Was it only a year ago when hardly any of us Realtors knew anything about swapping reciprocal links with other sites? Then, boom, it was the rage. But why?

Much of it is because the search engine Google finally overtook the huge directory, Yahoo!, as the most used search engine. In fact, even Yahoo began buying results from Google. Google rates Realtor sites far higher if they have more content. But it also incorporates a sophisticated algorithm-based ranking system called PageRank, which is partially based on how important other sites think your site is.

PageRank works this way: It counts and evaluates the links on other sites that point to your site. The more important (relevant and highly ranked) a site or page is that bears a link to you, the more “PageRank” it gives to you. In turn, you give PageRank to other sites by posting a link to them.

Links on giant realty “authorities” sites like Realty Times and Agent News give much PageRank to your site. (To see the rank for any site, download the free Google Toolbar for your browser. The toolbar automatically displays the PageRank for any page you are on.)

You can also swap links with other Realtors®, but know that perhaps 99% of all Realtor® sites -- even realty offices and real estate franchise sites -- are ranked between 0/10 and 3/10.

However, links to and from such low ranked sites will still help your site move up in Google’s search results. Even so, big powerful links count the most. For example, just one link to you on a 7/10 site might well equal the value of scores of links on lower-ranked Realtor® and realty-related sites. Yet, many hundreds of the low-ranked links could, indeed, help get you far higher ranking, too.

For example, say you set about getting hundreds of reciprocal links and your local competitor agents fail to do so. In most cases, all other things being equal on your sites, you could well come up on Google much higher than they do.

The idea is to become a networked hub of relevant info with many links, in effect, “voting” for you as being a “significant” site.

Ooooops! You have no links yet? Or only a few? Don’t despair. You can become a 5/10 site, just as my site at www.DebbieFerrari.com eventually became, by gradually getting those links (some free, some paid) on the heavier page-rank-giving 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8/10 sites, and hundreds of links on low ranked sites, too.

It helps, too, if you have more inward-bound than outward-bound links on your own home page. Now my site comes up first on Google 99 percent of the time for the TOP search phrase “Orange County Real Estate” and “Orange County MLS” where I market in one of the nation’s largest and most competitive realty markets.

There’s tons more to know about Google, but that gets very complex from now on. Just know that you should begin exchanging links now if you want your site to show up higher on the engines. Why? Most engines are incorporating some of Google’s emphasis on PageRank and soon having a high page rank will be as important as having good META tags once was.

Swap links with other Realtors® whenever you can. Hey, with me, too! My link exchange page is at: http://www.debbieferrari.com/linksform.htm and I’m ready to exchange links with you right now!

Debbie Ferrari, e-PRO, EMS/CE, RECS, Broker Associate, Prudential California Realty, who serves South Orange County, California, is one of the earliest Realtors® to embrace Internet marketing. Her site, Orange County Real Estate - Search MLS at www.DebbieFerrari.com is among the most-awarded known Realtor® sites in the country. She can be reached at Debbie@DebbieFerrari.com.

Published: August 8, 2003

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.