Worth it To Put Links In Free Directories?

kustomkaninekustomkanine subscriber Posts: 4
edited December 2006 in Marketing
There are several pet directories out there that offer to put a free link on their site for a reciprocal link to their site. Would this help or hurt my visibility/credibility in the search engines and is it worth the time to do this?
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Comments

  • SnoMonSnoMon subscriber Posts: 4
    If it is a relevant site that your visitors would find useful, then it can`t hurt.  However, reciprocal links basically "cancel eachother out" when it comes to higher search engine rankings.  The best links are the "natural" links that happen when other sites link to you because they find your site relevant and useful to their visitors.  The problem is that these are the links that are harder to get.  They take time.  They come as you prove your expertise and relevancy in your industry.Now, being a startup, any type of link (reciprocal or not), as long as IT IS RELEVANT to your site, is worth your time.  Every little bit helps in the beginning.
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  • LogoMotivesLogoMotives subscriber Posts: 15
    I usually avoid reciprocal links as I don`t want to clutter up my site or blog with too many unnecessary links.  I limit links to sites/people with whom I have a direct personal or business connection of some kind - and that is what I tell people/firms who contact me about such links.However, links listed in online directories not requiring a a reciprocal link have been very helpful in directing traffic and business my way.- J.
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  • SnoMonSnoMon subscriber Posts: 4
    Great point.  I do the same.  I don`t want a bunch of "link clutter" either.  At the same time that it is important to get links (and reciprocate if necessary), it is also important to be selective.
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  • ChuckChuck subscriber Posts: 6
    If you`re looking for a couple of resources listing directories worth considering, I`d recommend reading this and this.
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  • starpointestarpointe subscriber Posts: 2
    Trading links works but it`s kind of outdated.  It was highly used in the earlier days of the internet but then some web designers started working the system and creating hundreds of pages that just linked to each other and didn`t have any real content.  Nowadays, "Link Page"s aren`t very common.  Focus on good content, (i.e. - using keywords in your page title and page content).  Then follow Cartess` advice about blogs, message boards, etc.  If you choose your blogs carefully, they`ll have many of the same keywords you are trying to target.  CAUTION!:  Using linktrades CAN hurt you!  Many of them will boost your traffic for a few days and then it will fall off again.  Also, many of them are blacklisted by Google so participating can actually hurt your ranking.  Stick to the tried and true and you`ll do well.  Focus on content and don`t believe any of these "we`ll get you thousands of visitors overnight" scams.
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  • ChuckChuck subscriber Posts: 6
    There`s nothing wrong with reaching out to relevant sites to see if there`s an opportunity for linking, but if you sent a mass email to the top 10 sites, I`m not the least bit surprised that there was no response.Link building takes time and effort - and it can be worth it when you`re successful - but that effort needs to be tailored to the specific site.  You`ll need to carefully review their site, look for a place where they might be able to add value for their visitors by linking to you, and then specify how they might do so.  Simply sending off an email that says "hey, our sites are related, link to mine" is unlikely to get much of a response.
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  • ChuckChuck subscriber Posts: 6
    Hey Vicki - glad to hear that`s the case, wasn`t the impression I got from your previous post.  You are going to face an uphill battle in this, but it`s worth the effort even if you just get 1 out of every 10.  As long as there`s something unique about your site, I have to think one of those options is going to be interested enough to reference you in some way.  I should also add that this effort takes persistence - I`m sure there are many site owners who discount all one-off link requests, and only pay attention when they`ve been contacted again by a prospective site with even more justification for why they belong.
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  • kustomkaninekustomkanine subscriber Posts: 4
    Thanks for this advice. I`ve been posting comments on blogs that are related to mine and with a PR of 4 or more. I`ve gotten more comments on my blog and made alot of friends. Thanks again!
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  • ChuckChuck subscriber Posts: 6
    That`s a great tactic Katie, especially if you`re adding real value to those other blogs through your comments.  You`re running a Wordpress blog, so be sure to also link through effectively to other blogs; that`ll be effective in the same way.
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