Member Avatar for baroim

Hi everyone,..

Recently i have made a forum (SNIPPED). In the attempt of increasing traffic and people to sign up, i joined a site called linkmarket.net. Since then i have received loads of link exchange requests everyday, and have some of them responded and proceed with the exchange. Because my site is a forum, i created a seperate section where i placed all of the exchange.

I am aware that some people associate links like this as spam, my question is the fact that i have them on, would those put people off from registering?

What do you think guys?

ps: are we allow to ask people here to review the site?

Edited by Ezzaral because: Snipped link. Please restrict such links to your site-wide user signature, which can be edited from the user control panel.
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by trangman

Dani AI

Generated

For — a visible block of exchanged links can look like a link-directory or ad wall, and that visual cue is what tends to discourage signups more than the exchange itself. The practical fix is to treat reciprocal links as a low‑trust asset: curate them, limit how many show up in public places, and mark non-editorial links so search engines and users understand they are promotional.

A short checklist to reduce both user friction and SEO risk:

  • Vet partners (active site, clear contact/about, no malware/adware, relevant audience).
  • Move bulk exchanges off the main forum index into a single “Partners/Resources” page or footer widget with short editorial blurbs explaining why each link is useful.
  • For reciprocal or paid links use link attributes such as rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow" to reduce search‑signal concerns (Google explicitly warns about excessive link exchanges and link schemes) (Google – Link schemes).
  • Avoid exact‑match anchor text and huge lists of sites; rotate or limit listings to the best 8–12 partners.

Design and UX tweaks matter: keep the registration CTA away from any link lists, show recent active discussions and member counts near the signup form, and present partner links with brief descriptions so they read as curated resources rather than spam. Measure the effect: compare registration conversions with the links shown vs. hidden (simple A/B testing or time‑based comparison).

As hinted, high‑quality content and a visible, active community are the main attractors for new members. For targeted feedback on layout and perception, follow ’s tip and request a focused site review in the Website Reviews section.

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Member Avatar for Ezzaral

>ps: are we allow to ask people here to review the site?
Yes, you may post a review request in the Website Reviews section.

Member Avatar for trangman

I would say don't worry about it. I have used linkmarket and you are right you get loads of link request daily. Make sure any site you link to, the content is related to your site. Filling your site with unrelated links will not only appear unprofessional but also Google doesn't like it.
If you are using a forum try and encourage good quality posting and replies, good content is much better than loads of links.

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