Link Popularity

[cheap-e]

I have a question concerning if it makes a difference what page a link is places on, or is the only important factor is what page does the link point to.
I want to point a link to another site's index page but I don't want the link on my index page.... I want to put it on my link page. In the reverse, I what them to point a link to my index page and it would seem that it would not make any difference what page the other site puts the link on, as long as it points to my index page.

Can anyone clear this up for me..... I have some web friends that think index pages links are the only good links and if the links are on another page, the link loses link value even if the linkpoints to the page that the receipient wants.

I hope the above is not confusing.

[DaveSW]

Are we talking about influencing search engine ratings here?

It is quite possible that a link will be assigned more importance if it's on the main page.

However, most people won't want that anyway, so I'd just go ahead and put it on a links page. If people are interested in other sites then they'll probably browse that page.

[Aronya1]

The reason a link might lose value if not on the index page is that the amount of traffic the referring page gets can have some bearing on that page's value when the search engine rates YOUR page. For example, if Microsoft has 2 links to your index page, one on THEIR index page, and one buried somewhere deep in the bowels of their site, which linking page do you think will carry more weight when YOUR site is ranked?

So, your friends are half-right. But to say that index page links are the only good links is incorrect. They are probably preferrable, but to quote Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want."

[cheap-e]

Originally posted by DaveSW
Are we talking about influencing search engine ratings here?


I'm talking about gaining rank positioning in Google and everyone says the more links you have the better chance you have of getting to #1 or at least to page one in a particular key word search.
I want reciprocal links but don't want them visibly plastered all over my home page.
My thinking is..... if I get a link from a good site, even if the link is placed on their link page and not their index page, and the link points to my index page, that will be an important link to help my Link Popularity. What I am trying to determine is will that link carry the same weight in Link Popularity ratings, if it were on their index page and not their link page.

[cheap-e]

Originally posted by Aronya1
The reason a link might lose value if not on the index page is that the amount of traffic the referring page gets can have some bearing on that page's value when the search engine rates YOUR page.

That seems to brings up another link issue. Does the quantity of traffic on the page that links to you play a part in the value of the link?
Maybe there are numerous link factors that comes into play in Link Popularity. I keep reading that Google and other search engines, that place an important relevancy on links, claim that it’s not necessarily the number of links you have to your site, but the quality and relevancy of the sites that are linking to you. Based on that premise, links from good sites are what you want no matter what page the link is on and not the traffic count the linking page might have, unless when their site has been spidered, the linking page was not found. If you do a search to find all the sites linking to you, will that search find ALL LINKS to your site, or only the site pages that have been spidered by search engines?
Are we all just guessing here about all this stuff or are there really any definitive answers concerning links and all the factors that effect the value of the link, and the resulting Link Popularity?
I can not find anything, anywhere that completely covers the subject……..

[Aronya1]

Originally posted by cheap-e
That seems to brings up another link issue. Does the quantity of traffic on the page that links to you play a part in the value of the link? Not sure about this one, but I suspect the answer is yes, although I would expect that the amount of traffic carries less weight than other factors might.

Maybe there are numerous link factors that comes into play in Link Popularity.Bingo!

I keep reading that Google and other search engines, that place an important relevancy on links, claim that it’s not necessarily the number of links you have to your site, but the quality and relevancy of the sites that are linking to you. Based on that premise, links from good sites are what you want no matter what page the link is on and not the traffic count the linking page might have...I agree with that assumption.

If you do a search to find all the sites linking to you, will that search find ALL LINKS to your site, or only the site pages that have been spidered by search engines?I don't know how they could possibly find ALL links to a site.

Are we all just guessing here about all this stuff or are there really any definitive answers concerning links and all the factors that effect the value of the link, and the resulting Link Popularity?
I can not find anything, anywhere that completely covers the subject…….. Welcome to the Internet! A place where you can find the answer to any question you'd like to ask. Don't like the answer you just got? Ask your question again! You'll get another answer!

But seriously, I think you're answering your own questions here. Search Engine Optimization techniques are constantly changing because the search engines keep changing their ranking methods. They claim it's to provide more accurate results, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out that part of their objective is just to keep us all guessing. Who knows?

Lots of people will tell you to put your energy into creating pages that contain quality content, and the rest will take care of itself (more or less). That's the group I would side with. Build a good site & promote it creatively. You'll end up ahead in the long run. Also, don't get too hung up on this whole links issue. There are plenty of other (more important?) factors to worry about if you want to place high in a Google search. My 2cts.

[cheap-e]

Thanks Aronya1,
I think I am getting a better handle on this whole link think and I agree...... time may be better spent on other aspect of promoting one's Website.

I found some very good information relating to Links and Google and you might find if very informative information..... go to

http://searchenginez.com/submit.html this is a good site!!

...... and read the Google Page Rank information, near the top of the page...... it gives you some very good insite on how the PageRank of a page will impact the links that are on the page.

[Aronya1]

You're welcome.

This whole issue is confusing. There are lots of tricks that all kinds of different people swear by. Keywords are a prime example, but I've seen pages with no keywords show up at or near the top of a search. How do you explain that? Somebody got paid off? I don't know.

Glad I could be of some assistance, but you were on your way to the same conclusions, I think.

What's really surprised me here is that nobody else (except DaveSW) chimed in on this subject. WHERE IS EVERYBODY?

[cheap-e]

OK

I also though there would be a lot of action on the subject.... "Link Popularity"....... oh well

... and thanx back