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Dear Bruce,
BRUCE ARNOLD is sending you this newsletter to help
you make better use of the
Internet for business results and personal success.
This is a complimentary publication, and you
can unsubscribe by clicking the
SafeUnsubscribe(tm) link below at any time.
LET'S TALK ABOUT LINKS ... what they are, how they
work, why you need them, and where to get them.
What Links Are
The World Wide Web is a medium through
which millions of websites serve up billions of web
pages, most written in HyperText Markup Language and
interconnected via "hypertext links", also
called "hyperlinks", or simply "links".
A "link" is a selectable connection between one web
page or object and another. The most common form of
link is a highlighted image or string of text that, when
selected by the click of a mouse, retrieves the linked
object for viewing. The highlighted image or
text is called an "anchor", which together with its
"reference" comprises the link. Here is an example of a
link where the anchor text is "Click here for
winning web design" and the referenced object is our
home page:
Click here
for winning web design
Links are what makes the World Wide Web a web. And
as you will learn by reading on, the quantity and quality
of links can have a significant impact on both the
search engine rankings and overall success of an
Internet website.
click here for more . . .
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What Links Connect |
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For purposes of discussion, links can be categorized
based on what they connect:
"Internal links" are links from one page at a website to
another page or object at the same site. Internal
links are used, for example, to build the navigation
panels that enable website visitors to select which
pages they want to view.
"External links" are links from a page at one website to
a page or object at another site. That other site
might be located anywhere on the Internet, so these
are the links that make the web "world wide". External
links are either outgoing from, or incoming to, your
website. "Outgoing links" are anchored on a page at
your website, and reference an object at
some other website. "Incoming links" are anchored on a
page located somewhere other than your website, and
reference an object at your website.
As a website owner, you have complete control over
your "internal links". There are also few restrictions on
your ability to incorporate "outgoing links" to just about
any web resource you choose. "Incoming links" are a
different story: Incoming links must be created by
parties controlling other websites, who must been given
the motivation and resources necessary to do so. All
links are important to a website's search engine
rankings ... incoming links more so than others.
click here for more . . . »
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Why Links Matter |
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Links are important. Without links, there would be no
World Wide Web ... and no search engines to sift
through what approaches the accumulated knowledge
of man. Links are logical constructs that have proven
to be as fundamentally enabling to the traversal of
global information as wheels are to land-based
transportation.
Internal links are important to website visitors because
they indicate organization, enable navigation, and
highlight key content. They are important to website
owners because they can be combined to form
alluring architecture that conveys prospects to
desired calls-to-action. Well-designed internal links
improve search engine content rankings as well as
visitor experience ratings.
Outgoing links are important to website visitors because
they can provide pointers to complementary websites
and related online resources. They are important to
website owners because links to authoritative or
influential references can establish credibility and
reinforce key messages. Well-designed outgoing links
increase rankings, ratings and return visits without
interfering with focus or interrupting presentational flow.
Incoming links are crucially important to both website
owners and visitors ... because without them, there
might be no website visitors! Over 99% of all first-time
visitors are conveyed to a website by an incoming link,
most of them served up by search engines.
The "quantity and quality" of incoming links are as
significant to search engine rankings and website traffic
generation as "repetition and reinforcement" are to
traditional advertising. A well-planned web marketing
program targets and motivates a rich mix of sources for
incoming links ... and a well-designed website provides
the resources that enable them.
click here for more . . . »
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Increasing Incoming Links |
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There are dozens of ways to increase the number of
incoming links for your website. First and foremost,
though, you must (a) implement a plan to target
and motivate other website owners to link to your site,
and (b) provide other websites with the resources
required to enable those links.
The best incoming links to have are those served up in
the first 20 positions of search engine results, and the
best way to get there is to have your website
(re)designed and keyword-optimized for Pervasive
Positioning(tm). With some search engines, however,
the full benefits of on-page optimization can only be
realized in conjunction with a sufficient base of other
incoming links.
Other sources of incoming links include listings in online
directories (general, categorical, commercial, industrial,
organizational, political, social, professional, etc.),
participation in reciprocal link or link exchange
programs, mention in online news media, and references
from other websites--especially those of
complementary entities like business associates,
partners,
suppliers, contractors, clients and customers.
Aside from search engines, which incoming
link sources to target and how best to target them
varies widely depending on your focus, value
proposition,
intended audience, branding and positioning, targeted
search phrases, competitive density, and a number of
other variables. A qualified web
marketing professional can deliver an effective plan, but
it is up to the website owner to act on it.
click here for more . . . »
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Improving Incoming Links |
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Effective web marketing plans must consider not only
the QUANTITY of incoming links, but more importantly
the QUALITY of those links. So, how do you measure
the "quality" of an incoming link? There are several
criteria, but the three most important have to do with
the anchor text, the link URL, and the referrer or source
of the link.
"Anchor text" is typically the highlighted, underlined
text that, when clicked with a mouse, selects the web
page or object located at the underlying link URL. The
quality of a link is increased if the anchor text includes
keywords reflecting the content of the web page or
object located at the link URL. If you have a link to the
website of a web designer named Bruce Arnold, for
example, then "Web Design by Bruce Arnold" would be
higher quality anchor text than "Click here for Bruce
Arnold".
The "link URL" is the web address (or file name) of the
page or object selectable by the link. As with anchor
text, the quality of a link is increased if the link URL
includes keywords. If you have a link to the contact
page of a web designer's website, for example,
then
"http://pervasivepersuasion.com/contact_web_designer.
html" would be a higher quality link URL
than "http://pervasivepersuasion.com/contact.html".
The "referrer" or source of the link is the web page
where the link is displayed. Generally speaking, a link
on a website with high search engine ranking, heavy
traffic and/or direct relevance offers more quality than
one with low rankings, light traffic or no relation to
subject matter. There are serious exceptions to
this rule, however: To avoid the gotchas,
we recommend you give us a call.
click here for more . . . »
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99 ... 97 ... 95 ... 75 |
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99% of all Internet users reference search engines to
find what they are looking for. 97% of that traffic goes
to the Top 20 listings for any given search. 95% of
Bruce Arnold's web clients hold multiple Top 20
positions for their targeted search terms. Over 75% of
Bruce Arnold's web clients hold multiple NUMBER ONE
positions on major search engines.
In other words, Bruce Arnold (re)designs websites so
that they look good, rank high, get traffic, and MAKE
MONEY for their owners. Isn't that what business
web design should be about?
click here for more . . . »
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Share This With Others |
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interest or benefit to your friends, colleagues or
business associates, so why not share it with them?
If you view our newsletter as HTML, you can use
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click here for more . . . »
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