A
critical element of search engine optimization is the use of links.
Proper use of link structuring is the #1 way to drive your website onto
page 1. Links are also the most "misunderstood" element of good SEO.
Did you know that it counts if your own webpages "endorse" each other?
The first step in creating links for SEO purposes is to be sure you
have hundreds of internal links. A fully optimized site should have
over 500 internal links for a simple 5 tab site. Now that's alot of
links. These links should appear in your tabs, as anchored text links
and links behind images.
Next, you need inbound links. These very important links are posted on
other websites, preferable very popular websites. These sites, via
backlinks, appear to the search engines to be endorsing your site. Kind
of like some popularity is rubbing off on you from the popular kid,
your site receives popularity 'link juice' from the backlinks to your
site.
It is a misconception that having thousands of low ranking sites with
backlinks will help you. While this may have been true several years
ago, quality counts now. Fewer links on relevant, highly ranked sites
is far more powerful than thousands of unpopular sites linking to you.
What about outbound links? There is only 1 reason to have outbound
links and that is to link to sites that will give your site credit for
'new content', such as your blog, twitter account or RSS feed. Any
other outbound links are simply giving away your 'link juice' to
someone else.
Links are endorsements. Make them count with endorsements from within
your site and backlinks from highly ranked, relevant sites. And don't
forget to link your social media sites so the spiders can grab that
fresh content!
