Rethinking Linking - Link Exchange
Back to Basics
by: Kai Virihaur
In the old days of the internet, links were the primary communication
path between web sites. Search engines were not as sophisticated as today,
and search results rather crude. Actually, even today links are reported
to be more used than search engine results; but the latter are increasing
their share.
In a way, this began to change when Google entered the scene. In an
effort to make search results more relevant, Google implemented an algoritm
that judged the quality of a web site by the number of other sites linking
to it. It seemed rather obvious that a popular, much linked-to, site should
be of higher relevance than a site with few links pointing to it.
Unfortunately, as webmasters realized this a frantic stampede began.
Everybody did whatever they could to secure as many incoming links as possible.
One example: In my own field, web hosting reviews, there is a site that
has (according to Yahoo) 4,000,000 incoming links pointing to it! Yes,
FOUR MILLION links! By comparison, Microsoft.com has only about 3,000,000
incoming links!
I won't speculate on just how those 4,000,000 links were collected,
but surely it can't have been by manually asking those 4,000,000 webmasters
for a link exchange! And I also doubt that the 4,000,000 webmasters just
spontaneously thought "Wow, I will put up a link to this cool web hosting
review site"! Yes, even cooler than Microsoft.com, evidently.
As we all know now, Google got tired of having its search results manipulated
in this way. So they tweaked their ranking algoritms (one tweak widely
known as the dreaded "Florida Update"), to put an end to these methods.
They started actively punishing web sites that were caught using devices
such as "Free For All" link exchange sites, and implemented many other
measures also; too many to mention here.
So, getting many inbound links is a dead concept now? That is what some
people claim, but they are wrong! What IS dead is the idea that links are
nothing but search engine food. Rather, we are getting back in the direction
of the good ol' days, when links were not there just to bait the search
bots. Some folks may have forgotten that links really are there to serve
as paths of communication for Real People. Inbound links to a web site
means paths for humans to enter, and browse the content. And that is what
all of us webmasters want: VISITORS!
This also means: stop trying to manipulate search engines. Keep your
directory of links, if it does provide some real value to visitors. But
if those links are just a messy jumble, hidden somewhere in a dusty corner
of your site - repent! Get those links out of the closet, let them breathe
some fresh air!
About The Author
Kai Virihaur is a web developer, researcher, and artist. He runs The
Hosting Finder (http://www.thehostingfinder.com),
a web hosting directory featuring articles and RSS feeds on web development,
web site promotion, and internet marketing.
Next Article:
Internet
Directory Submission, Sure Way To Link Popularity
Most major search engines these days use links from human edited directory
to measure the quality of the site they index. That is why you should place
emphasis on the type of website or directory you list to and how to do
that..........
Build a High Traffic Ranking
Online Business Web Site That Works and Sells
Do you want to build an online business? Or perhaps use a Web site to
expand or leverage your offline one?
Online or off, regardless of what type of business you have or are considering,
no matter what your niche may be,
Site
Build It! (SBI!) is the way to do it...
Do not just build another UNvisited Web site. Instead, build a site
that attracts warm, willing-to-buy visitors... success guaranteed. Site
Build It! do not just guarantee "satisfaction" -- SBI
guarantee TRAFFIC-and-business-building success.
Links Exchange Home : Reciprocal
Links Exchange Trading Tips
Article Home : Work At Home Online Business Opportunity Tips
| 
