After receiving an email from someone about a link exchange offer (which I initially marked as spam), I was actually contacted by the sender. I unmarked it as spam, but the offer was nevertheless quite useless. Here are some of my thoughts on link exchange and how I think it should be done best, both from a user vow and a search engine view.

First of all, link exchange programs are not great. I mean the places they use it most is the adult sector and other, illegal sections of the net like torrent sites and warez sites. My main argument against them is not this however, it’s the fact that Google is actively fighting against these programs and has become quite good at unveiling them. Links and whole sites may become discounted which is a huge problem for your. Secondly, I can never be really sure where my link will end up, and for me personally it’s not just about the numbers. If people start putting my link on warez sites I may get a few hundred visits, but search engines may not love me for this.

Also, if someone is trying to build a quality link exchange service, why offer me links on real estate sites and travel sites. I don’t mind having my links there (although I don’t need this coverage either), but I don’t think that showing you guys links for Himalayan tours would really be adding value to my site. If you people really are serious, at least take a one minute look at my site.

My suspicions were of course well founded, since after saying no to the contact person (via chat), she never wrote back a word. Her initial letter is also full of things like: “We are Link building expert and working since 1999.” You would think that in nine years the company would’ve found someone who can speak English properly. There were also other tell-tale signs, so in the end I wanted nothing to do with these people.

The only link exchange that really works is the only one I currently use, which is based on friendship and trust, not a business deal. I guest blog at a few blogs, I have their links on my page, and they have mine. I am also good friends with a few other bloggers and I have their links. I never put links on my site with the intention of the owner of that site to feature me also, I do it because I like the site. I have permanent links from all these sites (except Lifehacker and Lifehack), and I initially got one of my guest blogging positions due to this view as well.

The best tactic for building your site reputation and popularity is to be nice, especially to other bloggers. Help them out, show them your site and be an all round nice guy. Your efforts will not be wasted and you will be notices. I would be happy to help out a start up blog with one entry where the writer is a nice person, and I wouldn’t help out a larger blog where the contact guy was annoying, even for links and so on.