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Secret #6: Links
The Internet's World Wide Web is a medium through which millions of websites serve up billions of web pages
written in a language called HTML and interconnected via hypertext links, also called hyperlinks,
or simply links.
A link is a selectable connection between one web page or object and another. The most
common form of link is a highlighted image or string of text that, when selected by the click of a mouse, retrieves
the selected page or object for viewing. The highlighted image or text is called an anchor, which together with its
reference comprises the link.
Links are what makes the World Wide Web a web. And as you will learn by reading on, the quantity and quality
of links can have a significant impact on both website search engine rankings and the overall success of an Internet
website. For purposes of discussion, links can be categorized based on what they connect:
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Internal links are links from one page at a website to another page (or object) at the same site. Internal
links are used, for example, to build the website navigation panels that enable visitors to the site to select
which pages they want to view.
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External links are links from a page at one website to a page (or object) at another site. That other site
might be located anywhere on the Internet, so these are the links that make the web "world wide". External links
are either outgoing from, or incoming to, a website:
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Outgoing links are anchored on a page at the given website, and reference a page (or object) at some other
website.
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Incoming links are anchored on a page at some site other than the given site, and reference a page (or object)
at the given website.
Through their web designers or webmasters, website owners have complete control over their internal links. There are also
few restrictions on their ability to incorporate outgoing links to just about any web resource they choose. Incoming
links are a different story: Incoming links must be created by parties controlling other websites, who must been
given the motivation and resources necessary to do so. All links are important to a website's search engine rankings
... incoming links especially so.
Connecting
All links are important. Without connecting links, there would be no World Wide Web
... even in West Palm Beach ... and no search engines to sift
through what approaches the accumulated knowledge of man. Links are logical constructs that have proven to be as
fundamentally enabling to the traversal of global information as wheels are to land-based transportation.
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Internal Links. Internal links are important to website visitors because they indicate organization, enable
navigation, and highlight key content. They are important to website owners because they can be combined to form
an alluring architecture and convey prospects to calls-to-action. Well-designed internal links improve search
engine on-page content rankings as well as visitor experience ratings.
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Outgoing Links. Outgoing links are important to website visitors because they can provide pointers to
complementary websites and related online resources. They are important to website owners because links to
authoritative or influential references can establish credibility and reinforce key messages. Well-designed
outgoing links increase rankings, ratings and return visits without interfering with focus or interrupting
presentational flow.
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Incoming Links. Incoming links are crucially important to both website owners and visitors ... because without
them, there might be no website visitors! Over 99% of all first-time visitors are conveyed to a website by an
incoming link, most of them served up by search engines. The "quantity and quality" of incoming links are as
significant to search engine rankings and website traffic generation as "repetition and reinforcement"
are to traditional advertising. A well-planned web marketing program targets and motivates a rich mix of
sources for incoming links ... and a well- designed website provides the resources that enable them.
Increasing
There are many ways to increase the number of incoming links for your website, three being positions, partners and
planning:
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Positions. The best incoming links to have are those served up in the first 20 positions of search engine
results, and the best way to get there is to have your website (re)designed and keyword-optimized for
Pervasive Positioning™. With some search engines, however, the full benefits of on-page optimization
can only be realized in conjunction with a sufficient base of other quality incoming links.
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Partners. Other sources of incoming links include listings in online directories (general, categorical,
commercial, industrial, organizational, political, social, professional, etc.), participation in reciprocal link or
link exchange programs, mention in online news media, and references from other websites--especially those of
complementary organizations like business associates, partners, suppliers, contractors, clients and
customers.
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Planning. Aside from search engine submissions, which incoming link sources to target and how best to motivate
them varies depending on website focus, value proposition, intended audience, branding and positioning, targeted search
phrases, competitive density, and a number of other domain attributes and variables. A qualified web marketing
professional can deliver an effective plan, but it is up to the website owner to act on it.
Improving
Effective web marketing plans must consider not only the QUANTITY of incoming links, but more importantly the QUALITY
of those links. So, how do you measure the quality of an incoming link? There are several criteria, but the three most
important have to do with the anchor text, the link URL, and the referrer or source of the link:
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Anchor text. Anchor text is typically the highlighted, underlined text that, when clicked with a mouse, selects
the web page or object located at the underlying link URL. The quality of a link is increased if the anchor text
includes keywords reflecting the content of the web page or object located at the link URL. If you have a link to
the website of a web designer named Bruce Arnold, for example, then Web Design by Bruce Arnold would be higher
quality anchor text than Click here for Bruce Arnold.
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Link URL. The link URL is the web address (or file name) of the page or object selectable by the link.
As with anchor text, the quality of a link is increased if the link URL includes keywords. If you have a link to
the contact page of a web designer's website, for example, then contact_web_designer.php
would be a higher quality link URL than contact.php.
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Referrer. The referrer or source of the link is the web page where the link is displayed. Generally speaking,
a link on a website with high search engine ranking, heavy traffic and/or direct relevance offers more quality than
one with low rankings, light traffic or no relation to subject matter. There are some serious exceptions to this
rule, however. If you want to avoid the "gotchas", we recommend you give us a call.
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