Traffic Exchange Confustion

[SEO_Trafficnut]

Hello All!

I am new to website management, I've endured the mental assault called as 'SEO', and am worse for the wear. From what I can gather, if you've put some research into your keywords/meta tags, your page titles and your site is easy to navigate and includes meta tags and page title words in the body your good to go.

I've started looking at increasing my organic search results for the tags I've used. I understand I'll need back links. I have these through Craigslist ads and from forums, however, I assume that using links from 'other types of sites' will help me to get rated better for google/yahoo searching?

So my question:

How do I properly execute a link exchange? What do I look for (or possibly more importantly) what do I look to stay away from. Also, how to I ensure I can also provide links back? Do I need to have a page reserved for links?

I guess this is all for now.

Thank you,

[stymiee]

So my question:

How do I properly execute a link exchange? What do I look for (or possibly more importantly) what do I look to stay away from. Also, how to I ensure I can also provide links back? Do I need to have a page reserved for links?

If you are concerned about SEO then you don't want to do reciprocal link exchanges. They don't have any SEO value and may even potentially get you banned if you are considered part of a link farm.

If you want links that have SEO value seek one way incoming links. Ideally they will be from related sites as unrelated links have much less value. Directory submissions are a good place to start but ultimately you will want more valuable links. These are usually obtained by providing quality content that other website considers worth linking to.

[Dani]

What do you look for when swapping links? Look for sites that are in your industry, share a common audience but aren't your direct competitors, and are sites you would like to exchange website traffic with.

I don't believe they have a negative effect to SEO unless you participate in free-for-all link pages, link farms, are on pages unrelated to your own, massively appear within a short period of time, or anything else that isn't honestly done because you believe the other site is of a high enough quality that you want to associate yourself with them.

[guinanie]

Link exchange or reciprocal link is served as backlinks for your site.
1. First is to participate to related forum and post a link exchange request
2. If someone asked a link exchange , you need to evaluated the site if it is a related site, quality site, generate traffic and with page rank.
3. if passed , you send email or private message. Exchange link is done in both site.
4. Add link to your link page or resource page.

So my question:

How do I properly execute a link exchange? What do I look for (or possibly more importantly) what do I look to stay away from. Also, how to I ensure I can also provide links back? Do I need to have a page reserved for links?

/QUOTE]

[stymiee]

Reciprocal links are devalued to the point of no value by Google and they recommend not to do them.

[neuronimbus]

Always choose a relevant and quality websites for link exchanging.

[net4nuts]

i guess rather then focusing on link exchange try other things....

Submit sites to different directories and promote through forums, blog, social networking sites, classified sites etc.

[sanju121]

Many webmasters go for traffic exchange and referral programs to promote their sites but one thing that do we get higher PR for a site with traffic exchange programs?

[mackone]

I look at the niche of the site to make sure it is related to my niche first... then look at the amount of traffic the site gets, the age and if the site has potential. We know that relevance is important in SEO. Also do not deal in excessive link exchanges.

[ejtt7ciia]

The pitfall of this method is the traffic that u change is untargeted, and also it is hard to find a good partener to do the traffic change.

If the traffic u build or drive to your site is easliy be sent to other site, it is also bad for you to build the reputation and trust from your vistors.

[Hirohurl]

One thing you could do is add your link to your signature file on this forum. :-)

[Angela12]

TO be honest I still don't understand the meaning of backlinks....even if we get it what is the use?

[lentrepot]

TO be honest I still don't understand the meaning of backlinks....even if we get it what is the use?

I am a newbie and trying to learn, but from what I understand a backlink is more or less seen as a "vote" for your website. The more votes the value the search engines attribute to your site. Over time that helps your page rank amongst other things . . .