Having discussed the overview of link popularity in our last post, we would now delve further into the challenges associated with development of that coveted link. Going by the adage that “a job well begun is half done”, the identification of the potential link page is imperative to the success of any link building campaign. In view of the fact that the identification of the links is the most time consuming and challenging part of the link development process, we would confine the purview of this post to this fundamental part of the Link Building process.

In the present context, link development has become more quality based and quantity of links is no more a determinant. This change is manifested by the higher ranking on SERPs of a lot of websites with fewer links, than those with scores of links. Thus, identification of the appropriate link page for link sourcing assumes further importance.

There are various factors that influence the identification of the potential web page for obtaining the link.

Links can be assessed on the basis of two broad parameters, and the link page should qualify on both these counts. The parameters to consider are:

Relevance

The relevance of the page from where the link is sourced is paramount, and the criteria for qualification are –

  • The page to get the link from should be good for visitors of our site.

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  • The Links should be sourced from sub pages of the sites that have symmetry to the theme of our website. e.g. If a site sells high altitude shoes, then the extreme sports gear shop that could be a potential link partner, should place the link of the high altitude shoes, on the page that features the specialized footwear.

Authority

The next step after identification of the relevance is the authority of the respective website. The authority of the website page is determined by the number of times the pages of the website have been referenced by the search engines. Since such pages are often referenced, they are likely to get maximum traffic and click through as well. To qualify on the standard of authority, the links should –

  • Be from the page that have the most external back links. This would result in more traffic arriving on such page, which would in turn benefit the page for which the link is developed.

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  • Another factor of consequence is to determine if the potential website is worthy of being linked to. This implies that when you link to a website, you are linking to everyone else that the target site links to. This assumes importance in view of the fact that Google does not punish for bad links from sites, but for links to bad sites. This contention is further corroborated by the fact that Google is not just looking at trusted link sources but, also ignoring sites that are getting an influx of unrelated, low authority links.

Adhering to these points while identifying the potential link pages would result in development of the link that has value, and which augments the authority of the website.

Identification of the ideal link page requires skill, objectivity and continuous research. These are traits that most available software are deficient in. The development of links manually, thus assumes greater significance. Link development is an art which requires a combination of SEO knowledge, analysis, and a penchant for deal making. These characteristics make link building a tedious exercise loathed by most webmasters.

Developing links manually delivers maximum benefits. The process would involve manual search, manual emails and manual checking. While this requires extended efforts, the benefits are worth it.

The points detailed in this communication are intended to provide a perspective on the way links pages should be identified. The identification of the link page is a continuous process and requires constant efforts and commitment.

It should be known that there are many resources, and pages where the links could be sourced from, and continuous research would help identify the best links from the best places. The only distinguishing factor is the knowledge of how to look, and how to choose the best pages to get the link from.

The conventional practice of searching for link pages that feature the competitors links is passe. This has become redundant and the present context calls for a smarter search requiring an out of the box approach, which expert agencies are adept at.

However, we hope that the points highlighted in the preceding paragraphs help you with your pursuit of the coveted link.