Understanding Link Building
Posted by Casa De SEO - Matt at Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:59:00 GMT and is filed under Search Engine Marketing 
What is link popularity?
Well it is best explained like this, it’s the number of links pointing back to your site, with the idea that the greater number of links means the more popular your website is. Search engines are known to increase ranking based upon link popularity.
It should be said, that the major engines (Google especially) are no longer only looking for the sheer number of links pointing back to your website, but focus more on the quality (page rank) and relevancy (related subject matter) of those links pointing back to you.
Link exchange isn't just about generating better search engine ranking, it is about generating sales through cross marketing your website through others that are in your industry. If you just run amok and try to exchange links with everyone and anyone, you'll do nothing to but waste your time! The same thing goes If you submit your site to thousands of FFA sites (free for all link pages) then you are really wasting your time! (plus you can plan on a ton-of spam after you submit your website to them)
Focus on Cross-Segment Marketing:
So does this mean you need exchange links with a competitor? Not really, for example; you may sell “Home-Made Texas Style BBQ Sauce” on your website, and you know of another website that sells Barbecues. Well your both in the same industry but you don't compete head to head, but you do share a similar client base. In this case it’s a good fit for both websites to swap links. It should again be noted that this type of linking “will not lead to higher search engine ranking but it will help both website convert more lead and possible increase product sales. These reciprocal links do not boost your page rank because for every link you receive you are also linking out of your website. (this search engine algorithms was based upon the thinking that “if you have the content on your website” you would link internally and not externally)
Affiliate Marketing:
Affiliate marketing programs offer a sales commission for successful leads that are generated to or from your link partner. There sometimes nothing better than a financial benefit to encourage the link exchanging, But affiliate marketing is no guarantee to make easy money with your affiliate partner links. First you have to find the partners, second you have to have something they are willing to promote on their website and then you have the first part of the puzzle solved.
For the second part, you must make sure your link page is easy to navigate and well enough organized so that the link page you offer can be found by users to your site. Don’t forget, you want to make sure that the link page is indexable by the search engine spiders.
Closing Thoughts:
When asking other websites to become linking partners, think cross selling, remember your prospective link partner is interested in selling more, so explain to them the benefits they will receive by cross selling both of your products and services. Link exchange is in many ways about relationship building.
Regards,
Matt your local SEO blogmaster .....
Well it is best explained like this, it’s the number of links pointing back to your site, with the idea that the greater number of links means the more popular your website is. Search engines are known to increase ranking based upon link popularity.
It should be said, that the major engines (Google especially) are no longer only looking for the sheer number of links pointing back to your website, but focus more on the quality (page rank) and relevancy (related subject matter) of those links pointing back to you.
Link exchange isn't just about generating better search engine ranking, it is about generating sales through cross marketing your website through others that are in your industry. If you just run amok and try to exchange links with everyone and anyone, you'll do nothing to but waste your time! The same thing goes If you submit your site to thousands of FFA sites (free for all link pages) then you are really wasting your time! (plus you can plan on a ton-of spam after you submit your website to them)
Focus on Cross-Segment Marketing:
So does this mean you need exchange links with a competitor? Not really, for example; you may sell “Home-Made Texas Style BBQ Sauce” on your website, and you know of another website that sells Barbecues. Well your both in the same industry but you don't compete head to head, but you do share a similar client base. In this case it’s a good fit for both websites to swap links. It should again be noted that this type of linking “will not lead to higher search engine ranking but it will help both website convert more lead and possible increase product sales. These reciprocal links do not boost your page rank because for every link you receive you are also linking out of your website. (this search engine algorithms was based upon the thinking that “if you have the content on your website” you would link internally and not externally)
Affiliate Marketing:
Affiliate marketing programs offer a sales commission for successful leads that are generated to or from your link partner. There sometimes nothing better than a financial benefit to encourage the link exchanging, But affiliate marketing is no guarantee to make easy money with your affiliate partner links. First you have to find the partners, second you have to have something they are willing to promote on their website and then you have the first part of the puzzle solved.
For the second part, you must make sure your link page is easy to navigate and well enough organized so that the link page you offer can be found by users to your site. Don’t forget, you want to make sure that the link page is indexable by the search engine spiders.
Closing Thoughts:
When asking other websites to become linking partners, think cross selling, remember your prospective link partner is interested in selling more, so explain to them the benefits they will receive by cross selling both of your products and services. Link exchange is in many ways about relationship building.
Regards,
Matt your local SEO blogmaster .....
I tried briefly to find the post but could not. Earlier this year, Matt Cutts stated that reciprocal links have been discounted in Googles algorithms and excessive reciprocal linking has actually created a penalty for many websites.
Unfortunately, very few people outside the search marketing industry have a clue who Matt Cutts is. These people are today emailing dozens of other websites begging for a link that is worthless. I receive a hand full of these requests every day.
I delete them.
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Hi Terry,
I just posted another entry on Link Building ( Understanding Link Building ) and in the article I state that reciprocal linking will not help with page rank or SEO but if done correctly with other businesses that complement your products or services, you should gain a better quality visitor, thus hopefully resulting in higher conversion rates and sales from these type of referrals. that is all reciprocal links should be used for "cross selling".....
The old school thinking of just getting the links pointing at your website is "going to get you nothing". Worst of all it could lead to a decrease in page rank or even the Sandbox if you are not careful.
It's all about quality links (page rank) and the content as it relates to your subject matter. Affiliate linking is only advisable if "you can control who links to you!
Thx for the input/////////
Matt your SEO blogmaster
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Very well said.
Linking for actual click through visitors would definitely be a reason for reciprocal linking. Unfortunately, over the years, I have found almost no visitors actually come to my web sites through a reciprocal link.
That would be because of the accepted reciprocal link directory format almost every web site had on their site. In reality, reciprocal linking is basically what paid linking turned into, a means of adding PageRank to one's site.
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