You probably have read a lot about how linking out to other blogs is an effective way for new bloggers to get noticed. The idea, of course, is that when other bloggers see they are getting a link from you they will visit your blog and hopefully like what they see. If they do, maybe they’ll subscribe or link back to you.
Have you tried linking to other blogs and seen little or no results? Many new bloggers link to articles on the most popular blogs related to their topic, see no results and conclude that linking out isn’t going to work for them.
If you’ve been in this situation, read on. We’ll look at some ways to improve on the results you’re currently getting from your outbound links.
Why is Linking to Other Blogs Important?
1 - It helps your readers to find valuable information and resources (and if you do this consistently they’ll likely remember you as a reliable source).
2 - It helps other bloggers by sending targeted traffic and by giving them a link (which may help with their search engine rankings and Technorati authority).
3 - It can help you to get noticed by other bloggers (as mentioned already).
4 - Your trackback may show up in the comments of the other blogs, which could bring some click-through traffic to your site.
5 - Outbound links can give you some content for a post when you don’t have time to write. Many bloggers, including me, use posts of outbound links on the weekends when posting is less frequent.
If you are looking to grow your blog and increase your exposure, linking out can help if you implement some of these tips:
1 - Always link to quality content. Your link to another website or blog is essentially an endorsement from you. Remember that your reputation is on the line if you link to questionable or poorly-written content.
2 - Link to smaller blogs, not just A-listers. This is the key. Linking to A-list blogs is not a bad practice, but they are unlikely to notice your link since they get so many of them. Smaller blogs are more likely to notice, take the time to visit your blog and leave a comment or link back to you.
3 - Link to those bloggers who are in your network. There is no better way to strengthen your existing networking relationships than by giving a positive endorsement or a link to a fellow blogger. Treat your friends this way and others will be lining up to be a part of your network.
4 - Link to some bloggers who you have never had contact with. If you only link to your existing contacts, linking out will not help you to expand your network. Find other bloggers that you would like to have as a part of your network and link to them.
5 - Link to those who participate on your blog. Providing a link to active commentators is an extra incentive for readers to get involved on your blog, and it rewards them for their efforts.
6 - Be the first to link to a post. If the blog you are linking to displays trackbacks, your link will be the highest one shown. If that post winds up drawing a good deal of traffic you could get significant click-through visitors.
7 - Provide additional information. If you want your visitors to get the most out of your links, tell them a little bit about the posts that you are linking to. They’ll be more likely to click than if they are unsure of the subject of the linked post.
8 - Use outbound links to strengthen your posts. Don’t simply use outbound links in posts that are designated as link posts. Use them whenever appropriate in all of your articles. Effectively-used outbound links will add to the value of your blog posts, as they will give the reader more resources. If you can’t say it better than someone else already has, just provide a link to them. If you’re afraid of the links causing you to loose visitors, set them to open in a new window.
9 - Ask for reciprocal links. When you’ve found a blog post that you would like to link to, why not email the blog owner and ask them if they are interested in exchanging links? If you provide quality content on your blog that is relevant for their audience, many will be willing to reciprocate (again, this will be much more effective with smaller blogs than with the most popular ones). Another version of this process is to first link to the other blog, then email the blogger to introduce yourself, mention the link and ask them to consider linking to you.
I have personally used all of these methods and seen the outbound links bring new visitors, subscribers and contacts with other bloggers. Try some of these yourself and I think you’ll see the same results.
51 comments from readers
1 Tay - Make Money Blogging Aug 31, 2007 at 1:13 am
I agree, linking out to other bloggers is very important. When I write up my round-ups, I usually link to all the good content I like and would want to recommend to my own readers. This usually includes linking to a couple of A-listers, but for the most parts I’m often linking to other blogs that are about the same size as mine, give or take.
I liked reading all of your tips, especially numbers 5 and 8. Keep up the great work, I enjoy reading your blog and have also subscribed!
Thanks,
Tay
2 Links for the week- 8/31 | The Invesp Blog Aug 31, 2007 at 9:13 am
[…] Vandelay Design is becoming one of my very favorite blogs. Steven writes about using outbound links to grow your blog. […]
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[…] Using Outbound Links to Improve Your Blog by Steven Snell […]
4 Dharmesh Shah Sep 2, 2007 at 8:17 am
Great article (found you through http://www.DailyHub.com)
A couple of additional points:
1. When linking out, it is immensely helpful to the recipient (from an SEO perspective) to use good anchor text. So, instead the classic “click here” as anchor text (or even using their blog’s name as anchor text), but keywords in the anchor text that is related to their content.
2. Although asking for a reciprocal link is good if you can get it, I have found that it is better to have this happen organically. I link to think of it as doing my readers a favor, not doing the link-recipient a favor.
5 Michael from Pro Blog Design Sep 2, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Great article. I love linking out to other great articles because it gives your readers a way of reading deeper into a topic than just your post.
The links can be really popular with readers. I’ve found that some of my link posts have been really popular. It’s a strange thing as a blogger.
6 Kristie Sep 2, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Good pointers. I try to provide a variety of outbound links to both big and little blogs. I particularly like to share blogs with good tips that I think my readers will find interesting.
7 Vandelay Design Sep 2, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Dharmesh,
Thanks for your additional points. You’re right, anchor text is important for SEO purposes.
Michael,
I’ve also been a little bit surprised at the popularity of link posts. I think it shows your readers that you place priority on getting them the best information, rather than just trying to keep them on your own site.
Kristie,
I think using variety is a good approach.
8 Don’t Forget To Link To The “Small Guys” - HTNet Sep 3, 2007 at 12:23 am
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9 mark Sep 3, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Great tips, especially about linking to the smaller blogs. I’m still trying to build up traffic as you can see so good time for me to try this. thanks.
10 Vandelay Design Sep 3, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Mark,
Thanks for reading. Good luck with your blog.
11 genny Sep 9, 2007 at 11:11 pm
hi i like your site and you have lots of information. Can we exchange links?
12 Being a Proactive Blogger << Vandelay Website Design Sep 15, 2007 at 2:46 pm
[…] If you’re like most bloggers you use a lot of outbound links in many of your posts. Why not contact the bloggers who you want to link to and ask them if they would be interested in reciprocating with a link back to you? Of course, not all of them will, but most will consider it if you have quality content that their readers would benefit from. […]
13 Online Money Sep 19, 2007 at 3:59 am
Good idea of linking up with smaller blogs. It will improve your outbound links.
14 Vandelay Design Sep 19, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Online Money,
Thanks for reading and for your comment. It definitely works.
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18 The Value of a Network << Vandelay Website Design Oct 27, 2007 at 2:33 pm
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19 15 Ways to Get Exposure for Your New Blog << Vandelay Website Design Nov 5, 2007 at 7:43 pm
[…] new blogs. We’ve probably all read about the importance of commenting on other blogs and linking out, but what else can you do? 1. SOCIAL MEDIA […]
20 david deangelo Nov 7, 2007 at 11:27 am
Good article. Normally alot of articles teaches us how to get more and more links. This article makes a nice change and the concepts are viable.
21 Clement Nov 12, 2007 at 12:49 am
Great tips!Well presented! Keep it up!
22 sweet heart of the song tra bong Nov 12, 2007 at 11:08 pm
it’s funny to me really when folks don’t use outbound links in their blogs and on-line generally, considering the core, the very nature of html and the internet. one of the big innovations of this gigantic copying machine is the rapid spread and sharing of information. that it benefits users mutually is a good thing. of course, that doesn’t mean that an overload of random links is the way to go either. but it does mean - as your blog totally suggests - that considered, meaningful linkage is socially beneficial and also healthy internet behavior, and as such is bound to pay off in a number of ways.
23 Eshwar Nov 14, 2007 at 9:13 pm
yours is a wonderful site with valuable information the only humble comment i want to make is i am a new bee to the entire world of online market and money making i find your page very useful for some one like us, if you could go some step deep in explaining some of the technical terms used,with a small brief taking into account person like me it will much much helpful for us to learn things for example i could not understand what is out bound and in bound links first of all, will you ?
24 Vandelay Design Nov 17, 2007 at 9:56 am
Eshwar,
An outbound link is when you link to another website and an inbound link is when you link to another page on your own website (or blog). Hope that helps.
25 Make Your Website Linkable | Vandelay Website Design | Vandelay Website Design Dec 4, 2007 at 5:10 pm
[…] with blogs, linking out can be a very effective way to also draw inbound links. Some of those people that you link out to […]
26 An Equation for Explossive Blogging Growth: Content + Networking + Social Media | Vandelay Website Design Dec 12, 2007 at 5:59 pm
[…] Make real attempts to build relationships with other bloggers in your niche. You can do so by reading and subscribing to their blogs, leaving intelligent comments on their posts, voting for them on social media sites, and even emailing them if you have questions or comments. Another great way to network with other bloggers is offering to write guest posts for them. One of the reasons this works so well for networking is that it benefits both you and the other blogger, and it’s an easy way to get noticed. Of course, the guest posts that you write should represent the skills and knowledge that you have to offer. Other ways to network include using forums and linking out to others. […]
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29 ayahshiva Dec 23, 2007 at 5:18 pm
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