Ok, I described here a short SEO link definition, now it is the right time to tell you how to value a link. Yes, as you guess, every link has its own value, and an incoming link from exemplary Techcrunch gives so much better link power for your site than exemplary blog that you are reading now. There are a few variables that affect on final amount of SEO link value. All of them will be useful to link exchange as well as they will be usable by text link buying (on eBay, for example).
- What PageRank was given for site that linking to you?
The higher Google PageRank, the better link power. Just remember - PageRank is up to date only once in a blue moon, so always there is a chance to miss a trick. Find out more about PageRank on Wikipedia.
- How many pages that site has indexed in Google?
If all pages of some site are indexed, you know that Google Bot is working here well, so everything with incoming links, navigation and hosting must be alright.
- How many links has that site has (according to Yahoo)?
Always check number of incoming links according to Yahoo. Google won’t show you all of the links, and also MSN is a volatile one. In that topic trust only Yahoo.
- How many outgoing links that site has?
Usually numbers higher than 20 are bad. Usually, but not always - in my own opinion it depends on relation between the content and outgoing links. Take a look on Engadget sidebar.
- Does that site have different IP to yours?
This note is rather for those who try to save up on their hosting. No different IP numbers for your sites - no pretty SEO effects by using links between them.
- Where’s is your link?
Some people think that link position matters. I really don’t know are they right or not, but someone made a simple test of it. I must say that it is a fact - search engine spiders visit a link from the top of the page code more often than link placed somewhere in the end of code.
- Geolocation
To all intents and purposes in every practical sense - if you want to be on the first position on result pages for “Apartment London” query for German Google users, you have to get text links from German sites.
- Are there any SEO tools that will be helpful?
Well, there are many. I’m using tools from Link Vendor, also you can check some SEO Firefox extensions.
April 24th, 2007 #
[...] easy. Just do a recognition of competition on top ten resualts. Find out strong links with desirable anchor text of the top results sites for desirable keyterm. There are some tools [...]
June 26th, 2007 #
Brief post. I learn quite abit from here. Thanks!
August 10th, 2007 #
[...] user… Of course not for advanced ones, six months ago I published a post with a few tips how to value text links. You can take a gander at my writings, guess it’s still [...]
August 13th, 2007 #
As the developer of WP Text Ads, I have thought about this question of valuing text links.
It’s not difficult to create some algorithm to attach a dollar value to a text link, but the more important question is whether that algorithm makes sense.
For example, the PR we get in the Google toolbar is not accurate. Incoming links don’t tell much since many spam sites could be linking to it.
So how do we properly and reasonably value a text link? I think there ought to be a more transparent way. If anyone has an idea, I’d like to know since that would benefit my users at the Marketplace.
August 13th, 2007 #
Hey Alex,
I totally agree with you - this post is far away from being comprehensive, so issues like expiration of PR or fakes were simply not mentioned. I’m gonna give you a list of all essential factors (IMHO of course
), hope you will be interested. Just let me think about it…
Thanks a bunch for inspiration!
August 13th, 2007 #
Thanks! I look forward to receiving it from you.