Will incoming links always benefit your Google PageRank? What about reciprocal links? Not all links are equal in the eyes of the various search engines' algorithms. Keep reading to find the answers to these and many other link-related questions.
What are links?
Links are the pathways created by website owners that lead from one website to another. The Internet was built on this series of interconnections between sites. Links are seen on virtually every page on the Internet, ready to be clicked by the mouse and send the Internet surfer to another page -- either on the same site, or to a different website entirely.
Are there different types of links?
Links appear on the Internet in three basic forms. Link types include the outbound link that sends a visitor to another website, the inbound link that brings Internet traffic from other outside websites, and internal site links that send visitors to different pages within the site itself.
Why are links important?
Links are important because they help Internet users find interesting, informative, and useful content, either on the site itself or at other Internet locations. Inbound links have special value to the search engines, including Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, and Ask Jeeves, as the number, duration of linking time, and quality are part of the search engine algorithms. As a general rule, the more incoming links that a Web page and website receive, the better the site will rank in the search engines.
Do all links have equal value to the search engines?
While quantity of links is important, quality is even more important. Some inbound links are simply given more value than others by the search engine algorithms. Links from pages deemed to be more relevant, in terms of topic and theme, are given more weight. Also given more value are links that are labeled with more keyword rich anchor text, links from pages with higher Google PageRank, and links that originate within content pages rather than from the ubiquitous “links pages.” There is even some evidence that linking out to other Web pages provides some benefit to the link sending page.
Are there any links that a website owner should avoid?
While not all links are created equal, or provide comparable benefit, search engines evaluate a site by the company it keeps. Because no website owner has control over who links to her site, links from sites under penalty, or even banned sites, are not held against the receiving page. The search engines do, however, take a dim view of links sent out to sites deemed to be “bad neighborhoods.” A website owner can control who receives a site’s links, and linking to sites under penalty or ban can hurt the linking page’s search ranking dramatically.
Link Trading 
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