Link downfall, pointless linking and the Effects

[highlander]

The web was invented for people to search for information, but this isnt the reason for backlinking. The REAL reason is one of ego, to collect vast amounts of links, now as self-entertaining as it may be, this is NOT helping visitors to websites and seems to me that if a website doesnt help its visitors, then they'll go elsewhere.

Links are great, they are pathways to information and must send people to the right websites. People wont blindly click onto any old link, what's the point in that, it will only take them to the wrong info/website - but people WILL look for related links, and they wont want a wasted visit that forces them to click or search more - wasting more time.

[Robdale]

Indeed, People are using the web more to help them self. As website should be used to help viewers, understand them and to solve their problems. The web is so vast and fast that if visitor is not satisfied with the service they have lots of place to go. Every website on web should have one target in their mind and that's customer satisfaction.

[highlander]

Was surfing as I do (a lot), and keep finding link pages where company in a certain industry will list related sites, but still welcome unrelated ones too. Now, this got me thinking why, maybe it was about simple traffic swapping with the untargeted sites - but the thats swapping unrelated traffic, so why bother.

Chances are the unrelated visitors wont buy anything bcos they arrived at the wrong website for their needs, but this practise happens a lot, so must mean lots of people being sent to wrong, unrelated websites.

Its wrong for the visitor and its going to annoy them for wasting their time. Much of it about, and its just a waste of time doing the wrong type of link swap. Maybe the linker approaches a site and suggest a swap, bcos its another swap? But untargeted will work out worse for both sites, so its pointless, and dont people want the best link for them, so they get the best out of each link thats possible eg: more of the correct traffic type and thus more sales...

[surreypcsupport]

I totally agree and this thread explains very well the importance of ensuring your backlinks (and even outgoing links) are topically related.

A major problem can be the lack of control the webmaster has over what backlinks appear elsewhere on the web. On most of my websites I have noticed a visit from a particular site in my stats so I've navigated to it only to find the content is largely unrelated.

It's funny when you think about it. We want this kind of natural linking to occur and yet it has potential to be detremental.

[highlander]

People are desperate for links, got to be why bad linking occurs. Yeah, noticed a few unrelated one-ways to my site, and although the link is appreciated, I always think "Why the hell has this guy done this, my visitors wont want to visit his website if its unrelated".

One way linking is a problem, any site can be linked to bad sites, - but majority of links is down to link exchangers, that actually go out and visit the link partner sites, so we are talking about human eyes here. A robot can be forgiven, but a human mistake like that? - except its not a mistake is it, more like misinformation about how to link best.

If people make these basic errors, how can they handle anything advanced, and no wonder their businesses are screwed..

[joduee]

all back links must be from unique, rich content and good traffics sites only.

[highlander]

all back links must be from unique, rich content and good traffics sites only.

But owners of the majority of website, especially webmasters kids, aren't doing that, which goes against best practise meaning the best results wont be there.

There is no such thing as instant results - not where linking is concerned. Takes time and often money put into a site to make it attractive enough for someone to link to it.