Link popularity and reciprocal linking

December 2008 | Category: Marketing
Article by Nick Carter

A reciprocal link is a text or banner link to a site that carries a similar link to your own site. The internet is essentially made up of links from one site to another. Without these links the web would be a disparate collection of unsorted information.

Reciprocal linking forms a vital part of any website promotion effort. Successful websites rely on more than effective design, in order to get people visiting your site they require solid marketing support, too. To ensure your site has the visibility it deserves, you will need other websites to point to yours.

Reciprocating links between websites is a relatively simple process but there are various measures that should be taken to allocate suitable sites to link back from, as well as the pitfalls that must be avoided. The way we link from site to site continues to be one of the most important aspects of successful search engine optimization, but the way we do it is continually changing.

Even though there are hundreds of thousands of websites out there, it would be a pointless exercise desperately exchanging links with everyone.

Valuable reciprocal links between your website and other non-competitive sites can not only provide an inexpensive avenue for attracting visitors but the majority of the search engines rely on this process.

Search engines interpret a link from site A to site B as a vote by site A for site B. However, the value of the link is calculated by quality of the referring page.

Google, for example, operates a PageRank system to determine a site's value. The higher the PageRank the higher the value of the site and link. It is far more effective to have a handful of popular links from important, relevant web pages than it is having hundreds of irrelevant, low value sites linking back to your website.

Building links back to your business from sites that Google considers valuable and relevant will not only improve the value of your site but can attract targeted traffic that converts into leads and sales.

It is, however, important to note that it can take months for your site to be listed. Remember, too, that there are no guarantees that your site will be listed near the top of your category. As a starting point, we have compiled a short-list of high ranking directories that you can submit your website to through reciprocal, one way or paid-for directory listings.

The process of adding your link to the entire list can involve a considerable amount of time and commitment. So, we are offering a manual submission service to the full list on your behalf for a small fee. Click here to contact us for more information.

 

Directory listings key
PR = Directory value/Google Page Rank	Site review = Signifies reciprocal, one-way or paid for directory listings.
Site Review = Directory rating - from 1 to 10	Directory Name = Website name and link
Notes = Short description of the directory

PR	Type	Site review	Directory name	Notes
			Free Index	FreeIndex.co.uk - the UK business directory which has business listings by category and location.
			DMOZ	The Open Directory Project - the most comprehensive human-reviewed directory.
			HaaBaa	Haabaa Free Website Directory - Human edited search engine friendly web directory.
			World Site Index	World Site Index - A searchable directory of websites organised by subject.
			The100Lists	The 100 List - User managed search engine friendly web directory.
			Microsoft Small Business Directory	Microsoft Small Business Directory - traffic building business directory.
			InCrawler	InCrawler - Metasearch Engine & Web Directory.
			Seoma	Seoma - Registration and pre-payment required for submissions.
			JoeAnt	JoeAnt - Human edited search engine friendly web directory.
			SkaLinks	SkaLinks - Reciprocal software and related services directory.

 

The Exchange list will be updated on a regular basis as the value of each directory changes, so bookmark this page now to keep up-to-date. If you run a directory and feel that the Exchange list would benefit from the inclusion of your listing please feel free to contact us.