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Inbound Links

An inbound-link (IBL) is any hypertext link from an external website to a page on your website. In the Google universe the terms backlinks or backward links are often used. The ability to click on a piece of text and see a related page is a fundamental part of what makes the World Wide Web useful. For an individual website owner inbound-links are important for the following reasons

They can increase your ranking in search engine results pages for queries using the keywords in the link anchor text
Inbound links from a site already indexed by a search engine will enable the robot to find your site during the normal indexing process. Each inbound-link represents a possible entry point to your website, increasing the frequency and depth of indexing.
They can increase your site's PageRank or ranking with similar algorithms
They bring extra traffic to your site

The first two benefits are probably the most significant. PageRank is a key component of the Google search engine but it has been considerably diluted by recent algorithm changes. If you have created a content rich, authority site for your keywords inbound-links will trickle in naturally as webmasters link to your pages. However it is a bit of a Catch-22 situation because inbound-links and especially their associated anchor text count as a major element in site rankings. Webmasters looking for interesting content to link to may have difficulty finding your site until there is sufficient inbound-link density. As many webmasters knowledge of SEO doesn't extend beyond the Google Toolbar PageRank figure they are often reluctant to link to brand new PR0 pages for fear of diluting the ranking of their own site. Commercial sites such as online shops find it even harder to get inbound-links through organic growth. Adding customer reviews and detailed product information can be one method to attract inbound-links. These natural links are probably the most valuable. They will use varied anchor text and will usually come from relevant, content rich pages with few outbound-links. They also don't require a reciprocal link.

Getting listed in a search engine can in itself be a struggle. Some engines let you submit links for free with no guarantee of when your site will be indexed. Others require a payment, especially for rapid submission. There are even engines that seem to have no obvious means of submitting new sites. However a single link from a site already in the search engine's index is usually the fastest way of getting listed with the advantage of costing nothing.

Inbound Links

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