Bestow a "Seal of Approval"

If you're tired of asking for favors (links), here's an interesting twist to try.

Crown yourself the bestower of a "Seal of Approval," granted only to those websites that meet a standard of excellence. (It just so happens that those standards should also be consistent with the kinds of websites that you would love to link to you.)

For instance:

If your organization advocates for window blind safety, consider awarding a Seal of Approval to websites that sell child-safe window blinds.
If your organization promotes recycling, consider awarding a Seal of Approval to websites that urge their customers to recycle.

As a real-life example, a Seal developed for Charity Guide's award program is shown to the right. The "Seal of Approval" is granted by editors to organizations whose volunteer opportunities are featured in the "How to Make a Difference" section of Charity Guide's service projects.

Send a congratulatory message to the websites that have "won" your Seal of Approval. Encourage them to display the Seal on their websites in a prominent location. Many of the award recipients will be grateful, because they can use your Seal of Approval to gain greater credibility with media, consumers, or prospective donors.

The "catch" is that, as a condition of displaying the Seal of Approval, recipients should be required to link back to the relevant granting page on your website... which will add considerably to your link popularity.

Add a "Link to Us" Button
on Every Page of Your Website

Avoid Reciprocal Links
and Link Exchanges