- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Content
- Website Accessibility
- Page Load Speed (how long it takes a web page to load in a browser);
- Bounce Rate; and
- Inbound Links
Google Guidelines For Link Development
Google does count inbound links to your website as a plus, however, Google specifically states not to use methods that artificially create inbound links to your website. Manipulated link development is pushed on website owners by SEM companies because there is a lot of money to be made outsourcing link development overseas for pennies and charging attorneys wholesale prices. Other companies create their own "marketing" websites to interlink clients. Interlinking within sites owned or controlled by the same person or company can backfire.
Google also cautions website owners not to engage in excessive or deceptive interlinking and other types of artificial link development and specifically classifies the following as (black hat) violations of SEO ethics:
- Links intended to manipulate PageRank
- Links to web spammers or bad neighborhoods on the web
- Excessive reciprocal links or excessive link exchanging ("Link to me and I'll link to you")
- Buying or selling links that pass PageRank
Google also advises:
Avoid SEOs that talk about the power of "free-for-all" links, link popularity schemes, or submitting your site to thousands of search engines. These are typically useless exercises that don't affect your ranking in the results of the major search engines -- at least, not in a way you would likely consider to be positive.
Too many inbound links from "link farms," interconnected websites, unrelated websites, or low ranking sites will diminish your sites' reputation in search engines. Getting one or two high-quality organic links is far better than paying for someone to get you 100 links in violation of Google's best practices.
Organic Links Are Best
Organic links come from other people linking to your website because they find the information worth sharing. The best organic links comes from high-ranking websites that are somehow related to yours.
The best way to get organic links include:
- Having great content, information, and features (i.e. forums, tools, networks) worth linking to;
- Promoting your website on social networks to make sure other people know about your website; and
- Taking the time to contact other website owners and asking if they will consider linking to to your website.
Outbound Links and Mentions
Many website owners consider linking to other websites as promoting competition but not linking to other websites is a mistake. Search engines look at your inbound links, but they also look at who you are linking to. And, since many website owners look at reports to see who is linking to them, you might get a nice inbound link or thank you for a mention if you link to them.
