Why should I worry about link popularity? A growing number of search engines use link popularity in their ranking algorithms. Google uses it as its most important factor in ranking sites. HotBot, AltaVista, MSN, Inktomi, and others also use link popularity in their formulas. Eventually every major engine will use link popularity, so developing and maintaining it are essential to your search engine placement.
Link popularity can do a lot for your site. Not only will many search engines rank you higher, but links from other sites will also drive more traffic to you.
Not just numbers Link popularity is much more than a measure of how many links point to a site. Search engines use far more sophisticated formulas to gauge how popular sites are. Therefore, developing quality links is more important than ever.
How do I develop quality links? There are many ways to improve your link popularity. Perhaps the most effective method is a link popularity campaign, but this can be time-consuming and complicated if you don't have a clear plan of action.
An OverviewLink popularity * Most search engines use link popularity
* A quality link is relevant, rich with keywords
* The measure of a site's link popularity varies from engine to engine
What can I do to increase my link popularity? The best way to increase link popularity is through a linking campaign. Other tactics of boosting link popularity, such as "Free-for-All" sites and exchange programs, have pros and cons. We outline them below.
Warning: Some search engines, such as Google, say that
FFA sites are an artificial and illegitimate way to increase link popularity. Google considers "link farms" spam, and may ban your site for participating in an FFA or link exchange program.
Developing links 1. FFA sites "Free-for-All" sites are created to capture your e-mail address and offer you a link in return. You can choose a category for your link. Most of the tools that submit to FFA sites, such as Worldsubmitter.com, submit to more than one, but that doesn't necessarily increase your link popularity.
Although links from "Free-for-All" sites aren't particularly relevant (see our discussion of link relevancy), you can control the link's text. Most FFA sites will use your own description of your site as the text of their links. The descriptions you provide to such sites should contain several keywords. They don't even have to be in the form of a sentence.
One downside to FFA links is that they're temporary. These sites receive new links all the time, and your link will quickly be superseded by new submissions. If you plan on using FFA sites, resubmit often -- daily, if possible. Also consider submitting the URL of the FFA page containing your link to search engines to make sure the new link is indexed.
Another downside to FFA links is their poor quality. Most search engines use sophisticated formulas to evaluate links between sites. For an overview of the factors that determine link popularity, see our article on the subject.
Finally, since FFA sites are in the business of gathering e-mail addresses, whatever address you provide will be deluged with confirmation messages and spam. If this is a price you're willing to pay, create a new e-mail box just for FFA submissions. That way you can delete the contents every morning without having to sort through all the junk.
Note: Some search engines, such as Google, disapprove of FFA sites.
2. Exchange programs Exchange programs are comprised of webmasters who agree to link to one another. As a new member, you will be asked to upload pages of links to your server. About once a week or so you will receive new pages with links to new users. Linkstoyou.com and LRSxpress.com links are two examples of exchange programs.
If you enter an exchange program, pick one that groups its links into categories, thus improving link quality. The more specific the category, the better. Find an exchange program that allows you to place your site in a category related to your business. However, we do not recommend becoming a part of a link exchange program because of a possible ban.
The downside of exchange programs is that they oblige you to link to them on your site. Many will request a link from your home page. This link can be either text or a graphic, but in either case it can make your site look less professional.
If you don't want a link in the middle of your home page, look for a way to hide it. Create an invisible link by using the same color for the link and the rest of the text, or make the link a one-pixel-square image. For specifications, refer to the exchange program's guidelines.
Although exchange programs can be more permanent than FFA sites, they are no longer effective. Search engines consider exchange programs "artificial link popularity" and may even ban your web site for participating in such a program.
3. Relationships with other webmasters Many webmasters choose to develop high-quality links through simple arrangements with each other. If you know of a company that is related to your business, contact its webmaster with an offer for a reciprocal link.
When you send another webmaster a link request or reciprocal linking offer, let him know what you would like your link to say. We suggest including a piece of HTML code in your e-mail such as the following:
<a href="http://www.yoursite.com">Your Keywords</a>
Avoid using images as links from other sites. Not all engines index ALT tags, and the use of an image can mean giving up keywords. If you do decide to use an image, ask that a text description be placed at the bottom.
Don't expect every webmaster you contact to link to your site. Be prepared to contact lots of webmasters before you see results.
Which method should I use? Since search engines are now discouraging the use of FFA sites and link exchange programs, we suggest that you focus your efforts on contacting webmasters with link requests. Although FFA sites may have been effective in the past, they are now considered "spam" by some search engines.
Avoid spam Once again, avoid FFA sites and link exchange programs.
An overviewIncreasing link popularity * Don't use FFA sites or exchange programs
* Suggest keywords in link's description
* Check who links to your competition and contact them
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