VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Deirdre

I just received a letter from IV today, asking if I would like to submit a link to my website. Now-- a couple of years ago (give or take a few months) IV got very aggressive with me, with numerous letters asking me for a reciprocal link set up.

Now, the arrangement is hardly "reciprocal" when you consider that the link from my site takes a visitor to their front page and IV's supposed link to my site takes the visitor to the links page only.
Nevertheless, I have faithfully kept their link and logo on my links page irrespective of the lack of traffic from that site.

My question is this--- where the heck is their links page? I can't even check to see if they still have my site listed.
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BBeen · Guest

After navigating the site by starting on the home page and scrolling to the bottom I found a site map. The site map has obvious uses but scrolling down on the site map page I found a directory called something like Interactive voices directory. It has a general directory as well as male and female talent directory. Yes DB you are still listed. Quite a bit of work to get to it though.

Frank F · Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 8:58 am Post subject:

A thought on "reciprocal pages". What are you getting out of it? And, what are they getting out of it? If the "have's" are more than the "have not's" - for YOU - DON'T offer or give reciprocal pages.

Does IV put a "banner" on their site for you? Does IV offer your name in a high prioirty postion? Does IV offer you anything in return for your "advertisment" of their product (site)? Does IV pay you for the link or references you procure for them?

If the answer is "no" for any of the above items - MAKE SOME CHANGES to the agreement or your site.

If they get more than you out of the deal - find out WHY? If they do not give you anything for the link - find out why? Etc.

It's up to you, but it's a way to conduct good business. Re-evaluate your offerings on a regular basis - just like BIG business... and get rid of what is not working or making you money.

Frank F

Deirdre · Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:18 am Post subject:

The whole business of reciprocity is one of search engine hits.
As far as I know, search engines look at links to other sites across the network and that kind of flag makes your site show up more often.

I really don't know
WHAT works anymore with optimizing. It used to be meta tags, but I have recently hear the meta tags are being discounted by the search engies becasue of "loading" or people just cramming their headers with tons of keywords. Now I understand the engines are looking for html text.

I hope this includes "alt text" titles because my site is chiefly graphic.
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kgenus · Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:39 am Post subject:

Everything is based on volume these days, so you have to have some third party driving traffic to your site. A majority of these web based providers would certainly come to boards which carry similar interest because it is their third party for traffic generation.

My links page is very limited and recently I've turned away four requests from services who wanted reciprocal links. In my case, the link requests often come with some outlandish logo that does more damage to my site design ("A'hem, would you please pass the Grey Poupon") and with the exception of one link, they're products and services I use and endorse.

As it is ... I need to redo my site, it's been a year, the design is stale.
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Genus

Philip Banks · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:47 am Post subject:

Just a thought. If reciprocal links add to ones status on the search engines and we all have them then surely the effect is neutral. IV and other sites are in a position to benefit because 99 voices exchange links. The effect is +1 to the score for each voice +99 to IVs score.

I have one link on my site "Not found the found you're looking for?". People click on it and are taken to my agents' site. Links should help your site visitors not your competitors.

audio'connell · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 5:31 am Post subject: Timing is everything

In the past two weeks I've done a lot of focusing on recip links.

DB you're right, it used to be meta tags and now they are verboten. Now it is about html text. I've always been more about simple text, clean look than graphics and fancy flash anyway because more and more people share my opinion that I've got too much to do and too little time to do it to spend time watching anyone's 15 sec animation...get me my facts and let me move on.

I have shared the opinion expressed here that I'd not wanted to offer links to IV, V123 et al because it basically is letting possible customers think about other voices. But now it seems that to get the rankings on major search engines increased, one has to play this game.

So I'm going to play...but I'm also going to watch...I have enough faith in my skills and my network/marketing outside the net that I should be fine but along with my other SEO efforts, I'll watch in the coming months how this link game plays out....me thinks they'll be a new (meta tag/link/"next SEO tools) down the road soon.

At the very list, marketing on the net is rarely boring
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- Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent

Philip Banks · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 6:11 am Post subject:

Think of a link as an increase in wealth. I give everyone here $100, no catches. Before this gift, Peter was the wealthiest closely followed by Bill. Who is the wealthiest now?

The above illustrates the impact of reciprocal links on your position in the search engines.

Andy · Guest

I'm about to go up in about a week or so with my own site. I'm rather confused about this links stuff. At one time I was told the engines were driven by keyword association. Then it was based on relevance. And I got no clue as to what a meta tag is.

But if I read you correctly, Peter, it's almost a necessary evil to link up with these purveyors of Big Lots expectations? I'm rather lost in the contradiction. You link to a site that opens the door for a potential client to select from 2,000 competitors, yet being linked to them gets you higher placement on the engine?

mcm · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 8:32 am Post subject:

The truth lies somewhere in between....

Here are a couple of useful, readable articles on the subject of search engine optimization:

http://www.snuffbox.ca/articles/index.asp

http://www.searchenginewizards.com/articles%20-%20makingkeyphraseswork.htm

billelder · Guest

I agree with Banksey. Actually, everyone has made great points.

Like Kevin said, your web site needs to be about you and can't be compromised by banners that make you look...um..."needy".

If you're "Joe Producer" looking for another VO guy, you may type in "Voiceovers" in Google. One of the first links that comes up is the Voiceover Cyberstation. Like on this board, you'll find my participation, but also a link to my web page. So, if you like what I say and I sound sane and reasonable (rarely) then you may click on the link and like what you hear. I have gotten work just from my participation there and here. But you have to have a link and it needs to point clearly to you.

And, I have two domains that point to the site. BillElder.com and BillElderVoiceovers.com. Even if they can't remember my name and do remember Voiceartist.com, then they can find me. What does the web site get out of it? I'm providing content by answering questions and participating.

Just my uneducated $.02 worth.

audio'connell · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 6:47 pm Post subject:

Andy · Guest

Will do, 'cause when it comes to this web stuff I'm stoopit. :lol:

Deirdre · Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2005 7:34 pm Post subject:

Is a codicile an alligator with a juris doctor degree?
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kgenus · Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 2:37 pm Post subject:

Well ... if you really want to add the link....

You 'can' use CSS to change the the color of the fonts to match your background. You have to change all three states of the tag you create so it's the same color as the background before it's clicked, when the mouse hovers over it and after it's clicked. Nobody will see it but the search engine will find it and thus it has served it's purpose.

Kevin
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Genus