What Have You

Linking with other blogs is one of the many concerns of a blogger. This is a fact that no blogger can deny. Even the biggest blogs on the planet need links to maintain popularity and ranks in standardized site metrics. This also provides other bloggers ease in finding who directly links to the blog owner in a small space called blogroll. Likewise, for the blog owner, his blogroll provides a rundown of his online “friends”. Hence, if he feels like visiting their sites, either in a specific order or at random, then their links are readily available. In my case, I go to my admin panel to check on my friends by clicking on their site in my blogroll. I usually do it in alphabetical order. However, due to familiarity with close online friends, I can easily type their site addresses even when I’m not using this computer.

On the other hand, I use a dropdown widget for my blogroll (”Friends’ Blogs”) to minimize the clutter in my sidebar. The good thing about this type of blogroll is it will save your sidebar some space which you can later use for other elements like widgets, images and others.

On the contrary, your blogroll will not grow in number if you will not exchange links with others. This blog has around a hundred links already and is become more difficult to manage, I admit. My time simply won’t allow me to visit all the links in a single session.

Relative to linking, my vast experience in this department (considering the number of people I’m presently linked to) suggests that every blogger should take into account the following:

On Link Exchange Request

Offering another blogger to exchange links with you may not always be a walk in the park. Rejection of your offer for two-way links may be more frequent than expected. If you experience this, don’t get hurt. This is natural. First of all, when you link with someone, maybe you should ask yourself what you can offer to that fellow you’re inviting. Are you willing to visit his site on a regular basis? Are you willing to write more articles so he has a reason to return to your site? You see, I personally believe that every blogger should have something to offer to his “friends” in his own blogroll. Why is this important? This is to ensure that the “friendship” will last long. If you simply want to be linked to a site because of its high Page Rank knowing that the Page Rank of sites that link to yours will somehow affect your PR in the future, then you’re on the wrong trail. Before offering a link exchange, make sure you or your site has something to offer first, or else you’ll most likely be ignored even if you have a higher Page Rank than the site you’re offering an exchange link with.

Also, be polite in requesting for an exchange link. Being polite will sound better than just simply saying “Let’s exchange links” as if you’re an authority. Some people consider this an arrogant act. For me, I usually say “do you mind if we exchange links?” or “if you’re interested in exchanging links with me, please let me know.” And you know what, they have been very effective. I know only a few who rejected this offer. Besides, prior to offering a link exchange, I made sure they can find something useful or probably interesting in this blog. Before offering the first-ever link exchange, my blog already had 10 posts. And it honestly worked.

On Reciprocity

Reciprocity is a concept in Sociology which can be crudely defined as mutual dependence or a mutual exchange of privileges. Two-way links are no exception. You link me, I link you. This is the norm. This is the basic demonstration of mutuality in the blogosphere, whether we like it or not. The only exception is perhaps when one of the bloggers took the liberty of linking another blogger without asking for an exchange. But that seldom happens.

Conversely, reciprocity as a norm is occasionally defied by some bloggers. Based on experience, some bloggers would offer a link exchange but will not link you back. A more subtle technique is, they will link you for a few days then delete your link afterward. I find it funny whenever I encounter these things via my regular visits to blogs in my blogroll. This is one of the many reasons why I have deleted the auto-linker in this blog. It has become a source of hindrance on my part for the following simple reasons: checking on blogs if they have reciprocated was time-consuming, it wasted too much space in my sidebar creating a distinctive imbalance, thus had become a sore to the eyes. The sad thing is, I even took time to inform the blog owner to please link me back since the auto-linker is meant for reciprocal links. Most of them just ignored me and for that, precious time was wasted in going back and forth their sites adding to their traffic and my frustration. While it’s true, the auto-linker makes it easier for other people to link to your site, it can sometimes cause you a lot of trouble.

In the case that someone forgot to link you back, don’t get mad at that instant. Inform the blog owner about the link exchange (since above the auto-linker, you can state your policy like “You may place your link here but please link me back. Thank you.” (which I’m sure the blogger who put his link/s in your site has read before placing his link). If he keeps on ignoring you after a few reminders, then that could be is the signal for you delete his link. This means he is either a jerk or he thinks you’re stupid.

Conversely, if the positions are in reverse and someone reminds you that you didn’t link him back, don’t ignore the person. Reply to his email or comment and apologize. Then put his link (if you finally decided that you want his link), else, tell him honestly to just delete your link in his blogroll. Don’t be a foolish. Don’t do to others what others may do to you. The universe is a realm of cause and effect. If you’re blacklisted in some bloggers’ list due to linking malpractices, that will surely have a negative effect on you. The blogging world is a small place. If you lose someone else’s trust, blogging included, your site will not grow and dirty tactics will never go unpunished. If you want to challenge this notion, then go ahead and take advantage of other bloggers and see for yourself the results.

Purging the Blogroll

Some friends in my blogroll actually purge links because other bloggers in their blogrolls didn’t visit for a long time. After the linking process, it could be said that it’s basically link and forget (which sounds like lovers who ended up as bitter enemies). I tell you, many bloggers have very high standards that even for only a week (or a few days) of your “absence” or “non-appearance” to their site, your link will be deleted. Yeah, that’s true. I’ve been there. I’ve tried that. The problem is, I own the deleted link. Hahaha! As a natural response to this, I simply deleted their links in my site. Of course, I had to return the favor to balance the equation.

But in practice, I don’t usually do this – delete someone’s link whether the person visits me or not. I really don’t mind. I fully understand the fact that other bloggers have careers and have lives outsides blogging, hence, visiting this site will never be an implicit requirement. I could say I’m more tolerant. But lately, I’ve been thinking about the goodness of the idea of purging the blogroll every few months. Yes, every few months, not every week. I will make it a habit to purge my blogroll, not because of the person’s non-appearance to this site but for checking if he kept my link in his blogroll. If he kept my link in his blogroll, that’s not a problem for me whether he visited or not. I just don’t like the feeling of finding out one day that my link is gone in their site without notice or for no logical reason.

Like I said, some bloggers perform linking malpractice. For no apparent reason, your link may be deleted after a day or two. Sounds unbelievable? Not quite so. It’s true and it’s as real as it gets. However, if I were to evaluate, bloggers who purge their blogrolls have valid points also. First, if the link owner doesn’t visit you (say, once a month, which is already a conservative time frame), then maybe all he wanted in the first place was the link to your site and other benefits associated therein like a possible increase in his Technorati ranking (which is based on the number of sites that link to his) and a possible upgrade of his own Page Rank. Some bloggers even consider this insulting if other bloggers are obviously just into exchange links just for business. They want some personal touch associated with two-way links. By some means, I agree. “Maybe they really didn’t like me at all”, I can say. Many others feel the same about this. Nobody can blame them. I can’t blame them.

On the other hand, I cannot recommend this practice. Two-way links may have lesser “weight” than one-way links but it’s a better way to foster “friendship” among bloggers. It’s the best way you can show respect for your fellow blogger. What I can recommend is give the other blogger time. Be tolerant but tactful. If you decide to delete to delete his link without telling him, that’s your prerogative. At the end of the day, it’s you who decides who goes and who stays. Just increase your patience. Helping other bloggers through link building is a not really a difficult thing. Just be prudent in determining who you want to kick, who you want to keep and how often you want to clean up your blogroll.

Personal Note: If I happen to have overlooked linking you back in this site for a while now, just drop me a line. I’d be very pleased to correct my own mistakes. For others who have requested for a link exchange and have not been approved, please read the second part of this article.

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Tags: Friends' Blogs, Link Building, reciprocal link, Reciprocity, Two-way link

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