What’s not so nifty or wonderful, and it has nothing to do with Linkmarket.com, is type of websites that you get requests to link with. I really think some of these people need to link with reality before they try linking with other websites.

Of course, one of features you get as a 'paid' member, is you can nominate types of website that you wish to receive requests from.

In addition to my Home Based Business websites, for which I have separate ‘accounts’, I have a website called ‘R.A.I.S.E’ (Rheumatoid Arthritis Information Support and Education). A non-profit website devoted to all things to do with this particular disease (from which I suffer). I cannot understand why I continually get multiple requests per day from totally unrelated websites, especially those dealing with gaming, travel and satellite dishes. I know that majority of these websites are ‘affiliate’ type websites, in very competitive areas trying to expand their web presence and obtain a better search engine ranking. However, don’t these people realize that a link from a website dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis will not help them one iota. Nada, Zip, Zilch, Bupcus. In fact, they’ll be very lucky not to be penalized by SE’s for such a ridiculous practice.

Please people, understand that a link is only of any use to you if it is from a website with related subject matter. I will link with any website that has same type of content and is in same category, even those with low or no PR, as I feel that they won’t harm my ranking and I don’t mind helping a new website. But what makes this behavior more perplexing is that I recently changed my domain and have no PR, so these people must be linking to virtually everything in directory!

We all know that practice of reciprocal linking has gotten way out of hand, what with people now actually asking for money to link to your lower PR website, but this indicates it has gone beyond sublime and into realm of ridiculous. I'll say it again - some webmasters really do need a ‘link with reality’ rather than any more websites.

When will this linking insanity end?

Following is my reasoned - and decidedly calmer than I am now - email response to him.

Dear Gary,

This link generation scheme is standard for reciprocal link software. The value of "Reciprocal links" is far lower than value of ONE WAY links you already have from that press release distribution and posting of press release on your site which, by way, includes linking instructions at bottom of relevant pages.

I've written an article call "Linking Psychosis is Treatable" which discusses foolishness of links pointing all over web.

It doesn't address reciprocal linking so much as insanity with which webmasters persue them. Your press release has ALREADY generated a huge number of inbound ONE WAY links that will increase visibility and rank of both Kinsey Film Review and Intrinsa© Testosterone Patch pages.

Doing reciprocal page will initially LOWER your rank because it is RECIPROCAL. There is a concept called "Authority Site" that search engines use where ONE WAY inbound links are ranked VERY highly and reciprocal links are devalued BECAUSE of software like that being promoted by link-crazy folks not willing to do hard work of generating more valuable one-way links.

The search engines know about software available from linking fanatics and DEVALUE pages that use it. Ultimately it can increase your visibility, sometimes, over long run, but it just isn't that helpful in most cases.

I've taken a hard line about this and get a lot of flack about it from those without SEO experience or knowledge. But smart professional SEO's agree that reciprocal linking schemes - AND ESPECIALLY SOFTWARE GENERATED PAGES - are not worth much in search engine rank. The search engines are reducing importance of those type of pages daily because it is too easy and too commonly used by scores of webmasters looking for an easy ranking.

I have written in past that "Reciprocal Linking is Dead!" in which I outline my linking policy and encourage all reciprocal links requests to submit articles to be used on my site and that I'll link to them through resource box of their articles - IF I decide to publish them - but that I just don't do reciprocal linking - period. I don't even require them to link to me, but I point out that I have over a hundred fifty articles on my web site available for use on their site if they use my resource box, provide author credit and link to me through my resource box.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it. ;-) No matter how unpopular it makes me with software vendors selling programs or link fanatic webmasters looking for extra income and easy solutions.

Don't be a linking turkey! Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's some free link popularity software Experience with SEO client Dr. Gary Schubach, of and is used with his permission.