8 replies to this topic

[PatrickGer]

I've read all this stuff that links from authoritative & relevant sites count more...also, that google might not be able to tell perfectly what is not relevant (though probably can tell in some c ases that a link is relevant/from a related site if that site has the right keywords all over the place).

I've read that the harder a link is to get the more it counts - obviously just a rough approximation, but I think it should hold true in many cases...if the link juice a page can pass on is still divided by the number of outbound links it has (in one way or another).

Directory links, forum signature links, reciprocal links (apparently depreciated),... all those are easy to get, lots of people going after them, those dont seem to be a strong signal of quality....and word on the web seems to be that those dont help much (or virtually not at all), nowadays.

However, from some people Ive actually heard that this (reciprocal links dont count at all anymore) and similar stuff is misinformation (as in exaggerated)...that in reality even reciprocal links still help (though not much, but I guess you just have to be better than the competition). This kind of stuff actually made me think that I might overestimate how good a link has to be to 'count' in the SE's algos.

In this other thread some folks on here (dont remember who exactly) said they'd take any link (and nobody disagreed with it).

I thought I had a good idea of it,a nd that if anything, I'd set the bar too high (as in trying to go for mostly good links, even though others would still count).

So...here I stand (sit..) wondering - what kind of links will actually help you boost your SE rankings? And can you even tell? If so how can you tell? Have I completely underestimated this or is MM thinking too critically about it?:-)

PS: I do have some ideas on how to understand/analyze the value of a link for SE rankings......but removed it so this thread isnt too long!)

[Jill]

So...here I stand (sit..) wondering - what kind of links will actually help you boost your SE rankings? And can you even tell? If so how can you tell? Have I completely underestimated this or is MM thinking too critically about it?:-)

They all do one way or another.

Just get a mixture and you'll be fine.

And stop thinking about it so much. Just get links and see what happens.

[PatrickGer]

They all do one way or another.

Just get a mixture and you'll be fine.

And stop thinking about it so much. Just get links and see what happens.

Hey! I hardly thought about this, at all LOL until people here made me think about it LOL

so Im going back to my notion from about 2 days ago and will just assume that I know enough about what links should count and which not! and see what happens

[Jill]

so Im going back to my notion from about 2 days ago and will just assume that I know enough about what links should count and which not! and see what happens

[PatrickGer]

Yet, here I am wondering:

Should I

A) create this piece of content thatll hopefully give me a few dozen of links from highly relevant (same businesses, but in other locations) links....all of which dont have too many links pointing to their own websites (uncompetitive niche)

or

create another piece of content that might only give me a handful of links, from not extremely (but still slightly..) related websites that have lots of link authority pointing to themselves?

Somehow I feel that search engines "should" value A) more......but that in reality will help more.


Do links from businesses in the same niche (but other region) still help any, if they have only a handful or a dozen (not exactly "strong")links pointing to them? Or is this basically a waste of time..and getting less-related links from websites with a stronger backlink profile might help way more?

[chrishirst]

Patrick, just forget totally about what links would SEs "value", or what links are better" for SEs. Simply wipe it for your thought processes. Convince yourself by whatever means that Search engines do NOT exist, because whatever you think are "best" is more than likely totally and utterly wrong.


You don't have to think like the machine, which is where all the "experts" get it wrong. You have to think like the people who told the machine how to think

Just consider REAL PEOPLE in your link building plans. Links are no longer the only way to making your pages position "optimal" and they haven't been for several years.

[PatrickGer]

Thanks for the advice chris,

I really like the idea of getting links for (converting) traffic and seeing the SE ranking benefit only as a big plus of that, but this is a local business site...We c ould discuss this in-depth, now, but I already asked this in another thread (sorry Im not exactly sure which one it was) a day or two ago where Jill (I think..sorry if it wasnt you!@Jill) sort of agreed that getting links from outside the region (no chance of converting them into customers on this local business site) was a good idea...Isnt this the c ase? I think I would miss out on the SE benefit of links for the most part, in case I only tried to go for links from the dozen or so websites that could bring in converting local traffic here.

As for links not being the only factor..yes, yes, yes...hehe..MM has sort of convinced me of this already (that Im a bit too big on the links - thing), but...this is basically the site/business of a friend who allows me to play around with it...and link building, so-to-speak (esp. for this kind of site) is the one thing that I consider a big 'problem' (right now it is one!), the "heck I dont know how to pull this off! Lets see if I can actually do it".

I don't know if I'll be able to get that part down, so this is a bit of a personal challenge to me right now...getting the hang of this and being able to think to myself "yup, you pulled it off and built some decent links to this site (as in non-directory,etc.)". I think once I've done that (and with another site or two), I'll be thinking less about the link building part

I sort of like to tackle the stuff I consider a big problem or a challenge as soon as possible rather than procrastinating it (like taking the most difficult exam in college as early as possible,etc.)...and link building is the one thing (unfortunately I do see it with this site right now!) where Ive been thinking this is probably the part thatll cause me a headache!

Patrick, just forget totally about what links would SEs "value", or what links are better" for SEs. Simply wipe it for your thought processes. Convince yourself by whatever means that Search engines do NOT exist, because whatever you think are "best" is more than likely totally and utterly wrong.
You don't have to think like the machine, which is where all the "experts" get it wrong. You have to think like the people who told the machine how to think

Just consider REAL PEOPLE in your link building plans. Links are no longer the only way to making your pages position "optimal" and they haven't been for several years.

[bobmeetin]

If we get too anal-ytical, as is easy to happen, we will freeze and not be able to make decisions and nothing will happen. With the topic, "link exchange", there is so much antithe-theory and debate around it that the debate becomes a distraction.

You commonly hear rumors, comments that link exchanges entirely for the purpose of improving SEO can negatively impact a web site.

• I link to Joe's site and Joe links to me - bad bad bad
• I link to Mary, Mary links to Joe, Joe links to me - heaven forbid the dreaded 3 way link which if discovered results in even more serious sanctions....

Oh my gosh! So, "How do the search engines know whether it was done to simply achieve more link juice as opposed to a genuine recommendation?" Joe does good work and I'm here to shout it out!

Then comes the "accident". Somehow, magically, perhaps with divine intervention, the Wall Street Journal publishes an article with a link to my website. Ah the gates have opened. So since I want everyone to know this I post a blog, an article, a note on my link page, whatever with a link to the Wall Street Journal.

In my wit and wisdom I've now created a link exchange with the WSJ. Have I done myself in? Or must I set it up a no-follow? (actually it would be nice to know when it's strategical in general to implement no-follows).

I'm just planting the seed that we can over-analyze. My opinion (very humble opinion) is that we should be doing things that are relevant and in good practice with the business. If it looks, walks and sounds like an albatros, it probably is.

[chrishirst]

In my wit and wisdom I've now created a link exchange with the WSJ. Have I done myself in? Or must I set it up a no-follow? (actually it would be nice to know when it's strategical in general to implement no-follows)

It is the same scenario with blogs and "pingback", "traceback" etc, instant reciprocal link (just add content)!


As with most things SE related, "bad" linking is in the intent not the action.