The Underestimated Value of a Link
Some people want a hug, I just want a link.
Many major media organizations are stingy when it comes to link love. I’ve had the good fortune of getting several of my blogs mentioned in the mainstream press. However, it is a rare day when they actually link to my Website. And boy does that piss me off.
It’s like an ice cream sundae without the ice cream; steak and potatoes without the meat. I appreciate the blog mention or using me for a quote, but when you leave out the link, you deflate my heart. I’m left to wonder what could have been. Where would traffic had gone if that little ol’ URL was included?
And why are these links left out? Because ‘journalists’ don’t want to do their jobs. They are too lazy to vet out the good links from the bad ones. (It’s really not that hard). The organizations that hire reporters set policies that do very little to help bloggers. Because the reality is, they acknowledge bloggers – the very people who have shaken the foundation of their industry – because they have to.
It might be enough for Oprah to simply mention your name, but that is not true of established media outlets. Sure, getting your blog out there on a TV show or in a newspaper helps – but it’s nothing compared to what a link would do.
Perhaps your experience has been different. Let us know in the comments section below.
But in the future, I will only lend my time to help the media if I am guaranteed a link.
