| I got a form submission to my site this week | | | | me in a Beauty Pageant once. |
| requesting a link exchange. I smiled as I read it, | | | | Syntax That Looks (Dare I Say It?) Foreign, But |
| because it is the classic case of someone trying | | | | The Name Does Not |
| to take advantage of a site with a good page | | | | I encourage you to use anyone presenting you |
| rank (PR). Let me tell you what goodies it | | | | with valid, reputable, and related links to your site |
| contained. | | | | no matter where in the world these come from. |
| Bad Address | | | | As I peruse this email, though, I see random |
| "Sam" seems to think it is unimportant for me to | | | | capital letters, the pronoun "i" not capitalized, and |
| have generic information about his business such | | | | the use of the word "shall." These are not |
| as a last name, mailing address, and phone | | | | mistakes someone very familiar with the English |
| number. There is a reason I made these fields | | | | language makes in a business proposal. Why lie to |
| required in my form. I don't need to know their | | | | me with a very American-sounding name? What |
| birthdate, social security number, and the first | | | | else are you hiding? It could be this person is |
| name of their second cousin, but I do want to | | | | named "Sam," but given all the other things |
| know a little bit about them before entering into | | | | combined in the email, I am suspicious. You lie like |
| this sort of arrangement. Dude, buy me a drink! | | | | a rug. |
| The Compliment...Or Is It? | | | | Respecting Yourself In The Morning |
| I'm glad he found my site "interesting" and thinks | | | | This email was sent to me in hopes my head did |
| it looks "professional." (I do, too!) Too bad he | | | | not contain gray matter. I would put his site on |
| doesn't specify more directly what my website is | | | | my links page and simply trust that he would |
| about. His compliment sounds a little too generic, | | | | place mine on the amazing pages he gave me. It's |
| which leads me to believe he doesn't know--or | | | | a long time and many spiderings before I realize |
| care-- what I'm selling. I bet he says that to all his | | | | I've been duped, and good ol' Sam has had the |
| webmasters. | | | | benefit of a good PR site voting for his all that |
| The "Too Good To Be True" Offer | | | | time. |
| His business has an "add only" policy on PR5 or 6 | | | | This is an easy fix. Have a guidelines page for |
| sites? C'mon! Why on earth would anyone want | | | | what you want in reciprocal links. Put the link for |
| to do me the favor of pointing good PR sites to | | | | your guidelines page at the top of your "Links" |
| mine? What could he possibly get out of that if | | | | page with a simple, "Click here to submit a link." |
| there wasn't at least some sort of reciprocal | | | | State on the guidelines page on the top, in the |
| exchange? Does that line really work on anyone? | | | | middle, and on the bottom that you won't |
| The "Reputable" Sites | | | | consider any requests unless they contain a link |
| He actually almost had me on this one. I clicked | | | | that shows you where your site is already placed. |
| through to these sites and saw these are | | | | This will save you time, because you'll know right |
| reputable firms. CalHealth.org is the California | | | | away if someone respected your hard work |
| Hospital Association, and they do have a section | | | | enough to try to do what you wanted. Any link |
| on their links page for Health Related sites. All of | | | | request from then on that doesn't contain this |
| these sites are top notch hospitals and educational | | | | information can be deleted. |
| institutions. is a site for healthcare business | | | | Then--put this on your calendar in red ink--check |
| managers. Their links page is also top notch, listing | | | | your backlinks weekly. I just now Googled "check |
| universities and government agencies. He said he | | | | backlinks" and the search returned many sites |
| thought my site looked interesting and | | | | where you can do this for free. |
| professional, but I'm not so naive as to think I | | | | Find another barstool, Creep. This one is taken by |
| rank with the .govs or .edus. No, you didn't see | | | | anyone but you. |