"Why should I?" I think.

Back when the Web was young, I would link to those companies. There weren't very many of them, so I would comply. But today there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of such companies vying for attention. Yahoo can be comprehensive, but I can't, so I don't even bother. I only link to sites that add value to my own.

In a world where search engines are flooded with tens of millions of Web pages, links from one website to another are increasingly important. One recent study observed that perhaps half the people who come to a website find it, not through search engines, but through either references in print media or links from other sites.

Adding Value

You offer something extra ("value added") to your visitors when you link to sites which will educate, entertain, or serve them. When you link to interesting information, people perk up:

• "10 Ways to Use Your Computer as a Tax Deduction" would elicit a lot of interest prior to April 15.
• "Protect Your Computer in Five Minutes from the Deadly Mauna Loa Volcano Virus" offers something to your visitors.

People aren't likely to link to your business for its own sake. What value is added by a link to IBM or Coca Cola? But if you offer an interesting article or service, they will link to that, since the article adds value to their visitors, and thereby adds value to their site.

Applying the "Adding Value" Principle

I received a call today from Joy Wayne of Nannies Plus (http://www.nanniesplus.com), a nanny placement agency. "How can I get parent sites to link to us?" she asked.

First, I tell her how not to do it. "Don't ask them to link to Nannies Plus," I explain. "They don't want to promote your business over the other fifty nanny services who contact them."

But Joy has written a wonderful article included in her website on how to hire a nanny. Family sites would be very likely to link to such an informative article from an expert. Write a brief e-mail message, something like this, I tell her, that you can send to the webmaster at these websites:

Dear Webmaster,
Parents who visit your site might be very interested in this article reprinted from Bottom Line magazine. Please consider linking to it.

Questions to Ask When Hiring a Nanny
http://www.nanniesplus.com/family/family-quest.htm

Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely ....

Keep the message short and sweet, but make sure you issue a "call to action": actually request a link.

"But we need to attract more nannies for our placement service if we get all these families," says Joy.

Let's go a step further, then. What kinds of women become nannies, that is, the kind of elite nannies that Nannies Plus specializes in? College educated women who are interested in early childhood development or elementary education, is one answer. I suggested to Joy that she use her 15 years of experience in placing nannies to write an article such as:

Some early childhood development and elementary education sites would link to such an article, since it adds value to their own site.

Some people write articles in their field of expertise quite regularly, and then send copies of the article to sites which might be interested, requesting a link, or offering use of the article (including a link to their site, of course). Look for, and be willing to pay for, appropriate articles ("content") to place on your site.

Linking all comes down to adding value. What does my site offer that can add value to someone else's site? Answer this question and you'll be well on your way to success.

I can think of only two reasons to have a page of links to other sites.

1. These links add value to your site, since they provide a service to your visitors. If you're a swimming competition site, you might want to have a link to other such sites. But beware: a link only adds value to your site if having a "link page" brings visitors to your site. When you become known as a center for information, people begin to link to your link pages, not until. Otherwise, you may be just creating a door for people to leave your site, never to return.
2. It gives you a place to put "reciprocal" links to other sites which offer to link to yours. Don't make this page too obvious, but include it on a backwater to your site. While it may be useful to you getting links from other sites, it isn't very useful when it sends people away from your site.