The Basics of Linking Strategies

Let's clarify first, the basics of linking strategies. Then let's take a look at how to use this linking strategy to have a high rank on the search engines lists.

Some elements must be clarified first of all: an outbound link is a link going out of a website. An inbound link is a link coming in from another site to yours. Reciprocal links are the links between two sites, often based on an agreement between the owner of the two websites. A link checker is a tool to check for broken links. Deep linking means linking to a web page other than a site's home page.

Inbound links are sending visitors to a page from a website. It is a very good link, increasing the site's traffic and fulfilling an important requirement for search engines algorithms. Outbound links are sending the visitors away from a website. Website owners are in very different positions facing the outbound links.

New windows can be opened, some are linking freely. For commercial websites, outbound links loses time and money. Outbound links can be a risk if the site is losing visitors and potential clients.

Other opinions are totally opposite: outbound links can improve the site ranking, increase the visitors' number and there are also chances for the returns of many visitors.

As the web is becoming more commercial, deep linking becomes an important matter too. As the Internet strength is to make a contact between a public document and information to another public document or information, the home page becomes very important to establish and maintain the brand and serving functions.

Deep linking is eliminating those advantages. There are also other opinions, consolidating the free modality to present information on a web site. A deep link is better than no link at all; an appropriate navigation structure can make the deep linking an advantage to clarity and functionality for a web site.

Reciprocal links are the result of an agreement between two site owners to have links to each other. The most frequent users of reciprocal links are the small/medium websites, searching for site's popularity and willing to increase the site's ranking.

Natural links extend a topic to a broader theme; they are always visible. Artificial links are adding value to the site's owner, support a third party, but not the visitors. Artificial links, if they are illegitimate, are hidden from visitors. If artificial links are legitimate, they are at the bottom of the pages, usually places outside the primary areas of a web page.