Inbound links

Any ideas how Google samples the inbound links?

[steve_worx]

I have a site with a few inbound links (about 100,,please, dont laugh), but in Google, only 4 show up. I know that this is because Google only shows a sample, but, is it 4%? Or...

fiat lux (hopefully)

[MarkHutch]

I think people get confused about linking. I've always believed that one good PR6 (index page) or above link was better than 1000 PR 1 or 2 links.

I can't prove this and I'm sure others will disagree, but one good link can go a long way in promotion a good content web site.

[tedster]

There's no rhyme nor reason to the link: results on Google that I can see - it seems to be just a shifting sample, and I've seen Yahoo or MSN report more than 100 times the number of links that Google does -- so yes, 4% would not be out of the ordinary.

I don't think Google intends webmasters to understand these results. After all, their algorithm is much more sensitive, at the core, to links. And therefore, a full report on what links they've got in their database would make Google results more susceptible to manipulation.

I very rarely look at Google backlink numbers, except that some of the software I use automatically grabs it. Can't remember how long it's been since I manually typed in that link: operator!

[aris1970]

I agree with MarkHutch. And I can prove it; a website having just 1 PR6 backlink and few low-ones is #1 for its main 2 keywords among 2 million results. Generally I also believe that the overall number of links has a value as well.

IMO the main point of value for links is being one-way and not reciprocal ones. So having 100 backlinks is pretty good, if most of them are one-way.