| Forkbeard |
02-25-2005 08:23 AM |
Most blogs add links manually, and they have to like your shit. Fleshbot doesn't link out to very many other blogs, and like most of us Jonno doesn't have time to respond to all the link requests he gets.
Here are some points I wrote on adult blog linking (from my article on adult blogging tips):
Quote:
Do: Do participate in the blogging community. Read the blogs on your blogroll. Blog about what they say, if you have something to add. Leave comments on the blogs you read. This is actually the best way to attract readers when you are just starting out -- people will read your comments and, if they like what you say, they will click through to your blog. The blogger on whose blog you comment will surely click through, and may link you if he or she (a) likes what you are doing and (b) is flattered to discover you are already linking to them. Note well: Leaving stupid comments, or empty "LOL" or "I like this" comments, will not have the same result; people will (rightly) take you for a comment spammer, and will ignore you or delete your comments.
Do: Do have a blogroll. I shouldn't have to say this -- it's included in the previous paragraph. But I do have to say it. I get tons of link requests from "bloggers" who don't link to anybody. They use blog software, and they write something every day, but they don't participate in the blogging community. They don't link to anyone and they don't have a blog roll. I don't understand this mentality. I mean, why would you ask other people to link to you, if you can't be bothered to link to anyone else? I actually know of a fairly good spanking "blog" that does this. They've asked me to link them up, and I'd put them up in the "Spanking Blogs" section in a hot minute -- if only they would participate in the community. But as it is, they want to suck traffic in and not share any back out. Go figure. No matter how good you are, you're never that good.
Do: Do link generously and profligately. When in doubt, link. Link whenever you think your readers would like to visit the site you are linking.
Don't: Don't worry about link backs. If you like a site well enough to link to it, link to it. If you wouldn't link to a site unless they gave you a return link, that means you don't think it has value for your surfers. Which means, it still doesn't, after the backlink. Forget about backlinks. Link for your surfers. You'll be surprised how often you get a backlink anyway.
Do: Do be very wary of negotiated link exchanges. If somebody has already linked to you, and emails you to ask for a return link, try to give their site a fair look. It's polite to reciprocate, but not fair to your surfers if the site sucks. However, if someone emails you about an "exchange of links", but hasn't put your own link up yet, they are telling you "I don't think your site is good enough to link to, but I'll do it anyway if you'll link to me first." Screw that. Half the time, even if you do put up the link, they never reciprocate. But the important point is: they don't respect you enough to link to you. They only want your return link. Again, screw that.
Don't: Don't feel you have to respond to all the link exchange results you will get (and you will eventually start getting dozens every day). First of all, most of them will be automated spams. Do you feel the need to be polite to the electronic robot who telephones you during dinner to sell you car insurance? Me, I just hang up. Second, for your own sanity, you must resist the temptation to try and answer every link request, even the ones that are obviously from humans. Much of the time you would be saying "no" -- and it's incredibly difficult and time-consuming to write polite rejection letters. If you can't say something nice, it's politer and easier to say nothing at all.
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Of course, if that all seems like too much work, you can always just buy links. |
