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6:04 pm
November 15, 2011
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Kevin @ Avant
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I know there's been a little discussion regarding the SEO topic, and I just thought about a Yakezie link exchange.
I'd definitely love to get everyone's opinion on this matter, and I think it will be a great way to build good anchor texts for keywords that we're trying to rank for.
For example, one of the keywords I'm trying to rank for is "get rid of debt", if anyone has any texts along those lines, I'd ask for them to switch it and link back to a specific URL. Likewise, if you're trying to rank for "spend money wisely", I would find a keyword similar and link back to your URL.
Is there any downside to doing this? I'd love to get everyone's thought, and try to organize something.
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6:27 pm
November 15, 2011
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SavingMentor
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Sounds like a good idea. I'm not sure Google is too keen on this kind of thing though and if they catch on there could possibly be penalties. For a relatively big network like Yakezie, it might not be that noticeable.
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6:32 pm
November 15, 2011
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Kevin @ Avant
| | Chicago, IL | |
| Member | posts 192 |
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I think it will be ok. Google hates link farming, which isn't what we're doing. I'm thinking of 5 link swaps per blog or something along those lines.
Looking to forward to seeing what everyone else thinks. I'm sure there are some SEO masters in here! :)
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6:36 pm
November 15, 2011
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Suba @ Wealth Informatics
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Link exchanges are not a good idea. Link to someone if you really like their content.
For obvious reasons, I am locking this topic. If anyone have any problems with that, please contact me or any of the black belts.
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6:20 am
November 16, 2011
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Jason@LiveRealNow
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DebtEye said:
Is there any downside to doing this? I'd love to get everyone's thought, and try to organize something.
Just 1. You're running a feeder blog for a business. If you want links on my site, you have to pay for them. Besides, you don't even have a Yakezie badge up on your site.
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6:32 am
November 16, 2011
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MyJourneytoMillions
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Kevin,
This is an absolutely ridiculous thread. In the past you have set up an affiliate program which leads me to believe you know the answer to the question "Is there any downside to doing this? I'd love to get everyone's thought, and try to organize something." You know straight link exchanges are a terrible idea. If you didn't know this then maybe you shouldn't be in charge of any company's blog.
The yakezie was set up to selflessly help others. You have 137ish posts and if I had to guess 120 of them are on self serving link exchange/your affiliate/blog guest posts type convos. Your site doesn't even have the Yakezie badge which is just f'in ridiculous that you use these forums and don't even support the group (this should be remedied ASAP or risk cancellation of your account here as this forum is for Yakezie challengers/members).
I defended your affiliate program as it was a pretty good one! I even think the product you are promoting isn't a bad one! but the problem I am having (and others are having as expressed to me) is that there is a really weird gray area you operate in and I would just like a question answered:
Are you a personal finance blogger that happens to have a company OR are you a company representative that happens to run a blog to try and get clients?
The way you have conducted yourself over the past couple months indicates the latter but I would love for you to defend yourself in the open to those that have a problem with the way you operate. If you'd like an example of how someone operates in the former world it would be Jackie from MoneyCrush – she is a PF blogger first and foremost and then came out with her product as an add on but her blog is the top priority…I just don't feel the same passion from you.
Trust me I understand building a business but I will be honest with you…a place where a group of organized, seasoned bloggers who literally talk about EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE in the private forums made up of only those members is not the place to build a debt counseling company.
This post may seem like an attack Kevin, I assure you it is not but this post really did upset me a bit and I think you are better than this. The yakezie is an open group with members that range all over the world from Cali to NY to Egypt (shout out to Forrest) even Canada lol (had to take a shot at Canada a la HIMYM style) and I really believe that these forums weren't created to do "link exchange" garbage topics.
My hope? You read this post ADD THE FREAKING BADGE to the forum and get involved and realize that your blog which has a great style can be more than the unabashed commercial for your business.
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7:33 am
November 16, 2011
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Budgeting in the Fun Stuff
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I knew you were part business, part blogger, but I didn't know that you use the public Yakezie forums to take advantage of our newest, less seasoned members. That's just wrong.
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9:05 am
November 16, 2011
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Tony Chou @ Investorz' Blog
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Google absolutely hates link exchanges. Most bloggers who've been around for a while know that.
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11:26 am
November 16, 2011
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Kevin @ Avant
| | Chicago, IL | |
| Member | posts 192 |
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Post edited 11:39 am – November 16, 2011 by DebtEye
I think I definitely owe everyone an explanation, I never knew this topic would grow into a discussion about my business.
First and foremost, I never intended any wrongdoing with the SEO link exchange, which is why I was asking for everyone's opinion. So I think the consensus is that it's a bad idea, got it!
You know straight link exchanges are a terrible idea. If you didn't know
this then maybe you shouldn't be in charge of any company's blog.
I am new to the blogging community (Since April 2011), and I was never familiar with the whole SEO space. Evan, if you remember correctly, we actually exchanged a few emails regarding SEO stuff back then. Previous to this, I was a credit counselor, so SEO/internet marketing was never my strong point.
You have 137ish posts and if I had to guess 120 of
them are on self serving link exchange/your affiliate/blog guest posts type
convos.
That's exaggerating quite a bit. I've always helped other people in this community. I always offer guest posts (and have a few threads to see if anyone wanted to do a guest post) regardless of what their PR/Alexa rating is. I try to participate in every carnival that Yakezie has, "like" everyone's FB when they need it, vote for people who are entering contests, and try to give my .02 cents on various topics on here.
Are you a personal finance blogger that happens to have a company
OR are you a company representative that happens to run a blog to try and get
clients?
I am a PF blogger than happens to have a company. My blog is not intended for a customer acquisition standpoint. It's to create a community where people can get unbiased financial advice. If you look on my blog, I don't have banners and ads screaming to tell people to come to my website. I have 1 link at top, and another link in my author profile. The blog is a stand alone from the main business. If you take a look at some of my articles, I try to give sound financial advice in an industry that has been tarnished but unscrupulous companies. I never write articles trying to self promote our business.
This post may seem like an attack
Kevin, I assure you it is not but this post really did upset me a bit and I
think you are better than this. The yakezie is an open group with members that
range all over the world from Cali to NY to Egypt (shout out to Forrest) even
Canada lol (had to take a shot at Canada a la HIMYM style) and I really believe
that these forums weren't created to do "link exchange" garbage
topics.
I definitely did not mean this as an attack. Immediately after Suba locked this thread, I sent him this email:
Hey Suba,
Just wanted to let you know that I meant no wrong doing on the thread regarding link exchange. However, I'd love to get your insights on why this is a bad idea.
I never try to get free advertising from Yakezie members. As a matter of fact, back in the summer I did a PAID advertising with several Yakezie members, including Sam. If any of you felt that way, I definitely do apologize. Perhaps since I'm a business, it automatically comes off that way. But in no way shape or form do I try to get free advertising.
My hope? You read this post ADD
THE FREAKING BADGE to the forum and get involved and realize that your blog
which has a great style can be more than the unabashed commercial for your
business.
Yes, I definitely did not include the badge, which I should have. I have no excuse for that. It is up now!
Lastly but not least, I didn't know that link exchanges were a bad idea. I never meant this as an attack to the community.
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12:02 pm
November 16, 2011
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Kevin @ Avant
| | Chicago, IL | |
| Member | posts 192 |
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Budgeting in the Fun Stuff said:
I knew you were part business, part blogger, but I didn't know that you use the public Yakezie forums to take advantage of our newest, less seasoned members. That's just wrong.
I don't think I have ever taken advantage of anyone? As a matter of fact, I always opened up an opportunity for new bloggers to submit a guest post on my blog which has a PR3 site, and even gave them an extra link back.
I went public that I was a business, as you can read this thread:
http://yakezie.com/forums/blog…..38;ret=all
I even gave appreciation to the Yakezie community, and even told anyone who is looking for advertising opportunities to contact me. I never asked anyone to do free advertising for me.
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12:30 pm
November 16, 2011
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The Saved Quarter
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The copyright of your blog is your BUSINESS. In my eyes, that says the blog is owned/run by the business and puts it as a commercial enterprise first. Additionally, every single post on your blog has an author bio leading to your BUSINESS.
It's the same way that I would think of a blog with a copyright by Bank of America, with a link to Bank of America in every single post – that is not a PERSONAL finance blog, no matter how helpful or informative the content might be. It looks even more like a business, not personal, when you ask for free product reviews and target market research.
This is a PERSONAL finance blog network, and it feels like you're trying to game the system, which is why people are upset here. Does that make sense?
I pointed out your lack of a badge back in June and you blew me off, and the one you put up today is for members, not challengers. You have not yet completed the challenge. Here are the challenger badges: http://badges.yakezie.com/chal…..ngers.html
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1:32 pm
November 16, 2011
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Eric J. Nisall
| | Coral Springs, FL | |
| Member | posts 377 |
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Post edited 1:33 pm – November 16, 2011 by Eric J. Nisall
The Saved Quarter said:
The copyright of your blog is your BUSINESS. In my eyes, that says the blog is owned/run by the business and puts it as a commercial enterprise first. Additionally, every single post on your blog has an author bio leading to your BUSINESS.
This I don't really agree with since my blog's copyright is held in my business's name. The reason being is that since I have one company already, I didn't see the need to start yet another just to hold the blog and spend the extra money each year. And, since I pay for everything related to the blog through my corporate account, it is the technical owner, and not me.
Granted, I don't promote my business in my posts very often, and I write everything using my personal information, but I do have a menu link to my business page in the blog's navigation which show up on every page, and a link in my author bio. Does that mean I am shamelessly promoting my business or being shady? I don't think that I am, but maybe I'm just reading too much into that comment.
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2:05 pm
November 16, 2011
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Kevin @ Avant
| | Chicago, IL | |
| Member | posts 192 |
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The Saved Quarter said:
The copyright of your blog is your BUSINESS. In my eyes, that says the blog is owned/run by the business and puts it as a commercial enterprise first. Additionally, every single post on your blog has an author bio leading to your BUSINESS.
It's the same way that I would think of a blog with a copyright by Bank of America, with a link to Bank of America in every single post – that is not a PERSONAL finance blog, no matter how helpful or informative the content might be. It looks even more like a business, not personal, when you ask for free product reviews and target market research.
This is a PERSONAL finance blog network, and it feels like you're trying to game the system, which is why people are upset here. Does that make sense?
I pointed out your lack of a badge back in June and you blew me off, and the one you put up today is for members, not challengers. You have not yet completed the challenge. Here are the challenger badges: http://badges.yakezie.com/chal…..ngers.html
What's wrong with having an author bio that links to the site? I don't think that justifies that my blog is centered around a commercial enterprise. All my posts don't publicly promote my business. I welcome you to find an article that explicitly tries to promote my product.
I'm not trying to game the system, I've accepted many guest posts from the Yakezie community, participated in carnivals, participated in giveaways, and voted for articles where necessary.
I broke the Alexa ranking of 200k a while ago.
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2:13 pm
November 16, 2011
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Kevin @ Avant
| | Chicago, IL | |
| Member | posts 192 |
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Post edited 3:36 pm – November 16, 2011 by DebtEye
Just wanted to put everything on the table once and for good. My intentions weren't to solicit members in the Yakezie community. If anything, this community has done everything to help my blog grow since April, and I'm definitely appreciative for that.
I would never do anything to harm anyone here. In fact, I thought the link exchange would be a good idea to help each other out, but apparently it's a bad idea.
A lot of people think that I'm promoting a business on my blog, but like Eric said, the only links I have to the site is on the top nav bar & in my author bio. I never posted an article which sole purpose was to promote my product.
If anyone personally feels that they've been mistreated, please shoot me an email (kevin.yu@debteye.com), and I'll personally apologize if I did any wrong doing.
EDIT: I had a chance to privately talk to several people over email, and I definitely appreciate everyone's opinion and addressing your concerns. I think this has been an overall positive experience, and made me realize that I've only done the bare minimum to support other members in the community. I'll definitely take more steps into helping other people within the community. My hopes is to show everyone that my blog is not centered solely on my business, but instead give readers a chance to become more financially literate and responsible by sharing other "financial articles" from this community.
I know a lot of my posts are centered around debt relief (mainly because that's who my readers are), but it's also important to expose them to other topics as well. So again, I definitely apologize if I came off as trying to solicit the Yakezie community. I can understand why it might have seemed that way.
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5:09 pm
November 16, 2011
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LaTisha @YoungFinances
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I don't think so. I see you commenting and running your blog as a personal finance blog. I was a little wary when I first visited but I think I asked you directly in a comment and you explained what you do. From reading your posts, they are not all about your business nor does your forum signature link to your practice.
The lines between a blog to support a business and a business that comes from a blog are becoming blurry. Especially with many bloggers making money from their blog. One of the original Yakezie members runs an offline business in the finance industry, offers services to bloggers and makes money from his site. But his focus in Yakezie is helping others.
In my opinion, as long as you are 'selflessly helping others' then you are welcome to mention your business as long as it doesn't become all about the business.
Eric J. Nisall said:
The Saved Quarter said:
The copyright of your blog is your BUSINESS. In my eyes, that says the blog is owned/run by the business and puts it as a commercial enterprise first. Additionally, every single post on your blog has an author bio leading to your BUSINESS.
This I don't really agree with since my blog's copyright is held in my business's name. The reason being is that since I have one company already, I didn't see the need to start yet another just to hold the blog and spend the extra money each year. And, since I pay for everything related to the blog through my corporate account, it is the technical owner, and not me.
Granted, I don't promote my business in my posts very often, and I write everything using my personal information, but I do have a menu link to my business page in the blog's navigation which show up on every page, and a link in my author bio. Does that mean I am shamelessly promoting my business or being shady? I don't think that I am, but maybe I'm just reading too much into that comment.
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6:11 pm
November 16, 2011
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The Single Saver
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I think this is a good example of why, as Yakezie grows, it will be more and more important to define what makes a business and what makes a blog and what the "rules" are concerning Yakezie involvement for each.
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7:12 pm
November 16, 2011
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Eric J. Nisall
| | Coral Springs, FL | |
| Member | posts 377 |
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You're correct LaTisha, you did ask what that link was once before. But, this is the exact reason why I have a completely separate name, logo, and site for the blog. I didn't want there to be any confusion between the two. 
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