Definition of a backlink: Backlinks, also known as incoming links, inbound links, inlinks, and inward links, are incoming links to a website or web page. In basic link terminology, a backlink is any link received by a web node (web page, directory, website, or top level domain) from another web node. (Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backlinks)
You might not yet be aware of backlinks and their value. Search engines look at your website’s backlinks and factor various aspects of these backlinks in, when determining where your site will rank in searches. In short, backlinks count.
Let’s consider what Google (everyone wants to rank high with Google, right?) factors when looking at your website’s backlinks:
The amount or number of links to your site. Obviously the more the better, but you should always take the next factors into account when trying to increase your overall link count.
The quality of incoming links. Google will look at where the backlink to your website is coming from. You want to be on sites appropriate to your industry and that are of high quality wherever possible. Obviously, a site of high quality will not add a link that isn’t of equal quality, they will want links that improve their webpage’s overall value. So if your site stinks, don’t expect many other sites to want to link to yours.
Our extensive testing has shown that while “thematic” links definitely do help, links from non-related sites help as well. Its about finding the right balance and creating a strategy that is as organic and natural as possible. Having all one way links to your site and no reciprocal links, or links from all the same type (ex: bookmarks vs. directories) will look un-natural.
How a link changes over time. If you use the same text and the same keywords throughout your links you will get what is called “Anchor Spam”, which has a low value associated to it. You want to be sure to not only vary what text you are using in your links, but vary the text over time (remember, link building is an ongoing process). Target 6-10 keywords and be sure to vary that throughout your links over time.
How often a site is adding links. You want to consistently be adding links and increasing your backlink count. That being said, you don’t want to add links too fast as you may be considered a spammer by Google. It isn‘t about having thousands of links to your site, it is about adding as many links as you can over time that are quality and as natural as you can find. Creating content that goes viral (video, promotion, article, blog post, etc) can potentially get you thousands of links naturally, but it typically takes something special for that to happen.
The lifespan of a link and the site it is on. Spam sites build a lot of links in a short amount of time then close down (effectively ending the link). So Google looks at the history or lifespan of a domain that a link resides on, and associates more value to more history. Also, if a link is “turned off” it is no longer being counted towards your overall backlink count.
Be sure to focus on building backlinks for your website, but consider all the factors beforehand. The overall count of backlinks isn’t the only thing that is going to be looked at. And don’t forget, there are Internet Marketing Consultants that can help you build quality backlinks.
Search engine optimization is the first thing internet marketing consulting professionals will mention when trying to increase your website's performance within search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. SEO is the method of creating lots of high quality, keyword focused content on your website and blogs so that search engines can index and present that content within search engine results.
What do you do when another website is proving to have content that is seen as equal to yours by the search engine? How can you stand apart if you're already doing all the "On-Site SEO" you can?
The next step to improve your search engine ranks is with "off-page" optimization. You may refer to off-page optimization as link building. It is the act of building links back to your website from other places on the web and increasing your authority or what simply equates to votes back to your site. A link or vote from another website tells the search engines that this site is interesting or worthy enough to receive a link back.
Not all links are created equal and you want to make sure that you do not cut corners when promoting your site. Look for high quality blogs, social media sites, associations, relevant directory listings, and press release sites that you can share content with. Do NOT SPAM! Spamming link farms or other people's sites is a sure fire way to get your website into trouble with the search engines. Keep in mind that all of these link building opportunities all become components of your overall web presence, so make sure you are using sites that are worthy.
A quick blogging example - if you read several industry blogs to stay up to date on news consider leaving a comment. Blog comments are designed so that your name (or the name of your business) links to your website. If you leave thoughtful and relevant comments they will receive approval from the moderator and link back to your website.
Another way to increase your off-page optimization is to write articles on article sites like EZine Articles, HubPages and Squidoo. These articles appear on these sites and link back to your website and can also be found organically (independent of your site) adding another channel for your marketing.
YouTube is an opportunity to upload videos and optimize them with your keywords linking back to website. Video has become very popular and it gives you the chance to show your target audience exactly how your service or product works.
Social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter offer you the opportunity to share links back to your website on your social profiles. Social media marketing is a great way to build links however it's important to remember not to over market your business through social media. Social media is about building relationships, not pushing your product, and Facebook posts are not indexed by search engines.
Press releases are another opportunity to anchor links back to your site while sharing important information with your consumers. If you are launching a new product or service, moving locations or expanding your company and bringing on a new team member announce it to the public through a press release. You're increasing brand awareness while also building links back to your site.
Ultimately if Google sees you and another site as equals in terms of the industry information offered on your site, it's the off-page links that will set you apart and move you ahead for a better search engine rank.
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