Exchange links with approx. 75 different Realtor websites in one big exchange - then take it easy and watch your search engine rankings rise

Most link exchanges are of no benefit because the link pages are not actually indexed and/or the links themselves can't be followed by search engines. This exchange is different!

The 75 (approximately) Realtor sites all have existing pages within their sites that list Realtors in market areas other than the market area served by the Realtor. The qualifying links would be placed on that page in each Realtor's site. None of the links pages have "links" in the url - there is some speculation that having "links" in the url causes search engines to ignore the links.

These pages are all indexable - as are the links. Some of these sites have been around for 7 years and some are quite new so there are varying Page Ranks on the pages themselves.


This link exchange will only accept participants whose links pages are actually included in Google's index and whose links can be followed by search engines! Sorry, but template websites will not be considered (AA, Point2, Z57, IHouse, etc.)

Unlike most link exchanges, this link exchange will actually benefit participants!

You can check if your site will qualify and also fill in a short form to send us your link at http://www.realwebresults.com/linkform1.html

With the idea of not wanting to waste anyones's time perhaps it is time for a further clarification regarding my statement above - " Sorry, but template websites will not be considered". Here is my explanation to one template site owner....

I am not trying to be a pain in the neck, honest. There just is very little benefit to exchanging links with an AA site when the links reside on the FavoriteLinks pages.

The problem with AA sites seems to be deeper than just the "?" and "out of frames" issues. (explained on page linked to in the above post.

Are you familiar with our directory at http://www.epoweredprofessionals.com? The only requirement for inclusion is a true reciprocal link and we regularly check to make sure sites are still complying and remove sites that are not.

Of all the sites listed in the directory there are just two - that is all - that are AA sites listed because they have put a reciprocal link back to us on their FavoriteLinks page and their FavoriteLinks pages are listed in Google - like yours. The only reason they are listed is because they have only been in for a few weeks. I can almost guarantee you that I will be removing them in a couple of months because what has happened with 100% of the AA sites in the past is that after a few months Google drops their FavoriteLinks pages and does not pick them back up - I have given several months grace in the past waiting to see if the pages will be listed again to no avail. So, I end up having to remove 100% of the sites like yours with links placed on their FavoriteLinks pages whether script is used or not.

It may be that they are so far down the directory tree that Google's spider just doesn't bother or there may be some other "flag" - I don't know. All I know is that 100% end up out of Google and therefore have no value as a reciprocal link.

When that happens with http://www.epoweredprofessionals.com I only have to remove form one site but if I agree to exchange with my group of over 70 sites then I have a lot of sites to edit to remove the link - it is a huge waste of time - especially considering that AA links pages are buried so far down the directory tree that even when they are listed in Google they have no Page Rank and are of miniscule value - there is little incentive to take the gamble that one site's links pages may actually remain in Google some day.

Those are some of the reasons I have stated right up front "Sorry, but template websites will not be considered" - just so we all don't waste our time.

Ok Doug, you're on. I'm assuming these are north american property sites - so you just need to review my request (I filled in your form) and then add your sites as required.

Sarah

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Property Management Software
NZ Property Investment Coach

Is this offer still going while Google's "cache:" command is broken? I'd like to do my site, the one ion my signature.

Yes, the offer is still on. I like to wait until I get a few links to add as it is a major undertaking to update all of those sites. I will probably do an update sometime next week - so feel free to sign up

Hi Doug,
Let me know when your ready

Any updates on this? I submitted my site last week. Ready to add the sites to my links page.

Kevin

I did not not get your submission Kevin - I did notice that you submitted at the Real Web Results Blog Real Estate Directory the other day (but you did not supply a reciprocal when you submitted) - perhaps you thought you were submitting for this exchange at the time?

Anyway, I will be adding a bunch of links tomorrow and will add yours at that time if you can give me your info at http://www.realwebresults.com/linkform1.html

Pardon me for being nosy, but I noticed that you are promoting two urls for the same website - you should be aware that is a no-no as far as search engines are concerned. It will only result in poor positions from a duplication penalty.

hmmm...looks like the same page I submitted to before. When I click submit, it goes to a totally blank page http://www.realwebresults.com/cgi-bin/linksaddlink.cgi which is what I remember happened when I submitted the last time. Strange. I don't remember submitting to your blog page.
Thanks for the tip...I know my other mirror sites rank right up there on yahoo and MSN. I'll take your word for it. Thanks.

Kevin

Now I remember submitting it...but then I took it off because your Wisconsin Real estate blogs page was not cached by google...I remember now.

If you received a blank page then you were not successful in submitting. I use that same script for other things as well and I don't know why but for some reason one out of every few dozen people can't submit - it is due to some setting on their computer but I don't know which one. If you receive the white screen you can email me your link details or send it in a Private Message.

The original post about the Blog Directory stated that the pages were just a couple of days old so they had not been listed by Google yet - but they will be.

Hi Doug -

Are you still exchanging on all these sites? I believe I meet all your criteria. You can view my site in my signature. Thank you for your consideration.

Doug, I have been reading a lot on WMW about the importance of varying the anchor text of the link. I have been rotating through variations of "Southlake (TX|Texas|Nothing) (Real Estate|Homes for Sale|Homes)" in my link request titles. In addition, I have been trying to mix up my site description a bit.

Bottom line is I don't want to have 75 identical links pointing to me - I already messed up and have at least 100 of those, don't want any more!

Is there any way you can accomodate variations? Perhaps allow 3 titles and 3 descriptions and randomly hand out the 9 combinations? I think it is going to become more and more important...

Hi BillR,

As you can appreciate updating 75 sites can be achore so due to my system of updating I can do 7 different combinations - if you want to send 7 different versions of your link that would be fine

Doug,

Sounds great, I'll send you an email tomorrow with my seven link variations.

Hi Guys -

Thank You both for the link exchange!

Doug...two months ago I was on page 8 of google or further back for my keywords. Since I did the link exchange with you (75 or so), I've managed to get the #1 to #3 position on google and #1 on MSN & Yahoo.
It's not the only reason, but it sure helped.

Thanks again.

Kevin

That is great Kevin - thanks for letting me know

I usually wait until I get a few requests to exchange before I actually make an exchange as uploading changes to 75 sites is time comsuming. I will be uploading some more links this coming week though if anyone is interested in the exchange and has not yet signed up at http://www.realwebresults.com/linkform1.html - now is probably a good time to do so.

I have signed but I don't know whether my link is already posted. Could you confirm that. My website is www.insproperties.com

I have you on my list for later this week

Doug, I have another site for you to link with when you do your next add-on
Your system didn't send out a confirmation email, as I think I might have made an error on the URL.

well i will try this, my site is new, i need good quality links to get started. my site is in the signature lowcountryresorts.com. i would like to exchange links, if that is a possibility with any of you in here.

thanks,

Exchanging links with a template website CAN be adventageous for someone with a high PR. I can only speak for Z57, because they give their clients the ability to add both text, as well as graphic links, directly on their homepage. The only problem is it automatically generates a frame tag, so as long as the person you are exchanging links with is knowledgeable about HTML and knows how to remove the tag, you are fine. Blackballing ALL template websites is an uneducated bias and should be handled with a little more forethought from now on. These companies (AA, Z57, IHouse, etc) offer much more affordable, timesaving solutions for realtors and to not allow those users to be a part of your reciprocal linking is worrysome. Please reference our website(s) to see what I am talking about. You'll have to scroll down a bit.

http://www.VegasNewHomeFinders.com
http://www.TheNewVegas.com

It is good to see that some of the template companies have finally "got with the program" in their new 2005 designs. Now, if only they can change the page title and page name from "Link Exchange" they may have a chance of actually sticking in the search engine results pages for longer than a few months...

I changed the name of my "Link Exchange" page to Directory. I wanted something other than that but that is what works for now. lol Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the links in those pages to stop from being framed, and pop up in a new window but keep the rest of the site that way.

Thank you for your good work.
Hope to see my link on your page soon.
Mario

Hi Doug, I can also create a new pop up window that is a picture and also texted....is this something I can do now??

Hi Kassie,

I don't know much about the iHouse system - except that it seems that only the main entry page ever gets listed in search engines.

With their system, all the other pages are 6 levels below the domain itself and search engines rarely spider that far down it seems. Any page that far down the directory tree even if it does get listed by some miracle - probably will not stay listed. Saavy link exchangers likely will not be excited about exchanging links when their reciprocal link is placed in such a low-value location.

In the years I have been running my directory and checking out link exchanges I have never found a links page on an iHouse site to be listed or spiderable by search engines. In all of their sites that I have looked at just the main entry page works for link exchanges.

i'm willing to put you on a link on my main page.

For inclusion in the directory that will work - see http://www.epoweredprofessionals.com/addme.html. Were you thinking having several dozen other Realtor sites on your main page too?

nope. you are an exception to my rule. lol

So, are you saying that you want to exchange links and will reciprocate on your main entry page? If so, I am putting together an exchange today or tomorrow and will include you. I will need you to send me your link description today.

I am planning on putting up some links in the next day or so - an exchange with people that I have been in touch with in the last couple of days. After that, I don't expect to put up any more links until September (Enjoy the summer!).

So, if you add your name to the list as per the link at the beginning of this post - please don't expect a response until then.

thanks for the help doug.

ok i added my name. i will added my directory page to the google cache as well. i'm hoping that that will do some good as well, espeicially with links not being in the title.

when is the next big exchange going to happen ?

I am doing an exchange later today (Monday at the latest if I get too busy) and received your info on the list. I will send you an email.

You will be the "cut-off" and I will not get around to actually uploading more links until after summer. Others reading this post can keep adding their names to the list and will be eligible for the next exchange in September.

I am re-activating this thread as I intend on putting together another link trade. If you are interested you can check if your site will qualify and also fill in a short form to send us your link at http://www.realwebresults.com/linkform1.html

Doug I have a question, are most of your sites coming from the same IP block or hosted on the same C Block?

If so have you noticed this hurting any of your sites that inter link?

Also what is your opinion of what Matt Cutts has said about recip links. If memory serves me correctly he stated that recip links wont hurt you but that they will be given no weight.

The sites are on many different IP blocks and on many different servers. It is my belief that interlinking sites that reside on the same server (host) can cause problems even if they have different IPs. Having links from serveral sites that share an IP is not a problem unless those sites themselves are interlinked. None of my sites that may share an IP are interlinked.

Regarding Matt Cutts' statement - I am sure he would be happy if no one traded links as it would make his job a lot easier. The fact is that link exchanges still work although I believe some carry more weight than others. It has been widely noted in SEO forums (and I agree) that a link from a site whose links are organized as a "web directory" IS ignored.

By "web directory" I mean where they have multiple categories not related to the actual theme of the site - so if a real estate site has a links directory that has categories for travel sites and health insurance sites etc. - you probably get no benefit from the exchange.

Also, if a site uses popular links programs like Linksmanager you most likely get zero benefit from from the link as Google would recognize such programs and ignore links from them.

It IS getting harder and harder to find link exchanges that are of value but there still are some out there.

If this is the case than why do directories show as backlinks and pass PR? I have witness from another real estate forum, they offer their members a directory listing and those seem to pass as a BL and PR.

I can see where this might delute the theme of a website but I disagree you get no benefit. There are to many sites out there with purchased backlinks from sites and directories that have no relevancy to the site they are linking to. Yet I could point to a few sites that rank very high in Google that practice this type of linking.

IMHO I believe that a search engine bot/ Algo calculates the relevancy based on the text on the page, title tags, other links on the page and their text, plus the meta tags. With this being said, the new algo Jagger seems to be a lot of weight to directories again. In several real estate markets I have noticed a few directories climbing up the serps. Just my 2 cents.

You are misinterpreting what I said. I was not referring to stand alone web directory sites - I was referring to link exchange pages that are organized like a web directory and have many off-theme link categories. The "other real estate forum" example you give has all real estate links and does not include off-topic link categories.

Again you are misinterpreting my remarks with your comments regarding buying backlinks from sites and directories - that has nothing to do with my response to your original question about reciprocal link exchanges.

If you want a discussion on link purchases and directories please feel free to start a discussion in the Webmaster Issues forum - this thread is not the place for that discussion.