Link exchange emails get deleted pretty quickly from my inbox. But I got one today that I not only read, but I replied to it immediately. And after thinking about it for a minute, I thought that there might be a lesson to learn from how the email was phrased. (Because yes, I occasionally send a link exchange email or two myself, and I usually get the same miserable response as everyone else does.)

Here's a reasonable approximation of the email I received.

Subject Line: Red Widgets Review Website

Body:

Hello Randy-

I happened across your website on the internet as I have also spent the last few months building a Red Widget Reviews website with a friend.

I wanted to know if you would be interested in exchanging links to our site.

red-widget-reviews.com

I am just starting out and was reading some of your articles, your "About Me" page, your goal of reviewing red widget review, etc...and you sound like a down to earth person.

Do you have any advice for us on how we can make our site as useful as yours seems to be?

How long did it take for you to get a lot of visitors to your site?

Thanks for any advice you can give us.

Cheers
Polite Webmaster
Co-Editor
Red Widget Reviews

Why This Link Exchange Email Worked

I have some ideas about why this email was so effective, and I'll point them out here. Some of this is common advice found on any number of sites that talk about link exchanges:

• The email addressed me by name, which demonstrates that some thought and care were put into it.
• The email made it clear that they had visited my site.
• The praise for my site seemed sincere.
• The webmaster asked for my advice on how to be successful.

I bolded the last line for a reason; I think it was a critical component of why this link exchange email worked. For one thing, they expressed admiration and flattered me, and also, they asked me for help. These were exactly the right buttons to push with me, and I think they're probably effecitve buttons for anyone else too. Who doesn't want to be told they've done a good job on their website? And who doesn't want to feel smart enough to give advice?
Some More Cool Articles About Exchanging Links

• How NOT to Request a Reciprocal Link from Michael Bluejay, one of the coolest webmasters on the Internet, and one of the smartest.
• Don't Hate on Reciprocal Links by my friend Andy Hagans, a link building expert and an uber-cool dude.
• Reciprocal Link Software discussion from Aaron Wall, another of the smartest people I know in the search industry.

I still think reciprocal links are cool, but automated, dumb links exchanges are uncool. So be smart and trade links without automating.


A Link Exchange Email That Worked - Read More...