Reciprocal Link Swaps 101
A Word About Link Swaps for my Real Estate Clients:
I often need to see which search engine optimization (SEO) methods I'm using are having success. Several weeks ago, I was testing my efforts in optimizing each agent page at RETC. While searching for some of your names in various engines, I am appalled at what I'm finding.
Actually, I was searching in MSN for the name of one of your colleagues. He came up #7 in Google. Pleased with that result, I then tried the same keyword search on MSN. His name wasn't on the first page, but as I scanned the titles and descriptions on the search results pages, I found an unknown realtor linked on a peculiar Web site. I did a plain old MSN search query for -- dan merritt realtor -- and this is the result page of that query--
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?FORM=SMCRT&q=dan%20merritt%20realtor
As I scanned down the page, the last entry (originally last, but today it is showing on the second page of those MSN results) was a page title that had nothing to do with real estate but everything to do with illegal online prescription drugs. Look what I found: http://www.hydrocodone-vicodin.com/resources41.html
Now if you click on that hydrocodone-vicodin.com link, you'll see a whole bunch of realtors who are linked to narcotics sold online. "WHAT?? Oh my, how can that be!", you say to yourself.
Do you know why that happened? Because this person's Vicodin site has agreed to swap links to boost his link popularity, that's why. More than likely some of these real estate firms don't even know they are linked there. They probably don't know who their Webmaster has linked them to. Or, they are managing their own Web site, and they've bought into an automated linkswapping software package with a robot that goes out on the Internet looking for link partners. If you don't check these possible partners, you'll end up swapping links with dubious Web sites such as this one. Sites that can be taken down at a minutes notice, if the ISP or Host Server finds illegal activity going on. So in the long run, what good does it do you to link to such sites? Nada, zip, zilch.
Folks, these automated reciprocal link software programs are useless. They save time, sure, but what kind of results do they produce? Why would any real estate agent or brokerage want to be associated with dubious characters? Why would a real estate site want to be linked to a vicodin dealer? How is that a relevant link? It's not. Having all these links helps this drug supplier gain page rank,therefore boosting his site to higher positions, higher traffic, and more sales; but I doubt seriously that it helps these real estate companies on his list. Not all link swapping is good. This is a prime example of a bad one. This is not the kind of site you want your good name associated with.
Now, sometimes a Web site will add you to their links page without your knowledge including your Webmaster's. That's why you need to routinely check up on this. Find out who your site is linked to. If you find it's being linked where you do not want it to be linked, then send out an email pronto and ask that your domain be deleted immediately.
Do your homework people! Find out who is linking to your Web site. Know Thy Web designer! Ask questions, find out with whom and where your site links. Find out what methods your Webmaster uses to perform reciprocal link exchanges. Webmasters / Web Designers who don't know what they are doing, or those with no standard of professional ethics will use these methods and typically use other blackhat SEO techniques to inflate your link popularity or page rank; and they'll charge you a pretty penny for it.
And by all means, do not exchange links with anyone unless they are in some way related to your type of business or to the "theme" of your Web site.
Link Swap Lecture Over! Class dismissed!
;-]
Nikki L. Amelse
Treasure Coast Host
http://www.treasurecoasthost.com
Search Engine Optimization & Promotion
Web Hosting & Domain Registration Services
Web Site Analysis
South Florida: 772-220-0265
Nikki Direct: 772-214-4670
12/03/04
Phone: 772-214-4670 or send an email to: nikki@treasurecoasthost.com