Search engine optimization (SEO), the process of optimizing your site so it can best be found by search engines, is a complex and multi-faceted undertaking. The tactics employed by SEO professionals are for the most part the result of years of testing and re-testing. This is because Google, Yahoo and Bing aren’t willing to reveal the ingredients in their secret search sauce (i.e., algorithm). SEO professionals use trial and error to uncover the recipe.
There are numerous factors used to determine rank in search results. One factor that we know is imporant is inbound links.
A little link background
The most simple definition of a link is “a reference to your Web site, product or service on another site.” This link has code beneath the text or image that is not visible to the reader. It instructs the browser (FireFox/Internet Explorer/Safari/etc.) to send the reader to your Web site when they click on that text or image. The code looks like this:
<a> href="http://www.yourwebsite.com">Link to your Web site</a>
How do inbound links influence search engines ranking? Think of links like votes: more links means more votes. Here we have a perfect example of democracy in action. Search engines trust that if enough sites are willing to refer their visitors to your site, then it must be worth visiting.
Sounds simple enough, right? Like all things search, there is a wrinkle here. Search engines also consider the authority and reputation of the site that links to you. For example, a link from the New York Times is more valuable than a link from the Trenton Times (no offense intended, but Trenton is a smaller market).
These checks and balances prevent search engine rankings from becoming purely popularity contests. The site with the most inbound links doesn’t always win.
Tags: link strategy, search engine optimization, search engines, search marketing, SEO, site links
