# | OFF-Page SEO Factors |
Brief Note
| |
- | INCOMING LINKS : | ||
HOT | Page Rank | Based on the Number and Quality of links to you Google link reporting continues to display just a SMALL fraction of your actual backlinks, and they are NOT just greater than PR4 - they are mixed. | |
- |
Total incoming links ("backlinks")
| Historically, FAST counted best (www.alltheweb.com). No more - Yahoo (parent) broke it. In Yahoo search, type in: linksite:www.domain-name.com linkdomain:www.domainname.com Try MSN - http://beta.search.msn.com Use link:www.domainname.com Current TYPICAL Backlink Reporting Ratios - Google - 30 links MSN - 1,000 links Yahoo - 3,000 links | |
- |
Incoming links from high-ranking pages
| In 2004, Google used to count (report) the links from all PR4+ pages that linked to you. In 2005-2006, Google reported only a small fraction of the links, in what seemed like an almost random manner. In Feb. 2007, Google markedly upgraded (increased) the number of links that they report. | |
- |
66
| Acceleration of link popularity (". . . used to be a good thing" ... Martha) | Google patent Link acquisition speed boost - speculative Too fast = artificial? Cause of -30 penalty? Sandbox penalty imposed if new site? |
- | FOR EACH INCOMING LINK : | ||
- |
Page rank of the referring page
| Based on the quality of links to you | |
HOT |
Anchor text of
inbound link to you | Contains keyword, key phrase? #1 result in SERP does NOT EVEN need to have the keyword(s) on the page, ANYWHERE!!! What does that tell you? (Enables Google-bombing - search for "miserable failure") | |
- |
69
|
Age of link
| Google patent - Old = Good. |
- |
70
|
Frequency of change of anchor text
| Google patent - Not good. Why would you do that? |
- |
Popularity of referring page
| Popularity = desirability, respect | |
- |
# of outgoing links on referrer page
| Fewer is better - makes yours more important | |
- |
Position of link on referrer page
| Early in HTML is best | |
- |
Keyword density on referring page
| For search keyword(s) | |
- |
HTML title of referrer page
| Same subject/ theme? | |
76
|
Link from "Expert" site?
| Google patent - Big time boost (Hilltop Algorithm) Recently reported to give a big boost ! | |
- |
Referrer page - Same theme
| From the same or related theme? BETTER | |
- |
Referrer page - Different theme
| From different or unrelated theme? WORSE | |
- |
Image map link?
| Problematic? | |
- |
Javascript link?
| Problematic- attempt to hide link? | |
- | DIRECTORIES : | ||
- |
Site listed in DMOZ Directory?
The "Secret Hand" DMOZ Issues1. Legitimate sites CAN'T GET IN 2. No Accountability 3. Corrupt Editors 4. Competitive Sites Barred 5. Dirty Tricks Employed 6. Rude dmoz editors Flawed concept - communism doesn't work Free editing? Nothing is free. DMOZ Sucks Discussions DMOZ Problems Discussions The Google Directory is produced by an unknown, ungoverned, unpoliced, ill-intentioned, retaliatory, monopoly enterprise, consisting of profiteering power-ego editors feathering their own nests - the ODP. AOL is making millions, and needs to police it's run-amok entity. Enough already! | This is a tough one. Google's directory comes STRAIGHT from the DMOZ directory. You should try to get into dmoz. But you can't. Be careful whom you approach with the old spondulix - Formal DMOZ Bribe Instructions. It is almost impossible to get into DMOZ. I'm not the suck-up type - I kissed them off long ago. What a waste of time! UPDATE: This page (not site) finally got indexed in June 2007, thanks to a legitimate editor. No money was paid. Google needs to DO SOMETHING about populating its own directory with the skewed, incomplete, poorly determined results from the dysfunctional Open Directory Project - the ODP! Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely | |
- |
DMOZ category?
| Theme fit category? General or geographic category? Both are possible, and acceptable. | |
Site listed in Yahoo Directory?
| Big boost - You can get in by paying $299 each year. Many swear it is worth it - many swear it isn't. | ||
- |
Site listed in LookSmart Directory?
| Boost? Another great vote for your site. | |
- | Inktomi has been absorbed internally by Yahoo. | ||
- |
Site listed in other directories (About, BOTW, etc.)
| Directory listing boost (If other RESPECTED directories link to you, this must be positive.) | |
- | Expert site? (Hilltop or Condensed Hilltop) | Large-sized site, quality incoming links | |
HOT |
88
| Site Age - Old shows stability | Google patent Boost for long-established sites, new pages indexed easily The opposite of the sand box. |
- | Site Age - Very New Boost | Temporary boost for very new sites - I estimate that this boost lasts from 1 week to 3 weeks - Yahoo does it too. | |
- | Site Directory - Tree Structure | Influences SERPs - logical, consistent, conventional | |
- | Site Map and more site map | Complete - keywords in anchor text | |
- | Site Size | Previously, many pages preferred - conferred authority upon site, thus page. Bigger sites = better SERPs Now, fewer pages preferred, due to proliferation of computer-generated pages. Google has been dropping pages like crazy. | |
- | Site Theming | Site exhibit theme? Use many related terms? Have you used a keyword suggestion tool? A thesaurus? | |
- | PAGE METRICS - USER BEHAVIOR: |
Currently implemented through the Google tool bar?
| |
94
| Google patent - # of visitors, trend | ||
95
|
Page Selection Rate - CTR
| Google patent - How often is a page clicked on? | |
96
|
Time spent on page
| Google patent - Relatively long time = indicates relevance hit | |
97
|
Did user Bookmark page?
| Google patent - Bookmark = Good | |
98
|
Bookmark add/ removal frequency
| Google patent - Recent = Good? | |
- |
How they left, where they went
| Back button, link clicked, etc. | |
- | SITE METRICS - USER BEHAVIOR : |
Currently implemented through the Google tool bar?
| |
100
| Google patent - # of visitors, increasing trend = good | ||
- |
Referrer
| Authoritative referrer? | |
- |
Keyword
| Keyword searches used to find you | |
- |
Time spent on domain
| Relatively long time = indicates relevance hit Add brownie points. | |
DOMAIN OWNER BEHAVIOR : | |||
104
|
Domain Registration Time
| Google patent - Domain Expiration Date Register for 5 years, Google knows you are serious. Register for 1 year, is it a throw-away domain? | |
105
|
Are associated sites legitimate?
| Google patent - No spam, ownership, etc. |