Cut Link Bait And Run

Remember the pixel link craze last year where some genius raked in over a million bucks selling image links all on one page? Well today, after following a link from a link from a backlink from a press release, I came upon this site:

www.500women.com Top 500 Women Links is the new (and easy) way to promote your web site! It is geared towards the ever increasing market of women on the web. Get in the click by purchasing a word below. A word link on Top500WomenLinks.com provides you with a direct hyperlink from that word to your web site for at least the next 2 years. Your word is yours! This online What Women Want Expo is a great way to increase your traffic.

Interesting, so I scroll past the first fold and find the rest of the page filled with single "chick friendly" keywords. Here's what part of the page looks like:

Mate Mediation Politics Removal Stocks Ideas Stress Reception Stamping Jobs Grandparenting Treasures MARRIAGE Share Bliss Hair-Care Cookbook Happy Business-opportunities photographs Intimacy Chocolate

Other than the Business.com no follow issue, this has to be the silliest thing I've seen in a while. Following a footer link I find the Top 500 Women Links site powered by something called LinkSizzler.com, a 'powererd by' software selling for $900 and listing the following reasons why buying the product will make you rich:

You see, there are THOUSANDS of niche sites that could be created with this software. And why would people within your niche buy words on your site? The same reason they bought words on my site! First, there is the novelty of having a word or phrase that belongs to you and you alone, linking directly to your website. Second, sites like this create a BUZZ in your particular niche. Others may have been the first to create a directory in your niche, but you can create much more excitement with a custom word site! Finally, you can put out press releases to get incoming links to the site and increase the buzz even more .

Well, I guess I did find out about the Top 500 Women Links site after clicking a link from a link from a backlink to a press release so that last sentence/quote may be ok but the rest of it sounds like bunk to me. IMO, this guy just wants to sell software and thinks he found an easy way to capitalize off last years pixel craze and this year's 'link bait' buzz. This software is no more a link promotional tool than I'm skinny.

Real link promotion (or link baiting if you prefer) is a fine art and this scheme ain't no fine art. Single words crammed on a webpage don't generate excitement, spark curiosity or entice a person to learn more. You need to develop promotional content that has gravitational pull toward your website and works toward building trust and loyalty. That's the real power behind a link promotion and what drives people to click -- lines of colored words just don't cut it.

Besides, I'm not sure how anyone would even find this site and if they did, why would they pass it on? Part of implementing a successful link promotion is in the visibility it nets and the ease in which the program perpetuates through an established network of targeted people. Woman, while a demographic, is just too broad a market segment to try and conquer without a targeted message.

When you see sites like Top 500 Women Links, don't be tempted to buy a link or think it's going to build brand loyalty or generate a quality click stream to your website. It's highly unlikely it would do any of that. Take no prisoners...just cut bait and paddle away!

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