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Building Blogs: Link Love
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Sometimes you'll come across a post on another site that you want to share with your readers. Perhaps you want to recommend some of your favourite sites without linking to a specific post. Linking to blogs from your site is sometimes referred to as link love.
Managing a blogroll
A blogroll is basically a list of links to other sites. I've seen a blogroll used for a number of purposes:
- Links to the author's favourite sites
- Links to anyone who wants to do a link exchange
- Links to useful sites in a particular category
They all have their uses, but in most cases I'd recommend the first option over the others. In my case, I am not too strict on what type of site goes on the list. This is so I can highlight a fairly even spread of content.
The link exchange concept might seem like a good idea to begin with, but you may find the list gets very long very quickly. Personally, I'd rather link to the sites that I actually want to share with my readers, rather than anyone and everyone.
Links to sites in a particular category is an idea that's probably best left to link directories. If you have enough links to group them in this way, maybe you have too many, or maybe you could set up a proper link directory for sites in your niche. Or use one that's already out there.
I have a list of my favourite sites, and I have some tips for building a great blogroll that your readers will actually find useful.
Linking out in your posts
"Linking out" refers to links that lead to other sites. I usually link my own posts together, linking to older posts if it's appropriate, but I don't usually link to other sites in the same way. I try to make it a bit more obvious if I'm linking to a different site, otherwise readers may get confused when clicking a link that takes them to a completely different site.
Writing a follow-up post to reply to a couple of particularly good comments is something I'd like to do more of. This is something I did in my stream of consciousness blogging post. By quoting the original comments and linking to each site, it should be clear that the links will take you to the respective sites. I think it's a good way of showing that I appreciate the comments I receive on my posts.
Previously, I wrote about a few things to be aware of when linking to other sites. I'm not big on dedicated "link love" posts, although I will make an exception for creative link love posts, courtesy of ettarose. (link removed as it no longer works - sorry!)
I've also tried writing a weekly round-up, but I stopped doing that recently as they were not really adding any value to the site. However, with a bit of effort you can use weekly round-up posts as a great way to provide link love along with a few other things. I've listed 10 reasons for doing a weekly round-up that you might find useful.
Justifying the links
With link love posts or an overly long blogroll, I find that the author rarely gives the readers a reason to click the links. A simple note to say "click these links, they're all awesome" might work once or twice, but if you do regular link love posts then you may find people click the links less and less.
If you include slightly fewer links and write a short description of each one, it can really encourage readers to check out the links. Of course, you do have to be consistent in choosing interesting posts that may be of some interest to your readers.
I always relate this back to a lesson from a music teacher when I was in school. When reviewing a piece of music, you don't say "I like it because it is good". You elaborate and say why; not why it is good, but what you like. This is something I'll be doing a lot of with my blog reviews; stating what I do and don't like, and what I'd suggest changing.
Think of a link as a mini-review; you don't have to get into what you'd change, but you should be selling the site to your readers, giving them a reason to visit.
Summary
Link love is all about giving readers a reason to click on the links. There's more to it than simply listing a few links. If you are convincing in explaining why a link is worth visiting, you may find that a lot more people click on it.
What do you think?
Do you ever publish "link love" on your site?
How do you do it?
What do your readers think of it?
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Comments on Building Blogs: Link Love
I am in the process of making a 360 degree turn in my position on links. I link to my own relevent posts that expand or relate to a given day's topic. I now agree with your positions on external kinks. Internal and external links must enhance the reader's experience. Thanks for a well written analysis.
Ben, how can I explain how it feels to have someone you really admire put a link to your site in a post. Jaw dropping if you want the truth. I am humbled that you included me in your post and I really mean that. This is one of the reasons I enjoy the link love. I do enjoy the sites I link to and I want to share with others the great sites that are out there. Some are new and I want to help them get out there in everyone's face. You and Turnip were one of the first sites I visited when I first started entrecard. You have always been an inspiration to me and I am sure others. Jeez, I should have put this in a post! :)
Ah crap. I knew I should've visited you earlier today. I've been busy with Graham's digg project and returning drops (and commenting on each site), and changing the theme on the blog that I've only managed to get to my 'bookmarks' now. But now it's time for bed, but I definitely want to give this post a better read. Just wanted to ramble a bit =D sorry I haven't been around!
Thanks for the feedback everyone. :)
Ok so I've figured out what my problem with my blogroll is: Now that I have someone on... I feel bad taking them off if they haven't done anything to offend me in the first place!
I do not like being asked to trade links. It makes me want to snarl at people.
At some point this year I did become angry and make a link list for every snothead who came along and nagged at me for a link. I regretted it right away. I don't care if I had links back from them or not. Having that worthless list of links on my blog, taking up space, just grated on me. It was banished and deleted. A link back from those auto link deals has no real value. So what if your rank on Google or Technorati improves. It is based on nothing, just your creation of yet more junk mail/ commericals/ spam. Goodie for you.
Being given a link on another site should be worth something. It should be something to be proud and happy about. It should not be a link trade, of less value than spam.
When I see a link to my blog on another site I always get a little happy. It is something I am thankful for, because I did not ask for it. I often link back to those who have a link to me. Not always. But usually the sites that find something worthwhile on my blog are blogs I go back to visit cause there is something on their blog I want to see more of too.
Some of the sites and blogs I link to are topical too. I have found links to great sites and people over time. Blogrolling them makes it easy to keep them all a click away.
One thing I'd add is how important it is to check the links in your blogroll now and then. You don't hear the term link rot kicked around much any more. I think with blogs, with dated entries, we take for granted that people will understand that a link from a year ago is not as likely to be active as a link from a week ago. But, if we are to believe you actually use your blogrolled sites, that they are sites you like, the links should be valid, without a ton of link rot.
Edited: July 03, 2008 14:59
I was reading a blog this morning which is asking for subscribers so the blog owner can win a contest. I don't subscribe to blogs cause I don't read feeds. It's just one more thing I would rather not get started on.
Anyway, I did subscribe as it is a blog I have liked. But, I think giving any pressure to subscribe to your blog is not in good taste. I subscribed to some feed service which I have never heard of and will of course never find again to actually read the blog through it.
My thought then, how many subscribers might other blogs have which were 'forced' in some way and then never read. If this is the case feeds are the new newsletters. Just a bunch of stuff you sign up for but never actually read. Except in the case of feeds you don't even have them coming in to your email inbox. You can sign up to humour anyone and then totally forget about them. Just more useless clutter and debris online. Makes the whole feed system kind of a moot point.
I read your blog every day to learn new information.
I just wanted to quickly comment on how it feels to have someone put a link to 'your' (my) site in a post. Mostly , because it feels good to be noticed and to belong the community. To know people like what you doing. To build bridges with other bloggers around the people.
This is one of the reasons I enjoy the link love and give it . I enjoy the sites or posts that I link to and I want to share them with others too.
Sometimes they are new bloggers or struggling and I want to help them get out there in community. To direct a little traffic to their site.
I got a long list in my blogroll. I don't really intend it to be that way, but when I started this blog, some bloggers wanted to trade links. I gave in. A link is very important for a start-up blogger.
But I'll revise my blogroll soon so that it won't take up much space on my front page. I'll also do some purging.
For the blogs I really like, I bookmark them.
Why are links important for a start up blogger? If you are looking for instant fame blogging isn't really the way to go. If you want to be noticed in blogging you have to build up to it. Learn about what works along the way. Find out what you really want to write about too. You don't start on day one and boom! you're there, ready for fame and fortune. The bloggers that have become well known were working on it awhile before anyone noticed them. Having links wasn't all that important, having readers who came back and told other people to come and read the blog was what brings fame.
Few people actually read or click on anything in a list of links. The longer the list the less likely anyone will read it or find you on it. Having a rank with Technorati or Google doesn't bring in readers. Write content, join communities and participate in them. Find ways to interest people in yourself, not your spamming efforts.
People are more likely to find your blog if someone else posts about your blog. I often make a post about a blog I like. I give them a flash on StumbleUpon and whatever else I have on the go. That is how a blog gets noticed, from other blogs, sincere interest. Pushing more garbage isn't worth a damn.
I think link love was so 2006. At that time, readers were not easy to use and people were still finding their way around.
I occasionally click on blogrolls now, but I am much more likely to click through to a new blog with Entrecard and in the comments to blogs I like to read. Much more likely to be like minded.
I still have a few link exchanges on my list. I am just too lazy to remove them.
Though provoking post, Ben.
As I'm sure you know, I do publish link love posts. Recently, I've been going quality over quantity with the posts, and I certainly think that's a good way to go.
However, I probably haven't been giving the "why" I like the links. I'll try harder to do that next time. :)