Links! It seems that we all want this, or we would not be here. But what is the true value of a backlink and how is it measured? A backlink has several properties that make it valuable to any given web page, note that I said page, not site. Let's begin by understanding that a backlink directly benefits the page it points to, not necessarily the site. Also note that a link has value only when it points to a page of equal value. For example, if you click a link that reads "click for free $20" and you when you arrive at the site, it turns out to be monopoly money, then the site has little value.
Several additional features determine how valuable a link might be, they include:
1) Whether or not the link contains anchor text. A raw URL has little value for SEO because the Search Engines rank pages according to relevancy. So without anchor text you really have no SEO at all except for the words that are contained within your URL.
2) Whether or not your link is handcuffed to the nofollow tag. No follow means no PageRank and no credit for the anchor text.
3) The PageRank of the page where your backlink is found. You want at least a PR of 0 but most SEO pro's want PR4 or better, an amature might settle for less. But a PR rating of N/A gives you virtually no credit at all, no one should accept that, you are better off just creating your own page on a new blog and placing your link there, at least that way you have control over it.
4) The trust of the site linking to you. New sites have little trust with Google for the first 8-10 months. It's during this period of time that it is determine if a site is nothing more than a link or article farm with no real content or focus other than to generate large amounts of traffic for the purpose of selling Google Ads.
5) Multiple links from the same domain, or even the same server have less value than diverse links found all over the web. This is the reason SEO vets prefer a variety of links from all over the web instead of a bunch of links all from the same site. And let's face it, if every backlink to your site from the same domain had equal value, then you could just create your free website and link back to your own site.
6) Whether or not you have control over your backlink. For example, if you post on another site, you must bear in mind that the site staff, though they may permit dofollow links, may at any moment in time close down the site, delete your page, or institute a domain-wide policy to attach the no-follow tag to all outlinks essentially stealing all of your SEO efforts. So if you place the majority of your backlinks on one website, you risk losing them all too.
7) Lots of sites get banned by Google for illicit SEO practice, if you link to them it could also adversely affect your own rank. So linking to your articles could turn out to be a bad thing.
There are other factors, but this should get your started. Test every opportunity you find to link back to your site. If it seems to good to be true, perhaps it is. ;-)
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Contributor's Note
Hope you like the article. I wrote it in the fly so it may contain some grammatical errors. Don't be a hater. :D
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