So, you’ve decided on search marketing and are venturing into search engine optimization in order to make your site a rousing success. One of the things you will have to consider is not only how, but where you will obtain the necessary backlinks to strengthen your rankings. Link exchanging can effectively direct traffic from the links, build strong networking relationships with other websites and contribute significantly to search engine optimization. While there are tons of methods out there to promote your website, link exchanging is one of the least expensive ones around. There is a protocol, however for link exchanging, and what it doesn’t include is a hastily scribbled blanket e-mail to hundreds of sites requesting an exchange. Follow the rules, be polite, go above and beyond what is expected and you can end up with plenty of high quality reciprocal links to give your SEO campaign a decided boost.
Stay Close to Home
When exchanging links, you will have the best luck by partnering with websites and blogs which are approximately the same age and PageRank as your own. New websites are more likely to accept your request, but do your homework before requesting a link to ensure the site is relevant and of value. Eventually, as your site increases in popularity and rank, you will be able to approach the more highly ranked sites—after all, a website which has a very high PageRank really gets nothing in return for linking to your fledgling site.
Making Contact
Your initial contact e-mail message should be polite, yet straight to the point. Don’t try to tell the other website owner about how great such an exchange will be in terms of SEO—it is likely he already knows this and you don’t want to appear condescending. Some feel that you should link to the other website prior to writing your introductory e-mail, giving details on where he can find the link. Others feel like it is more polite to ask first. If you do add their link prior to sending your e-mail tell the other webmaster where he can find his link—making sure the URL is correct! Also ensure it is relatively easy for the website owner to exchange links, and outline the process clearly. (along the lines of “click this, go here and fill out this” if you agree to exchanging links). In our every more busy lives, anything that takes longer than a couple of minutes will be promptly discarded.
Be Personal
When you are sending out your link request e-mails, it is imperative that you take the extra time to personalize each and every e-mail. Don’t slap in a generic subject line such as “Attn: webmaster,” but rather take the time to find out the name of the webmaster and some personal details about the website itself. Using the webmaster’s name will get you tons further than addressing your e-mail to “Dear Site Owner.” Personalizing your request e-mail means making certain it will not be mistaken for an automated form e-mail which will likely be immediately deleted. Proofread diligently (just as you would a letter on paper) prior to mailing and make sure there are no grammar or spelling mistakes. Never forget that you are essentially asking for a favor, and all rules of politeness and courtesy apply.
Finally…
Add your name and phone number in your request e-mail to appear trustworthy. Don’t ask for a link from another webmaster if their site is totally unrelated to your own. Make sure you are not asking for a link exchange from a site which already is overrun with existing links—the benefits to your site will be minimal. Blogs are a good source of links, so invite new blog owners to visit your site and write about it—not only have you given them new ideas for blog entries, you get a nice link in return. Pursue reciprocal links, but approach them with respect and good manners and your site will benefit.
Tags: Lawyer Website Design
