On June 10, 1999 I wrote an article for Realty Times called 'What Realtors Should Know About Search Engines." One section of the article was called, "Search via Hyper-Links."

That's six years ago.

In this forum and others, members have talked and talked and talked about how Google is instituting filters. We've discussed the Google patent application. About how certain words or groups of words can be "poison" (like awards, link partners, and so on....). We've spoken about how link-farming can be disastrous for a site.

Yet we see a limited number of informed forum members engaging in those practices as if they were solid strategies for the future. They are solid strategies for the past, and solid failure strategies for the future.

Quality is the future. Quantity is the past.

Suggested rules for outgoing links:

1) Do not link to sites that you don't value. Period.
2) Do not create links that you don't want visitors to use. Period.
3) Do not create links, then "hide" them on a page no one will visit. Period.
4) You should not have such unorganized links pages that they are useless.

Your incoming links should be from:

1) Yahoo, DMOZ - big directories.
2) Real Estate Directories. A genuine "real estate directory" should not have "local" keywords in the description or title of its home page. That is a red flag and can easily be subject to filter. Regarding required "reciprocal links"...see rules for outgoing links.
3) Local Directories & Sites, plus your company's site, your MLS' site, etc.

There are reasons "why" or "why not" for everything. But that would make the post too long.

Rant is over. I've been doing this same rant for a couple of years and sometimes if I am low on my nicotine and caffeine intake for the day...it bubbles over again.

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Terry Light - Professional Contrarian
Office Phone - (949) 305-7995
RealEstateBytes.com
Real Estate Encyclopedia
Author for RealEstate ABC (Creator, too)

Terry, I agree with most of which you haved said.

I have alredy made changes in the way we pursue referral partners.

And like you, our focus is Quality.

Terry,

I agree with you. I've become alot more selective regarding who I link with. I wind up turning down many more link requests than I accept. A few months ago, when I created a state by state directory, I also made it a point to virtually eliminate any language on my site that referred to "link exchange" or "reciprocal links" and also changed any urls that had the word link in them. I may have went a little overboard, but I just wanted to try and avoid any possible trouble in the future.

Terry,

I had always been told that I should create a separate title, description, and keywords for each individual category page. Is this not the case anymore? I never got around to making those changes anyway, I just want to make sure.

For example: A webmaster told me that I had to change the title to "California Real Estate" for this page: http://www.hummerhomes.com/links/resources7.php It didn't sound right to me, so I just held off.

You should have a unique title and meta description for each page that you want SEs to rank. Somehow though, I can not think of any advantage of being on a state page with 10, 20 or more other real estate links with the only common factor being the state.

Robert,

I think your page title should reflect the content that's on that page. Now you don't HAVE to change the title to "California Real Estate" but I think a title related to the content that's on the page adds to the overall relevance of the page in relation to the links on it. That would enhance the benefit provided to your exchange partners. Of course, IMO.

I will take a state page (something that might actually rank in the SERP's) over a bs link page any day. A state page can have unique meta's and header tags so they will be of much more benefit than a general link page IMO.

A general link page is only search engine manipulation as it has zero value to any visitors. Link farm/FFA comes to mind any time someone just has links1, links2.....

I actually get hits from G on my link pages and send traffic to my partners, shouldn't that be the real point? Also get hits from some of my link partners. It may not be much, but anything is better than nothing.

Where did I say I prefer a general page should be used for links. If you use 3 or 4 links on a state page it might be ok, but still I find problems with it because it is artificial. If you analyze the recent Google patent you can see that the emphasis is shifting away from links per se to a natural process. What works today may not work in the future. My preference is to link for your visitors and the SEs will take care of themselves.

The way I read your previous post I thought you were saying that a general link pages were better than directory link pages. Read to fast.

I only link to sites that I would want my visitors to visit, at that there are over 1000 links to sites that do not link back to me on my site. These sites are of value to my visitor and thats all that matters.

My link exchanges are very few and that is because most are not agents that i would want a client to use. My relocation directory is used for my outgoing referrals and this year I have sent multiple referrals to agents from my directory.

It will be very hard to find a true "natural process" as any approach will be manipulated. Any time a link has value there will be a way to work it to your advantage. Time will tell.

Robert,

I have different titles for each page and keywords (keeping my main kw's & adding any important additional ones from the page), but I have not changed my description for each page.

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