Adding Theme Relevant Content And Links - Blogs and Link Benefits
(Page 4 of 5 )
Bloggers are generous natural linkers. They readily and frequently link, not only from their blog links list, but from within posts themselves.
Note that most, but not all, bloggers link to other blogs and websites, from their blog’s home page. That has some benefits, and some drawbacks. The upside is the blog’s home page usually has good to very good Google PageRank. The downside is that like many other links pages, a blog’s transferred PageRank is often divided among a large number of blogs and traditional websites.
Being linked from a page with many outgoing links provides more value if the sending page is relevant to the receiving page. In the case of blogs, that is very often the case. Bloggers like to link to other blogs and websites in their special topic area. Because of this relevance, the maximum amount of value from a site to site link of that type can be reached.
While theme relevant links pass along more Topic Sensitive PageRank and more link popularity boost, keep in mind that all links pass value as well. The only difference is unrelated links tend to pass along a lower amount of link benefit to the receiving page.
Bloggers are well known for providing interesting and informative links to their readership from within the blog posts themselves. Keep in mind that bloggers are many times more likely to link to other blogs than to static websites. By not having a blog component on your website, that enormous linking potential is almost entirely lost.
These context sensitive blog links are especially valuable in three ways. The first and obvious benefit is what accrues from any link in the form of link popularity and transferred Google PageRank. The second benefit is from the potentially keyword rich link anchor text from right in the post itself. Often, the blogger will use an entire sentence about the linked material as the link anchor text. Keywords are often found in those linked passages.
The third benefit is from context. Surrounding the link is usually very theme relevant content, containing similar important keyword phrases. That context ensures that the sending page is very theme relevant. Since bloggers tend to read and link to blogs, focussing on their main area of interest, their outgoing links are most likely highly relevant.
Link exchangers will find bloggers who share similar topics to be very receptive link traders. Some people believe that reciprocal links have no value, but that’s not the case at all. All incoming links have value; some simply provide more net benefit than others. Reciprocal links between similarly themed blogs and websites are very good for both parties. Links to and from entirely unrelated sites and blogs offer far less value, but still add some limited benefit.
Fortunately for many bloggers, one-way incoming links from similarly themed blogs are very common events. Very few bloggers fail to link to other interesting blog posts. In fact, linking is part of the power of blogging.
Some blogs are well on their way to achieving hub site status as a result of their generous linking habits. In that sense, linking pays off handsomely for many bloggers.
Next: Conclusion >>
More Link Trading Articles
More By Wayne Hurlbert
/ 8 
