Understanding Return Links


Is there really any such thing as a "free listing" or "free traffic" ?

 

If a listing is requested without reciprocating [adding a return link], then the traffic is expected... free!

 

The Facts about Free

 

The purpose of being listed in a search engine or directory is to generate traffic.

  • Search engines use automated spiders to crawl for the information required to display their search results. Listings without incoming links rank poorly and accordingly will not generate traffic, so the listing is worthless.
  • A directory employs reciprocal linking to boost it's ranking in search engine results to generate it's traffic. Without return links, the directory would rank poorly and therefore be unable to generate any worthwhile traffic.

The benefits of reciprocal linking are well known. Web site owners either have the choice of 'paying' to be ranked in search engines and directories, or they must employ reciprocal linking.

 

Web site owners who request a Directory Listing without intending to reciprocate, are simply looking for "free one-way traffic". In time, they will discover their web marketing failed because the sites that accepted them, did not generate any traffic. What did they really expect from a 'free listing' ?

 

Helpful Reading

BACKGROUND

The Motoring Directory Group of web sites achieves Page 1 & 2 rankings for thousands of motoring pages in the world's top search engines and directories, generating in excess of 10m visitors a year.

 

AUTOMOTIVE/MOTORING ON THE INTERNET

A sad fact: Search engines are not interested in motoring web sites. We challenge anyone to try and find automotive topics without using a search facility. In most cases, automotive categories are tucked deep down in Shopping or Recreation.

 

FACT

  1. Over 90% of all traffic is generated by 'Search Engines' and 'Directories'.
  2. Over 94% of all traffic originates from Search Results on Page 1 or 2.

CONCLUSION

To generate consistent high-level traffic to a web site, the listing must appear on Page 1 or 2 of a search engine/directory, for the given search word or phrase.

 

Hopefully by now, you are asking : How do I get listed on Page 1 or 2 ?

 

The answer is freely available in the FAQ of every search engine and directory web site. It boils down to reciprocal linking or paying for the listing.

 

ALTERNATIVES

Search Engines - Get listed in search engines that allow free submissions. Stick with the top 10 engines which accounts for most of the traffic anyway. To boost a ranking in Google, AltaVista and Yahoo, acquire as many reciprocal links as possible to other 'well-ranked' web sites.

 

Directories - Get listed with as many directories that 'require' a return link. Remember, if the directory does not request a return link, then you know they are not worth being listed with.

 

When you consider our motoring directory group already featured on Page 1 of the world's top search engines, then a company listing in one of our directories is but ONE click away from Page 1 of the world's top search engines. Why would you spend countless hours trying to achieve what can be achieved by simply placing ONE return link on your web site?

 

Were you expecting free traffic ?

We understand our industry, and what it takes to succeed. We have no time for ignorance or sentiment in a business that supports staff who enjoy being paid.

 

Year in and year out we watch web sites drop off at two significant points in time:
- End of the first year of hosting - owner cannot justify subsidising another year.
- End of second year - owner faced with renewal cost of web address and hosting fee's.

 

Who do you think will be around in 2 years?

  1. The Motoring Directory Group : with over 10K reciprocal links ?
  2. A web site with no incoming links ?

Have an educated good day!

 

Garry King

Senior Director

Motoring Directory Group

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Get listed : Eat the pie and become a Link Partner.

 

Leave and never return : Click for a suitable starting point.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Garry had been in the motoring industry for over 20 years before moving to IT and successfully launching Ripefruit IT. His combined knowledge of the motoring and internet industries makes Garry one of the world's most quoted experts on search engine optimisation and web site marketing.

 

Garry manages Ripefruit IT from a home-office in Melbourne Australia.

 

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SOURCES

  • Search Engine Watch : provides tips and information about searching the web, analysis of the search engine industry and help to site owners trying to improve their ability to be found in search engines.
  • Nielsen NetRatings : provides the industry’s global standard for Internet and digital media measurement and analysis.
  • Search Engine Forums : regarded as the webmasters seo forum
  • Search Engine Traffic Breakdown : Over 90% of search engine traffic is driven by Yahoo! or Google owned search technology - source: Search Engine Watch. Additionally Ask Jeeves owns around 5% of the traffic. You may hear the names of many other search engines, but most of them are powered by the above search engines in one way or another. For example, Yahoo! owns Inktomi, AltaVista, and AllTheWeb. All three of those search engines are powered from the same database as Yahoo! Search.
  • SEO Help - Aimed at those who are new to the search engine marketing industry and would like to learn more. Hopefully the old timers will also find something useful, at least it will give them something else to complain about.

As you can see, we practice what we preach! Reciprocal linking with associated industries. Try searching the top search engines for any 3 words on this page. Bingo!

 

Helpful Reading