Link Exchange Learning Curve

When I first launched my website nearly 4 years ago, I had no understanding of link exchanges. I had no idea that it was possible to make bad exchanges and risk getting banned by search engines. I really had no idea about what a good exchange was. The extent of my understanding was limited to: everyone does it; it’s a good thing and I better get going.
Through trial and error and also by meeting some knowledgeable people along the way I have developed a more coherent, rational approach to link exchanges. There are three main reasons to make link exchanges with other websites. 1.) To provide a value-added service to your visitors/customers. 2.) To increase traffic to your own site by increasing visibility. 3.) To increase page ranking in search engines. However, most of the time, the third reason is touted as the most important and often only reason to make exchanges.
Consider how many people out there claim to be expert on the algorithms used by search engines to establish page ranking and the varying opinions they have. The criteria used by search engines continue to evolve as the internet evolves. Therefore their algorithms change. If you spend all of your time chasing the algorithm, it’s a bit like shooting where the deer was. I believe that if we pay more attention to the first two reasons to make link exchanges, then the third reason will take care of itself.
The concepts I will share are not original to me. A kind soul, whom I approached to make a link exchange early in my business, turned down my request and took the time to explain why. She pointed me to a website whose philosophy of link exchanges she had adopted and I’ll paraphrase here.
First off, we have to acknowledge that our visitors don’t remain with our site forever. In fact, a periodic check of your website stats will show you that the vast majority of visitors don’t even linger 60 seconds. So why not offer them some quality sites to visit and make it plain how to find them?
Name your links directory clearly – don’t disguise it as “resources” and hide it away in tiny, tiny print on your home page. Be proud to offer your links directory as a quality service to your visitors – just like you offer anything else on your site. Place your directory link in an easy to see spot – perhaps your navigation bar and show it on every page of your site.
Second, expand the range of topics in your links directory beyond your site's topic. They’re interested in more things than just your pet interests or site’s topic. Offer links to educational sites, travel, a wide range of retail sites. Think about what you, as a website visitor, like to see. What makes a website attractive and easy to navigate for you?
Organize your links topically so that your visitors can browse the topics they’re interested in. No one wants to browse through a page of 100 links that are all jumbled together. As a website browser, I will not spend more than a minute on a page that is disorganized or is hard to read. Within each topic, do not alphabetize the links – its unfair to your exchangers. Make it first come, first listed. My tag line starts with “A” – its not fair that I leap over all the other links in that topic to be first by virtue of the alphabet.
Limit the number of links per page to something reasonable like 25-30 so that your visitors don’t have to scroll down a mile to get to the bottom of the page. We’ll get tired and bolt. It won’t hold our interest.
If both parties in a link exchange practice these very simple concepts, our visitors will benefit tremendously and be more inclined to use the directories as a way of navigating the web. It may never replace key word searches and pay-per-click advertising – but it can be a much more powerful complement to those vehicles. My web site statistics software shows me where my visitors come from and increasingly a large number are coming from other sites via links. This approach really does work.