Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

For SEO, marketing companies search for industry-related higher-ranked web sites to link back to their client's lower-ranked sites to provide search engine "food". Search engines (love) tend to increase the search position of websites that have other industry-related sites that link to them - called backlinks.

It is preferred that the link is only one way (from your site to their site - not a reciprocal link), and your site is higher-ranked (Google Page Rank). Your blog home page is a PR4 (Page Rank 4 out of possible 10 and most sites don't go past a PR5)

Assuming the marketing company is legitimate (not some bulk internet link reseller selling "100 PR4 links for $99), they are acting like a broker in setting up this deal and make a percentage - like the client pays the marketing company $200 for the link and the marketing company pays you $50.

I don't see any red flags, yet you should get an agreement with the end party. Once the money flows, you've accepted the obligation to provide the value agreed (the link on your blog). The marketing company steps away and the obligation is ultimately between you and the end party.

If you keep the link on your site each month for years, the end party is very happy, but you only received $50. One pricing strategy is a monthly charge, paid annually. This complicates the deal and the marketing company will probably get their cut also. The simplest is a one-time payment - but with any deal - what is is the deal worth to each party. You may have a webmaster cost greater than $50 to insert the link into your blog too. You set the value (your risk, your time, your future consideration when you want to change your blog).

Contract law prevails, and spell out the details of your obligation:
- how long are you to provide the link
- where you must place the link
- what if you cease business / close the blog / delete the article - what are you to pay them back - if any
- any refunds
- who are the parties to this contract
- sites you won't provide links to - like porn or gambling
- you have the right to cancel if linked sites in any way tarnish the image of your blog / company

Legally - it could be more "work" than any benefit to you for $50. Keep yourself in the driver's seat.


Bob

Great advice from Bob. It's probably legit, but it may not be worth the time/effort and potential liability for $50.

I haven't heard of anything like this before, but if I was in your shoes, I'd likely give it a try.

I have a client who also received a very similar offer. He had me add the link to his content, and he received his payment. More offers came, and more links were added. Very soon my client's nicely designed web site started looking crappy with all these mini-ads sprinkled throughout his web site.

The money paid was really not that great. According to the server stats, there were very few people clicking on the links to go read the other 'related' content. I reminded the client that his web site no longer matched his original strict design requirements of 'high end - high quality'.

My client, when presented with the fact that his web site was starting to look like a cheesy link bait stop on the information highway, and worse, the client was now starting to look more like a link-whore willing to past any link or content for a few dollars, well, the decision was easy. He dropped all the links.

Quality sites link to other sites for a reason. I ask you, if you got to get paid for linking, are those 30 pieces of silver worth your web sites soul (reputation)? I'd say send that link spammer a hearty PFO email, and keep your site on track and on target.

My two cents worth.

Darcy Moen
Customer Loyalty Network