Long Climb To The Top Part 2

By

Robbo

Sex Nexus

Last week we talked about the building of my toplist matrix. We looked at what led me to start toplists, the choosing and installing of the script and what basically a toplist does. This week we will cover what it means to the site builder!

As we know a toplist lists sites for surfers to find just like any other bookmark site. But they differ in the fact that sites are ranked according to how many hits they send to the list. The hits are tracked by the coded url generated by the script to be used as a reciprocal link on the sites submitted. And as you would have it the sites nearer the top of the list usually receive more visitors to their site than sites lower down the list. Of course as anywhere titles, descriptions and or banners can play a big role in outclicks to a site.

Toplists vary in how many clicks you need to send them to become visible on the list. You need to make sure that you can reach that number easily by looking at whatever lists you are considering submitting a site to. Many new and smaller sites such as my own will require very few and often no clicks needed to be listed. But keep in mind that sites that send no traffic back to the lists are often deleted after a certain time period depending on individual rules. After all it is a traffic exchange...and that`s where it can work in your favor!

It`s in your best interest to make sure there is enough surfers regularly flowing to stay listed and keep the traffic moving. What your doing is sending surfers who for whatever reason were not interested in what you had to offer. By giving them a toplist to click off to you in effect get back a new visitor who clicked to your particular site because he IS interested. That is no less than a good deal and a potential sale in the making! And there is no contest to achieve the number one listing. Often a site a few places down will be getting back a better return that those above it. Again variables always come into play.

Now we`ll address a few common questions.

What type of site do I submit to a toplist? How do I treat a toplist recip to link back with?

Q: What type of site do I submit to a toplist?

A: First of all many toplists are niche specific so first off we want to make sure we are submitting the correct type of toplist or category. That considered rules vary widely from place to place. Most toplists will gladly accept a standard free site. Many will also list other link type sites which makes for an easy and convenient traffic trade.

Though some toplists only accept clean sites frequently you find more webmaster friendly rules in that they will allow sites with less content, more ads, consoles, pics on html, full page ads and or a combination of these things. And of course there are the toplists that are simply circle jerks or a place to list them. A few clicks on a toplist will usually tell you right away if it is a place you want your site listed or associated with.

A look in VNWR`s "Past Newbie Projects" also contains some great projects using toplists built to create virtual traffic flows. In effect keeping the site or sites attracting and trading off visitors within themselves. Some cool stuff indeed!

Q: How do I treat a toplist recip to link back with?

A: You can treat a toplist recip code just like any other. They mix well in a recip table on free site mirror entrances. In that case I use one or two toplist recips per mirror and I also like to mouseover mine leaving just the basic site url visible so not to scare off any potential clickers. On a hub or similar type of site they would do well on the top third of a page with several in a table to keep traffic moving. But one thing separates a recip to a toplist from a normal everyday reciprocal link. You get traffic back in relative proportion for traffic sent! This now allows us to use this recip code elsewhere to send traffic credited to that link. For instance putting the recip on a tgp gallery in place of one of your tgp recip links. You can visualize at least a few surfers hitting that link and thereby giving a boost to the corresponding site the code is used for. You can feed traffic where you need it when you need it. One thing to be sure of is that you are adhering to the rules of the places you are reciprocating with. Most will want a voluntary human click meaning no popping the toplist with your code as a console! Ahhh Brings back memories of surfing in the 90`s! :)

You see toplists can be a very unique form of traffic. Not only do you get listed but can also *stay* listed and benefit from one of the most basic traffic trading methods aside from trading hard links! They can be incorporated into just about any site or project you will build in some capacity and will add an element of recycling if you will to them. And with it the ability to feed traffic to those sites at any time of your choosing. Just put up the recip and roll!

Now get out there and "Climb to the Top"!

Robbo