Search Engines and Links

I know how people must be itching to get their hands dirty and start on Search Engine Optimization. So without further ado, here's some important information that you have to embed into your heart.


Similarity between the Major Search Engines

There is but one main similarity that lies among the major search engines (namely Google, Yahoo! and MSN Live) and it has been the core root of what the internet or "the web" is all about.


So what is it?

The essence of the internet, LINKS.


I do not wish to explain what links are but just for the benefit of those not in the know here's a good site to read up on links (or hyperlinks) : Hyperlinks.


Links interconnect one site with another and that site with another till it forms a whole loop, or a web as what we call the internet today. They've been around since the start of the internet and take note of this next sentence :


LINKS ARE GOING TO STAY AS A CRITERIA IN THE RANKING OF IMPORTANCE, IN THE SEARCH ENGINES IN TIME TO COME.


That sentence above is probably the only one you'd need to read in this post but nevertheless I'll provide you with further details.


Google uses the links to a webpage as a criteria in ranking that page in the SERPs.
Yahoo uses links to a website as a criteria in ranking that site in the SERPs.
MSN Live uses links to a website as a criteria in ranking that site in the SERPs.

Those sentences alone are enough to tell you how important links, or hyperlinks are in Search Engine Optimization.


SEO Myth of Links/Hyperlinks

As a Singapore SEO Consultant, I am very much obliged to tell you about the myths currently spreading out on the web regarding Search Engine Optimization. One popular myth is this :

A Large Amount of Links Pointing to Your Site From Anywhere is Going to Increase your Ranking.

Wait, I am wrong about that. There are in fact 2 myths in that!

1. A Large Amount of Links Pointing to Your Site
2. Links Pointing to Your Site From Anywhere

For the easiest of understanding, I am going to use an analogy for links.



Link Analogy of this Singapore SEO Consultant


Search Engines treat links as "trust sources". They want to rank a certain page high in the SERPs if that webpage has lots of trusted sources linking to it.

Let's take for example you're selling Computer Software. (Your website / webpage)



Do you think your customers ( visitors to your site ) are more willing to buy from you if :

1. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs gave a say that your software is good and recommended
2. Your local computer store endorses your software and recommends it to their customers
3. Your relative told her friends that your software is good and recommends it
4. A Classified Advertisement regarding your software shows : "Best Computer Software Buy Now!"

Its common sense that your customers are more likely to buy your product if the above happens in order from 1 to 4. That is what links are basically about! As simple as that. I'll explain in more detail.

• Bill Gates & Steve Jobs are the equivalent of "Authority Sites" in your niche and what they say (Links) have a very high weightage. These authority sites differ between search engines but a similarity is that Wikipedia and Dmoz are good authority sites for any of your niches.

• Your local computer store is equivalent to another site that is related to your niche and when they recommend it their customers (Links), their recommendation is of much weightage as they know what they're talking about and when they recommend something (links), there is a likelihood that it is a good recommendation.

• Your friends are equivalent to the other sites on the web linking to your and recommending your product. They MAY or MAY NOT know what they're talking about so the search engines cannot really place much importance on them.

• The Classified Ads are equivalent to the spam sites (websites that do not help the user, no relevant content, no useful solution) and when since they are a dubious source, what they recommend (link) has a high likelihood that it is not as useful as described in the ad.

From the last part above, it is the emergence of spam sites that has caused search engines to need trusting sources to link to a new site to ensure that it is indeed a "trustworthy" source as well.


That is basically what links are all about in Search Engines and Search Engine Optimization. Understand this is of utmost importance because its the core basic of Search Engine Optimization and you need this if you're going to understand the more in-depth terms later in this Singapore SEO blog.


Hope you understood the lesson,

Till then,

Jasa , Singapore SEO Consultant