I regularly receive link exchange requests from various people. Truth be told, I respond to 1/10th or less of the emails that are addressed to me in this regard. Why? Because I’m too busy wasting my time.
Few things that especially bother me:
- Lack of professionalism in requesting the link: If you are initiating the request, at least try to be professional. Requests that contain over 3 requirements are simply too much trouble to bother. Requirements? Let me explain: The link has to be on a page that is “PR +2″, or has to be on a page linked directly to the home page, etc.
- Link requests that are patently unfair. Asking for a link on a reputable site and offering a link on a newly set-up site is to imply that the other person is stupid. Sorry, but I don’t belong to that category.
- Asking for a link exchange without specifying any requirements, but when the link is added, asking for the link to be moved to another page. So I just added your link and now you want me to move the link to another page?? If you had requirements, why didn’t you state them upfront??
- Asking for a link exchange and, after I added the link, failing to add a reciprocal link back to my site in a timely manner or at all.
- Offering a “three-way” link exchange with me linking to your main site and you linking to my site from an unknown site, specifically maintained for link “exchanges.” This relates to the comment already made above: When asking for a link exchange, try at least to be fair about it.
- Failing to read instructions on my site as to how to enter into a link exchange. Yes, many sites will have specific pages with instructions on what to do if interested in exchanging links. If you cannot do that, then don’t even bother.
It is a major mistake to subcontract link development to people that do not have the proper etiquette. That will reflect bad on your site and will not lead to any good exchanges in any event. Exchanging links with another site is part of online networking. Many things you wouldn’t do when networking in the real world. Why would you find those things to be acceptable online?
One good practice that I really appreciate is that when someone emails me for a link exchange, that person has already added my link to his or her site. That is much appreciated. Btw, now, when people request link exchanges with any of my sites, I unequivocally ask that the link to my site be added first before I do anything.
The above might sound like a lot, but who said that promoting a site online was easy?
