How to get links for a new(ish) site?

andywozhere

I've been tapping away at a site called dublinbynumbers.com for a while now, but I'm not having much joy getting (quality) links to the site. Any suggestions out there? Any other comments on the site in general would be welcome too!

Andy

co_co

cool site! it is comprehensive!

Maybe we can swap link to attract traffic for mutual benefits.

Other coorperation would be appreciate.

cheers!

Moonstar

Have you added it to StumbleUpon?

It's a good way to get a little extra traffic for no expense.
SU visitors don't usually stay long on a single site, but the blogs and friends network system there means a popular site can spread quickly.

dwaned

I've been using this one for a while http://link2me.com/

Getting some good links but also some useless, Nice and straightforward and I'm not getting any spam from it.

sheesh

Try to get bord failte to add your site. a government website is good to have. it possible for you to offer local business websites 'a things to do list this week in dublin' from your festivals list. with a link back to your site.

jomag45

cool site! it is comprehensive!

Maybe we can swap link to attract traffic for mutual benefits.

Other coorperation would be appreciate.

I'd be well up for something like this for my fledgling site, but my understanding from reading the "experts" views is that reciprocal links are not worth all that much, as Google and the links see that its just a link swap, and that doesn't really say much about how popular a particular site is. I thought "good" links were ones that were not reciprocated, from trusted sources, and relevant to your own site???

jomag45

I'd add, if you want to gain links for a new site, then contact bloggers in your niche, and ask them for a mention. Also, content seems to the the answer that most people give in response to this question - if people are interested enough in your site, it has frequently updated engaging content, then they will link to it. I don't see the point of a link for the sake of it.

andywozhere

I did ask one blogger to link to me and they asked for a reciprocal link on the main page... That's fine if you are a blog, but the site is not a blog and I didn't think it suited the site to have links to blogs on the front page. I'm starting to think that this "build quality content and they shall come" mantra is a load of boll** as everyone is into the reciprical link game and won't link to you unless you link to the... It's not what you know, it's who you link to.

Peanut

There's a lot of competition and you have to give bloggers or other online news sources a reason to link to you - ideally this will happen if they are interested in the niche of the site you are promoting, but you do have to investigate multiple ways of marketing your site.

This may be a combination of advertising, researching where your competitors have links from, promotional gimmicks like competitions etc. The best way to get (free) links to a site is to get people excited about the content - look at how your site provides a service or information that is better/faster/more interesting than the alternatives, and then promote that.

The primary competitor for your site is Google, so give people something that they can't get from a Google search, some sort of additional content that people may find entertaining or useful.

forbairt

fluffylinkulator .. MUAHAH ...

but seriously .. on a different note ... you probably want to change some css

#top_google_search
{
position: absolute;

to relative;

(untested)

(but your menu / top part isn't centered in FF3 at any rate)

blogs ... ... posts about why people should use your site ...

Dump a blog into it .. highlighting some things ... or else you just have a directory ... which is great but ...

andywozhere

No doubt fair point about the CSS (insightful as ever). As for being just a directory.... true. I probably wouldn't link to it when I could link to badgers.

andywozhere

I was thinking of adding a rating and review system, or maybe I should add a forum?

forbairt

andywozhere wrote: »

No doubt fair point about the CSS (insightful as ever). As for being just a directory.... true. I probably wouldn't link to it when I could link to badgers.

Not sure exactly what I meant by it being just a directory TBH ..

I notice you don't include a link to it in your sig ? (given its an irish board with a large user base from dublin) any reason to not pimp your sig ?

forbairt

andywozhere wrote: »

I was thinking of adding a rating and review system, or maybe I should add a forum?

Do you have time to run a forum on it ?

Whats to stop it not just becoming a load of spam posts ?

Will you have some core users willing to use the forum ?

Why would they use your forum when they could use boards ?

(just asking some questions out loud)

andywozhere

Yes I had thought of those problems too. I just seem inclined to add more and more stuff on, when I should probably be improving/promoting what I've got already. I think I will add a rating and review element though as I've started it now. Probably shouldn't stress to much about links anyway as people are finding me through Google anyhow.

Now for the challenge of trying to make some money from the site as I can't go on developing if forever and I need to make some money before I run out of the small change I found down the back of the sofa.

Signature is now added (I think).

Fergal C

Nice site, I've just given you a link at http://www.seyq.com/ You can see it on the New Featured Links midway down on the left. Not the most valuable link you'll ever get, but every little helps.

You should also consider submitting your site to Dmoz.

andywozhere

Henri wrote: »

Nice site, I've just given you a link at http://www.seyq.com/ You can see it on the New Featured Links midway down on the left. Not the most valuable link you'll ever get, but every little helps.

You should also consider submitting your site to Dmoz.

Thanks Henri, much appreciated

I did submit it too DMOZ... still waiting.

forbairt

andywozhere wrote: »

Thanks Henri, much appreciated

I did submit it too DMOZ... still waiting.

In my experience (unfortunately) the wait is months+

Peanut

forbairt wrote: »

In my experience (unfortunately) the wait is months+

You have to be lucky with the category...

But I'm not sure if it's all that important really. It's an extra few links, but you can get the same effect from backlinks from a bunch of blogs or other sites too.

archana

Better to submit your site to directory where you will get good backlinks.

Example: http://www.htmllinks.com/

blackiebest

Really interesting thread, I think your site is really good, I often need b&b's booked for staff and will definately use your site. I am in a construction related business (unfortunately ) but am fascinated by online business and made a promise I would be selling somthing online by the time I'm 40, even if its some junk on ebay!, so it is great to learn and have a place like this to hear others experience. let us know when you start to make money, which I really hope you do. Good work.

andywozhere

Thanks Blackiebest, glad you like it. To be honest it's more of a labour of love than a real money maker at the moment (actually there has been much more money going out than coming in). It's enormously time consuming, which can be difficult when you are not making much out of it. If you have an idea go for it, but like most things it might take longer and cost more than you originally thought... I don't think there ever is such a thing as a quick buck.

ntlbell

andywozhere wrote: »

Thanks Blackiebest, glad you like it. To be honest it's more of a labour of love than a real money maker at the moment (actually there has been much more money going out than coming in). It's enormously time consuming, which can be difficult when you are not making much out of it. If you have an idea go for it, but like most things it might take longer and cost more than you originally thought... I don't think there ever is such a thing as a quick buck.

with regards costs although glad to see your hosted it in ireland it looks like you're using a re-seller of black night, maybe it might be cheaper to go direct to bk or just have a look at the costs in general.

I would of thought google ads for even a not so well known site would cover those basic costs tho

I think attaching some blog to the site like maybe something like ibood contact buisness's that advertise with your or are listed to offer a product each week and use the blog to advertise it

then get in touch with maybe frugal bloggers like frugal ireland to link back to it etc

just my 1 cent

andywozhere

Hi Ntbell,

Thanks for the tips!

ntlbell wrote: »

I think attaching some blog to the site..

Yes, Forbairt suggested adding a blog a while ago, but haven't quite got around to it yet. Good idea to also promote advertisers with something like that though.

with regards costs although glad to see your hosted it in ireland it looks like you're using a re-seller of black night, maybe it might be cheaper to go direct to bk or just have a look at the costs in general.

I have been planning a move to BK, but I'm just waiting for my present hosting package to expire. Another good point though, big variation in hosting prices out there.

I would of thought google ads for even a not so well known site would cover those basic costs tho

True, the problem is more a time thing, the more time I'm on the site the less time I'm making money elsewhere. Also had to get an office as baby+small cottage=no work!