Unsure how to respond to Blogroll offer - help!

[genuwine4532]

Hello,

I have a new blog, and I just got an email from a PR3 blog and he said that he liked the content on my blog so much that he wanted to add me to his blogroll, and wanted to know which anchor I prefer.

Now I am feeling like I need to reciprocate and add him to my blogroll, his blog is great and relevant and his KW don't directly compete with mine, but then on the other hand I am feeling a little selfish and would love to get the PR3 one-way instead.

Any opinions?

 

[Linda Buquet]

Did he ask you to reciprocate or are you assuming that’s the next step or do you just feel obligated?
You could offer to pay for a 1 way if you think his PR or traffic would help you enough to warrant it.
But typically with blogrolls it's reciprocal.

 

[genuwine4532]

answer

No, that's just it he did not ask to reciprocate and I do feel obligated, like a good manners type of thing, or normal protocal?

Here is what he said exactly:

I was impressed by the information on your blog, certainly a cut above most. I've added a link to your blog on my randomly rotating blogroll using the keywords "xxxxxxxxxxxx". Let me know if you would like me to use a different keyword.

 

[gina70]

Hmm. I don't really know a lot about Google's page ranking, but it seems like someone who has a weighted page rank is pretty good.

I would link to his blog roll. He thinks your content is good, you think his is good, you don't see him a competition, you could benefit from his net-ranking and his readers. He wouldn't link with you if he thought you weren't worthwhile.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Well 2 things...

That sounds like the new Web 2.0 version of the link exchange request. I get them all the time. Instead of asking for a link directly which people are tired of and these days mainly ignore, they make it sound like they just like your blog so much they want to link to it. They make it sound like a one way and compliment you. Then if you say yes and tell them the anchor text, then stage 2 is they tell you they expect a link back or ask for a link back.

Not saying this is a pro link request like the scenario above,
just saying lots of companies are doing it that way.

Sorta like if you want a back rub from your wife, instead of saying honey will you rub my back and possibly getting turned down, you say "honey you look like you've had a really rough day, how about if I give you a back rub?" Then she thinks you are such a nice guy and is happy to reciprocate or feels obligated to.

All that said though, if your blog is brand new and theirs is a PR 3 and not direct competition, seems like you would be on the winning end of the proposition, like gina said.

 

[genuwine4532]

thanks

Thanks Gina and Linda,

I will accept the link of course, I would be crazy not too.

 

[erikko]

if you see that the blog has a nice pr plus updated and interesting content, why is the hesitation to link that blog

 

[genuwine4532]

answer

The hesitation was about offering a link back to the blogger for the purely selfish reason of wanting a one-way link from a high PR site, instead of a recip.

 

[genuwine4532]

reply

BTW, I did offer a link back to the blogger and he did not respond, he did however add my link to his blogroll and he did a post featuring the post of mine that caught his and overall recommending my blog to his readers, which was the coolest!!!!

 

[JoanneGreco]

Personally, I would link back to him, either in your blogroll or in a a post. I have found that in the blogging world, the more you give, the more you get.

 

[Linda Buquet]

I totally agree Joanne. Paying it forward with link love in the world of blogging,
usually comes back around 10 fold and not always from the blog you linked to.

I do free PR, free reviews (with no affiliate links usually) and quote other blog's news stories every day and never worry about getting recips. What happens is if I just keep generating good content I natually get more links. And those people I link to may end up being new subscribers, tell their readers about my blog or add me to their blog roll. I don't worry about it or keep track. I just link out and generate as much content as I can and let nature take it's course. That strategy has worked well for me!

 

[genuwine4532]

thanks

Thanks Joanne, I did wind up offering him a link back but he did not respond, later I wrote a post and added a link to one his products that worked in really well.
Thanks.