The Proceptive Perspective Dental Blog

Links…if you do any research into search engine optimization, the subject of links is bound to come up. Since the advent of Google’s Page Rank and the incorporation of links into the factoring of rankings for all of the major search engine’s algorithms, links have played a critical role in gaining top rankings. Yet not all links are the same…some provide a positive boost in rankings, while other links can significantly hinder rankings.

So what makes a good inbound link? What should you look for when evaluating link opportunities? Here are a few things to look for:

•PageRank of the page the link is originating from - If the page does not have any PageRank, then the power of the link will be significantly reduced. Links from pages with higher PageRank will be considered more important by Google and will provide more of a boost.
•Page & Website Relevance – Links from other dental websites will provide a greater ranking benefit then links from sites that are not relevant to the dental industry. The more relevant the web page or web site, the more “boost” you will see from the link.
• NoFollow Tags – A link that has a NoFollow tag will not be crawled by Google, and does not pass any PageRank. These links provide little benefit.
• Anchor Text – Having the link text be one of your main keyword phrases will help to increase your rankings for that specific keyword phrase.
• Surrounding Text – Your link will have more value if it is surrounded by text that is relevant to the theme of your website and the link.
• Trusted Websites – Certain websites and web directories are “trusted” by the major search engines. It is important that the majority of your inbound links come from trusted web sources. Too many links from questionable websites can actually reduce your rankings and online exposure.
• Placement – Links placed above the fold are more effective then links placed in a footer or below the fold. Site wide links should also be avoided.
• Longevity & Stability – Permanent links that have aged are more effective then links that are temporary or brand new.

As you can see, there are many factors that go into determining the quality and effectiveness of links. If you should have any questions regarding links, link building or how links can increase your web presence, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to speaking with you.