As you may already know, 2 of my highest recommendations for getting easy search engine rankings is to use the following services:
LinkVana (”link building nirvana”)
Both are extremely effective at creating search engine presence easily, effortlessly, and quite quickly.
But both are also monthly paid subscriptions, and each one has it’s own set of strengths and weaknesses. So let’s find out which one you should use for getting easy rankings (and easy TRAFFIC).
But first, let me quickly explain why 3WL and LinkVana are so powerful…
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The lifeblood of free search engine traffic (especially from Google) is LINKS.
Yes, your site needs to have well-targeted content. And yes, using sitemaps and properly optimized internal linking, title-tags, meta-descriptions, header-tags and proper usage of the rel=”nofollow” tags (for page-rank funneling) helps to optimize your site for maximum traffic once it has some authority.
But all of the above is merely an afterthought in comparison to the importance of OFF-SITE optimization. Links.
Your site will never get substantial search traffic unless you have a solid foundation of backlinks from other websites. Especially one-way links given voluntarily, without having to link back to the site linking to yours (reciprocal linking, which Google can recognize and discount appropriately).
So how do you get one-way backlinks?
There’s a few ways. Article submission, directory submission, press release submission, software/shareware submissions (to some extent), begging other webmasters, creating something really cool or controversial and then promoting it (linkbait), creating scripts and themes that, when installed, include a backlink - and so on and so forth.
The most powerful links, though, are contextual one-way links from sites recognized as an authority - where the link is one of only a few on that particular page (aka. not part of a link directory). Even a handful of these types of links can literally cement your search engine listings. An example would be a link from major authority sites like the Wall Street Journal, a Government site, Education/Universitry sites, or something similar.
And in almost every case, those sorts of links will only be acquired if your site contains something significantly different or newsorthy. (Which is why Google values them so much - they’re actually a “vote”).
The other way to get one-way links that will dramatically boost your search presence is to CHEAT.
Yes - cheat.
And I don’t mean “black-hat” cheating, content-scraping, comment-spamming, etc.
What I mean is doing perfectly ethical activities that, while NOT violating Google’s TOS, actually tap into a loophole that exploits the way that the search engine’s algorithms are designed - resulting in floods of traffic from search engines for very little effort.
Cheating, in this case, is paying for one-way text links from authority sites.
You can do this on an individual, site by site basis, but since most sites with a PageRank of 6 or higher charge more than $30/mth per link, this can get real pricey - FAST. And it’s getting harder and harder to purchase one-way links on a permanent basis. Webmasters have caught on to the linking craze, and they make far more money for their virtual real estate by charging on a monthly basis.
I do buy some text links individually, but I’ve almost stopped doing this entirely now, being as there’s no real way to “gage” where your actual rankings come from (which link you bought equated to SE rankings).
Instead, I “buy” masses of non-reciprocal links by using 3WayLinks andLinkVana as a major part of my SEO approach for affiliate sites, in addition to articles, directory subs, bookmarking, press releases, relevant forum posting, linkbaiting, etc.
They both give me a real and definite edge for ALL of my participating sites - meaning that I can do half the work and get twice the traffic of my competitors because of this link-foundation. I subscribe to both 3WL and LinkVana, and I use them both for different functions.
Here’s how they compare, head to head:
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3WayLinks & LinkVana both essentially do the same thing - they make it really, really easy to get one-way-links that actually count, for practically whatever keyword or keyphrase you want.
Both services can be used to generate literally THOUSANDS of one-way links. What that means in the real world is, potentially, hundreds of top-rankings for profitable keywords that will result in TRAFFIC and, if your site converts - EASY SALES.
They create an unfair advantage for their members, because obtaining non-reciprocal links for a desired keyword phrase is by far the most difficult and time-consuming task when it comes to SEO, bar none!
The only question is - which one’s better?
The answer depends on what you need. Let’s compare them in detail…
3WayLinks Overview:
3WayLinks is a proprietary, secure linking script that adapts itself to your own site’s design (leaving no “footprint”). Each site that gets approved for the program is allowed to acquire 250 non-reciprocal links with 3 keyword variations, pointing to the root domain link, for up to 50 domains per account.
Your site will receive links from quality sites, as well as linking out to other quality sites in the network - but NONE of the links are reciprocal. And each site in the network is scanned to ensure Google inclusion, so that no one is linking to a site that’s been banned or de-indexed.
The links are built across the network of other participating sites (there’s thousands), and range from PR0 to PR7. They’re also added gradually, so as to appear natural.
Jonathan Leger (founder, creator of 3WL) is also currently in the process of developing a new & exciting feature for members. I emailed him about it a few days ago - here was his response in his own words:
“Hi Chris,
The new one-way linking system lets members create a “helper” site which they install a script on which creates a categorized link directory. Each “helper” site links to whatever links the other members have configured, so that each member gets 1,000 true one-way links per helper site they have in the system. You can have up to 10 helper sites for each account.
Jon”
So in brevity, very shortly, in addition to generating 250 non-reciprocal links per site for up to 50 domains (under PR4, sites in your account with a PR4+ don’t count against your quota), you’ll also be able to potentially get up to 10,000 true one-way links for your desired keyword as well.
(Hint: that’s powerful!)
3WayLinks is $47 per month, but for the results you can currently achieve for keywords and keyphrases with medium competition in practically any market - this makes it a bargain.
LinkVana Overview:
LinkVana is basically an insider access-panel that allows you to publish anunlimited number of one-way, in-context links across an ever-growing network of established blogs. The network includes literally thousands of different domains across a variety of IP addresses and C-Classes.
Each link is posted within a short text blurb (blog post) consisting of about 100 words, or a paragraph in other words. This can be done by you, your writer, or it can be outsourced through the LinkVana panel for $2 per post.
The beauty of this system is that these are contextual links that, when posted, end up on established sites with few outbound links per page. This means that your incoming links will have much more value than links in a directory.
There’s also no participation required from your own site - no code to install. These are true one-way links in every sense.
LinkVana is currently $147 per month at the moment, and is scheduled for an increase to $197/mth shortly. There is a member cap of only 300 members. That may sound like a lot for the price point, but considering how well this works, how much of a shortcut it is for generating links, how many people want to boost their search rankings, and how many people can generate a massive ROI from their membership - the 300 member limit will be reached very shortly.
That’s an overview of both services - now let’s look at each one’s strengths and weaknesses:
3WayLinks Strong Points:
* Truly Automates the Link-Building Process. You simply plug your site into the program, and you’ll gradually attain 250 non-reciprocal links over the course of a several weeks, without lifting a finger.
* Tracks Your Ranking Progress For Each of Your Sites. Your user account panel at 3WayLinks is very intuitive and useful. You can see the effectiveness of your linking campaigns in real-time right from your 3WL account.
* Perfect For Mini-Sites, Adsense Sites, Small Product-Review Sites, etc. If you’re targeting long-tail or mid-tail keywords with traffic, then this is a TOTAL no-brainer for you. Let the competition kick and scratch for the coveted terms with 4 million competing sites while you clean up with the automatic rankings for keywords that fit the “desperate” profile in Part 1 of Confessions of a Lazy Super-Affiliate…
* Perfect For Building a Network of Sites Within a Niche. I mentioned using “kindling” sites to gage the effectiveness of layouts, “angles”, keyword clusters and so on in niches simultaneously to see which direction to take with your actual authority sites, feeder products and so on in a previous post. 3WayLinks makes ranking these “kindling sites” a total breeze, and you can later feed the traffic and pagerank from your “kindlings” to your authority site within the niche for an instant influx of traffic, exposure and “link love” when the time is right.
* The Price is Right - To Say the Least. $47/mo. had better be what EACH of your sites is making from the automatic rankings you get from 3WL - if not, then you’re either selling a total dud, or targeting ridiculous keywords (or markets)! In all seriousness, though, it’s excellent money for value. More than worth the membership fee…
Check Out How 3WayLinks Works Exactly >>
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LinkVana Strong Points:
* Truly Unlimited One-Way Links. These are real one-way links, inside a contextual paragraph, on well-established sites that Google spiders daily. Many of these sites are over 6 years old. Each site is made up of only UNIQUE content, and none of it is “spun”. The users create it, and after approval - it’s posted.
* Build Authority for ANY Page on Your Site. This is a huge benefit with LV that provides a massive edge on your competitors in practically ANY market. Getting EACH of your site’s profitable pages (product reviews, etc.) ranked highly is easy when you can literally blast an unlimited number of high-value backlinks with your desired keyword anchor at each specific page.
* Zero SEO Risk. If you don’t want to risk the potential discounting of links or perhaps a domain that get discovered in a 3-way scheme by SE algorithms, then LV is the way to go. The only thing you’ll ever see as a result of using LinkVana effectively is an increase in SE presence. (The built-in posting delay prevents mass-link postings from being published in close proximity, so as to appear natural).
* Links Can Be More Natural, More “Authentic”. This depends on your own posts within the LinkVana network, but it gives you the option of literally using as many keyword variations (and landing page variations) as you want, resulting in a much more natural-looking backlink pattern for your site, from in-context links no less. This will result in the building of a rock-solid ranking foundation in practically any niche.
* 300 Member Cap is a GOOD Thing. This basically assures you that you’ll be up against anywhere from little to ZERO competition within the LinkVana network itself for your niche keyword targets.
Check Out How LinkVana Works Exactly >>
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3WayLinks Weak Points:
* Limited Links Per Domain. Only 250 links can be acquired for each domain, which are made up of a variety of 3 different keywords as the link text. Also, only the root domain (home page) can receive links. LinkVana supports unlimited backlinks, unlimited keyword variety and ANY page of your site can acquire one-way links.
* Your Site Must Link to Other Participants. In exchange for automatic non-recip link building, your site needs to “give in order to receive”, in the way of links out to other pre-approved member sites in the 3WL network. This can result in pagerank leak, which may lead to lower rankings than other sites competing with you that have a similar backlink foundation, but with less outlinks.
* Only 50 Domains Per Account. 3WL only allows 50 domains (under PR4) per account. Sites whose homepage have a PageRank of 4 or higher don’t count against the quota. Adversely, LinkVana allows unlimited projects to be created.
* Google Can Allegedly “See” 3-Way Links. I’ve done research on this, and the general consensus among respected professionals in the SEO industry is that Google can spot 3-way links. I have no idea how, but technological advances in search algos is beyond my understanding, so I’d definitely say that a 3-way footprint “may” be visible. Though your site won’t be banned for participation, the more likely scenario is that the links obtained from the network may at some point be nullified in terms of SE value.
(But still, this only makes it a shorter-term strategy at worst, because it works very well at the moment, which can still be used for list-building, sales, profit, propogating authority sites, etc.)
LinkVana Weak Points:
* Links Are Self-Created, Not Automatic. Unlike 3WL, LinkVana is sort of like a priveledged publishing arrangement, rather than an automatic script that creates gradual backlinks for you on auto-pilot. Work or outsourcing is required. Each post can take up to 3 or 5 minutes to create.
* It’s Not a Forgiving Membership Fee. This is sort of a “good” barrier to entry for existing members, because it protects the network of sites from idiots with crap sites who are happy to generate a few bucks a month from each site. This means that members will lean towards creating quality posts, to quality sites, which will then get quality rankings. Still $147/mo. is definitely not chump-change.
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So What’s the Verdict?
As you can see, LinkVana is the more powerful of the two options, with its flexibility, no-risk rankings and unlimited, true one-way links (to any page on your site).
However, at $147/mo. (currently), it’s definitely not an impulse decision. You need to be very comfortable with SEO, keyword research and understanding how Google, Yahoo and MSN “tick” in order to get the biggest bang for your buck with LinkVana.
Much like full-scale graphics editors like Adobe Photoshop - LinkVana is very powerful, but only in the right hands. It’s also expensive, and that’s the trade-off. It’s not for everyone. And it’s not necessarily for every site, either…
3WayLinks is currently an awesome tool for getting hands-off rankings for mini-sites, small review sites and small content sites whose purpose is to act as a “kindling” site, which will eventually link to your:
* Authority site(s)
* Product(s)
And so on.
So to be honest, the best possible option here is to do what I’m doing - subscribing to both services and playing them each to their strengths for maximum search engine penetration.
I use 3WL to build passive, effective backlinks (and rankings) for my mini-sites and small review sites that will pump out consistent profits (when the traffic hits), while eventually serving as feeders for my authority sites and products.
I use LinkVana to generate authority for each page that I want to get ranked for its target keyword - especially specific product review pages. It’s not uncommon for product-review pages to convert at anywhere from 5% to 10% of COLD search traffic, so even a small amount of search traffic can be VERY profitable.
I also use LV to give me an edge overall with ranking for the major search terms, especially for authority sites or product sites. This, in combination with articles, directory submissions, press releases, bookmarking, and natural organic voluntary links from other sites (based on site usefulness or news-worthiness) leads to a very effective and agressive SEO strategy that leaves many of my competitors dumbfounded.
What Should You Do?
If you’re new to the game and want to improve your current rankings for an existing small affiliate site (or a few sites), then 3WayLinks is a no-brainer for you. It will improve your rankings if you choose the right types of keyword targets. It’s been very effective for doing so with several of my own, small, 10 to 30 page mini-sites.
That’s where it really shines - especially because it’s automatic. It’s perfect for a network of mini-sites where you can simply get the site created, plug it into 3WL, submit a few articles and directory submissions, and then move on to the next site…
If you’re at the stage where you’re building authority-sites that have content worth linking to and a proven profit model in your niche, than LinkVana is going to stretch your dollars alot further (if you put in the effort). It’s a MAJOR shortcut, making it easy to acquire the hardest possible variable in off-site SEO:
True, contextual, one-way links from established sites.
You can literally build thousands of one-way links for any white-hat, quality site, and any PAGE on that site. And unlike article submission, each link is “unique”. (It’s not stuck in a byline that’s identical to the other 950 sites that published your latest submission…)
Closing Words…
Both 3WayLinks and LinkVana are very effective, representing a major shortcut in time and effort for anyone who knows first-hand the almost unlimited amount of traffic (and profit) that can be extracted, for free, from the most-popular starting points on the internet itself: Google, Yahoo and MSN.
If you’re brand-spanking new to all of this and still have to maneuver your way around the basics of website creation and keyword research - neither of these will make sense for you at the moment. Get your first site live, and use article marketing to get things going at first. (It takes awhile, but it’s free and it does work - but it also requires a LOT of work).
If you have a few sites, but want better rankings that get “some” results - but don’t have much money to spare - then seriously consider 3WayLinks. It’s an easy, automatic way to get ranked for most “mediumly-competitive” keywords rather easily. It usually takes about 2 to 3 months to see results.
If you know the game well, then you’ll already see the major ROI potential withLinkVana, and you don’t need my critique to make your own final conclusion.
Here’s to conquering the search engines, one site at a time 
All the best,
Chris Rempel
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