Contextual Link?

[crazydog]

Hi there,

Today I was contacted by a SEO representative that wanted to place a contextual link on my web site (Poker-Freeroller.com). She asked me how much I wanted for placing it on my page for 4 and 6 months.

I have earlier been contacted with a similar enquiry. Which made me want to consider it a bit more serious. To be honest there are several things I am in doubt about here:

First of all I am unsure what a contextual link precisely is: Is it an article or just a link in my blog roll? Or a link in an article or post? Tried to google it and just understood it as a link that was related to the subject of a certain page or the context :-)

Secondly: Should I get suspicious when some one contacts me 'as a represent of one of the leading online casino sites' ? I am quite cautious by nature but also quite unfamiliar with these kind of inquiries - so I am unsure if this is a standard enquiry or just something scammy?

Thirdly: If the previous point is not something to get worried about - how would you estimate a price for a contextual link?

Hope you can help me out on this subject!

Best regards
Crazy Dog
The affiliate noob

[Peter Willis]

It's not scammy, and the approach to say "one of the leading casinos" is simply because they don't want to be entirely upfront about who they are representing in the first communication. Once an agreement is in place they'll obviously reveal their clients details (otherwise how else would they get the link on your site!).

Contextual link, when used in these kind of scenarios, refers to a link which is in content - this may or may not mean a blog post. More often than not it will likely simply mean a link within 20 or so words of text to be placed somewhere on the homepage or sidebar (rather than being a simple blogroll link, which are on the whole undesirable for the purpose).

In terms of price it depends on the quality of your website, in terms of its age, amount of backlinks and, in some cases, the Google PageRank. Take a look at the Advertising section here on PAL to get an idea of what is being charged and work from there.

[crazydog]

Hi Peter

Thank you very much - very helpful information :-)

Best regards
Crazy Dog

[bstnisha]

Contextual link is one in which the clickable text is made up with the keyword phrase you want to obtain a page one listing for in google.
For example i ma interested in a phrase in a lead generation. I attempt to secure as many contextual links back to my main sites home page as i can.
A contextual link can only work if it links to a page primarily about the key phrase. For example a phrase perspex furniture should link to a page about furniture made up perspex.

[pokerworx]

I had one of these recently, would usually delete but it was on a rakeback site and with all the US stuff I replied. It was through an seo company and they paid x5 times what it was worth, I didnt want to seem keen but I took his hand off! (Why dont sites hire us???) So yeah reply and see what is on offer, dont give them a price make them give you one.

Edit: My reply to the guy was hey x, I have not really thought about that what have you got in mind? - We started talking and they gave me a really good price.

[crazydog]

Hi Bstnisha and Pokerworx
Thanks for your input - the SEO didn't contact me again after I made an offer - should probably have gone with you strategy Pokerworx :-)
Best regards
Crasydog