October 18, 2007
Why are So Many Online News Writers So Deep into the Dark Abyss When it Comes to Link Netiquette
It makes me want to scream when it comes to how lost many writers are when it comes to giving respect to their online peers!
I was shown a post in a major online news site where they were talking about the effect you get from Google when you make the home page of Digg. I give him credit for understanding what Linkbait is but Senior Reporter Andy Greenberg goes on to tell us every headline that reaches Digg’s home page receives an average of 129 links. This could have really made me follow what he writes if he could have just given an example of one link in his post! He talks about a few people that I know and respect, but if I were an outsider this post would really be worthless to me. How do I know he did not make all these people up? Who is Neil Patel? I knew who he is but what if I were not as heavy into the Social Media industry?
In all his effort, it really is a great article. But I am hung up on its lack of reference. When he wrote "Chris Winfield, president of search marketing firm 10e20," would it have been so hard to have given Chris a link so someone new to the industry could learn more about him and why he an authority in his niche?
Here is what I suggest, since we are no longer allowed to take these people out behind the barn to tar and feather. We must write up a packet teaching them the effect they would have on their sites if we were all to link to their posts. Outline how they need to know who these people are that they reference and what sites they write for and link to them. Also how to determine if the site is a bad neighborhood to avoid linking. An example Andy Beard offers in his post Linking Abuse Or Linking Awareness.
Next time we gather for a conference I wish to have the writers present themselves so we can offer this to them. Let them see the value of us linking back to them.
It is now after 2AM and my rant is over. If you agree with me help me educate these writers so we can all get along… Or should I start looking for a bag to collect chicken feathers to bring to London?
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Comments on Why are So Many Online News Writers So Deep into the Dark Abyss When it Comes to Link Netiquette »
Tad Chef @ 3:09 am
Many people, especially in the SEO industry assume that linking out somehow hurts a site. Terms like “PageRank bleed” are popping up but that’s all crap. Linking out much makes you a “hub site” in the eyes of Google, so you get much more authority even if the visible PageRank gets less.
Most old media authors coming from real newspapers didn’t even grasp how the Net works (by linking) or their editorial policy forbids them to.
Basically in SEO 2.0 the more you link out the better, as humans count and not robots.
Heidi @ Carolina Dreamz @ 9:17 am
Hi Mark.
I choose to read news online and blogs, especially, because of the linkage to education. Without this, we might as well pick up a book.
Great post. I have a bag for the feathers for ya! *wink*
~Heidi
Mark Laymon @ 1:29 pm
@ Tad,
The more I link the more traffic I get!
@ Heidi
The past few weeks I rarely turn on the TV for my news, and my newspaper stack ends up being out dated before I even unwrap it.
Drew Stauffer @ 4:32 pm
Its sad that now especially with NO LINK BUYING that people are getting cheap with their links. I enjoy going from blog to blog finding new and interesting sites. Thats how I got here. But if people start to limit who they link to because of some magic juice then the Internet’s going to become s really small circle.
Mark Laymon @ 6:24 pm
@ Drew,
Link buying is alive and well, it has just gone back underground. I see more of the old ways of link buying happening everyday, it looks like it is 2004 when I open my email every morning. (-:
Another point is the more I link out to others the more they link to me, this has created quality traffic flow that is building everyday.
Brian Wallace @ 6:37 pm
I was pretty disappointed in the no link deal going on as well. Thanks for posting this!
Chris Winfield @ 10:19 pm
Thanks for the link Mark
Mark Laymon @ 10:38 pm
@ Chris,
They should have added the links to all the interviewed subjects.
I know that many of the major news sites are old school when it comes to linking out. But how long will it take for them to understand how easy it is for someone to create an entire hoax marketing plan and really make them look foolish.
If they were to change the policy of no outbound links, they will have more credibility. But this is my opinion…