How Good Business Can Boost Your Site's Ranking

Exchanging links is an important way to increase your website’s placement in organic search results on Google, Yahoo, MSN, and other search engines. The algorithms used by these engines takes into account how many other sites are linking to yours when placing it on results pages for various keywords and phrases. Trading links can be a quick, easy way to build up your site’s popularity, and so it is important to conduct your link trading transactions as smoothly as possible.

The first and most important rule of link exchanging is to trade with relevant sites. Before asking another webmaster to trade with you, make sure that his or her site has content that is complimentary, or similar, to yours. Webmasters who understand search engine optimization generally avoid trading links with irrelevant sites, so verifying that the trade is appropriate is the first step you can make toward being a good link partner. Additionally, relevant links are more valuable to your site, so trading with similar web sites is a more efficient use of your time than trading with unrelated sites.

Next, be a polite link swap partner by following the rules. Most websites that participate in link trades either use automated trade scripts or have posted directions on the site explaining how they prefer to conduct their exchanges. An automated trade script will typically include instructions, or rules, for linking, asking you to use a specific anchor text, have a similar page rank to the site with which you are trading, or link from a main page rather than an internal page of your site. Webmasters who do not use automated scripts for trading will often have these instructions posted on their sites. Look for them on a links or resources page, and follow them if you want to be a successful partner in link trading.

Also, please consider your own site’s page rank when requesting trades on forums or in other venues. Everyone has to start somewhere, and there is nothing shameful about having a PR0 or PR1 site. However, it is very rude for a new site to demand trades only from PR3 or higher sites, and most webmasters would be put off by such a request. Additionally, it looks far more natural for a website to have incoming links from a variety of sites, so it is beneficial to trade with sites whose page rank is less than or equal to your own, as well as trading with higher ranked sites. Just make sure that your requests are reasonable!

Promptness and attention to detail are also important aspects of being a good link trader. Make sure that you respond to trade requests quickly and clearly, whether you initiated the trade with another webmaster or s/he initiated it with you. Everyone has moments of being busy and bogged down by too many tasks at work, but it is crucial that you make time to set up links once you have agreed to trade them. Also, be certain to link as requested by your partner. If a specific anchor text was included with the URL, be sure to use it.

Once you have posted a link on your site, follow up with the other webmaster. Send him or her the URL where the link is visible, and ask for feedback to make sure it is correct. It is also a good idea, at this time, to ask if your partner has any other sites available for trade.

Finally, if you ever need to remove a reciprocal link, do so only after informing the other site’s webmaster. It is best to avoid removing links altogether, but if it must be done, make sure to be forthcoming and understanding in your interactions. Removing links without warning is highly inconsiderate.

Trading links is a rewarding process for your site and for you as an individual as well. It is a great way to network with other webmasters, boost your site’s popularity, and give your site a stronger presence on the web. Just make sure to follow the simple rules of etiquette outlined in this article, and you will be well on your way to success as a webmaster and link partner.