Sorry, I shan't be linking to your advertisement blog

In the last two weeks I have gotten a number of invitations to exchange links with someone's advertisement blog. The reason given that I should cross-link is that "it will help both of our ranks on Google, Yahoo, and Ask."

I am sorry, but I shall not be linking to "Most Superwonderful Jaywalking Attorney" blog any time soon. Let me explain why. In fact, I'll spell out in detail why I'm not going to cross-link you.

(1) I'm already at the top of the search services. Go ahead search for "CrimLaw" on Yahoo, Google, or Ask, I'll wait. Y'see, I'm already the first, non-bought link. If you search for "criminal law blog" I'm in the top 5 of each. It's not going to get any better than that. I'm only going to link to you if there's actually content of worth on your blog.

(2) You're blog is so obviously an advertisement that it might as well just be a link farm. Here are a few of the non-starters on "Most Superwonderful Jaywalking Attorney" blog.

a) 4 posts - You ask me to link with only 4 posts? Until I see three months of steady posting I don't believe you're going to be around a month from now. Some ad guy has talked you into this and you won't keep doing it long because you won't make any money from it.

b) A post a week - I can hear the ad guy selling it to you now: "Just post a small post each Friday afternoon, get people to cross-link you, and you'll be at the top of search engines and making tons of money in no time."

c) The phone number - THIS IS HOW YOU ABSOLUTELY ASSURE THAT I WILL NOT LINK TO YOU. I don't think there's anything you can do to make me less likely to link to your advertisement blog.

3) "Most Superwonderful Jaywalking Attorney" blog also has a few things that make it unlikely, but not impossible, to get me to link to you.

a) Putting the name of a certain type of law in the title. Some good blogs do this, but most "Jaywalking" style blogs are blatant ads and fade away after a short time. It takes passion to find something to talk about when you limit yourself to a single topic.If it's just an ad gimmick it isn't going to work.

b) Blogging only on one slim topic. This goes hand-in-hand with the (a) above. It can be done, but it takes dedication. You're going to have to be around for a while to prove you have it.

c) Pimping yourself - This doesn't guarantee that you won't get a link, but it comes mighty close. If you have that paragraph at the end of each of your posts trying to get a potential client to contact you I'm going to be put off. The only thing which might set it off is if the blog post which I just finished reading before I got to the pimping is really good. It can happen; it's just not likely.

So, as I said, I shan't be linking to "Most Superwonderful Jaywalking Attorney" blog anytime soon. And I won't be linking to yours if it's similar.