October 6, 2006 I know there is a lot on this blog, but it just started and I want to get a lot of the basics on here so we can start to get into the good stuff. I’m also gonna try to categorize the basics so that we can reference them as needed. So now I want to talk about link popularity. We will discuss the basics of this, then get into the coding anchor tags so hold on to your butts…it’s gonna be fun. Google, as stated many times, wants to make the Internet «easier and more organized.» This is a big debate lately as some results they provide are lacking in both of those areas, but that’s what they are trying to do according to them. One thing Google does is look at how the rest of the community feels about you. Let’s say I sell cars. I post a sign, but my lot is far back from the road and hard to see. Well that kinda sucks, how am I gonna sell cars this way. So I go to my local repair shop one day, and talk with the manager. I say «Dude, if you get a customer that comes in, and needs a new car, why not send them my way.» So Mr. repair guy is cool with that. So this brings me a few customers, and as time goes by, my customers refer me to more customers. Well one day, the mayor of SEO Town gets his car repaired, and is told about my lot. He gets a shiny new car for his daughter. Wow. The mayor now knows about my lot and liked my service. He tells all his friends. This will bring in a lot more customers. And these customers will spend more money because they are higher in our food chain. The mayor happens to have a cousin in a major car manufacturing plant. When he finds out about me, I get a ton more business. Who wouldn’t buy a car from a place that was referred to by the car maker? This is great and dandy, but my lot is still so removed from the road. And then it happens. The state newspaper does a poll and everyone in SEO Town refers my lot as the best car sales lot around. So the paper gives me all sorts of space in the periodical. Now, everyone that picks up the paper will see me. Now, I can afford a new lot with a better location, and even some advertising. I’m gonna sell many much cars. This is Google. Google is the newspaper and everyone one of these customers is another site. Some of those referrals from these other sites definitely helped, but when the car manufacturer (a very «important» site) decided to plug me, I got a lot more attention, especially when Googled asked about me. You want a link on other pages that point to your site. This is link popularity. But more importantly, you want links on other pages of sites that are relevant and rank well. This is quality inbound links. This will help in online business in 2 ways. First, for a while you will get hits from that other site and probably some business if it’s a good site and people trust them. Second, after a while Google will crawl the Internet and see that all these relevant, well-ranking sites link to you. Google will say «Dude, this guy must totally be werd up.» (That’s really how Google talks. Really) Now, a link is not a link. You could have a banner on someone’s site, and that will bring traffic, but not help in Google like it could. What you want is a «text link.» This is just a simple link with no pictures or frills. And here is the reason. This is what a link looks like in HTML: My Site This is technically called an anchor tag. All that will show on the site is the ‘My Site’ part, but will likely be underlined and can be clicked to go to the ‘http://www.wspseoguy.webword.com’ site. Now, look at the ‘My Site’ part. This is what everyone will see and will be real text on the site, so also what the search engines will see. You would really want this to be a search term. So maybe SEO Service would be more appropriate since I would want to be found by that term if I were optimizing this blog to be found when someone types «seo blog.» You will want as many of these out there, and really target sites that are relevant and rank well. Well what the hell, SEO Guy? How do I get these links. My customer will be clueless. Well, I can’t give away a bunch of secrets. Perhaps the next thing we will talk about is directories, but for now I’m really tired so let’s do it like this. Do a search for the terms you would like to be found under in Yahoo!, Google, and MSN. See all those results? Those are potential link partners. Every website has/ should have a contact e-mail address of some sort. Send them an e-mail. Tell them what you’re site is all about. Make sure to have a link to their site first, and ask if they would be cool with linking to you. Most sites are all to obliged to do this, and some even have a form that you will simply need to fill out, automating the process. You should shoot for the relevant sites for the first three pages on the results. Then, go to their «links» page if they have one. See all those links? Those are likely already link partners and have a higher chance of being willing to become link partners with you. Obviously this is SEO. There is a little more to it sometimes, and there are tricks you can do to legitimately get links. One thing I would like to warn against is «Link Farms» or «webrings» or any service that can guarantee «thousands of quality links in minutes,» or anything like that. These are not quality, never legit, and will almost always be frowned upon and known by Google.

I love you all. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

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