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Link Popularity

Link Popularity and Google PageRank

What is Link Popularity?

Link popularity can be simply defined as the total number of qualified web sites or web pages linking to your web site. Measuring the Link Popularity of your web pages is key to achieving a front page position on the search engines.

Why is Link Popularity important?

Link Popularity is important to search engine optimization as it is the most efficient way to increase Traffic to your web site and to boost your search engine rankings. Increasing your link popularity is both time consuming and laborious but it does bring its rewards.

The benefits of increasing the number of relevant web sites linking to yours are two-fold....

Direct Traffic

Increased Link Popularity brings with it a constant stream of highly targeted visitors. Other than time and labour, this increase is achieved without having to spend an advertising penny and has no recurring cost. The web traffic that is generated through links from other web sites is both constant and regular. If you own a retail site, it is fair to say that linked visitors may also view your site in a better light, as they have arrived at your web site via a recommendation (link) on another site.

Search Engine Rankings

By increasing the link popularity of your web site, you can substantially improve your search engine positioning. Search engines tailor their algorithms to promote web sites which have high link popularity. The engines judge a site to be more relevant, if thought to be pertinent by other webmasters, working on the basis that it wouldn't make sense for a site owner to refer his visitors to a site that has no Relevance to their needs.

Link popularity is an ideal weapon for the search engines, as they are constantly waging a war against rogue search engine optimization companies, who use underhand techniques to try and trick the search engine Spiders into believing that a web site is something that it isn't. Link popularity is difficult to abuse, as it's difficult for optimization companies to have control over thousands of websites with high page ranks with relevant content. If they do try to dupe the engines in this way, it is fairly easy for the search engines to spot the underhand tactics and take the relevant action. This means that link popularity is a safe bet for the future, as search engines are likely to reward link popularity for some time to come.

Link popularity and Google

Link popularity has seen search engines like Google, re-write the standards in search engine optimization. The methods that worked three years ago no longer work and in many cases are considered as Spam by the engines. In fact, Google's approach to ranking web sites now relies heavily on link promotion and link quality. In describing their own ranking system (PageRank), Google's web site states,

"PageRank relies on the uniquely democratic nature of the web by using its vast link structure as an indicator of an individual page's value. In essence, Google interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote, by page A, for page B. But, Google looks at more than the sheer volume of votes, or links a page receives; it also analyzes the page that casts the vote. Votes cast by pages that are themselves "important" weigh more heavily and help to make other pages "important."

Link popularity is not as simple as arranging for hundreds of unrelated web sites to link to you, as this approach will not help you attain first page recognition. For Link popularity to benefit your web site, you must be linked to established web sites that already have a search engine listing, and who have relevant content, related to your own web site. Links from relevant sites are considered to be 'more relevant' by the search engines and will help your Rankings improve. On top of that, any visitors that follow a link from a relevant site are likely to be a more targeted and a better quality prospect.

Link Popularity summary

If link promotion is carried out correctly it can have a significant effect on both search engine positioning and on the targeted traffic visiting your site.

Link promotion is not a difficult process, but it is time consuming. It is, however, worth investing the time to increase your link popularity.

An effective link campaign involves locating well ranked websites with a theme relevant to your site and contacting the webmaster in a professional manner asking for a link and explaining how a link to your web site will benefit his site. Once you have increased your link popularity you need to organize your link promotion campaign, ensuring that you can track the responses and follow-up on the original email where necessary. Don't become a nuisance - if you don't receive an answer for your second email, simply target another web site to link to.

Link popularity is important. Once you have set up your promotion campaign, put aside time each week to ensure that it runs smoothly and that your link popularity grows steadily, week on week.