So, What's This Link Popularity Thing? And How Does it Effect Search Engine Placement?

Link popularity is a ranking criteria used by some search engines in an effort to provide popular, relevant search engine results. The basic idea behind link popularity is that high quality web sites tend to have more links pointing to them then low quality sites do. "Popular" sites (those with a higher link popularity) are given a boost in search engine rankings. Link popularity is just one ranking criteria used along with other relevancy factors. Google was the first search engine to use link popularity and they have been highly praised by searchers for providing relevant results. Many search engines have followed Google's lead, including Excite, Lycos, AltaVista & others.

Link popularity is not just determined by the number of links alone. Other factors are analyzed including the quality of links and the context of links. Quality means that a link from Yahoo would weigh heavier than a link from Cindy Lou's Home Page. Context means that a link to your Weather Information page from the National Weather Service would weigh heavier than a link from Smitty's Favorite Bloody Mary Recipes site. Those search engines are pretty clever, aren't they?

Improve Link Popularity to Boost Search Engine Rankings

Now that you know the importance of link popularity, you should all be working to increase the links pointing toward your web site. How can you do this? Should you go crazy getting as many links as you can possibly find, adding your site to every FFA (Free For All) links page? Should you go out and create a whole bunch of domains yourself and link them to each other? Nope, don't waste your time, neither of those activities are going to help you. Don't forget that you are seeking quantity as well as quality & context.

Since you're going after quality links, look for sites that already have top search engine placement or that are linked to prominent sites. We also know that context of the link is considered, so target links that are related to your industry. If your keywords appear in or around the link, then all the better! Of course, you don't want to approach your direct competitors, so try to locate web sites that are somehow related to your own site. If you sell shoes, you might want to link up with a company that sells socks.

How do you go about asking for a link? Either submit your site online through a "submit your site" page or email the webmaster to request a link. In your email, explain why you think your site should be added to the site in question. Express why you think your site would be a great resource for others and also include a suggested listing. This will save the webmaster some time if they don't have to write up a description on their own. You can also be sure to include your top keywords in the description, which is helpful for the context issue. It's always best to offer a reciprocal link back to the site in question, if possible.

Don't stop there though. Make it easy for other sites to link to you. Put up a page on your site that has simple instructions for linking. Including the html code of the link to copy and paste is a great idea. You might want to consider adding content that encourages linking. Write an article that serves as a helpful resource or post useful information that others are seeking. Even purely commercial sites can do some creative thinking to come up with some useful content that goes along with their products or services.

Oh yeah, there's another great benefit to establishing links besides the link popularity element. The links that point your site will also drive traffic on their own. Make sure to analyze your web logs to see which sites are referring the most traffic to you. (that's a whole separate article!) And then make a point to foster those relationships by communicating your gratitude and offering a reciprocal link if appropriate. Establishing links should be an ongoing exercise. Always keep your eyes open for linking opportunities, you may be surprised how often you come across suitable linking candidates.

About the Author:

Amanda Muchnick is a Project Manager at Webster Group International, an Internet marketing company specializing in search engine optimization services. Amanda has a Bachelor of Journalism in Advertising from the University of Missouri Columbia. Amanda has worked for a web design firm, an ISP, and an Internet Marketing company. This experience has given her a unique view into the development, hosting and marketing of web sites.

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