(Also known as swap links, add URL, link exchange / link exchanges, resources ,submit site, submit URL, add site,  reciprocal link etc)

The benefits of reciprocal linking to a website owner are considerable, but they are also widely overlooked and even misunderstood. Very few of the so-called "web marketing gurus" really understand the dynamics of linking. Everyone knows that it is important to search engines, but very little has been written about the real benefits of reciprocal linking (swapping links).

Some studies have shown the true value of linking, and the advantages of building a substantial link network. For sites that serve a market of enthusiasts, like sports or a hobby, or are in an industry that has a large number of resource or directory sites, like careers, then linking should be the foundation of the site traffic.  For businesses, it is a way of driving traffic to your site that you would not otherwise have received.

Each of these benefits is quite powerful. Cumulatively, this list places linking as the “king of the hill” when it comes to earning a return on your website marketing endeavors.  Because many of these advantages have never been exposed, please read them carefully, and take time to reflect on their true meaning:

• Value: The "cost per click" on most search engines is increasing.  As more and more websites vie for the traffic directed by pay-per-click website, the cost to the advertiser will raise.  On the other hand reciprocal links from other website, in most instances cost you nothing.
  
   

• Reliability: Reciprocal links continue to drive traffic for as long as the links exists.    Its true that you can not expect the same results as from the major search engines, but then again, there are no ongoing costs.
   

• Search Result Enhancement:As long as there are free search engines, many of them will reward you for being "popular". This popularity is often measured in the number of links that are directed to your website, and to a lesser extent to the  number of links going out of your site, a commonly overlooked fact. Search engine results tend to improve dramatically for sites that implement good linking practices, both in and out.
  
   

• True Network Effect: Reciprocal links are a widely-distributed source of traffic. They are not reliant upon a single point of control, as are many other sources of traffic, like search engines. Links represent a "fail-safe" network. They are protected from the ever-changing criteria and consolidation of the free search engines, and they are sheltered from the competitive attacks that are now taking place with the pay-per-click bidding wars.
  
   

• Stability: Reciprocal links are extremely stable, in the aggregate. Sure, you'll lose some links over time, but by and large, they tend to stay in place indefinitely, providing traffic day after week after month after year.  And of course there is nothing to prevent you increasing both your popularity and traffic by adding addition links over time.
  
   

• Publicity: The very act of asking for the link from another site is equivalent to an industry-specific press release, but the payoff here can be long term. You never know what will come your way from making your market aware, especially if your product is new or unique. In fact, a legitimate link request to sites that solicit for them is the ONLY way to announce yourself via email, without "spamming".  
  
   

• Branding: The more links you have, the greater the "branding" effect for your name. This broad awareness can improve the click-through-ratio for your links. At the least, it makes surfers curious as to why your site name seems to show up everywhere.
  
   

• Traffic Driver: A well-structured links page can actually be used to bring people back to your site. It is a resource to your visitors, and they will come back to it again and again.
  
  Providing links to other sites is not a net traffic drain. This line of thinking is simply flawed, for a variety of reasons.The benefits of linking far outweigh the occasional click out of your site by people who are ready to leave. A well-designed links page opens all of the outgoing links in a new browser window, leaving your site open on the users machine.
  
   

• Market Intelligence: Reciprocal link traffic patterns reveal many of the real "players" in an industry. This info, extracted from your site referral logs, can be used to your advantage in other ways, such as for placing banners or finding good affiliates and marketing partners.
  
   

• Minimal Oversight: Unlike pay-per-click search engines and banner ads, links take only limited management time once they are in place. This is the opposite of pay-per-click, because when you are spending money for each click, you need to constantly stay on top of both your bids and your volume. That is a hidden but very real cost of pay-per-click banners and ads.
  
   

• Asset Value: Reciprocal links are assets of house, a few don't amount to much, but pile them up, and you have a rock-solid foundation and structure. They can greatly enhance the equity value of a website.
  
  Please read this last one again...
  
   

• Affordability: The traffic that comes from established links is essentiallyfree, but earning those links is not. It does takes time to build a link network. There are many websites that offer a service to manage yourlinks.  Generally there is an upfront cost, that could be viewed as a capital investment in site marketing, and there could be ongoing management fees.  The decision to use such a service may depend upon your budget.  But for the budget conscious there are always the free links to be achieved simply by politely asking other webmaster to exchange reciprocal links.
  
  
  For those who do not yet have the budget to spend money for online advertising, the investment in links may very well save you from having to institute other ad programs to get traffic.
   

There is nothing else in web marketing that can compare to the long term advantages of links.

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