TNX.net – The new link builder on the block
moneyrelations :: Oct.20.2007
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Since starting Money Relations, this blog has allowed me to learn a multitude of topics that go beyond the niche of personal finance and investing. To become a “serious” webmaster, you need to concern yourself with content, marketing and search engine optimization. For most bloggers, it’s hard enough to come up with the content, let alone worry about the other aspects. For those who are unaware, search engines, like Google, take content and the amount of incoming links to a website in consideration when returning search results. The links act as votes in favor of your website for a particular keyphrase. Obviously, the more incoming links you have (hopefully from quality websites) the better off you are of getting organic hits from search engine results pages.
I was approached to write a review for a new company called TNX.net that helps with this type of link building. The TNX system (pronounced “thanks”) allows advertisers to buy links from publishers’ web pages. The concept is not new but it throws in the twist of introducing a point system. Points are the currency to buy and sell links within TNX. Obviously, there is a monetary value behind the points and at the time of writing this post, advertisers can buy links at 1000 points for $1.2. There is a tiered system of how many links you can buy with your points. For example, with 20,000 points, you can buy:
20 000 different PR0 pages from different websites
400 different PR1 pages from different websites
200 different PR2 pages from different websites
100 different PR3 pages from different websites
40 different PR4 pages from different websites
20 different PR5 pages from different websites
Conversely, link sellers can sell their points back to the TNX system at 1000 points for $0.64, or to other TNX users. Another option is to hold onto the points as the cost per thousand points is expected to grow by 2% every week for both publishers and advertisers.
TNX also offers an affiliate program.
Having researched TNX and read other reviews, I decided to give TNX a try. The set-up process was extremely easy and it literally took less than a minute to sign up and to add my blog as a publisher.
I went through the motions of adding an advertising campaign but I need a defined strategy before I go ahead with that. From what I see, it’s an easy 3 step process as well. There is also Live Support where you are able to “chat” with a real person in case you have any questions and then have the transcript emailed to you. It was great service!
Although the signing up process was easy, I found it difficult to gather information about the company for this review. If I was a prospective registrant, the first thing I would like to see is how much the points are worth to buyers and sellers. After all, that is TNX’s main draw and it should go on the home page. I would also like to see what I can do with the points. I had to do some digging for the point system seen above for the 20,000 points shopping spree. This information should be front and centre.
I would also liked to have seen more transparency of requirements for the publishers. Although there is a FAQ, I found this within member pages: Webmasters are not allowed to add “nofollow” tags, use frames, Javascript or other methods to hide the links from search engines. Fair enough. TNX allows publishers to review the links they permit onto their website but this is still an important aspect given Google’s stance on buying links. I believe that buyers and sellers can make their own decisions, and as long as both parties have quality sites, this should not be an issue.
TNX has been successful in ranking highly with search engines for their competitive keywords such as “text link ads”, “text links”, etc. and they offer their tips in the highly respected webmaster forum, DigitalPoint.
There is also a promotional offer of 2000-5000 free points by TNX in DigitalPoint and you can buy some free links to give the system a try, but first you need your TNX id. To join TNX, please consider my referral link.
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