Link exchange is something I get a lot of requests for. Probably because I have a Google PageRank of 3 and a lot of traffic. However, I don’t even look at the requests. I just delete them.

Why?

Because there’s no benefit to me. A link exchange only benefits one person or firm out of the two. The one with the lower Page Rank.

There are actually two things necessary for a link exchange to benefit your business. First, the business you exchange links with needs to be in a similar or related industry. In my case, that would be web designers, hosting companies, marketing firms; pretty much anyone that deals with the same clientele I do but is not a direct competitor.

Second, they either need to have a higher Google Page Rank than I do, or be a serious authority site like a .edu or .gov. Some .org sites also qualify if they really are a non-profit site.

In other words, Google “juice” only flows downhill.

If a website has a lower page rank than I do, then I get no benefit from exchanging links with them. However, they get a boost from exchanging links with me. And if you are both equals, neither of you gains a benefit.

The thing to remember is that the Internet is a popularity contest, pure and simple. Yes, we’re right back in high school. It’s all about getting one way links to your website.

A one way link to your website is viewed by Google as a vote of confidence in your website. Someone thought so highly of the information on your website that they linked to it as a resource from their site. The neat thing about the Internet is that, unlike high school, anyone can be “big man or woman on campus.”

That’s why a major part of my promotion campaigns for my clients include getting them listed on search engine friendly directories with page ranks of 5 or 6.

And one of the best ways to get people to link to you is through having really valuable content on your website. I know, you’ve heard that a thousand times.

However, how many of you have a bunch of helpful articles on your website? How many of you have a blog? How many of you have a website that’s all about you or full of sales pitches rather than full of helpful information to draw potential clients and customers?

Back to how I promote my clients, I also insist that they start a blog and write a blog post at least once a week. It doesn’t matter if they can write or not. They send the post to me, I edit it, post it on their blog.

Then I turn it into an article and post it on one of the high page rank article sites using one of their keyword phrases for the “anchor text” link back to their website page that uses the same keyword. This creates one-way links back to their website from hgih page rank article sites.

If you want to know how successful these and  similar tactics I use can be, just open a new browser window and do a search for “cabin trust” or “MN cabin trust”.

And see where Joel Mullen’s Minnesota Cabin Trust website pops up (and for that matter, how many times he pops up on the first page of Google results.)

PS I am considering putting together a DVD product that teaches people how to promote their own website locally using the same methods I used for Joel Mullen. It would include downloadable “how tos,” exclusive access to a web page full of links to all the resources I use, and short videos showing you step by step how to use each and every method and trick.

I think $47 would be a pretty reasonable price for this DVD. What do you think? Is there a market for it?

Originally posted 2009-04-07 10:12:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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