If you don’t know what Viral Linking is, or you are not comfortable with how it works, then you came to the the right place.

In this post, I will discuss what viral linking is, why it is tempting, and how it taught me to be patient.

What is Viral Linking?

Viral linking is a tempting activity among bloggers because it is so easy to accomplish. All you have to do is answer some questions from the originator and list the sites/blogs in your post and “tag” other people to do the same. As a result, the list grows (or spreads) like a virus.

Viral Linking comes in various names. Meme (rhymes with “cream”), Chain Blog Links, Tagging Game are some of the names associated with it. Basically, viral linking is similar to chain linking.

Why Do Bloggers Do It?

Exchanging of links (or backlinking) is hard to come by. As much as possible, we want our site linked to others in an ethical fashion. And it’s a tough mission if your site is still new or unpopular. You might get ignored.

But since viral linking is well accepted in the blogging world, it quenches our thirst for backlinks. Below you’ll read some of the common benefits of viral linking:

• Receive Inbound Links
An inbound link means a website or another blog is linking to you. For a blog, particularly the new and low-traffic ones, receiving an inbound link is like a manna in the desert. The feeling is good when you found out that someone out there knows your site exists. So just imagine if you’re a part of a successful viral linking: the inbound links will be tremendous.

• Increase in Technorati Ranking
Technorati is a service that ranks blogs according to “reactions” or links it received. The ranking is called Authority. If your blog has been mentioned in a post of another blog, it is counted as a reaction. In the past 3 months, my blog has received 50 reactions, which is equivalent to almost 17 a month. Close to a half of those coming from viral linking.

• Receive Untargeted Traffic
Untargeted Traffic means hits from sites outside your niche or interest. If you’re a part of a tagging game, bloggers who participate might click on your site to learn more about you. How do I know? Because that’s what I sometimes do.

• Increase of Potential Readership
Readership means the number of people who read your site on a regular basis. It is manifested in the comments you receive. If those who are part of viral linking enjoy your post, there’s a strong likelihood that they come back and might subscribe in a reader or by email.

• Build a Community
One thing I noticed about Viral Linking is that bloggers involved seem to know each other. If you want to establish a community, a simple tagging game can be a good start.

Viral Linking Taught Me Patience

Knowing its benefits, it’s so easy to fall into its trap. Viral Linking is a double-edged sword. It is good if done properly, otherwise, overdoing it might cost you some readers. Just ask yourself: would like to read a blog with half of its content are viral links? As a blogger, I want to share insightful experiences and useful information. As a reader, I want to learn more about the author.

I have seen how viral links works, because I’ve been a beneficiary. But I purposely didn’t maximize its full potential. Being included in numerous linking before, I was tempted to spread the love, too. However, I had to wait for a viral linking that fits my blog, and I was glad Jeni tagged me for a simple tagging game (see below). Patience is truly a virtue.

Why Don’t Some Bloggers Do It?

Some bloggers are not really fond of viral linking, and here are my theories:

• Out of niche – Some bloggers are too protective of their niche, and they feel they will lose some readers if they participate in viral linking especially if the questions are not within their subjects.

• PageRank Concerns and Paid Links – Some bloggers have what Frank best describes as “Googlenoia“, or being paranoid of Google’s evil acts. Big name bloggers seldom (or never) do viral links because they prefer paid links. They will not link to you unless you are willing to pay for a tiny space in their sites. There’s nothing wrong with what they are doing since their priority is monetization.

• Laziness – Formatting links and post can sometimes be pain in the neck and time-consuming, especially if the blogging editor is not really user-friendly.

How Do You Play The Tag Game?

As I said above, the originator of the tag game will set some rules and you simply follow them. Most of the time, it contains questions to be answered.

In order to make the viral linking successful, you have to copy the links from the previous tag. It’s really that simple.

I was tagged by Jeni and I’m going to use that viral linking as an example:

Below are the links included in the tag, feel free to click on the sites that look interesting to you:

Limadang.com
RamblingMoo.com
blogginginmypyjamas
StylewithPassion
Chinneeq

Dora-zooropazoo
Babyshern
HiPnCooLMoMMa
Rachel’s Soulful Thoughts
When Silence Speaks

Dancing in Midlife Tune
Underneath it All
I am Dzoi
Hobbies and Such
moms…..check nyo

Choc Mint Girl
Amel’s Realm
My Thoughts
Rusin Roundup – Mel
MondayMorningPower
Comedy Plus
Mother’s Home!

Down River Drivel -> last tagger

PlanetSaedel -> my site

1st Rule: If you are tagged, copy the links above and insert your site at the bottom of the list (right under the last tagger) to make sure you’re included in the succeeding tags (see example above).

2nd Rule: Tag 5 bloggers from your list. (My tags below)

My Tags

• Vic Grace at CaribooPonderer
• Cris at KillTimeDoBlog
• Marcus at MarcusLangford
• Frank at OpTempo
• Mert at Search For Blogging

Tagging game, by its technical definition, should have a question. So for optional 3rd rule, here’s a simple question for you to answer: Briefly, what’s the story behind your site name?

Because I am the originator of the question, I’ll answer it first:

PlanetSaedel means “my world” or “my planet”. Here, I share personal experiences, tips, insights, and advices for others to use.

Since the question was a modification of the original rule, you may or may not choose to answer the question. It’s really up to you.

CONCLUSION

Viral Linking is one of the smartest methods of natural link exchange among us bloggers that will increase our inbound links. However, overdoing it might lose you some readers or turn off first time visitors. Learn to be patient, wait for the right “tag” tailored for your blog. If you’ve been tagged, it’s your choice if you want to continue the viral linking or not. And if I have tagged you, I hope you do spread the links.

Happy Tagging!

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