Academy Newsletter on search engine positioning and web site optimization.
Without resorting to any math at all, we can follow just a few simple rules that will almost always give us what we want. Sure, the math can be important,but the basic ideas are intuitive.
Use static links to increase the rankability of the target page. Static links distribute PageRank within your site, to the advantage of the link target. No static links should ever point at pages we don't want to rank. So don't static link to "contact us," but do always static link to your home page.
All static links should be text links. An image link is one of the worst web inventions ever created. Since spiders can't tell what images mean, they view image links just like empty text links. This dilutes the Link Reputation of the target page. However, image links do distribute PageRank, which helps the target page. What a mess! Image links are like being "half pregnant" they increase PageRank while confusing the search engine about the Reputation of the page. They have no place in our toolbox, and should simply be eliminated from use. If you want an image, use Javascript. The text of static links should all be keyword rich the target page's < title> tag is a good start.
Use dynamic links in all cases where your goal is to provide human access and human traffic without diluting the rankability of your other pages. The majority of on-site linking will be dynamic under these rules. It is usual that only a small number of pages on any given site actually have a chance at getting top positioning. Feed them as much PageRank as you can to give them the best chance.
Three simple rules. That's it? Well, no, not quite.
Exceptions to the Rules
There are two places where we should violate our simple linking rules. First, we must be sure that our entire site is reachable by static links from the home page so that the search spiders can find all of our pages. This "spiderability" is already a problem for many large sites that use forms as their primary means of human access to internal pages. Such sites will often have problems getting their internal pages indexed because the spider can not follow the (dynamic) links in the form tag.
We should always use a site map staticly linked from the home page to ensure that our entire site is spider-friendly. The site map will reference all the pages on our site using static links with keyword rich text.
The other potential exception to our linking rules is reciprocal linking. Webmasters will often exchange links as a means to improve ranking. In these cases, static linking must be used by each of the partners, or no ranking gain is achieved. In fact, as dynamic linking catches on, it will become important to check that your link partner isn't "cheating" by linking to you dynamically.
posted by Jen @ 8:29 AM
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