Factors that determine the value of a link

The links are on the internet "gasoline" and are essential for a proper positioning of a web project.

But how well worth all the links?

The answer is a resounding NO, the value of a link depends on numerous factors. Be the main factor of success and web positioning for years we can not just quantity (brute force) but also in quality (selection).

In internal carry over some months studying in detail the "power" it provides a link to the target web. I spent too much time-possibly-to analyze and measure results and I have studied dozens of reports from experts in positioning, mainly Americans, to reach some conclusions that I share here.

Disclaimer: My intention is not to create any kind of debate, much less talk excátedra, this is just an opinion and I only think that perhaps, as I have led months of reading, analysis and testing with more than 30 domains, this information may be useful to others. I realize that some people may not agree with these findings.

I have no doubt that some of the things listed can become mías misperceptions, and especially when they spend time aging. The SEO should be interpreted as a progression, a "great equalizer in a stereo, where the disc-jockey, who lives in California, meets every month for a little button that music will sound different. Ie, the relative value that may be made of this data will require relativizing wants to work his way through time. What today, tomorrow is worth less influence.

Each incoming link goes to a different site. This value is usually positive, but it can also be neutral or even negative. This varies tremendously positive value, the value that a link is going so different from each other links that becomes key to find the interpretation that provide the greatest possible value .

These are some of the key factors, some known and others are perhaps less common:

Anchor text:
What is anchor text?. Anchor text is the underlined text that includes the link. It is a key to search the web link in a canal linking semantic determined. This is one of the most influential factors in the value of a link, which provides for the positioning of the index by keyword. This is something well known and obvious but not least. Actually use the good and varied anchor correctly is very important.

Besides being a good tool if used well, abuse may damage positioning a concrete floor. If a significant amount of quality links to a web with several different words, this does not harm and provides "value" to the site, but could lose weight and relevance in a given search, and therefore positions in the word. That is, if your site is film, and the majority of incoming links say "cinema" and begins to have many others who say "movies" in both number and quality, the negative effect may be lost in searching Rank "film" to have a noise generated is not clear which position yourself to Google, if one search. Personally I prefer to be top3 in a search before top 7-10 with 2 different searches.

Age of link:
Links age unevenly. I worry that there was an element of wear on the links, that a fixed link will eventually "expire" or diluting value. We have not seen so and we have to test links within our network since 1999. Appear to continue as active as the first day. What if we found is that old pages that still grow (still receiving regular links) have a much higher weight to pages that are orphaned and had a significance that is diluted with time. Is like wine reserve, if the page continues to receive more valuable links and this is "time" improves outcome.

This is particularly interesting blogs vs websites conventional analysis, because the organization of WordPress as a CMS and blog content are rearranged in chronological order and that, failing to receive incoming links to this post regularly, leads to the links can age than other portals on an average over 2-3 years. Horizontal portals according to their architecture, often thematic and structural (not chronologically), it is possible to receive incoming connections even without a timeless updated content. For as we develop websites and blogs, is an interesting factor to consider when making decisions. In fact, to launch a new project is an issue we should discuss now.

Type of links:
There are variants that make differences. Many times I thought that the answer was obvious and I finally decided to check it without trust my instincts or what is supposed to read and socially (in that I have brought many surprises).

For example: Is it better to have a contextual link, linking to an image ALT attributes? After several tests I have concluded that a link is working and going to be much more textual value in an image even if it is linked using the ALT attribute .

The most curious of our tests is not that, that could be assumed, but we have found differences in perception of the Google Image ALT attribute. If the image type icon is small, or medium, apparently functions less and less valuable the link to an image bigger. It is as if there were 2 different scales according to size and they bring a different value. That means that at least we've seen linking to images range in size if they matter.

I have read and it sounds logical, but I have not checked but I'm at it (have to wait a bit yet, if someone is interested in knowing the outcome that I put in comments and I will know), which sizes images do not pass link value, it would be the most common sizes of banners, especially the 125 × 125 300 × 250, 728 and 468 × 90 × 60.

Bulk linking:
I call it serial link. I am not saying that these links (which we all use mostly) have no value (is not all that bad, very, more or less but sum), but if we believe there is a huge difference to what can be detected and treated link as "serial" and what not.

If your site has 1,000 pages indexed in the menu and there is a fixed link, the individual value of these links is much lower potential, which could have an individual ability to spend every page. That is, in my opinion the evidence I've done, it is possible that in some cases, even more value to pass a single link from your page if you have no more capacity many outgoing links (selective vs brute force), which if it included a link on that page and many more of the same site in the same manner and form.

A link "serial" in all HTMLs a portal that "there is no unique value," which could be interpreted by the browser as it can be a network, exchanging links, purchasing links etc. with what is valued to a lesser extent.

Textual relevance:
The relevance of the text that accompanies the link (text near the source code, not to be confused with the Anchor Text) is an important medium, but I have in mind. This is a factor in the future value of the links and going over what we even think that in 1 years may have more weight in the value of the links now. A recent Google patent called "Extensive testing is focused on interpreting the significance of the text near the semantics and synonyms vs actual content of your site and anchor text. Obviously Google has researched and patented ... to use and improve the classification and value of semantic context by following the links from them.

Location:
For me an important media, which many people do not value and that is increasingly weight is the location of links within the html.

I think that a link-type in the footer and / or the blogroll in a blog if we have lost much weight on the value that could transport link. The maximum value is in the body of content, and between sentences with a minimum distance from the next and previous link.

The footer, the menus of a site, the blogroll perform much worse than a text link with an appropriate anchor text in an article in a topic relevant to our content.

MSN documented in a study as valid various links footer links to the rest of the web. It is a logical evolution, the location is key in attempting to flee the footer of the blogroll of fixed menus and the links followed by free text.

There is a trick to put the footer above the entire source code, but that, if a list of links, in my opinion will not solve the problem.

Reciprocity:
For years I have seen an intense debate whether an exchange of links was valid or not for positioning, I have heard all kinds of views. Those who know me know that I do not like to exchange links, even if within the same thematic and generally recognize that in such case is still valid having less value than a link in one direction only. What if we can ascertain, is that if the site where reciprocal links are located, is a footer, a menu or blogroll even though relevant to the theme, worth close to Google.

The basis for a strategy of linking should not exchange with sites similar theme. Inbound links are necessary if you are looking for without reciprocal results.

That exchanging links is the same issue is important, but my perception is that it works worse than 2-3 years ago. Some studies estimate that fall by up to 50% less power.

Determine the target:
It is increasingly important to distribute the inbound links as possible. A link to your homepage is very valid and distributes that value to the website, but much more true is to have balanced the number of inbound links to internal (main sections linked directly) that your main page.

If a site A and B being equal, a link to my homepage (www.dominio.com) and another at a section (www.dominio.com / section) found that the value is distributed and provides greater direct measure of the link. That is, the key can be given with a high number of inbound links directly to key distribution points inside. If the content is perhaps the best links to your root will come alone, you could focus on the inmates.

Authority:
Possibly this is a different authority from the pages of the major internal and links can not be valued the same way. In any case that the internal page directly (and not just the domain) seems to have many inbound links boost the effect of the link.

Total links in a page:

Google says it only reads 100 for html links. Is that true?. I will not be anything to discuss Google, but I think a "standard" relative. We have sites with high authority and assume that manage more than 100 links per page and as we read them and send Google PageRank without any problem. This would mean, which is usually the case, a limit of 100, but with exceptions depending on the size of the page.

Number of outgoing links:
It is obvious that the number of outgoing links, divides the received quality of a link. Nothing will get you a PR6 or PR7 link if 20 or 30 points to external sites besides yours. Too often buy PR7 links in pages, which sold tens of links to websites simultaneous Not a good idea to make these purchases are a risk, sometimes by theme, language, and location are very obvious to detect and if not detected, the high number of outgoing links and the monthly rotation of the same make you shortly.

Inbound links from the same domain:
They are especially valuable and necessary in a proper web architecture levels, but far less valuable than external. It seems that if a tendency to avoid penalties, it is "natural" ratio of internal versus external links, there must be proportionality.

Age of domain:
Whenever I see that at the age of the domain refers to the date of registration. Even domainers selling "valuable domains" since its first registration is 90 years. I do not agree, the old is VERY important. But this "old" does not mark the date of registration. What determines the age of a domain is the date of first reading of the browser, so that old domain parked for years, have no value. But if your domain along with a thematic content of the index from 1995 - 1999, these links are real gold. For me it is clear that one of these links being equal, has much more value than one from a similar web theoretically much younger.

Relevance in the outgoing links:
The links must have a certain thematic consistency. If a car web site links a web of music, a playground, a craft and a dozen other topics it is possible that the relative decline of the links. Similarly accompany you on one html link for other questionable content, such as those relating to casinos, viagra, adult, or are in a language different from yours or who are penalized for some reason have a direct impact on other html links, and therefore affect the value of this link to your website. This is one of the primary reasons for which I do not like buying links, you can not control those factors, which, although not negative, neutral and you could be pagándolos and not keeping in mind.

Page Type:
In recent times it is speculated that the links. Pdf are beginning to have greater weight and value to the links. Html or php. It is a rumor that, if true (we're trying it in a few months we will know something, say so, if anyone wants to know the outcome of the tests, which leave it in comments and conclusions have to send you an email) will be a SPAM huge in these types of files the next year and consequently, reduce or eliminate that advantage, and even medium-long term but may become less penalizing value neutral.

TLDs:
It is assumed that. Gov or. Edu are able to transmit much more value. That seems to be a standard that is largely in agreement. Thus limiting the navel of the world and USA is not fair. What does seem clear is that the "trick" of forcing inbound links to your web pages from servers by some American universities with urls. Edu in the end are personal pages of students, no longer works. No more bargain for those who explored it for months and years. Although few Spanish rioja tested.

What if we found is a very interesting effect of using inbound links from Country TLDs. A few months ago Google.es solve the positioning of a domain-based links from domains. Com.

Webmaster Tools What took months to resolve (because the domain was not a Country TLD. S) despite having selected Spain as a country to have settled on the basis of brute force from the links under Spanish domain servers. Com. This may be a good alternative to improve the presence of domains. Tv. Fm etc. in Google.es generally slow in responding to the geolocation using Webmasters Tools.

Tags: anchor text, Country TLDs, links, SEO experiment; links, Google, important links, geolocalizados links, page rank, positioning, promotion, SEO, webmasters tools