Linkwheels, EzineArticles

[CatherineMay]

Hi, today I'm focusing on getting smarter with building links, and am researching linkwheels.

I would appreciate opinions on whether EzineArticles (and maybe other article directories?) should be used as a tier 1 link (like Hubpages, Sqidoo, etc.) linking directly to the money site (as I've always done), or if it is more effective to use EzineArticles as links to Hubpages, etc.,

Or does it not make any difference, and I'm just over-analyzing?

[CatherineMay]

I'm going to bump this up one time to see if I get any opinions.

[FitnessNut]

keep in mind, this is my opinion based off research and things ive heard from mentors.

But basically what i hear is you are better off not wasting your time with linkwheels as their is no actual added benefit based off research.

hope this helps!

[try_hard_samurai]

I second Fitness. I've heard the same thing. Article directories took a hit with the Panda update as well.

[BenFromSoMo]

Link wheels and pyramids still basically work, but are not as powerful as it once may have been. Just develop a system where you can pump them out efficiently. Don't waste too much time in the production process of your articles.

[CatherineMay]

Hmmm....not the replies I was expecting, but thanks the same. Will have to think about this some more.

[Matt Ward]

I don't mess with link wheels as they leave far too much of an identifiable footprint, in my opinion.

[mmjalliance]

The best thing to do is to try your options yourself. That way, you would know the results from the work you did yourself.

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by mattward

I don't mess with link wheels as they leave far too much of an identifiable footprint, in my opinion.

This ^^^^ exactly.

The people here who have worked as programmers on search engine algorithms, and the authors of the standard SEO textbooks are telling us that there can be no real SEO benefit from linkwheels per se. That information also matches my own observations and those of many of my clients and former clients.

(Of course, if you ask people selling linkwheel-building services, you'll get a rather different answer!).

It can also be a big mistake, with real potential downside to your own site, to build backlinks to article directories, for all the reasons explained here, as well as in the other threads linked to within that post.

[CatherineMay]

Thanks, Alexa, for the link to the other thread. I've just discovered your reply, and have to be away for the computer for most of the day, but will delve into all of that later.

What I gather from you so far is that the proper use of article directories like Ezines is to position yourself as a writer, with the added benefit of backlinks to your own site as a secondary benefit.

In other words, unless one is interested in developing a business as a writer (for other people's sites or offline businesses, not just your own), then one's time developing backlinks is better spent in other ways.

EDIT: Or if one is a really good writer and starts getting re-published, then you have the extra backlinks (and growing reputation), assuming your article is indeed re-published intact.

Is this correct?

Catherine

[jsmith2482]

With the exception being Ezine, most of the link wheel sites like Squidoo are going to take a while and some work to get your article published since they require a certain amount of content. Ezine is good if you can get to their platinum level because, with a good spinner, you can get a back link per day to whatever page your targeting. That's really the only value in it for me these days.

[thebitbotdotcom]

"Link wheels" are not necessary...just build links.

Coming up with some "elaborate link scheme" will just waste time.

Find some high traffic related niche blogs and write some high quality, well-researched, informative guest posts and submit them.

Place links in them to your landing pages.

If some get rejected, which they will (bank on it), get up, dust yourself off and keep going.

[SkylineLogo]

Generally you should link your money site from the higher PR pages and dofollow ones, and link these from the lower PR ones, and link them let's say from auto-approve directories.

[Ducksauce]

Most people talk of link wheels as a complex back linking strategy that is possibly looked down apon by Google. How is Squidoo a link wheel?