Generating Link Pop for Corporate Website..

[martekbiz]

Hi All,

A lot of the websites we design are on the "corporate" side of the line.

I often find it difficult to make them understand the importance of creating a link exchange campaign/page with other industry information websites. They don't beleive these links represent a "corporate" image and may diminish their "reputation" and that of the website.

So.. HOW do you A) get it across to the client this is something that should be done; and B) Find on-the-level industry websites (not competitors) to link with or get a linking from?

Any thoughts and insight would be awesome.

Thanks.

Aaron

[Futura]

I have the same problem. Never use the word "links" and instead present the concept of a "Resources" page. Also explain how this will add value to the site and will reflect nicely on the company. Now instead of just a page of links, it is a page of interesting information about other websites in the same market, and after short intro paragraghs (filled with nice keywords) you then include a "learn more" link that sends them to these other sites. Now when you contact those sites, you already have them listed, and you ask if they can link back. So far this has worked for me, and sometimes the client even gets excited about a new "resource" and will start writing up material and giving me links.

[ihelpyou]

Welcome to the forums futura! :hi:

Excellant post!

Along with that, corporate sites should have a quality site that others would want to link to as a resource from there own site. Many sites do not even pursue a link pop campaign as it's simply not necessary. Sites link to them automatically with no request for reciprocation.

[stevew]

Clients ... the bane of our lives ...

I have the same problem with a key client. Agreed a link page, which I have set up, professionally, with reciprocal links to/from a few quality sites.
The client sees the links page, forgets that he's approved it, and I get an email from his assistant asking if I can explain what's happening.

I see today that their PR has gone up from 3 to 4 (ie no longer "invisible") ... all I now have to do is get them to understand the significance of that ... and get them to remember it while I continue with the optimisation (which they're also dithering over).

:steaming:

Getting them to understand the importance of what you're doing is often a matter of getting them to accept your authority on the subject. This is best achieved at the start, but how to do it is usually different for each case ...

:rolleyes:

[Advisor]

You can also simply try to get them listed in as many general directories and industry-specific directories as possible. There are many that don't require a reciprocal link. It's understandable that with some corporate sites, it just doesn't always make sense to have a reciprocal links page.

A "Partner" page sometimes doesn't sound as bad to them either...

Jill

[stevew]

Partner page !
Brilliant !!!
It's all in the terminology for some of these corporate boys.

I'll be contacting my client this morning with results for their "partner page" ... wish me luck.
:ohmy:

[searchenginemarketing4u]

You could use 'partners' to include suppliers, b2b customers & end users as appropriate, plus any resellers / distributors.