Oh my god! Did I really just say you should link to a competitor? As we keep going with our series, 28 Days to Build a Successful Blog, it is time to discuss something which causes many to think I am completely crazy.

Since our focus here at Blog For Profit is on how to use a blog to market and promote your business, we could be talking about linking to a direct competitor. And I know this. And I also know many of you are reluctant to do this. To illustrate my premise, let me use a law firm blog as an example.

Most business blogs and professional service firm blogs are narrowly focused on what you are selling or offering as a service. In our example of a law firm blog, lets consider for a moment a family law practice. One which handles matters of divorce, custody and other family law issues. Your office is located in a major city and there are hundreds, if not thousands of other attorneys and law firms handling the same kind of cases. You just started a new blog and you soon discover there are a few other family law bloggers in your city. What should you do?

You should link to your competitor’s blog.

I am not talking about putting up one of those much loved blogrolls. I am talking about linking to them in a blog post as an organic link. Taking what they have written about in their blog, adding to it in your own post and linking to them. Taking their post and putting your own take on it and applying it to your target audience, and linking to them in the post. Remembering to keep your post and their link relevant to each other.

By putting a link to this competitor in a post you have written you are going to accomplish at least 3 things:

• You are going to get noticed by this competitor
• You are going to be providing information to your readers
• You are going to show your readers you are serious about providing them with information they can use and understand.

And I know you are asking why you would want to be noticed by a competitor. Because you just might develop a relationship with them. And they might refer matters to you just like you might need to refer matters to them. No matter what business or professional service you do, you can not handle all of the customers or clients which walk through your door. Why not use your blog to develop a relationship with another business or firm who is using a blog to educate their audience like you are doing with your own blog.

Linking to a competitor is like building a new fast food restaurant, best place to build it, right next to a McDonalds.

Your assignment if you decide to accept it.

Your homework for today is to write a post that is relevant to your audience. Put at least one link to a competitor by using one of their post which is relevant to what you are writing about. And don’t forget to do a trackback to them so they know. Chances are they will know even if you happen to forget the trackback. You are going to be amazed at what happens. They just might contact you and a new relationship might form.

Please leave your comments on how you feel about linking to your competitors. “Lets keep the conversation going.” And don’t forget to check out Blawging Lawyers, a new membership site Michael Martine and I are involved in. We will be announcing more soon, so sign up for our free report and to get updates as they are announced.