I know there have been a fair number of articles on Internet and on this particular website regarding ‘linking’, it’s importance, how to do it and what not to do. This article is kind of a plea. I’m pleading with people who don’t realize that linking to every single website that’s willing to link back, can be a DISADVANTAGE rather than do them any good at all.

Firstly, way Linkmarket.com works is simple but, as I said, wonderful. You join (free at first, with some minor limitations). You supply your website details, including your category, site name and description and you are listed in their directory. You then have ability to peruse their directory and select websites with which you would like to arrange a reciprocal link (if you’re a paid member, Google PR and Alexa ranking are displayed – very handy!). It works like this:

1. Your ‘request’ is popped off to them and they can respond with a YES or a NO (again, if they’re paid members, your PR and Alexa ranking are displayed in request – very handy!). If it’s NO, nothing more occurs. 2. If it’s YES, you get a reply asking you to place their link on your website (all supplied in a neat little box to copy & paste) and supply URL location of link. Linkmarket.com software confirms link is in place and…

3. Advises them and they, in turn, are given your link in same format as you received theirs. They place your link and also advise URL, which software confirms.

I had an email exchange with an SEO client today after his webmaster called him pushing reciprocal linking software (when all this web designer was after was to generate some extra work from a client that hasn't needed him for awhile). Then that client called me after he received my email de- nouncing software, fully convinced by a follow-up phone call from his web designer that reciprocal linking soft- ware WAS valuable.

He had been assured that spamming, er - I mean, linking software, would increase his visiblity for an inside page on a hot topic currently in news. He didn't want to hear my unpopular opinion that reciprocal linking is DEAD! Halloween is over people! We don't need mummies of yesterdays' linking schemes haunting our Thanksgiving too! Oh, it must be a Thanksgiving TURKEY! A reciprocal Linking Turkey! Can reciprocal linking Santa's be far behind? OK, I'll drop holiday metaphors.

I tried in vain to convince this client that he didn't need that software for his review of new Myriad Pictures flm, "Kinsey" about early sex educator Professor Alfred Kinsey. We had just that morning distributed a press release online which is now posted on over 100 high visibility news sites and Yahoo news picked it up!

These are hugely valuable ONE WAY inbound links that will vastly improve his search engine ranking immediately due to topical nature and excellent timing of release. This client is a sex educator and runs an educational web site about sex and love. His press release put down idea of use of new Intrinsa© testosterone patch to cure low sexual desire of post-menopausal women and praised new film Kinsey. He'll be top ranked for two highly desirable and valuable (to him and his web site) keyword phrases within week.

By way, I HIGHLY recommend this approach for those with newsworthy issues they want to promote to press. will send your newsworthy press release to over 100 top news sites, hundreds more radio, television and newspaper reporters, and tons of journalists who have signed up to receive them. Ereleases.com is syndicated by major news organizations and you can gain hundreds of links while generating interviews and even television appearances, all for only $400! Some people will pay that much for worthless reciprocal linking software and installation by webmasters having a slow week. ;-) Back to our story...

I re-affirmed my opposition to use of software as we ended our call and he hung up disappointed because he wanted my support and assurance that sales pitch he got from his web designer on reciprocal linking software was accurate and that it would do more for him than this press release.