The value of linking out to other blogs

Q. I read frequently that I should “link out” to the posts of other bloggers writing about similar topics. Why should I do that, when I want to keep readers on my blog?

A. This question speaks to the very heart of what makes blogging collaborative rather than competitive. It was the biggest hurdle I had to overcome when I began niche blogging.

My first niche blog was about small business marketing. I was eager to share my knowledge of the topic, but I was also very protective. Why should I put my wisdom out there free of charge, I wondered, and why on earth would I send my readers off to read someone else’s blog?

It took me a long time to digest the notion that my blog was a bit about me, but not just about me. I finally understood that there was tremendous value in becoming not just an authority for my readers, but also a resource – their link to more voices speaking on the same topic - because becoming a resource helped make me an authority.

Linking out is also a good traffic-building strategy. When you link out to another blogger writing about your topic, you begin to build a relationship with them. They will not only come to your blog to check out who is linking to them, they will also most likely link back to you on a future post. This will bring new traffic to your blog, and links coming in also tell the search engines that others find your blog worth linking to. This means better search engine results.

One of my all-time favorite bloggers – no, make that all-time favorite people – is Mike Sansone of Converstations. Mike believes that blogs are “conversation stations,” and that it’s essential to include one link out in almost every post. I believe him.