Hi.
I sent several email messages to genealogy web sites telling them that I placed their link on my web page and would like a reciprocal link in exchange.
Now, the web sites that I sent these messages to all had "Reciprocal Link Pages" requesting that you send them an email telling them where you put their link.

I haven't heard from any of the sites yet. How long should I wait before I take down their link? For example, one site says that all submitted links will be reviewed and responded to within 24 hours. It's been 3 days. What do I do?

I would like links from these family history sites. But, I don't want to link to them if they have no intention of linking back to my site. And, since I only want to have so many links on my genealogy tools page it is preventing me from requesting other link exchanges.

I would love to hear how long you keep such links up?
Thank you.

__________________
Sincerely,
Melanie
Genealogist for your family history.

Melanie, now you had to know you'd get a few views with that perfect description of your question.

This not advice, just what I do. I put it up unconfirmed for a month, e-mail the webmaster, wait three weeks, then don't display it but don't delete the record. I don't drop it as it keeps me from duplicating the process.

It's funny, I got two e-mails this week from people who had been dropped last week unconfirmed. Something about lost data... (smiley here) I posted them.

Found this http://www.seo-guy.com/forum/thread1277.html

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OverSite - A unique web directory for quality sites ONLY.

Dilligaf,
Wow, I'm surprised you keep it up that long. The links I mean.
Ok, I admit it. I realized the suggestive implication after I wrote the title and I still clicked Submit.

After the three weeks, before you "drop" the link do you notify them by email again?

I just sent a message to the one web site where they wrote it would be reviewed within 24 hours. I wrote that I would be deleting the link to their web site in 24 hours if I don't see a reciprocal link. And, I put in the title of the message, "Your PR6 link to be deleted". I figured that if the title on this thread can get a person to read it then why not use an attention getting subject line for an email. I guess I'll find out if it works soon enough.

Dilligaf, I guess I am not a patient person. I don't think I'd want to keep someone's link on my site for 3 weeks without hearing from them. I try to always answer my email messages within a few days. Most of the time it's the same day.

But, then again if I kept their link up long enough to count as a backlink and then "threaten" to take it down perhaps that would finally get their attention. Is that too cruel?

__________________
Sincerely,
Melanie
Genealogist for your family history.

Melanie, I guess if you looked at the link one things for certain... I keep it up longer than His Uberness. (sorry, couldn't resist)

My thinking is that any number of these potential partners could be engaged in any number of other pursuits that may divert their attention from linking (some having any number of sites, perhaps checking them manually).

Honestly, it's more out of consideration for me that I afford the time. I'd much prefer to have a potentially valuable but useless link sit there for a bit (as I know what it costs me to find them) than to close the door early. In the end it's just a record in a db so why not.

What I'm finding pretty coonsisently though is that if they don't do it in a week or so it aint gonna happen about 90% of the time.

I don't bother to warn or suggest that I'll take it down. Just two notes, hello it's here... and hello it's still here... then it goes but stays in the db so I don't bother them again.

__________________
OverSite - A unique web directory for quality sites ONLY.

Keep in mind that the folks who run such sites are rarely professional webmasters, and with the best of intentions may not even read their email daily. With larger and/or commercial sites there's one standard, but with smaller and/or amateur sites, you need to grab your patience with both hands.

__________________
Cordially,
Eric Walker, webmaster
SEO Tools, Toys, and Packages : free tools to directly SEO-augment your sites
http://seo-toys.com
The Induction Site - the internet resource on the world's greatest way to cook
http://theinductionsite.com

from my experience a lot of site-webmasters don't understand the power of links, don't know exactly what is PR (hey, it's the middle east here) and apply these requests as non-important-unreadable-spam,
when I need a link I'm calling by phone or writing to the site's manager private e-mail (when I can have it...), Once personal connection established - the chances are better.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Well, all the sites that I asked for a link exchange were all commercial (no personal pages). And, the fact that they had a link exchange request page and a high PR on their home page suggests to me that they know links are good.

Calling by phone? Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. But, that could get pretty expensive. And, I'm kind of shy. Not that you can tell from my messages here, but in person I am. I don't think I'd feel comfortable calling a company and requesting a link to my small site.

Guess what? I got an email finally from the one I sent a message to last night saying I was taking their link down. They answered within 2 hours of that message. Hmm, this might be the way to go.

Thanks again.
Melanie

__________________
Sincerely,
Melanie
Genealogist for your family history.

Good Luck,
U R not SHY if U don't believe in it . if U really want the link - get over it

much of my customers and projects came from personnal knowledge and human-trust rather than good price or proven professionalism.

You are?

After reading your title for this forum, I had to clear the room of people, lock the doors and turn off the lights before I could see what it was about.

Thankfully it was not some new government standard infringing in our personal lives. I have finnaly convinced my wife 3 minutes/inches are both very long measurements.

Hi Robert.
You are too funny.
Yes, I am shy. Actually, really shy with people I don't know well.
But, on the internet.... I don't know.
My Leo traits tend to come out. I'm braver.

__________________
Sincerely,
Melanie
Genealogist for your family history.