... from non-search engine links."

I don't really understand this line from the "related to..." pages. Where exactly would one find external links to TV Tropes articles, except for search engines? I guess the really big ones would be discussed on other sites, along with links here, but even the smallest articles always seem to have a number there.

The internet is a very big place, and remember that tropers are prolific on numerous other sites as well. These links get out there by many means.

We've got six figures of registered tropers, and probably close to 8 figures in the readership category.

Let's take Violation of Common Sense, after some bashing of the "random" button. Found in 315 articles, brought 350 people to the wiki. And here is where those inbounds are cominc from. If ever you link to a trope page from somewhere else on the 'net, and someone follows that link, that counts as a hit from a non-search-engine link. TV Tropes is of reasonable size, as Confidant said, and people do link here.

edited 2nd Jun '12 1:24:38 PM by Telcontar

Fair enough. I only made this thread because even Only Shop In Town has 2 people, and it's only a small article I launched myself, only a few weeks ago. I never linked to it anywhere outside the wiki, so I didn't see who else would have.

Curiouser and curiouser: I tried that inbound referrals thing and the only thing that came up was a Twitter link that work.

edited 2nd Jun '12 1:41:19 PM by IfOnly

People like to talk about tropes and they like linking to this wiki. We're a pretty popular site.

@5 ... much to the chagrin of several webmasters who don't always appreciate what we're trying to do.

Or, of course, the ones who know just how prone their readership is to going on a Wiki Walk once they get here, and would prefer to keep their readership to stay there.

Or, also of course, the ones who are just tired of seeing tons of people talk about us on their site.

@ Telcontar, where can I find a site for inbounds not related to TV Tropes? A more general thing?

If the site has such a tool, use that. Otherwise, you can't.