I own some really crappy websites.
What makes them crappy? They don’t even deserve to be called WEB 1.0, they are so ugly. They have garish colors, layouts, bright banner ads, and probably some old style animated gifs. Like this big NO-NO image to the right..
They barely do anything I would recommend to YOU, and they earn a FRACTION of what they should and COULD be earning.
Yet, these websites are among my most valuable online assets. Their combined worth in the 5 figure range.
There is a ONE word explanation to this.
Backlinks.
Before there were all the distractions that the current SEO (Search Engine Optimization) experts suggest, before Article Directories, Before Social Media….
Someone’s full time job used to be:
“Hi. My name is Andrea, and I represent crapsite.com. I think our sites have a lot in common and wonder if you would consider a link exchange?”
This was when people read their emails, so the conversion rate was fairly high. It was not DONE with Page Rank in mind. This preceeded page rank! It was done in the hopes that someone would see the reciprocal link and come visit your site. But when Page Rank was born, these links gave you the competitive advantage. And still do.
Not only has NOTHING changed (except the reciprocal part), but for some it in the basis of their successful business model. Bloggers for example. As successful blogging is usually determined by how many other bloggers engage, link to you (technorati ranking), it is simply the more links to your blog, the higher your PR ranking, the more successful. That doesnt mean $$$, although it certainly could.
Dean Hunt, from deanhunt.com has made a professional career out of creating “buzz” for himself and for others, essentially building up websites and careers with Backlinks and Raising Googles PR.
You will be hearing about him in blog posts to come as we are going to start a little head to head. He may have used the word duet, but I think controversy is what will be called for, yes Dean?
Check out this spoof he made on Google’s Page Rank. Ok, so it’s only moderately amusing (am I allowed to say that?), but it features the amazing Josh Groban, and it does continue to exhibit how Dean manages to get places as he has now managed to secure a link from my site to his. Nice work.
Micheal Savoie (November 20th, 2008 at 4:37 pm )
Andrea,
While you are correct about the video (only moderately funny - its only saving grace is that is stops in midsong) and the accumulation of links to your sites as to why they are worth so much, I disagree about the usefulness of reciprocal linking. I think the reason your sites are getting higher than average ranking is because of the age (google loves site that have been around) and subsequent linking that occurred because you have provided enough content to get people to one-way link to you.
Reciprocal linking is only good if the link pointing to you is follow and yours pointing back is nofollow…lol, and I don’t see you as being the type of person who would do things like that. More likely, because of the traffic generated by the reciprocal links, others decided to link to you and that has helped boost your site’s value.
I found one site that I have that has a PR of 2 even though I posted once on it and then allowed spam comments to go crazy on it. Oddly enough, it stayed at that ranking even with no new content (unless you count the Viagra ads in the comments). Thing is, search engines are a fickle breed and one day something gives you great traffic and the next day it can be something else!
I recorded a video today about how Yahoo is trying to regain search market share by advertising its new features on TV and radio. Because of this, Google will either do nothing (not likely) or make adjustments to beat Yahoo at their own game by increasing related results, adding new tabs for related topics or using AJAX to give suggestions to people as they type in their search query… This will necessitate search results being swapped around quickly to guarantee that more accurate results are brought first. So expect algorithmic shifting that might make page ranking look like the San Andreas fault (no I am not blaming you, Andrea…lol)…
I enjoy your writing and you shamed me into commenting on your blog, because I cannot comment on your children…
Have an amazing day!
Micheal Savoie
http://twitter.com/michealsavoie
Andrea Yager (November 20th, 2008 at 8:35 pm )
Michael,
Thanks for your comment. You highlighted the one point I actually said in (parenthesis) was NOT still the case - as in reciprocal link does not carry the same weight it used to. I was going to mention longevity, knowing that definitely helps, but was already writing too much
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I really appreciate your predictions, or rather our inability to really predict what will be next. Perhaps I should sell out now?
Cheryl Stein (November 21st, 2008 at 10:16 am )
You are cool and hot and brilliant.
Claudia (November 21st, 2008 at 11:37 am )
Well Andrea what I love most about you is that you are so disarmingly honest. No BS. I also have a load of sites that I’ve neglected that by this stage rank pretty high.
Judy Reno (November 21st, 2008 at 6:30 pm )
Im just learning, but this site makes it really interesting and not the usual same ol stuff! There needs to be more creativity in this marketplace! Thanks!
Seamus (November 21st, 2008 at 7:26 pm )
Wow! I always knew you were clever AND smart. Now you’ve proven to me that you’re the most perspicacious person I know! You’re hot!
Liba (November 22nd, 2008 at 5:27 pm )
I learn more from you than anywhere else on the Internet. Thanks for helping so many of us and maybe one day I can be a gazillionaire like you
Loukas "koufie" Koufodontes (November 22nd, 2008 at 11:10 pm )
I don’t know if you remember when I first commented on your blog, but I still think you are a brilliant writer with a captivating style.
The animated gif at the top of your blog post brings back some memories, being that, I think, I may have used it some 15 years ago….horrid.
I saw the Dean Hunt, “Hey, was Dean Hunt’s website hacked?” post on Twitter from everyone that knows him.
I didn’t know what to think of the whole thing and don’t know what the question is here.
Many people retweeted it on Twitter for some reason. Maybe out of concern.
Anyway, not only do I think you’re brilliant, but I still think you’re HOT…sans the sunglasses.
Need to see the eyes.
Charlie Kalech (November 23rd, 2008 at 3:35 am )
Glad to know that there is still some value in us old dinosaurs who have Web sites dating back to 1994 with our links all over the Web (now if we could only eliminate the spam that causes!)
Andrea Yager (November 23rd, 2008 at 4:54 am )
Cheryl, Claudia, Judy,
Ladies! I was a little worried about the request in my email, knowing how women can be, but seeing that the first 3 comments were from WOMEN, firstly you are all now personal faves, but you have also proven that I can be very very wrong. I like to be wrong about things I don’t want to be right about. (did you follow that?)
Sincere thanks for the comments and let me know if I can do anything for you!
Andrea
Andrea Yager (November 23rd, 2008 at 4:57 am )
Seamus,
Being to someone the ‘most’ of anything, probably even if it were negative, would have to be an honor. Maybe. I would love to walk around telling people that Seamus says I am the most perspicacious person he knows, but its going to take a while to figure out how to say it first. Who are you? Reveal yourself!
Thanks!
Andrea Yager (November 23rd, 2008 at 5:00 am )
Loukas “koufie” - yes I remember your first comments, particularly since we picked up a twitter relationship since then. Plus, who forgets fans? I am an artist for the public, not for my sake alone.
Have you seen a picture without the sunglasses? If not, I owe you one.
Andrea Yager (November 23rd, 2008 at 5:03 am )
Charlie.
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Here is where you win. and I lose. In 1994 I was still writing letters. By hand. How old do you think I am?
You can borrow my internet gazillionaire tagline. But for just one day, then I am gonna need it back. Thanks.
Danny and Naomi (November 24th, 2008 at 3:26 am )
Amazing how you always make this boring subject fascinating.
Alex (November 24th, 2008 at 4:59 pm )
Hey Andrea,
This is my first time here. Saw you on the Affilicon list and somehow thought that paying a visit would be worth my while. hmm.. yet is was..
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I find your writing refreshing in its bloggy feel. I hardly ever see this with other bloggers I read, who try for a more academic/narrative style of writing.
Anyway, sorry I actually missed you on the conference, maybe at Spring?
@Micheal -
This is interesting, as on November 19 Google launched SearchWiki, a new feature that would probably affect future search rankings and make Page Rank obsolete.
You are right, SE’s have a way of changing the rules of the game without giving you any heads up. Very unfortunate, if you don’t diversify and depend solely on SERPs.
Cheers,
Alex
Allison Sellers (November 25th, 2008 at 2:12 am )
Great website, very readable clean content. You may want to try adding more pictures, but either way nice site.
Igal (November 26th, 2008 at 11:29 am )
Hey Andrea,
It was a great pleasure meeting you on Affilicon Israel and sitting next to you in the “Make More Money” panel.
Keep in touch,
-Igal.
Josh (November 26th, 2008 at 6:10 pm )
I would have to concur with the first comment, just about all the top SEO experts say that recripocal linking is dead, and I have to believe most of them know what they are talking about.
Even so, it’s always inspirational to read about success stories, thanks for the post.
Tracy - Surveillance Cameras (November 28th, 2008 at 2:54 pm )
I too have lots of old sites that I neglect. It is a good thing that Google likes those old sites just because they have been around awhile.
On the other hand I do not put too much stock into my PR because where I rank for my preferred search terms matters more to me since that brings me in more traffic.
halihalam (December 1st, 2008 at 7:45 am )
Thanks for educating us on different topics.Its very interesting.
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