Forum Moderators: martinibuster
I read through most of the topics regarding backlinks. I have worked on my sites PRs, but just resently been focusing on the structure of my back links to get the most out of them.
There are many statements about how to do this. In the post "10 Golden Rules to Linking" one mentioned rule is "use appropriate anchor text for the link". I would like to concentrate this thread to this matter. Hope to hear your opinion - some of my questions are things we don´t know for shure - we only have our own view of the matter...
Fact:
Web pages are usually focused to 3-5 main keywords (the competed ones used in meta title, description etc.) and on several less competed keywords (only in text, bolded, etc.).
Question 1:
Should one use only one of the keywords as the anchor in the incoming link or should one use several? Is it more "powerful" to use only one keyword as the links anchor (diluting)?
By the way - do you think it´s od to use a link anchor that is different from the URL it links to - let´s say for a sites main page? Maybe this could confuse the user, but that´s all it does?
Question 2:
And what about the sorrounding text of the link - Some people here think that the links "follow up" text should have keywords in it. Ok, this sounds reasonable if Google looks at the <title> of the page were the incoming link came from. Do you have any opinion about this and if you in this case also should concentrate on a few keywords (diluting?). The most important keywords first as one doesnt know how many words are "used" by the SEs as relevant info to the link?
Question 2:
I read the discussions about the <a title> in text links. Some people think this should be treated as a benefit to the page the link points to - other think it´s only relevant to the page were the link is on. What do you say about this?
Question 3:
Do you recommend that one uses the site map of a web page with some of the above mentioned technics = site map with a short explanation for every page (explanation includes keywords for the mentioned page).
use appropriate anchor text for the link - le_gber from 10 Golden Rules to Linking [webmasterworld.com]
Question about the use of keywords in the anchor text and dilution. This is what is frustrating for me in trying to give specific answers. People will jump on something I say and then all over the world people are quickly trying to implement it. They won’t remember I said you should only work from a plan and that each site is unique. Unique then means that what may work for one site isn’t the best plan for another.
An example, in some industries you really have to focus on a specific keyword to nail a position. You pound it, using every tool including the anchor text, all to get position for a single keyword. The biz of dominating that keyword is so competitive and focused that you aren’t gaining alternative or peripheral, (collateral) positioning or entry points. A whole strategy can be built around this theory. I did this for years. It’s a high maintenance strategy and costly. For this strategy I would most likely use my single keyword in the anchor text. Of course we’re also looking at how often the anchor text is used. Where is the convergence point where good becomes bad? You find those answers in research including reverse engineering, of your competitors. You have to pull apart what’s happening in your industry.
A second example of a possible strategy I’ve also had success in, with competitive keywords is to determine the top 8 theme related keyword phrases that define the site. I then build on a foundational theory, using those up to 8 keyword phrases in rotation to define the site.
My favorite is to take the main keyword and create up to 8 anchor text links, all alternatives of that phrase.
Internally I allow myself to play with my anchor text, changing them, trying out new things. I also watch my logs and try to meet the needs of what my visitors are actually looking for. Unfortunately with a single keyword focused campaign that’s what you get in your logs so your information is limited. If I build my site, supported by 100 keyword terms, building out the content, supporting that with internal linking and the anchor text, my logs then become rich with information. A side benefit is I’m getting 50 visits a day on 50 different pages from 50 different sources instead of 50 hits a day on one page from one source.
It keeps coming down to what the core of your plan is. And, I think it’s great to try out different strategies. Optimizers love to buy multiple domains, I suggest instead of creating mirrors of each other with redirects, cloaking or crosslinking, try out a different strategy with each, see where the success comes from. Each industry is different. I’ve found by coming in with a totally different strategy than everyone else seems to be following stirs up the results and I get a chance.
My hand is hurting, writer cramp. Others want to jump in?
My questions relates to the fact that I rank guite good on a couple of very competed keywords and would like to expand my web site "keyword exposure" to some new, related keywords within my theme (some plural forms, some totally new keywords).
Until now I have been using the same anchor for my incoming links (with a little variation in the links "follow up text"/decription). As I already rank good on those keywords I thought that it would be good to change my link anchor and follow up text and use the new keywords in the new incoming links I get.
