Savvy1’s article on links

[alwayslearning1]

Savvy1’s article on links was very enlightening because it was not the same stuff I have read over and over about this subject. It was well written and clear but there are some things I am not sure of.
Is an authority factor were we link to someone and they choose to link back help link popularity the same or better than link exchanges. I got the idea that link exchange is not as helpful in link popularity.

Finaly if we link to a site and they link back creating an authority factor how do we know they have linked back

[Connie]

Not sure about the article, but quit worrying about links and who links back to you. Link to sites that help your visitors whether they link back or not.

[Quadrille]

Originally posted by alwayslearning1
Is an authority factor were we link to someone and they choose to link back help link popularity the same or better than link exchanges. I got the idea that link exchange is not as helpful in link popularity.Some call it 'organic' - you link to who you think would be useful to your readers, other sites do the same.

A proportion will be, coincidentally, reciprocal, and that's fine. A link exchange, where the strategy is all reciprocal, is a different ball game.

Link popularity really should mean just that - a good site will attract more links than a poor one. Go for quality, and popularity will follow.

You need to select your content such that it pleases the audience you want to have for your site.

You know who you want (and why); only you can make that tough decision on what to include. The successful sites are those that anticipate the areas of interest of their target audience: there's no short cut, and it's something you need to do for yourself, if you want your site to be unique and still do the bizz.

Alas, no one said it will be easy - it won't. It deserves long and careful thought.

Any research should be research among YOUR AUDIENCE - encourage feedback, and give them what THEY want.

Good Luck!

[WebSavvy]

Please note that it was written back in 2002. Things have changed a lot since then.

Links aren't what push your popularity in the search engine (and it never was) -- it's content that does.

By having good content your visitors will come back more than once and others will link to you, naturally. That's what gives you an "authority factor."

If you develop your niche well enough and become the most established resource for information on your particular market/niche/genre then you will become an authority in the eyes of the SEs.

You gain hub factor by having links out to other sites that are in the very same market/niche/genre as your site is in.

Theme is very important. You cannot simply willy-nilly link to every Joe Blow site and have them link back and expect to become both a hub and an authority. It doesn't work like this.

Example, Microsoft is an authority because they have the most developed resource for Microsoft information (and rightly so).

They're not a hub because they don't link out to other Microsoft information sites en masse.

Link wisely both out, and in. Develop your content carefully and establish your resource as a one-of-a-kind product and you'll have better ranks in the SERPs and more visitors.

[g1smd]

A link to the article would be nice...

[WebSavvy]

It's the first one here (http://www.ihelpyou.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4530) in my articles thread here at IHY.