Hello Fitch,
I can tell you why your backward links aren't showing up...but I don't
think you're going to be happy with the answer. In fact, you'll
probably be rather upset. But please don't shoot the messenger! The
fault lies with the sites hosting your "links".
I've had a look at the list of sites you've presented, and with the
exception of the links within your own site (which, by the way, is
nicely laid out and easy to navigate) and two others, the links are
paid advertisements. In spite of your URL being included in text form
beneath the blurbs, the links themselves don't actually read [
http://www.floridamortgagelending.net ]. They look like this:
http://sprinks-clicks.about.com/?ref=babyctspl_100_xml_IP_refinancing_SKD&bid=16822992&p=3&lnk=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.floridamortgagelending.net
http://sprinks-clicks.about.com/?ref=babyctspl_100_xml_IP_mortgages_SKD&bid=16822970&p=8&lnk=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.floridamortgagelending.net
http://link.vericlick.com/1/housereal/?SOURCEID=4&CATID=2&SITEID=30788&BID=0.9&RANK=1&SITEURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efloridamortgagelending%2Enet&P1=Florida&P2=&P3=
http://www.searchfeed.com/rd/Clk.jsp?s=sp&k=refinance&lnk=687474703a2f2f737072696e6b732d636c69636b732e61626f75742e636f6d2f3f7265663d736561726368666565645f786d6c5f534b44266269643d313638323239383426703d32266c6e6b3d687474702533412532462532467777772e666c6f726964616d6f7274676167656c656e64696e672e6e65747c302e3232&p=1972&sid=290802&ex=1041731580041
They're ugly, aren't they? And even worse, they're not really linking
to your page. They're linking to a *service*, which *redirects* the
user to your page.
I'm afraid, Fitch, that these links are part of what are known as
"link farms" - sites that consist of nothing but links to other sites,
with little to no real content - and links in link farms don't fare
well with Google.
Searching on [ "link farms" google ] turns up a multitude of articles
explaining why link farms are counterproductive to your goals. The
very first hit, from well known web developer's resource Net Mechanic,
sums the problem up succinctly:
"Popularity Doesn't Grow On Farms
A link farm consists of sites that link to other sites for the sole
purpose of increasing their link popularity score. Unlike perfectly
valid links to sites with related information, sites that participate
in link farming contain links to totally unrelated sites. This
practice is also referred to as link stuffing.
Google hates link farms and labels the links they generate as spam. In
fact, Google gates them so much that some sites get removed from the
index if they're affiliated with link farms. Spooked, some webmasters
are considering removing all outbound links from their sites. "
Link Farms Grow Spam
http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol5/promo_no7.htm
Homegirl at WebMaster World, a site devoted to helping web masters
achieve maximum visibility, explains further:
"You're better off finding sites that are a good match for your market
and requesting links. Or providing content (on your site) that these
other sites would want to link to (offering something of value to
their market).
If they're a link farm and request a reciprocal link, you'd be worse
off to provide one. If they're not a link farm and are charging you
for the link (but are a poor quality site), you'll have to calculate
whether it's worth it."
Link Development
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum12/478.htm
From Paul Bruemmer at Search Engine Guide:
"Strategies to Avoid
Some strategies hyped in the past should be avoided because they're
now worthless or can get you penalized in search engines.
1. Link Farms: A link farm is a network of sites linking to other
sites for the sole purpose of increasing link popularity. Search
engines consider this spamming and will delist sties associated with
link farms.
2. Reciprocal Link Exchange Services: Networks consisting of hundreds
of webmasters with sites on numerous topics are linked to one another.
The service requires linking to all sites in network, making content
unrelated. Search engines consider this spamming."
Top 10 Strategies for Boosting Link Popularity
http://www.searchengineguide.com/wi/2002/0809_wi1.html
The short of it is that the Googlebot isn't paying your backward links
any mind because they're in link farms that don't actually link
directly to your page.
Fortunately, you can rectify this situation easily enough. How can
you get *real* links back to your page? Let's go back to Paul
Bruemmer's article:
"Look for Quality and Relevance
Be aware that it's not just the number of links that's important, it's
the quality of the sites linking to you (popular, respected sites) and
the relevance of their content to your audience that counts.
Strategies for Improving Link Popularity
"1. Start With Directory Listings: Ensure that your site is listed in
ODP (free) and also include Yahoo! Express ($299 yearly). Directory
listings boost link popularity because human editors screen for
relevancy. Seek listings in industry-specific directories. Search
Engine Guide has a Search Engines Directory providing a searchable
database of over 3,000 specialty search engines where you can find
search engines dedicated to almost any topic.
2. Request Reciprocal Links: When looking for possible link
candidates, start by searching your strategic keywords at major search
portals. You'll see a lot of competitors, but look for non-competing,
complementary sites. Screen these sites, selecting those likely to be
receptive to your link request. Give them a compelling reason to link
to your site. Show them where a link might be advantageous. A good
strategy is to link to them first, which might help get a link back.
Target respected and popular sites of relevance to your target
audience.
Another way to find reciprocal links is to identify a well-established
site with good content that targets the same audience you want to
reach. Then perform a link analysis from that site, noting the
incoming links and soliciting the best non-competing sites."
Top 10 Strategies for Boosting Link Popularity
http://www.searchengineguide.com/wi/2002/0809_wi1.html
An interesting discussion of backward links will give you a good
jumping off point:
What's the Worth of a Backward Link?
http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum10003/1476.htm
...and last, but not least, a wealth of resources from Google
themselves to help you get your site on track:
Google Information for Webmasters
://www.google.com/webmasters/
Google Webmasters' FAQ
://www.google.com/webmasters/faq.html
User Support Forum
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=google.public.support.general
I'm sorry I had to be the bearer of bad news, but I do hope you find
this information helpful. If you should require further assistance,
please ask for clarification, and I'll be glad to help you.
--Missy
Search terms: [ "backward links" "link farms" ], [ "link farms" google
] |
