Good Afternoon & Happy Friday!!
We’d like to share some information regarding appropriate links to include in QG content and how to recognize questionable links. This is a subject we are constantly researching and improving upon. Recognizing quality links is an important aspect of writing and to help writers find the most authoritative, applicable links possible, the following are a few blanket suggestions from the QG staff:
- Navigate to the homepage to get a better sense of the purpose of the website. Commercial sites will have a few tell-tale signs (i.e. shopping cart, sales pitches, 1-800-###-#### numbers, product directories, etc.) and should be avoided.
- Identify competitors by referencing the article directions. Information related to the client’s line of work to help you identify competitors is provided with the following; “Don’t Link to Sites that Sell: ______________”. This line of information is added by the client; please do not include links to websites in the same line of work as listed in the article suggestion.
- Authoritative links don’t have Adsense. Websites with Adsense are primarily designed to generate income from advertising. QG is interested in providing authoritative links with further information on specific subjects; referring readers to websites covered in ads does not meet the need for authoritative information.
- Look for signs of subject matter authority specific to and appropriate for the subject you are writing about. For example, if you are tackling an article on math resources for elementary students, k12 resources may be more applicable and audience-appropriate than .edu links that may cater to a higher skill level. This is not a hard and fast rule, but is intended to open new doors to help writers find the best links possible. When adding .org links, evaluate the “About Us” page to determine if it a legitimate organization; an address is a good sign that the website belongs to a real organization. NOTE: anyone can purchase an .org website, they can also be attached to blogs; further research should be done to avoid fake .orgs.
An example of a fake .org: http://refinanceahomemortgage.org/ – aside from the Adsense featured on the website, it is actually a WordPress blog designed by an SEO company. There is no address or phone number provided; the contact information provided is a Gmail address.
- Good resources/links are FREE and readily available; requiring the reader to log in or register an account is a turn off and is not readily accessible to all.
- Keep in mind the GOAL of the RESOURCE. QG articles are unique and one important goal of QG articles is to provide a variety of resources supporting the information discussed in the article. When choosing links, please make sure that the variety is also addressed in the information being links to; linking to the same information on different URLs does not provide the variety we are looking for.
Additional Link Resources
Questions to Ask Yourself when Finding Authoritative Links
QualityGal Writer Panel: All About Links
Good reminders and information. Thanks!