A curious part of SEO is determining how a search engine determines the value of a link in order to rank it. Supposing you are out pitching SEO to a client who doesn’t really understand it except for the idea that it will help make his site and business more visible to his target market, how do you make it as attractive an option as ever?
Part of being an SEO is knowing what makes these search engines tick in terms of determining how a web site ranks, and what it looks for in a web site so you may better explain to your clients how you can help them reach their business goals. They may also ask the question themselves regarding what Google (or any other major search engine worth working on) determine the value of a website to rank it? There are several factors.
Mentioned below are the basic parameters that search engines use to judge a site’s value. Many more are in place, but with this basic information, you can best inform your clients and answer their questions regarding how you can optimize their site:
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LINKS. Internal links are links that come from within the web site domain, i.e., popular pages on your site that are featured on the front page. External links are link backs from other sites that may have been to your site and found an article or feature worth featuring in theirs. If it is not obvious enough, external links matter far more to search engines when they are ranking your site. Internal links are important too, and they should have the requisite correct anchor texts and clean links, but a site’s page rankings are highly dependent on how other people assess it.
ANCHOR TEXTS. And there should be no doubt that anchor texts are very important in assessing the value of a web site. These are the words that people search for in search engines and the way search engines know
LINKS (TEXT, IMAGE, JAVASCRIPT). Speaking of links, the kind of links you have on your website may also affect your site’s value. Links may come in the form of straight HTML text links, image links, and Javascript links. It appears that straightaway HTML text links possess the greatest value, followed by image links (being that they have keyword-rich alt-text), and lastly Javascript links, which still are not universally followed. For optimum page value, you should stick with HTML text links with great anchor texts to maximally optimize your page and thereby increase its value.
Jeanne Burns is from CentricSource, a company that provides full-time, remote Design, Development, SEO and Marketing professionals. Their high standard of service, support and workmanship sets us apart from the competition.
