Anyone familiar with SEO principles quickly realizes how valuable link backs are, however, in the same sense one must fully understand that there are certain mistakes that should never be made when requesting them.
1. The number one mistake which I continually see from the many requests I receive is that the link back fails to match the subject content of my site. I would be doing my readers a grave injustice if I linked to a site with a different type of category then what my sites major concern was. As an example, If I have a survival site, I certainly would not feel comfortable linking to a website which contains adult centered material. As an SEO professional do your homework before making your request. Keep the topics relevant to the site.
2. Always address the request to a person. As an example if I receive a request for a link back addressed to webmaster my first thoughts are that this person has mass produced this email and sent it to a considerable number of people. When requesting links keep it personal and address the email appropriately.
3. Avoid being picky and don't force a desired anchor down my throat. Don't demand a front page link. Let's face it you are asking me for something for free therefore do not be so demanding. If you want me to provide a link to your site don't dictate to me the text to be employed for I have a right to word it as I see fit. On the other hand, if you are willing to pay for this link then by all means feel free to specify a particular page or location as well as how you want it to appear in the listing.
4. Never include trite statements such as "Please don't let me down!" or similar expression. When I see one of these lines in an email I start to roll on the floor from laughter. In cases such as these I deliberately try to let the person down with a large "No thank you - I am not interested" type of reply.
5. Prior to sending your email out at least run a spell checker over it. Spelling and grammatical errors tend to detract greatly from the overall effect of your message. These appear very unprofessional and let's face it why would I want to send my visitors to a website that would reflect unfavorably on me. Proofread your work several times before you click on that send button as it will save both of us from an embarrassing situation.
When I receive requests containing errors such as those above my first thoughts are that this person should never be involved in the SEO business in the first place. It is obvious that he does not know the first thing about building back links to a site.
Would I give people who commit these mistakes a link from my site? No, I would not. So if you want a link beware of making certain mistakes when you request this service from a webmaster of a site. Treat the person with respect, be polite and above all keep your attitude professional. Isn't that exactly how you would want to be treated?
