Home
>
Web Site Promotion
>
To Link or Not To Link - That Is The Question

To Link or Not To Link - That Is The Question

You know the drill. Everybody claims that in order to obtain and maintain a favorable ranking on the search engines you MUST have reciprocating links on your website.

This supposed "must have", so the theory goes, is necessary because the search engines look at links to your website from other sites. The search engines then rank the importance of your site based upon the number of inbound links to you. The more inbound links, the higher the ranking on the search engines. Or so the common wisdom would dictate.

While I am not saying that linking doesn't have its benefits, it is my belief that most SEOs over-emphasize the importance of this area. Ask yourself this?if my business sells domain names, why do I have a reciprocal link for www.nosehairtrimmers.com? How insipid do you think Google really is?

Besides the obvious amount of time that managing a linking program takes from other more important tasks, such as improving your site content, are you really getting any bang for your buck?

Ask yourself these questions:

* How many site visitors actually LOOK for your link partners as a resource?

* How many referrals are you getting from your link partner's site a month?

* Can site visitors even FIND the links page without a GPS and a magnifying glass?

* Are you offering a benefit to your audience or just playing the "Search Engine Two-Step"?

I submit to you that a linking program can be more effective if you follow these guidelines:

* Keep your links within your "industry umbrella".

* Linking to a site that has no advantage or benefit for your visitors shouldn't be there.

* Make your links "findable" on your website and offer them as a value-added service.

* Organize your links into categories to enable quick searching.

* Limit the number of links and categories to those YOU would want to use.

Links can be a valuable tool if managed properly but I firmly believe you would be better served taking all the time you are now using for linking activities and use it to write better, fresher and more readable CONTENT.

Search algorithms change and evolve all the time. What worked yesterday to artificially inflate your search engine rankings will not necessarily work tomorrow. Google is already been said to be "de-weighting" the importance of linking and placing more importance on relevant content.

When this whole internet thing began there was an expression that sadly we don't hear much anymore although it is truer today than ever before: Content Is King! Ergo: You had better possess the ability to tell a good story, regularly update your site and have relevant, thoughtful content. I don't care how many links you have, without content you are just playing the game.

Remember; design your site to tell as good story because robots and spiders are not the only visitors to your website. Real live human beings might just show up one day looking for something to read!

Allan Gunnneson is the CEO of Gunner Web Group (http://www.gunnnerweb.com), a website design and marketing company based in Kansas.

Online reprint rights granted as long as the article is published in its entirety, including links (http://www.gunnnerweb.com). Copyright ? Gunner Web Group, 2005

bathroom cleaning service Deerfield ...

In The News:

Data broker opt-out forms may not protect your family. People search sites can still expose your info through a spouse's or parent's profile.

Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 with a PROLED XDR OLED display, but the non-touch M6 model costs $900 less at $1,999.

Black Friday deals are already drawing scammers who use fake delivery notices and gift card payment requests to steal your personal financial information.

Apple's iPhone Duo reportedly outlasted the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 by over three hours in battery tests, but its weight and repair costs raise concerns.

Florida Polytechnic University's Jetson ONE eVTOL police vehicle named Astro still awaits FAA authorization before officers can fly operational patrols.

OpenAI's new locked chats feature lets you protect ChatGPT conversations with a PIN, Face ID or Touch ID, but there are key privacy limitations.

A phishing email disguised as an Evite fooled a man even after he emailed his friend to verify it, revealing how compromised Gmail accounts aid scams.

Microsoft's AI diagnostic system identified 83% of complex medical cases in a study, more than doubling the 36% accuracy of generalist doctors.

Account takeover threats go beyond stolen passwords as criminals exploit session cookies, SIM swaps and MFA fatigue to bypass your login security.

SpaceX is reportedly pursuing access to 80,000 cell sites to turn Starlink into a major wireless carrier rivaling Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Tech advocacy groups warn that foreign nationals at AI companies like OpenAI and Google pose a national security threat amid a lack of federal oversight.

Singapore researchers built the world's first touchscreen woven into clothing, surviving 50 machine washes while displaying images and responding to touch.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A startup founder woke to $449 in unexpected OpenAI and Anthropic charges after stolen API keys were exploited during the "Black October" cyber wave.

Educational Testing Service hackers stole millions of California student records, but families who moved out of state years ago may also be affected.

Apple's iPhone Duo screens are cracking near the hinge just days after its $1,999 launch, and iFixit's CT scans may reveal what's going wrong.

Travel expert Katy Nastro says 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles vanished from her account after someone redeemed them without permission.

Google AI Overviews can't be permanently turned off, but adding -AI to your searches and using the built-in Web filter can help bypass AI summaries.

Attaxion researchers found 30 fake Texas campaign merchandise stores traced to just two sellers hawking gear for competing Republicans and Democrats.

GM plans to debut eyes-off driving in the Cadillac Escalade IQ by 2028, but safety testing reveals how long distracted drivers take to regain control.

Data brokers assign labels predicting your health, finances and religion based on browsing and purchases, then sell those profiles to businesses.

Elon Musk says he'll give one SpaceX share to every kid in America in 2027, but key details about eligibility and distribution remain unclear.

ClearSpace UK's robotic spacecraft with giant claws will chase down dead satellites at 17,000 mph, with a 2029 launch from Scotland planned.

A fake Social Security statement phishing email uses the SSA logo and a convincing layout, but the sender's domain instantly exposes the scam.

A clean credit report doesn't mean your identity is safe. Six ways criminals can steal from you without triggering a credit monitoring alert.

To Link or Not To Link - That Is The Question

Web Site Promotion