Will Google ever stop using links in their algorithm?

Simple Question, not so simple answer

[jdubo79]

Will Google every stop using links in their algorithm?

If so, how would they rank sites?

What do you think the advantages and disadvantages would be for doing such a thing.

When do you think this may happen? 1 year, 10 years?

I personally feel that links have gotten google where they are today, and they are still perceived to be the best, most accurate search engine around. So if they stop using links to rank their sites they will have a serious hurdle to overcome, and it will not happen for quite some time.

[tedster]

Well, Google not only uses links, it seems to them in many ways:

1. PR - and the mere fact that a link exists
2. Anchor text
3. Surrounding text
4. Page Title on linking page
5. Age of links
6. How rapidly links appear
7. Whether linking sites are "affiliated"

...and more, I'm sure. That's a lot of factors to just go away. However, if computerized analysis of language matures significantly over the next 5 years or so, then link analysis may be able to get downplayed a bit, at least, beginning with English language pages.

[walkman]

>> Will Google every stop using links in their algorithm?

No, like tedster said, probably 90% of the algo is based on links--one way or another.

[jdubo79]

So pretty much you guys think the answer is no, at least not in the near future.

Any other opinions?

[larryhatch]

I have to go with the opinions of Walkman and Tedster.

The huge success of Google was largely based on their incoming links algorithm,
one which depended on those 'votes' as a best measure of the value of a web page.

This being a clear 'known', it obviously led to abuses, and I presume G and Y have acted accordingly.

Half of the howling pains on these forums comes from site owners who didn't play fair.
I am reminded of a jaywalker who wants to know why all the other jaywalkers
didn't get struck by a bus. Or worse yet, why their Ciagra Farmacia doesn't get into DMOZ.

-Larry

[keno]

Once a linking component is part of the algorithm all Google has to do is manage it. So I don't see them getting rid of something like that.

If I were Google I might change the importance setting every now and again just to keep you blokes on your toes!

[soapystar]

of course one links will be old hat..infact im sure most of todays algo's will be ancient history...the whole basis of search engines is flawed..its based on people making websites and pretending that search engines dont exsist..i mean we have a search engine today called yahoo that bans you if you make a website to be found in a search engine..not for cheating but for taking note of ranking factors....this is so ancient in thinking...we are maybe 2 years from having 90% of websites made by people with one eye on optimisation...at some point someone with a totally different approach will come along and take the net by storm just as google did with the original idea of links counting as votes...

perhaps we are just starting to see the new aproach with personalisation and more advanced AI guessing at the actual meaning and context of what you are searching for...but for sure what we see today is the tip of the very tip of the iceberg in terms of what tomorrow will bring...

[Nimzovich]

I suppose we are at a second stage of Search engines. First was altavista, on-the-page factors. Second is google, mostly based on linking. The third generation of SE will be based on user data.

What do you think the advantages and disadvantages would be for doing such a thing.

User data is more democratic an less manipulable. Now just webmasteres can vote.

When do you think this may happen? 1 year, 10 years?

Hard to say ;-)

[soapystar]

this whole vote system/idea will become deprecated..the search engines of the future will be the equilivant of asking a stranger who has an incredible gerneral knowldge a question..he would not use any system of votes for the information in his head...it would be his own internal brain powered idea of which information he believes he should use to anser the question...and if you opt in for personal;isation it wont be a stranger..it will be someone who has known you for years....

[Wizard]

The Google purpose is to give a relevant results. Using on-page factors and links is enough to yield good results, except for commercial keyphrases where results are worse. But still more can be done about links.

Google started from ideas like PageRank and anchor text. Now they have more factors. Not only inbounds, but also outbounds are used in ranking, and not all advantages of using outbounds are exploited - I still can imagine many ways of interpreting outbounds in order to detect spammy sites that are obviously not used by Google yet.

There will be more sophisticated factors used in the future, but links will always matter, exactly as on-page factors still matter, though less than in old Altavista years ago, when simple keyword stuffing was enough to get #1 for competitive keyphrases.

And there is no good in devising too complicated ranking factors, as the thing user searches for is the content, and the content is obviously the on-page factor. Sometimes adding too many alien factors is only increasing the noise.

[hdpt00]

The third generation of SE will be based on user data.

Why do you think G is pushing their toolbar so hard?

[blue_eagle]

What i think is google is already implementing a new technology. When i make a search on G sometimes i see that right clicking on a link in SERP shows a different url than the page url, i guess they are trying to figure out how many people clicked for that page, how long they stayed there, etc. It is very possible that they are trying new ways in their algos.