Well, this is one of my favorites. While
exchanging links is a great way to build traffic, you probably don't even have to link to any sites to get links to yours!
If your website has some unique or just plain good content, and a fair user base, you will likely get
many links just by being alive.
Ways to increase those links are with a
"link to us" section, for one.
Provide HTML code, images in different sizes, banners, and other methods for fellow websites to link to you. In most cases, the sites that link to you add a link to your site with an image or banner as a feature added to their site, not as a favor to you.
The link exchanges are a friendly thing to do, but I find that I have to go track down all of the websites that link to me to do that. There are websites that will track the outside-in links to your website. I will post a link later on.
If you’re into exchanges, check with other popular websites in your field and talk with the advertising people about a
1:1 banner impression trade. Unless they’re a very large site or have all of their impressions sold, in which case you’ll have to be a similarly-sized or in-demand website to do a trade with them, you’ll likely get turned down, or just get a template response.
In which case, say thanks and go post to their forum (if they have one) with a related ad to your website… chances are they won’t delete it if they are big enough to turn down a banner trade.
But, don’t get discouraged, as there are many websites that will do a trade… all types, shapes, sizes and forms of sites. It’s fun to track your stats on other sites, too… “play the click-through game” with them and possibly increase the credibility of your site further if your numbers are better.
Cheers!
Muhammad Chishti
Creative dIRECTOR
http://www.imcuniverse.com