Does Search Engine Optimization Have a Future?

In January, I wrote a post on what topics I felt would become big themes for 2007 in search engine marketing.  I still feel that all of these topics, Web Analytics, Competitive Analysis and Social Media, are all critical to our ability to our being a high value service to businesses and website owners, but I may have missed one important idea that has been building in my mind, probably since before Google's IPO.

What will search engine marketing - or specifically, search engine optimization become, and can it survive as an industry?

In recent months and in various ways, SEO experts have been debating this topic a great deal, whether or not it directly begs the question at hand.  The topic really became visible in late 2006, after Dave Pasternack's article came out questioning the value in SEO.  This conversation escalated through the forums of search discussions and was even addressed by Danny Sullivan in his rebuttal article, "Yes Virginia, SEO is Rocket Science". 

But the debate about what brings value out of SEO has been talked about in our industry before Pastnernack offered his opinion.  In early 2006, Social Patterns asked the question of why "Large SEO Firms Suck?", which emphasized Jim Boykin's thoughts on page tagging as well as Rand Fishkin's conversation with Dana Melick. Clickz contributor Shari Thurow offered a good outline for identifying a well rounded set of skill sets that distinguish qualified SEO professionals from the amateur SEO shop, including usability experience, copywriting and web development/IT expertise. That article came out in 2005, when many people were just realizing that reciprocal links weren't as valuable and maybe you should have more than just your product information on your website for content. 

Within the past couple months, SEOmoz posted a definition of the SEO expert and SEOBook challenged the notion that SEO is the only industry trying to capitalize on a customer base.  Meanwhile, SEO names such as Jim Boykin, Jeremy Shoemaker and Todd Malicoat, "Stuntdubl", have begun embracing social media because they realize that these sites drive traffic, have millions of users and offer a high potential for obtaining inbound links.   These discussions and the visibility of SEO's utilizing new opportunities online all contribute to an existing undercurrent:

What does SEO become in the near and distant future?  Can SEO survive?

Most of my in depth discussion on the topic has been around a local watering hole in Davis Square or at 8PM in the conference room at KoMarketing Associates on a Wednesday when I wanted to home by 7.  Meaning, I haven't been discussing this on a personal level with the aforementioned names above, all of which I read fairly regularly.  I was at the inaugural SEMNE meeting a couple weeks ago and listened to a great presentation by Fredrick Marckini which helped revitalize some of my own thoughts on the business of search engine optimization.

So my answers to the questions above:

• To the second question: "Yes" SEO will survive.
• To the first question (which requires the longer explanation):  SEO will become whatever strategy is required to bring people searching for your product or service, to your website, your contact form, your payment authorization page, your email inbox and your sales staff.   

Marckini stressed the notion of reaching out to vertical markets directly or indirectly related to traditional search engines, such as local search, social media sites and niche search offerings (such as news search, video etc). He suggests this because search engines like Google and Yahoo can only become incrementally better at how they rank and prioritize search results based on variables and factors related to their algorithms.  That comment precludes an assumption that eventually people will no longer use a search engine to find what they are looking for.  In fact, search engines will just become an integrated component of any mechanism/product or service that an individual uses. 

I agree with Marckini's conclusions (which echo other leaders thoughts on the industry). I believe that as long as people are searching for anything, and using Internet technology to do so, search engine optimization will be required, because businesses need to know why search technology ranks or does not rank their information ahead of the competition for whatever mechanism presents search results.  More importantly, as Google, Yahoo and other search technologies strive to integrate themselves into the everyday applications we use, SEO professionals are the ones that understand what factors make or break website visibility in search.

That means that if integrating video tutorials into YouTube brings your business quality traffic, leads, and referrals, it will transcend to how Google values your website overall.  If your images will provide you a growing appreciation from the audience in Flickr, Yahoo will take notice.  If the community at Digg, "Digg's" your articles and information, you will probably generate both traffic and inbound links, which transcend to long-term SEO success.  If your website has valuable content, a user-friendly design and experience,  engages the visitor effectively, and your business is using web analytics to identify statistics like page views, bounce rates and average length of time on site, you have a better shot at succeeding in Google's personalized search. 

Search Engine Optimization - Beyond 2007

As long as people are searching for something, using Internet technology, there will be a need to understand what the mechanisms are that prioritize search results. Search engine optimization becomes a practice of understanding where not only users, but users potentially interested in your information, will be online, what sites they visit, where their questions are being answered and what tools they are already using to find information like yours.  As technology evolves and changes, our job as SEO professionals is to identify and utilize the emerging tools and resources available that will drive traffic, visitors and improved search engine rankings to your website.  People will not stop searching, but the sources of information that influence results will.

Quantifying Link Building

A client recently asked me:
"With all of the activities we handle related to search - PPC, copy, competitive analysis etc, how can we quantify the choice to incorporate 'link building' into our overall search marketing campaign?"

Outside of the actual link that creates a sale, it can be difficult to justify (financially) the time and commitment required for effective link building - but search marketers know that link building is a key element to any successful SEO/SEM campaign.  The fact of the matter is that not so long ago, most links for SEO had little to do with the actual user-based traffic that actually was related to them.  As search algorithms have matured and improved, good search marketers know that effective links are created to build quality traffic, increase the amount of appropriate users, and ultimately, generate prospective customers. 

Here are some real answers to how you can quantify your link building campaign, as it relates to your complete search marketing efforts (outside of the direct sale). 

• Link Duration
  Quality inbound links give your website a greater presence online for the long-term.  In comparison to an investment in PPC, your website and company message get the benefit of long-term visibility, rather than just through the query of a search term.  More importantly, as these links stay alive, the benefit of age increases their own value as they get older.
  
• Trust Factor
  Your website presence on respected sources brings the benefit of relevance and trust to your own company.  Without inbound links, you rely solely on Internet advertising and website copy for establishing recognition in your products and services.  Being seen in the online communities and properties that make up your industry base and potential customer base is important.
  
• Strategic Brand Awareness
  Creating inbound links allows you to better understand the patterns of your prospects and potential customers.  Having quality links that generate traffic and (potentially) sales gives you an opportunity to better spend your marketing dollars for brand building and marketing communication.  Your inbound links help identify what types of websites will bring you the best traffic for your money.

Inbound link building is critical to achieving keyword rankings in search engines, but actually justifying the time and cost associated with building links can be hard in comparison to other methods of traffic building which incorporate more direct statistics for tracking ROI.  While the end game is always a measure of how much more your website makes in terms of overall leads and sales, hopefully the answers here provide additional insight into what makes link building more beneficial as a function of your overall search marketing strategy.

Popular Web Directories

While the overall value of links found in web directories may or may not have a serious impact on your keyword rankings in today's search algorithms, there are still reasons to consider submissions into the major directory resources, including:

• Getting Indexed.  Search engines still crawl the best web directories, and they offer the opportunity to be found, if nothing else, by search engine spiders.
• Directory Data Feeds.  An unspoken value of the Open Directory is that it provides data feeds of its listings for webmasters to publish.  What happens then is that the syndications of its content (including Google and AOL), automatically feature your website in their specific directory listings, without any additional work from you.
• Categorical Reference.  Because most directories will have you specify a certain category for your submission, at the least your site gets placed within your strategic thematic relationship, even though the purpose of the website as a whole is not necessarily industry or business related.

Popular Web Directories
Here is a list of popular web directories that you should consider submissions for.  Note that today, most of these directories now require a fee of some sort for inclusion. 

• The Open Directory (DMOZ) - The original volunteer, human-edited web directory.  This is one of the largest and oldest directories out there.  Make sure to adhere to the submission guidelines as required.  More information on the submission process for the DMOZ can be found here.
• Yahoo Directory - The Yahoo Directory is an extensive catalog of websites organized by topic. Non-commercial sites may submit for free but most commercial sites require a $299 annual fee.
• Business.com - A comprehensive directory of business websites, and an ideal choice for B2B companies.  The directory requires an initial $199 submission fee and then $149/year thereafter.  One nice benefit for new listers is that they offer the ability to create 4 additional sub-links into deeper pages of your website.  They also feature a nice 800 number for questions and service.
• Best of the Web - Editor-based web directory since 1994 and now revamped with a blog directory as well.  There is a one-time fee of $149 for submissions, with a review process of 3 business days.
• GoGuides - General directory listing sites by ratings. The fee is now $69 per submission and you can pay through PayPal or traditional methods. 
• JoeAnt - General directory listing sites by ratings. Uses icons to aid content selection.  The nice thing about Joeant is that they encourage webmasters with interest in the directory to become contributors, and have a complete section of information and forums for Joeant editors to discuss topics and work together.  Outside of being an editor, there is a one-time submission fee of $39.
• About - A network of sites where visitors can find many targeted topic areas, each one managed by a personal guide.  The strategy for getting linked in this website is a little bit more difficult, as there is no commercial process for submissions.  Rather, webmasters should contact the appropriate guide and begin a working relationships demonstrating the relevance and value associated with their website and the specific topic at hand.
• Gimpsy - Holds reviewed, interactive sites, classified by the activity the user is aiming at, and provides a Natural Language search interface.  There is a one-time $40 submission fee.

The list here is a mere handful of web directory opportunities for webmasters to investigate and submit their material to.  It should also be noted that this list does not even touch on specialty directories, which include regional guides, topic specific directories and niche directories (for bloggers, RSS, articles etc)

Here is one of the best places I have seen for listing a ton of directories (free and commercial) in one place, but if you would like more information and additional resources, check out the links below:

• The Yahoo Directories own listing of Search Engines and Directories
• Wikipedia
• SearchEngineWatch.com's listing of major search engines and directories for consideration (somewhat outdated)

Benchmark Ideas for Calculating SEO ROI

As SEO and SEM becomes a much more in-demand service for businesses in all industries, here are some thoughts on the ROI of an SEO campaign.

Keyword Rankings
Not only is it important to appear in the top positions for the major search engines, but it is also important to gauge traffic and competitive positioning.  Some considerations:

• Overall keyword referrals per month, as well as the trend, month-to-month.
• Keyword position in search results as a factor of keyword popularity.  For example, a #3 position for a keyword that is searched for 1,000 times a month may be far more valuable than a #1 position on a keyword that is searched 50 times month.
• Competitive keyword analysis - keeping above your top competition in strategic keyword listings.

Content Recommendations and Page Tagging
Aside from how the search engines "see and rank" your website based on keyword strategy, how the customer inteprets the site, where they click (and where they leave) and how long they stay are equally important to where you rank.

• Stickiness - what is the percentage increase in page views after the initial SEO campaign is complete?
• Search referrals - quality content should foster higher click-thru rates/for the same keywords in the same keyword positions in search.  This means that better titling and search descriptions foster a higher percentage of clicks to your site, even if your site has not seen dramatic increases in keyword rankings
• Conversion volume - obviously, the end goal in any marketing campaign is to increase sales, sales opportunities and "touches" to the customer and prospect. 

Link Building and Website Promotion
It's hard to directly correlate the relationship between link research and new links to keyword improvement and ultimately, sales conversions.  But here are some general ideas.

• Research volume - do you track how many links are being investigated, contacted and approved?  It may also be possible to create a "points system" based on the qualities of the link opportunity.
• Website referrals - more pertinent to the promotion side of the equation, but becoming equally valuable overall, make sure to guage how many referrals are coming from new links.  The concept of link building has become much more about providing value to your audience.  If that is the case, then users of sites that link to you should be coming to your site because of this value.

Link Building With Podcasts

We’re always looking for the ultimate passive link – one that is freely given, from a quality site and uses keywords in and/or around the link to a client’s site.

To get those votes of confidence from other sites, the client needs to have something worthwhile on the site; not just product/service info and product catalogs. In other words, there is a limit to how many quality links a commercial website will get.

Sometimes a nice fit is a podcast. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s strictly a “podcast” or an audio file with something interesting to say.

There are a number of ways to go when deciding how to distribute/disseminate the podcast. One decision that needs to be made is where to host the file. You can host it yourself, or use a hosting service.

In general, we look to add content to the primary domain we are trying to promote. That is, hosting the audio file on the site itself may help generate nice passive links, deep into the domain.

However, using an audio hosting service can provide some very nice benefits. One that I was recently introduced to is http://www.libsyn.com.  (Level 1 - Podcast Basic - $5 Monthly.  100mb of storage per month with unmetered bandwidth usage. This level of service is recommended for once-a-week podcasters.  More pricing info  here - https://www.libsyn.com/signup.php.)

This service could be a very nice fit for companies that do not have the bandwith to host large numbers of audio files on their site. Libsyn provides a blog environment that hosts podcasts.

Using a service like Libsyn can be a great way to use a separate domain that helps build link popularity for the primary domain being promoted.

The formula for using a blog that hosts audio files can be very compelling:

keyword-rich blog content + blog comments/interaction + podcasts generating passive links + permalink back to main domain = supercharged SEO for main domain.

In addition to hosting the audio file externally, the audio files have their own URL, so you can also link directly to the audio files from a "pretty" page on the site.

Of course, the key is to create a podcast with good content, create a compelling blog post to accompany the podcast, and then promote the podcast/post online. Getting even a few bloggers to comment on the podcast can create link popularity for the post. Then that link popularity will flow into your primary domain through the link from the blog back to the main site.

We are working on this with one client and we’ll update this post with results later…

SEO Effects of Modifying Your URL Syntax

One of the components of SEO that can often go overlooked, especially by individual webmasters, is the importance of maintaining web URL syntax.  While keyword relevance in your URL string can be beneficial for search engine optimization, constantly changing your URL names, in order to catch the latest trend or buzz, may actually do more harm than good.  Here are some reasons why:

1. It's a new URL that search engines haven't found yet.  With the emergence of Google Sitemaps and RSS, adding new URL's often times get indexed faster and faster, but that doesn't change the fact that the URL must get crawled to get indexed.  You may be at the mercy of the engines for getting your revised web addresses updated.  (this leads to...)
   
2. What about where the old URL went?  That's the initial question that the search engine is asking.  It's comparing it's database of information (web addresses) for your site and then re-evaluating this based on your new information (new web address).  This leads to tactics webmasters will often consider to make sure that destinations are properly identified (301 redirect etc - see our post on 301 redirects).
   
3. People link to your pages. At least you hope they do.  While a 301 will solve the immediate problem for you, you still don't want to have outdated web addresses floating around the web.
   
4. Most importantly: URL Aging is a component of both Google and Yahoo's algorthims.  How long a web address has been active will factor (amongst other items) in search relevance over the long-term.  To some extent, this may explain why you sometimes see pages that haven't been updated since 1997 appearing in first page search results.  The length of time your web addresses have beeen online can matter.

There will always be reasons you need to change a URL name however.  This includes revisions to products (brand name changes), marketing objectives, technology changes etc.  These factors also need to be taken into consideration.  Short term disruptions in rankings will ultimately be overcome by quality factors that improve user experience or reflect new business practices.  But you need to understand that there more than likely will be a disruption.

The bottom line is that changing your URL's simply for to catch the latest trend, asthetics or other minor reasons, can have a negative impact on your search rankings in the short term.  Be aware of this the next time you are considering modifying your web addresses.

Where to Go For SEO - Part 1

Here are a couple of resources that I have used and do use in order to catch up with the SEO market, obtain resources for new information, discussion or developments, and validate my knowledge base for SEO, PPC and general SEM strategies.

ISEDB: Subscribe to the ISEDB newsletter to receive some really interesting and informative articles on trends, news and general topics about SEO, PPC and all things related.  9 times out of 10, I find something in one of their newsletters that really provides value and information.  I try to read it every week, before I start my day. 

For those of you that are in more of a mainstream market, or possibly SEO is one of the many duties you have to handle in your day, I recommend looking at Planet Ocean's SearchEngineNews.com for resources and articles, as well as a regular newsletter on SEO.  A colleague of mine originally pointed me to the resource, and I am sad to say that I never paid much attention until after my subscription was almost over! It's a little pricey - $97.00/6 month period, with 6 newsletters and access to their database of articles and resources, but the content is so easy to read and absorb that you can really get a lot of out it, very quickly. 

With either of these resources, take what you read, compare it to what you already have, or what is already being discussed out there, and make sure that the ideas not only are echoed elsewhere, but also are in line with your business's strategy and Internet marketing plans.  Just because you find out Podcasting is the next big thing when it comes to creative link building campaigns, does not mean that the VP of Marketing is going to give you the green light to extend your annual budget to fit that in.

Ideas for Link Building - First Thoughts

As I sat in the "Link Building Forums" meeting this morning at PubCon Boston, it helped cement in place the ideas that I had been believing all along.  Link Building is becoming more than just some email solicitation, quick techniques and flash of the hand tricks.  Real, quality link building comes down to hard work, dedication, and research.  I intend to add to this idea in the next few weeks, and incorporate some general ideas around the whole "Link Building Campaign", and what people can do (both easily and more difficultly), in relation to it. 

Here's a first step:  Take two steps back from your site, forget your marketing speak, technical knowledge, and product expertise and ask yourself this:

"Am I providing the best experience for my users (My Human Users)?"

A critical component to successful link building is having something of value for a potential link partner's website.  I once ran two link building campaigns for two related websites.  One of these site (Site A) had a very crisp, professional look, easy-to use navigation, and clearly defined messages.  The other (Site B) was poorly constructed, used javascript menus for navigation, and had very little content or call to action.  The result, as expected, was that my link conversion ratio for site A had a dramatically higher conversion than site B.

This was a relatively extreme scenario that is not always the case.  But it's important to remember that not all of link building deals with the other sites linking in.  A key piece of the puzzle is the piece of work that the other sites are linking to.

Say Goodbye to Zeal

One of the better, honest directories out there is shutting it's doors at the end of the month.  Posted originally in SearchEngineWatch the other day, the Zeal Web Directory is closing at the end of March.  From our end, it was one of the few directories that promoted non-commercial, information based resources, designed to educate, enhance and develop the Internet experience.  The more comprehensive set of guidelines for being accepted as a Zeal editor made it feel like it was more of a community of like-minded individuals, trying to provide a service to the web community.  While I can't say I've been back to the directory in over a year, the original rules and ideas provided for fundamental guidelines on how to properly use a web directory.

Guidelines for The Open Directory Project (DMOZ)

The Open Directory Project (DMOZ) is the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.  This community is represented by web users across the globe. Because it is a volunteer directory, and free, the time between submission and approval/rejection can take months, if not years based on the category, editor experience and volume. 

Website Address: http://www.dmoz.org/

As Search Engines like Google and Yahoo continue to de-emphasis the importance of general directory link relationships, it remains to be seen how valuable this inbound link will remain in the future. Given the fact that the submission process is FREE, there is no downside for a website owner to attempt to submit to the directory.

Reasons to Submit to DMOZ

1. The directory is used as the backbone for the Google Directory
2. Google will frequently pull directory titles and descriptions where it sees appropriate to better support its search index
3. DMOZ offers a free site feed to webmasters, allowing them to publish directory listings at no charge other than there time.  These “Quasi-DMOZ” directories of information may become secondary sources of inbound links for indexed sites
4. Finally – It’s Free

Submission Guidelines
General guidelines for submitting to DMOZ can be found here:

• http://dmoz.org/add.html
• With background information and FAQ’s located here:
  http://dmoz.org/help/submit.html
  http://dmoz.org/help/geninfo.html
• Comprehensive Guidelines
  http://dmoz.org/guidelines/

Be sure to read the guidelines in depth before submission.  Strict adherence to the rules gives you the best chance of being indexed in the directory.  Failure to do so may incur severe delays or permanent rejection from inclusion into the directory

General Summary of Guidelines

1. Navigate to the MOST APPROPRIATE category for your website
2. Click the “Suggest URL” link at the top left to get to the submission form.  Note that submissions are category driven and you cannot successfully submit a website using the wrong category.
3. Follow the instructions for the submission process as accurately as possible
   
   a. Important Rules
   
        i. Titles should be relevant to company names, website names etc
        ii. Avoid excessive marketing speak, promotional language and the use of repetition
4. When you are satisfied with your submission click the “Submit” button at the bottom.

Additional Comments on the Submission Process
As stated above, it may take months, if not years to receive approval or rejection of your listing in the directory.  They also will NOT contact you to let you know that you have been approved or rejected. 

We recommend that you check for your listing approximately two months after the submission completion.  The search functionality in the site does not always pick up recent additions, so you may have to go directly to your desired category. 

You should not repeatedly resubmit your website based on it not being listed.  If after 6 months the site is not listed, we recommend that you resubmit once.  Continued repeat submissions, submissions to multiple categories etc will usually delay or block any listing opportunity.

Modifying Your Listing in the Open Directory

Editors may alter your submission details as they see fit or to conform to guidelines.  If you do not agree with the editor’s alteration, or if there is a specific reason that you need to edit your listing (change in business, location etc), you should send notification to DMOZ to edit your listing.

General Guidelines

1. Navigate to the category that your website is listed in
2. Click the “Update Listing” link at the top left of the webpage
3. Follow the instructions found therein
4. Make sure to use a standard communication email address for the submission process and clearly state the reason(s) that the listing should be modified. 
5. Further information on modifying an existing website listing may be found here:
   
        a.  http://dmoz.org/add.html
             Under the section: “Updating Your Site”

Good Luck and Happy Link Building!

More Thoughts on Reciprocal Linking

If you find these postings and wonder where some of the information we (as professional SEO's) get this knowledge, I invite you to take a look at High Rankings from Jill Whalen.  I don't have any experience working with her, but in reading some of the material that she publishes, it just makes sense - whether you are in the game purely for the financial rewards, or you are just a student of online marketing practices.  Specifically, her latest High Rankings Newsletter touches on the subject of "Triangular Linking" and what that may mean for SEO improvement in the world of link building.

OK - enough on the promotion - we have a business to run here as well!

A big point we miss in relation to SEO and to Link Building is in defining what the point is in general.  Link building should not solely be for building search ranking presense.  There has to be some value to the end user, especially in the realm of Link Exchange.  If I run a pet shopping website, and I swap links with my local pet sitting service, it may make sense - especially if I have a local audience and I feel that there is value to them obtaining information on the pet sitting service.  Don't simply consider the link building initiative for directories and guides purely for SEO, consider it in a way to build your audience base through online advertising.  We tell our clients to list themselves in the Yahoo Directory, not necessarily because it will help their search rankings, but because it can be a valuable component to their online advertising initiatives. 

Consider this the next time you are thinking about building links for your site, regardless of the method you are using:  What are your primary objectives for creating, submitting or trading the link?  If the user of your site is not at the top of your reasons, you may want to reconsider why your are doing so.

Using The Art of Persuasion to Sell Link Building

Ladies and Gentlemen, we may have hit the rock bottom.  Browsing the WWW threads this morning to see if anything new and exciting was going on, I found a great post in regards to trying to "better solicit" link exchange/link building and some interesting tactics being used for "selling" the link exchange.  I haven't been solicited with promises of sex or millions or becoming a super-stud myself, but maybe its because of the industries that I expose myself to.

Here are some interesting (examples of) ones I've seen personally:

• The "We have hundreds of PR6,7,8 Links to choose from!"
• Our site on hotels in Pakistan works GREAT with your site on selling medical devices
• Last chance!
• Your site just won our contest for "Best Site of 2005!"

For every 50 link requests I see though, there is always 1 quality one that I get that makes sense.  It's interesting to note that while i t is not unreasonable to expect about a 10% success rate in building inbound links, there are many factors that can increrase your response rates.  This includes:

• Quality site design
• Well thought out, personalized email correspondence
• Professional image
• Connecting the value between sites/companies

WWW has another in-depth thread on the "Dark Side of Exchanging Reciprocal Links" which has a rich discussion on some of the experiences and advice from fellow webmasters and SEO's.

Why Reciprocal Links Aren't Dead

So we had this "major" update in the search engine space which completely blew the covers off the e-commerce industry and made our SEO visibility that much higher.  A common theme in the update was the usage of reciprocal links - or the process of trading links between sites - is showing less and less relevance.  Here are some reasons why you would want to buck the trend and consider trading links:

• There is significant thematic relevance between websites.
  It makes sense that if you own a professional catering company website, you may have links to pointing to food preparation resources, or professional limousine companies.  There is a reasonable amount of connectivity between companies.  That being said, there are those ideas that make sense, and those ideas that maybe are a reach.  While a limo company seems reasonable, an insurance broker selling some sort of liability insurance may be a bit of a reach...
• You and your link partner are building ways to add resources to your website.
  Stop using the traditional "list" of links with little unique identity and start creating sections of material that can then be used to showcase these links.  Working with link partners can be just the same as working with any other strategic partner.  You pick them because there is a mutual benefit amongst the two of you.
• The link gives you solid exposure.
  It sounds cold, but its true and you heard it here.  Throw out the notion of SEO and the real reason we ever started trading links in the first place was because we wanted to build traffic.  So if some webmaster out there has a website that brings quality traffic to your website - than why not?
• Finally - Your users will find value in the site content of the link partner.
  It begs another original question - why are we online anyway?  To find information.  If you are providing relevant content to your users, they will be more likely to come back to your site for other information.