5 Reasons You Should Link to Me Today

By Patrick Altoft on November 15th, 2007

I promote pages that link to me

It’s a well known fact amongst people who really understand SEO that not all links are equal. Just because you get a link from the New York Times doesn’t mean you can sit back and relax. Really clever SEO types will promote the page on the New York Times that links to them and turn it from a great link into an amazing link.

For example if one of my blog posts gets a link from Engadget I will make sure that the Engadget blog post is submitted to Digg, StumbleUpon and other appropriate social news sites. Very often the reputation Engadget has will propel it to the Digg front page when the original story has been buried (tip: don’t submit the Engadget one too soon).

So, next time you are thinking who you should link to, make sure it’s somebody like me who will spend the time to drive as much traffic to your post as possible.

You might get a link back

With so many blogs to read every day the posts that really stand out are the ones with great writing, nice formatting and a link to BlogStorm somewhere in the content. Like most bloggers gaining a nice link makes me happy and grateful.

This feeling of gratitude also make me much more likely to link to you in the future because I feel I owe you a link.

Take my list of the Top UK blogs as an example. Most of the bloggers on the list have read it and are pleased to be listed. A number of them have linked to me but quite a lot haven’t, you can bet that some of them might drop me a link in the future though.

Your readers will be happy

OK, I know BlogStorm is growing quite nicely but it still has a long way to go before we overtake the likes of ProBlogger, and SEOmoz. If your blog about internet marketing has 500 readers you can bet they all read the top blogs so why would you point a post out to your readers when 99% of them have already read it somewhere else?

Next time you wan to drop somebody a link try to make it to a smaller blog that your readers might not know about. You can bet that your readers will appreciate it and the blogger will be very grateful.

I will subscribe to your feed

This doesn’t apply to everybody who links to me but in most cases if your post is a good one and it sends me a nice amount of traffic I will probably subscribe to your RSS feed.

Linking to me gets my attention and makes me read the post just to check what it’s about. I don’t read many posts from the beginning to the end so make the post a good one and I will probably want to read more from your blog.

Google might like you better

Linking out to bad neighbourhoods can harm your rankings on Google. Next time you decide to link to a blogger check out their rankings for a few terms such as their name and page title tags. Rand Fishkin famously only links to John Chow with a nofollow tag because John has suffered a Google penalty.

Next time you want to drop somebody a link make it a blogger that doesn’t break Google’s guidelines, it might just help improve your rankings.

Categories: Link Building

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Reader Comments leave yours >>

Patrick,

What I’ve learn by linking to you is that you don’t allow trackback … and my readers are happy because you add more value to them, not because your blog is “smaller” :p

onlimo November 15, 2007 11:04 am | Reply

Yes, I never really thought trackbacks were useful. Never once have I clicked on a trackback link.

Patrick Altoft November 15, 2007 11:05 am | Reply

I’m pretty sure my blog should be on your top 100 UK blog list :p But it’s not, so sad… Smile

But yes I’ve written about linking out before and it is definitely a good thing to link out to as many different blogs as often as possible. It always comes back to thank you in one way or another.

Caroline Middlebrook November 15, 2007 11:12 am | Reply

I have a post in the works that will link to you; not sure if it will be today though. Although these 5 reasons are pretty good Big Grin

Sucker November 15, 2007 2:19 pm | Reply

Man that’s one of the coolest link bait posts I’ve seen, well played.

Al November 15, 2007 3:09 pm | Reply

Caroline, you are now on the list. Congratulations. Smile

Patrick Altoft November 15, 2007 3:29 pm | Reply

Very smart. The promise of rewards has now put you very high on the list of people I want to link to.

Advice Network November 15, 2007 5:06 pm | Reply

Nice post. I reckon you’re right about JC, best to nofollow him or remove links altogether…

David Bradley November 15, 2007 5:29 pm | Reply

I already have.

You didn’t give me a link back, you didn’t promote my blog, you didn’t subscribe and both my readers are still desperately unhappy. So thanks for nothing Smile

Andy C November 15, 2007 7:33 pm | Reply

Now THIS is a good, constructive post about building really effective community within the blogsphere. I love Blogstorm for the insightful and constructive thoughts that don’t just merely replicate what can be found on a million other how-to-blog blogs.

And the fact that they form great linkbait for you as well, is just gravy! Well done!

Kimota November 15, 2007 10:34 pm | Reply

Ah… it is the Google Penalty to my Green Google Fluff that prevents me claiming my 2nd place in the rankings

You could add http://www.roughtype.com/
http://yackyack.co.uk

In all seriousness though I tend to flay a Polish flag on some of these charts, even though I am registered in the UK. I am not in the UK as often as I would like.

I am just like you, I promote good articles that link to me quite extensively.

Andy Beard November 15, 2007 11:28 pm | Reply

haha I’m sorry. I saw this on Sphinn, and I thought to myself, “Wow. It’s nice to finally see another blunt person in the seo world.”
Love the title, the entry, and the fact you’re at least out there with what you want.

SlightlyShadySEO November 16, 2007 3:43 am | Reply

I shall certainly be bearing this great post in mind for the future.

Nick James November 16, 2007 9:20 am | Reply

@ Andy C, just linked you back

Patrick Altoft November 16, 2007 9:47 am | Reply

Not only great link bait, it’s good advice too. Smile

Actually, w/o the uncondomized link to TNX in your feed you’d get more links from folks who read your feed but aren’t exactly eager to link out to sites affiliated with bad neigborhoods.

Sebastian November 16, 2007 10:13 am | Reply

Hi, My name is Lara Saad I am a new blogger (very new) I have just launched my blog (http://i-make-money-on-facebook.com/) three days ago. I have been doing business online for about six months, but not blogging.

I’ve been reading your blog since you launched it and I consider my self one of your admires. you have inspired me to start blogging.

I am definitely going to link to your blog through a very good article. But I want to wait until I have some more articles in my blog before I link to you.

Please visit my blog and tell me what do you think,, I am so open for any advises.

Thanks,
Lara,

Lara Saad November 16, 2007 6:23 pm | Reply

Nice post, better advice and great link bait! Cheers!

bitbucket November 17, 2007 3:16 am | Reply

A second one can’t hurt can it?

IntegrateIT November 17, 2007 3:17 am | Reply

Is a third one too many?

Idiots and Media November 17, 2007 3:18 am | Reply

Great post… It’s nice to see someone talking about alternative traffic techniques then just relying on search engines.

Jim November 17, 2007 7:50 pm | Reply

Patrick,
I wonder that you didn’t post my comment!! I can’t remember anything wrong in my comment.. is it bad to say that i was reading your blog for a long time and i admire you??!!
any way i respect your decision not to allow my comment, but i really want to know why. Maybe you can e-mail me the reason.

Thanks,

Lara Saad November 17, 2007 8:22 pm | Reply

Can any body linking to me???

Low traffic Sad