For years, “Google PageRank” and “link popularity” have been popular aspects for search engine optimization community. But the meaning of link popularity and how it is different from PageRank is usually mistaken.

 What is Link Popularity?

 The search engine decides that if other websites are linked to your site, it should be a winner; hence, it deserves a enhancement in rankings. In case you think about it, then it makes great sense. People link up to good websites and not the bad ones.

 Page Rank Does Not Match Link Popularity

As it is, Google PageRank isn’t the same as link popularity. PageRank is in fact a subset of link popularity. While PR focuses mainly on the quantity as well as popularity of links, link popularity also adds “quality factor” to it.

 All major search engines put some importance on link popularity in ranking algorithms. There are mainly two kinds of links which work best for increasing your link popularity; i.e. links from other sites which focus on same keyword phrases your website focuses on, and links from the relevant categories in main directories and portals.

 How Link Popularity Works?

 Here’s an example:

 Let’s say Bob’s Pizza Palace site has a link to site of Joe’s Men’s Clothing store. If the link uses keywords “men’s clothing store”, it might help Joe’s link popularity a bit for such keywords. However, Joe would get benefited a lot in case the same link relate to a site which was more related to site of Joe, than a pizza palace.

 An even better-quality link for Joe may be of “Sam’s Clothing Store Directory,” that lists a whole lot of clothing stores which may be found on Internet. That is precisely the type of link that search engines would like to credit towards link popularity. Here too, the key is about having the common thread in between the websites.

 Where Reciprocal Links Come In?

 Other popular misconceptions include reciprocal linking. As so many people believe that exchanging links with websites is the best way to get them, new people knowing about link popularity are under a misconception that they should have links which are reciprocated to their site. Others may say that reciprocal links you won’t gain any benefit for you. Both camps are actually wrong. You definitely don’t need to have reciprocal links, but you may if you wish to. Remember, it is links pointing TO your website that are the helpful. Links pointing FROM your website to other sites are amazing to have since they help your visitors to find related stuff, however, if your site does not lend itself to the linking of other sites, then don’t do it. You may need to do what is right for your company as well as your visitors, first and foremost.

 Must I Care About Link Popularity?

Usually there’s no call for the average site to be obsessed with link popularity. You will wish to keep it in mind, and make sure that your website is “link-worthy.” Nonetheless, from my experience, link popularity comprises only a part of most of the search engines’ ranking algorithms. Possibly, Google places more stress than other engines on the incoming links at this time. How much these really boost a site’s ranking is doubtful and depends on the website. It also depends on words which are placed in anchor text.

 For sites which want to go to the next level, it might be necessary to keenly seek links from other related Websites. This doesn’t mean that you must go out and make a lot many domains yourself and get them linked them all together since it is easier than about getting others to get linked to you. It simply means that you must look for sites which are related to your website, and see if they are interested in promoting your website to their users.

 Whatever you do, don’t send automatically generated links requests to any website. Most Webmasters consider these a nuisance. Certainly, a personal email might be welcome. Remember, quite often these links from related sites will carry more traffic to your website than soaring search engine ranking.

 How To Be Linked Without Even Trying

 The best way of getting links is to just have the best website on the Internet in your particular niche. If your website is well written, provides useful information and gets constantly updated, you usually won’t have to seek links at all. Other websites will link to yours on their own.

 This has worked in my favor my High Rankings site for several years. Without actively requesting for any links, several highly relevant websites have added up HighRankings.com to their own list of recommended websites related to SEO. A few of them link up to my home page, whereas some to main newsletter page. Some may also link up to my forum, while some may link directly to a newsletter or an article they’ve enjoyed.
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