The Importance of Linking

Internal and External Linking

By Kevin McKnelly

Over the years, the rules of the game have changed for search engine optimization.  That is, what it takes to drive a high amount of quality traffic to a website on a search engine has changed.  In the past few years, something that has always been important has become more important than ever.  That would be external linking.  Google’s algorithm was always about linking, but the situation has now become what one SEO expert calls “Link Wars”.  Gotta have ‘dem links.  Lots and lots of them.  And not just any link, a quality in-bound link.  

 I recently went on a site that I wondered why it was so high on a search result I did on Google.  It had very little content (at least on the home page), and lots of flash.  Usually not a great idea for good SEO.  So, why so popular?  My friend and I did a little digging, and found 1,500 links to this site from the outside ("in-bound" or “backlinks”).  You couldn’t see them anywhere on the page – that information lives on the “backside” of the site.  1,500 links.  Geez. 

 But not just any link will do.  It has to be a “quality” link.  Not from a spammer, not one with a million links to anything and everything.  Generally, you want a link that:

   1.  Has a lot in common with your website content.  A site that may even share some of your key words.  It doesn’t have to be a competitor, but something related to what you do.

   2.  A site that already has a high Page Rank.  Page rank is name after Larry Page the co-founder of Google (rather than a site’s web “page” rank).  You can find out a site’s Page Rank by going to http://www.toolbar.google.com/.  Download the Google toolbar, and on it is a tool that can show a website’s Page Rank. 0 is low, 1 is decent, and 4 is very high.  Take heart, if your site only serves a small geographical area, it will probably always have a low Page ranking. 

   3.  Has few outbound links.  This is a site that isn’t in the business of linking.  If you yourself have a “quality” site with lots of good content (articles, interviews, etc.), you are more likely to talk someone into linking to your site. 

   4.  Is from an authoritative, quality site in your industry. 

 At Red Dragonfly Web Design, we offer SEO Packages that include setting up links for your site.  Our Search Engine Optimization packages include much more than that.  For more, click here, or on one of the (internal) links in the navigation bar at the top.

Hope this helps!

Kevin McKnelly

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