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After 105 days Google finally updated PR. And it's about time. There for awhile you couldn't swing a dead cat and not hit an anxious post on a seo forum wondering where the update was.

Still you can't blame them for asking. PR obsession is catchy. (And you know if you're obsessed.) Besides when you have a metric to help identify a higher quality link trade from a lesser one, why not use it?

But maybe it's time to start thinking in terms of linking in a post PR world. You know without consideration of that little green bar of PR. (gasp) Well, okay what was I thinking? Let's not go that far - yet!

Yet if 105 days between PR updates becomes the standard maybe we should discuss what owners of PR challenged sites can do to get links. As long as we can agree none of the ideas I'm about to share will work nearly as well as having PR 6 links pages.

Agreed? Good. Then let's pass GO and see if we can't collect $200. Or at least snag a few links for those PR 2 or PR 3 sites waiting for the next PR update by using "bundling" or "multiplying". Starting with a

===> Link Bundle Up

By "bundle up" I mean to sneak in one or two lower pagerank sites along with a site with decent PR in the link swap request. Put your potential partner's linking info on all sites. Email your linking info for all including the PR challenged sites. Then see how many take the bait. The decent PR link could just be the sugar that helps them swallow trading links with a zero PR site. Especially if you point out you have a history of developing high PR sites.

===> Link Bundle Up - All or None

Place more than one linking opportunity on your add url page. And insist that to get any links a link partner must link to all.

===> Link Bundle Up - Ethical Bribe

You might call this one "being creative" so put on your thinking cap. Come up with an answer for the question "What can I offer in exchange for a link?"

Reason for asking? I just got an email from an apparently brand new PPC offering me three things:

• a customized toolbar to give to my customers
• rights to 2 CDs worth of stuff to give away
• $50 worth of clicks

An appealing package, no? All for just a link? Why not?

Sure you may not have that much to offer. But maybe you could put together a commercial grade special report to give away as an inducement? Which could be used as a bonus for new subs or bundled in with their product. Made all the more appealing if it has links to your product your partner could brand with their affiliate ID?

===> Link Multiplication

Let's unleash the horse trader in you. Offer a 3:1, 5:1, or whatever it takes for one - link swap. Making it clear that by helping you with one link your partner stands to gain so much more. Especially since once PR updates they'll have X high PR links back to their site from yours. All for the price of one measly link to you. Put that way they're really helping themselves aren't they?

===> More Link Multiplication

Offer a link on your links page plus throw in a directory link.

Even better here's where you can get a nifty directory script - no charge. It's called Link Management Assistant. http://www.onlinemarketingtoday.com/software/link-management

Using a tightly themed directory as a link magnet has the potential to take on a life of it's own. As it pulls in links to your site by the droves.

So there you have it. Five ways to bundle or multiply your linking opportunities.

Look, we traded links long before Google pagerank even existed. So while those around you are suffering from "poor PR" angst it might not be a bad idea to test other ways to get links don't you think?

Sure it's more work.

Yes your hit rate will probably be less than if you're offering a link from a page sporting PR 6.

But any links you do land will be better than nothing, right? And can jumpstart your link building efforts. Even when dealing with the PR obsessed - while you wait for the next 105 days to pass. Ooops, just kidding about that 105 days part. I hope.

Copyright 2004 John Gergye