An incoming link is a not a right, but a privledge. You might see one or more of your competitors sites listed, this does not mean you will be accepted. Conditions may have changed, the site owner may have decided that there are too many submissions in a particular category - any of a number of reasons can mean that your request was turned down. If this happens to you, be courteous and accepted the result. Take this opportunity to correct the situation, if there is a valid reason. Above all, be persistant and re-submit at a later time.

Remember the site owner is always correct (it's his or her site). What's that old saying, "the customer is always right?". Well, in this case, "the owner is always right". At least, you need to behave as if they are, which is basically the same. if the site owner posts specific information about the type of sites they will or will not link to - there isn't anything you can do to change it. If you site does not meet the guidelines, either correct the situation (if correctable) or move on. Similarly, if there's nothing of substance to your site, and it's just a few lines and no substance, it will likely be rejected. Don't think you can beat the system, because link request are processed manually. So, your website is right there front and center for the site owner to see.

Success or failure will depend on how you approach the link request process. Always be professional in submitting your link request (remember to spell-check and proofread your email). Be as brief as you can. Always email out from an email address thats related to the site, eg @yoururl, rather than from a free email address. This is very important. Don't over sell your site, be honest about what your site is about.

Follow other links already on the target site, explain very briefly how you'd like your link to look. For example, if all the other links have a 15-20 word description and a title, supply your own title and appropriate-length description. If all the other sites have a short title and nothing else, that is what you should do. Don't forget to include your URL! and contact information

As soon as you send the above information, make sure you record the details of the link request. Typically, it may take anything from a few hours to a couple of weeks (very long in the competitive directory listings market) for a response to a link request. It is possible that you may never receive a response, yet your link ends up being added without comment. Always check before any follow-up approach. Always thank the site owner if your site is added to their listing.

If you've allowed at least two full weeks to pass since your initial approach (and in the absence of anything on the site that would indicate requests take longer to process) consider sending an email to the site owner again, with a brief cover note explaining that you submitted to them on XYZ date and was wondering if they'd had a chance to review your submission, and if additional information is needed.

If nothing happens after sending the follow-up email. Back away, the site could be no longer in service or just not professional (your website is not valued). This is why we are in the business, to find the good sites and promote them and inform you about the sites to stay away from.

Best of luck in securing inbound links. It is definitely beneficial and worth the effort!