It’s time to let the blogroll go, roll on blogroll
by Daniel Snyder on Mar 28, 2011 • 8:03 pm 31 CommentsThe blogroll: Once an integral part of the blogosphere, and a happy place to throw up links to your friends blogs, and other resources that you had found valuable. But now? Does the blogroll still have the same value it once did? I say no it doesn’t, and here are my three important points (opinions) for why it’s time to delete your blogroll.
Waste of Real Estate
Your blog only has so much space. The most important piece of real estate on your blog is above the fold, and you can’t afford to allow anything in that space except what is generating clicks, building your email list, converting sales, or otherwise contributing to the value of your blog. A blogroll takes up a lot of valuable real estate. If you are insisting on hanging onto it, at least make sure it is far below the fold, and that anything really important to your readers eyes is above it.
Takes People Away
The blogroll takes people away from your site. Sharing valuable resources is important in blogging, and there is a natural expectation that when you share these things people are going to click on links and be led away from your site. That’s okay (sort of, especially if it’s revenue generating ad clicks). The blogroll is different, a user clicking a link in a blogroll and being led away may never come back. On the other hand, a reader clicking an in-content link is far more likely to remember where they discovered this resource and return with a thank you comment.
Weak Links
This is my biggest issue with blogrolls and the primary reason I deleted mine. The links in a blogroll are very likely diluted and not valued nearly as much by google as in-content links are. A far better way to acknowledge important resources is with mentions and links to them within your articles. When you take the time to write about someone people are far more likely to notice. A blogrolls links become site wide, meaning they appear on every single page (so if you have 1000 pages you’ve just given 1000 backlinks to that particular site). Site wide links it is suspected do not carry nearly as much weight as in-content single page links.
A Better Alternative to the Blog Roll
Write articles that mention the people, websites and resources that are important and valuable to you. Include links to these sites within your articles. These links can be made ‘dofollow’ and that way you can show you value them and give them some quality link juice at the same time. What are your thoughts? Do you still have a blogroll? Does this article inspire you in any way to get rid of it? Is it time to delete the blogroll? Let our readers know.
31 comments
Nishadha says:
Mar 28, 2011
I agree with the fact that linking within posts is far more important than adding a blogroll link, Also I don’t think many people actually go on to click a blogroll link
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 28, 2011
You’re right, when I use google apps and take a look at the click through rate on my blogroll (gone now) it is virtually non existent. Waste of space! Thanks for your visit and comment! 🙂
Patricia@lavenderuses says:
Mar 28, 2011
Hi Daniel
I have never seen the use for Blogrolls. Don’t read them and never clicked on them either. And I was told early on that they leak link juice too!
Like you, I like to acknowledge people in my posts and give some link luv that way.
Also being dofollow and commluv also shares the luv around for commenters who stay to join the conversation.
Patricia Perth Australia
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 28, 2011
Hey Patricia, always nice to get your two cents. I’m glad you got it early on, and never bothered with the blogroll. It’s a waste of link juice!
Ileane says:
Mar 28, 2011
Daniel, I didn’t even notice that you used to have a blogroll! 🙂 When I first started blogging on WordPress.com I had a blogroll and I think WordPress encourages people to use them by including them as default widgets. In fact back then I thought it was somewhat mandatory.
I totally agree that it makes more sense to link within blog posts to specific, related content from your fellow bloggers. That adds more value for your readers and the other blogger.
Thanks for the post Daniel!
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
Exactly, who notices the blogroll? I agree, many people think (or thought) that the blogroll was an integral part of blogging. Not anymore!
Suzanne says:
Mar 29, 2011
I agree. I try to list people’s sites I like but it’s easier to just add your shortened Diigo list of recently interesting sites you’ve found. Linking w/in the post is a good option too, yes.
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
Thanks Suzanne. What’s a Diigo list?
Monica Svenmarck says:
Mar 29, 2011
I recently had a blogroll reciprocity request from another blogger. When I stated that I don’t have a blogroll, the other blogger didn’t understand why I just couldn’t create one. I then had to explain that I didn’t WANT one.
Not everyone seems to understand that links in posts are more organic and worthwhile. Thanks for writing a post on it, Daniel!
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
Ha, isn’t that the truth – so many people just think that you’re supposed to have a blogroll. Thanks for your visit and comment here Monica!
Ivin says:
Mar 29, 2011
Hello Daniel.
First I wrote a post on who should be on your blogroll. Then I put up a spate of links to blog I comment on, forums, etc and let that (including the blogroll) go.
My traffic actually went up when I did that. Stumbleupon overtook Twitter as traffic generatior etc. I think it’s (blogrolls) are just a way of fishing for links.
If you want that, profile them in a post (like you said), send trackbacks and use Twitter as networking toll (along with Linked In).
That’s my 2Cents :)\
Stumbled.
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
Sounds like you’ve been on the same journey! 🙂 Glad to hear so many agree with my stance on the blogroll.
Jeevanjacobjohn says:
Mar 29, 2011
I like your suggestion, Daniel !
As for the space, I think there are many valuable bloggers out there (it would take a lot of time and work to add links to all of the sites). I also agree with others reasons you listed. It is actually better to mention the blogger.
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
Hey Jeevan. So do you have a blogroll? Or is it gone now? 🙂
Gabriele Maidecchi says:
Mar 29, 2011
I actually never even considered using a blogroll. I think it’s something o f the past, of the pre-socialmedia-explosion age so to say. There are so many ways right now to promote someone’s content that using a blogroll doesn’t indeed make any more sense.
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
The blogroll certainly is something of the past! Thanks for your visit and comment Gabriele.
Karen says:
Mar 29, 2011
I think at one point everyone used to have a blog roll, you would see them getting bigger and bigger as time went by, but I think it’s better to link within a post that have a bigg list building up and just looking silly on the side of a blog.
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
Yeah, that’s another point I missed – the blogroll is just plain ugly. Thanks Karen!
Lynda says:
Mar 29, 2011
I have a separate page set up for all the links I frequent. I send people there if they’re looking for new blogs to try out in my niche. I also peruse others’ link lists, especially when they have them set up as a separate page.
I don’t think the blog roll is dead, but I don’t think it belongs on the sidebar or footer of every page either.
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
Smart idea Lynda, setting up a separate page. Formatting this in a nice way is not only better looking, the links will have more value too.
Andrew Walsh says:
May 7, 2011
Well put, I was going to suggest exactly this. My favorite part of having a dedicated page is that you have room to annotate the links and explain why you think they are a good resource for readers.
Daniel Snyder says:
May 9, 2011
Thanks for your visit Andrew. Totally agree when one can give a reasonable explanation of why content is valuable its more likely to get a click thru.
Paul says:
Mar 29, 2011
I used to have a blog roll when I first started. I then changed it to a page on my WordPress blog, and then eventually, got rid of it all together. I don’t see too many blog rolls anymore, so I do think that they are on their way out.
Daniel Snyder says:
Mar 29, 2011
Like so many others are saying “USED” to have a blogroll is the name of the game now. They’re almost extinct!
Geoff Crane says:
Apr 1, 2011
I went a little differently with my blogroll by creating a special page dedicated to people I wanted permanent links to. I created a section in the sidebar “Featured Industry Professionals” and had it take a random person from the blogroll and show a nicely-worded bio of them along with their picture. I put a “see all” link which routes an interested user to see the entire blogroll if they want. This way I can show people my appreciation for them with a permanent, do-follow link, but reduce the space on my front page devoted to it. Also, the link isn’t site-wide so hopefully it carries more weight.
Daniel Snyder says:
Apr 3, 2011
Love that idea Geoff, sounds like it took a bit of programming, but well worth it. Original, and highlighting those you think are important all at the same time! Good job.
Nina C. says:
May 6, 2011
I participate and host blog hops. They are a lot of fun and stir up alot more interaction for me.
Scott Bergman says:
Jun 10, 2011
Hi Daniel, I’m afraid I’d have to disagree with you a little bit here. When the Blogrolls are focused and relevant to the information the blog carries, they can be a nice extra for a reader to surf though. It’s nice to see what sites the blog’s author finds interesting. Personally, I check them out all the time.
With that said, I’ll say I haven’t taken the time to set my own up.
I do agree that if the content being published on a blog is weak, they can take readers away to never come back.
That’s my two cents. Still a great post though! Take care, Scott
Mitch Mitchell says:
Jun 25, 2011
I see it somewhat differently. I have my businesses listed in the blogroll as well as my other websites. Also, I have all links set so that if people click on anything in the blogroll it’ll open a new tab or window, so no one actually leaves my blog. I think it shows loyalty to those people I honor by including them on my page.
Daniel Snyder says:
Jun 27, 2011
Hey Mitch, certainly having a new window open is critical if you’re going to hang on to your blog roll. One alternative that I like is including a specific page for these folks you want to honor. In this manner the links are not site-wide and do not dilute pagerank when linking out in the same manner that they would being on all pages of your site. I think its also key to minimize the number of links you have there, a handful is probably alright. Dozens is maybe not a good idea both visually and for CTR. Thanks for visiting and commenting!
Margie says:
Dec 10, 2011
I blog with WordPress, and have put my blogroll onto a page, rather than using a widget. My blogroll includes blogs that link to me, bloggers who comment on my blog a lot, and blogs I like to follow. I view the blogroll as my commitment to belonging to a community.