So life really is just a popularity contest? In the world of ranking websites it is, at least to a degree, as far as the search engines go. In this arena the votes come in the form of inbound links and the more links a site gets from other authority sites, the better. Links from other, non-authority" sites can either count for something or may not count at all depending on where they originate.

These inbound links, due to the weight they carry in the algorithms with the search engines, are one of the main focal points of search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. The SEO focus narrows on to the quality over the quantity of links due to the fact that links coming from irrelevant or non-reputable sources will not matter in the eyes of the search engines.

Here are some of the factors that search engines use to calculate the value of inbound links:

* The credibility, reputation and trustworthiness of the domain from where the link originates - Inbound links from CNN, AOL, MSN, and the like would carry a much higher link value than one coming from a friend's blog. 

* The relevance of the anchor text to the link – Using one of the search terms that is being search engine optimized as anchor text will score higher than a simple "click here" link.

* Where the link is coming from within the originating website – A link coming from, say CNN's home page will score much higher than if it comes from a page that few if any people have visited.

* Where the inbound link is located on the originator's page – An inbound link coming from above the fold will be more valuable than one that is buried at the bottom of a long page.

* The total amount of outbound links from the originating page – The fewer outbound links the better. In theory, this is how the search engines filter out links coming from link farms.

Inbound links to a website are much like votes of confidence or third party endorsements. When these links come from the big boys of the web, the search engines take notice and give credit for it. When the status of the link is high, coming as one of a few from a place of prominence on an authority site, even more credit is given. These are the links SEO's strive for because a few of them can rank a website on the top pages of the search engines.

About the Author:
Gervais Group LLC is an Atlanta SEO company that enables companies to take advantage of search engines, turning web sites into effective sales and marketing channels so they can create  and sustain competitive advantages. For more information on how to get the most out of a linking strategy for your business, visit: SEO Company.