SEO Link Sourcing. Search Engine Optimization involves links. We know this. It’s also known that Quality over Quantity is extremely important to Search Engines (and even more important to me).
But what do Google, Yahoo, and Bing consider to be quality? Not to mention the fact that sourcing links for SEO can be a painstaking process. If we are going to take the time and effort to undergo this endeavor, we need to be sure we get our ROI (Return On Investment) – the link, and not the black-list.
Let’s look at 3 Important Factors to consider when sourcing links for SEO.
Increasing your findability for Google can easily be done by intelligent internal linking structures. But securing quality external backlinks to the page in question on your site from other sites is also a great idea. The Google bots jump from page to page on the Web via links, so the more sites that link to you, the more likely it is that Google will find you more quickly.
3 Important Factors to SEO Link Sourcing
The three factors are:
- Link Authority
- Link Relevance
- Link Accessibility
Now let’s look into these a bit further.
Link Authority
What is Authority?
Some folks like to look at the number of total backlinks as if the high volume equates to quality, regardless of obvious SEO implications. Ultimately, these numbers can often be misleading, however.
For example, blog comments and site-wide links… In fact, many of us shy away from judging anything based on numbers alone. But if you want to get some linking in there for SEO, then you must understand that both Quantity and Quality are very important.
A small site that is an authority within a niche is a great find indeed – more important than simply looking at how many backlinks it has.
Here, it’s not about the site’s link strength, but rather it’s about the trust it has built up. And this trust…You ultimately want it.
Especially in SEO.
Remember the phrase “Birds of a feather flock together”? Well, it sometimes holds true. And most Search Engines assume it is.
So if you want your site to be thought of along the lines of trust, integrity, and thought leadership, you need to associate your online identity with other online identities that rock those things.
Link Relevance
What is relevant?
In the first place, Spam is by all means not.
Secondly, and most ideal, would be an entire website devoted chiefly to your niche topic. With this in mind, your niche keyword research and listing would certainly be useful, as this website would focus namely on those prime niche keywords.
To put in another way, it would be where you want to network and collaborate – perhaps exchange guest posts even; for SEO link sourcing as well as an overall win-win in life.
However do keep in mind that if the site is too low quality, PANDA will drop you. But some topics have HUGE amounts of competition. For example, think about “Ringtones” or “iPads“…
But, think about “Downloadable Ringtones for Macs” or “iPad usage in the Workplace”; now that is a bit more specific, a bit more relevant, and a bit easier to deal with when it comes to link sourcing for SEO.
Link Accessibility
What is Accessibility?
Wikipedia defines Web Accessibility as “the inclusive practice of ensuring there are no barriers that prevent interaction with, or access to websites, by people with disabilities.”
However, not all clubs are built the same. Just get yourself a link from a university or scholarly journal. Simple huh? Yeah, but not easy; not in the least.
Sourcing quality, authoritative, and relative links can be a trick in and of itself. How accessible is it? That’s the last key.
Don't participate in link schemes designed to increase your site's ranking or PageRank. In particular, avoid links to web spammers or bad neighborhoods on the web as your own ranking may be affected adversely by those links.