines, most will list your site as they exist for ranking content, so are unlikely to de-rank you unless you do something very silly like 3-way linking which isn't relevant!

I owned and set up 3 websites, and linked out and in to irrelevant stuff, and never got banned or anything. My links are totally relevant, although I have never linked for search engine purposes and never will - you should always, always link for what the link can do for your visitors!

Link for the visitors
Link to provide information
Don't chase pagerank (it's pointless)
Be careful when designing your links page (Google devalues them)


As long as you keep links on-target, I don't see why Google would ban you. If you're not sure, read Google's guidelines about webmaster linking and you'll be fine.

There's link building and link exchanging - two different animals.

I think what Fisicx is talking about is 'vote linking' although he never explained properly and members need to really explain what their on about or it confuses the web novices. But linking for votes is when I visit a website, link to it by a one-way link, so I'm saying to Google - "I like and recommend this website".

I'd be careful who you listen to on forums, most are kids who think they know it all. They use forums to frighten by giving bad advice in the hope it damages websites hoping to get people banned. There's enough conflicting info about linking without being vindictive.

Basically don't do stupid things link-wise, and you'll be alright.

 

[fisicx]

That's exactly the point I was trying to make. Relevant links will always be useful to the visitor, if they they happen to be a mutual exchange then there really isn't a problem.

However just exchanging with anyone irrespective the of the source is doomed to failure. You can get banned, it's happen a number of times, the sort of sites who promote link exchanges are often involved in other shady SEO activities and if the get banned the effects filter through to your site.

As eventdomain suggests, link build for your visitors not for the search engines.

 

[eventdomain]

link build for your visitors not for the search engines.

Exactly, don't forget what the web is for - providing information


I think people see the web as a money-making opportunity, design websites for that, and get it badly wrong. People search more for information to aid their buying decision, not to necessarily buy from every website they visit.

New websites are worst affected, there's little to no trust, how can there be - on unknown websites. Most big brands were famous before the web, and CAN set up, make millions fast, and it looks easy right.....

Service websites, mainly look like scams I guess, the domains aren't well-known and anyone can put up a website, it's easy, but its too easy to get it totally wrong, and that's the mistake everyone makes - they want to get rich and the web doesn't work like that...

 

[ruby.mein]

You can look for your relevant sources here.. I found this one on google, might as well share it with you.. You'll see lots of directories here..

www[dot]submit-add-url[dot]com/directorya[dot]html

 

[webpromoterservice]

link building has to be natural and not something that you think about every day.if you provide good content,they will come.

and there is a difference between link building and link exchanging

 

[serendipitybusiness]

Exchanging links is good for driving targeted visitors to your site it doesn't have much effect on your ranking unless you are exchanging links with link farms then it will have a negative effect.

Think of it as a cross promotion campaign, what businesses would your target customers use? Exchange links with those businesses rather than free link exchange programs and you should be fine. Irresponsible link building will just do your site more harm than good.

Hope this helps

 

[eventdomain]

link building and link exchanging

Please explain further, bcos I don't see the difference.

 

[quikshop]

Exactly, don't forget what the web is for - providing information

Where you asleep when web 2.0 happened

The Internet stopped just being about information years ago, its moving towards a truly interactive network engaging mobile devices, Ecommerce, socialising, gaming et al.

Re: OP's post, link swapping is fine with relevant websites as has been mentioned previously. Best approach is slow and steady, if your website jumps from 10 to 250 links in a month Google will frown in your general direction

 

[eventdomain]

Where you asleep when web 2.0 happened

Now now - be nice, especially if you expect to learn anything

The Internet stopped just being about information years ago, its moving towards a truly interactive network engaging mobile devices, Ecommerce, socialising, gaming et al.

Really, better tell Google, Yahoo etc to stop running their search engines then, bcos they are full to the brim with information. No point in all that interactive stuff, with no information to make it work - Doh! Content is what drives people to search for it eg: shopping content, the interactive stuff is just a way to draw attention to it. It's sales, and nothing magical okay

Actually the web is about sales, but to make the sales, companies must put product information onto websites, so you're wrong.

if your website jumps from 10 to 250 links in a month Google will frown in your general direction

I disagree most strongly and say you don't have enough experience to comment on such matters. I was running websites and doing link swaps for nearly 8 years, and built one site that generated me with 50k of links, so thats about 2000 a month. And Google gave the site a PR5 - so your therory doesn't stand up, not in this case.

 

[wood1e2]

Please explain further, bcos I don't see the difference.

Link building - building back links
Link Exchanging - exchanging links with a like minded website.

But if you mean they are all the same, then 'Link building' could be the umbrella for both 'link building' and 'link exchanging' as the essence is building links

 

[eventdomain]

Yes, I was on about building backlinks by link exchanging. Doesn't matter how you build them, as a link is a link as they say - although targeting the links is best.