Varying Inbound Link Destinations

[steve sardell]

The majority of linking campaigns I have reviewed always seem to have the inbound links pointing to their home page. The exceptions for the most part have been inbound links pointing to tools and articles. In today's Search Marketing Advisor, Brian Kaminski discusses best practices for link popularity. Most members of this forum already know what is written, but he makes a bonus point at the end:"Diversifying your inbound link destinations." This is a point one does not see overly discussed, and in my opinion is too often overlooked, especially for sites targetting multiple key phrases.

[Daria_Goetsch]

That makes total sense to me. I have to say I've been guilty of inbound links to the homepage more often than not. Tools, white papers and articles certainly make sense. Varying the inbound links to pages that seem appropriate sounds like a good way to go in general.

[seobook]

the home page has a tendancy to be able to rank the best since it is the recipient of many of the "natural" type of links. promoting interior pages often requires renting links and the like when it sometime may be easier to focus on getting links to the home page and letting the link popularity filter through the site.

[Anthony Parsons]

The man was spot on the money IMO. Inbound links as with all things need to point to all pages. It is only our laziness that tend to fail in this area. I alternate my links page ever so often. This way, when people submit to my directory for instance, so many months might have links pointing to the homepage, other months I may change the information to point to an internal page that I feel is lacking from inbound links. I do the same with my business site.

I think it is only commonsense to alternate your link locations along with your anchor text. Isn't that what linking is about? If you target a phrase, then you get a link from an authoritive content page with that anchored text pointing to the page your targeting that given phrase!

IMO, you should always alternate your anchor text and location to broaden and provide stability to your entire website. Links have that affect.

[Dodger]

I have been using links to internal landing pages all along. There is always a link back to my Home Page on those pages anyway. So I feel it works out about the same.

If I have a site with multiple categorical products, then it makes sense to have the site that my link will appear on to point to one of these pages that best fits that site. I do not want that link to point to the Home Page in most cases, and then have the value of that link dispersed into other pages that do not relate to it.

[steve sardell]

Originally Posted by seobook

promoting interior pages often requires renting links and the like when it sometime may be easier to focus on getting links to the home page and letting the link popularity filter through the site.

If one has interior pages competing with other sites' home pages then one is at a distict disadvantage if anchor text is not pointing to that specific page. The tactic of having anchor text pointing to interior pages is long term, and yes does require work. Personally, I do not believe in the short term fix and would not recommend the renting of links. Provided they are relevant and contain excellent material, getting links to interior pages is no more difficult than getting them to the home page.

As long as the site is structured properly the link popularity will filter up to the homepage. Keeping in mind the link is primarily for the visitors, you want them to arrive the the proper landing page. IMHO, it is not user friendly if the site visitor is required to make an extra click.

[Anthony Parsons]

Originally Posted by Dodger

If I have a site with multiple categorical products, then it makes sense to have the site that my link will appear on to point to one of these pages that best fits that site.

Well said Dodger. Nothing frustrates a person more than seeing a link that reads "Facial Cream & Toner", clicking on it to be taken to the homepage and then have to find the relevant page. That's how to lose business, not increase business. You click on that link, you want to be taken to the Facial cream and toner page containing the products.

Well pointed out dodger. If I could use that reputation thing, you would off got a point from me.

[DanThies]

I've been advocating this for years. As pointed out already, it makes sense to ask for links to the most relevant resource/page. This is a lot easier way to promote links to most sites anyway.

The "side benefit" is link popularity and better rankings for interior pages, and of course spiders love to deep crawl a site that has deep links.

Originally Posted by seobook
promoting interior pages often requires renting links and the like

I don't know what kind of sites you're working on, Aaron, but a resource is a resource. The home page is easier to get into directories, but for other sites, it's often much easier to get "deep content" links. There are plenty of ways to do it. For example, send out a press release, include the URL of an internal page, watch the links grow.

[seobook]

Originally Posted by DanThies

I don't know what kind of sites you're working on, Aaron, but a resource is a resource. The home page is easier to get into directories, but for other sites, it's often much easier to get "deep content" links. There are plenty of ways to do it. For example, send out a press release, include the URL of an internal page, watch the links grow.

I am talking more about ecommerce type product sites that don't have good linkable info in them. usually it is easier to register those types of sites in directories and get other home page links than it is to get links into the model 65 cannon z shot supper whammy plus page (especially if the page lacks adequate content to appeal to a camera junkie).

I do have a bunch of links into internal pages too. I think many of those just kinda start to pop up over time. looking for people with similar content and swapping is a good call though.

Even on a consultant type resource site it often makes sense to break things down.

if an idea is good enough to really grow then often it is a good idea to make that idea it's own site. this way you can get all the benefits you would by promoting an inner page and also get all the bonus, perks, and benefits that a home page gets.

Even for article and other resource type websites it often pays to break them down. I think my blog is WAY MORE POPULAR than it would be if I kept it on my site.

A large reason many internet businesses fail (or will fail) is that they lack clear focus and they add stuff on. <random>I saw a guy who was trying to sell SEO services on his homemade hemp jewelry website. </random>

Breaking ideas into their own sites can help you maintain focus on each one.

After you make it to profitablility it does not cost much more money to break your ideas down into specific niche chunks.

If my original site that I started just over a year ago would have been as focused as my more recent ideas I would have been profitable about a year ago

[Dodger]

Aaron mentioned product based sites being split out into their own seperate sites for each product category/line. That would lose your ability to cross-sell particular items that are not even related to the original purchase. Those little odds and ends that you would see at the checkstand in your grocery store.

We went with mini-sites within the site. The site is basicly a person, more than an online store though, they look for her. To have that split out across multiple sites would lose those extra sales -- it is not uncommon for people to throw in a six-pack of Burt's Bees World Famous Lip Balm with their order of some super-duper miracle supplement. This often ups those order totals an additional 15-20% -- those sales would have been lost if carried on their own site by their own.

[seobook]

Originally Posted by Dodger

Aaron mentioned product based sites being split out into their own seperate sites for each product category/line. That would lose your ability to cross-sell particular items that are not even related to the original purchase. Those little odds and ends that you would see at the checkstand in your grocery store.

We went with mini-sites within the site. The site is basicly a person, more than an online store though, they look for her. To have that split out across multiple sites would lose those extra sales -- it is not uncommon for people to throw in a six-pack of Burt's Bees World Famous Lip Balm with their order of some super-duper miracle supplement. This often ups those order totals an additional 15-20% -- those sales would have been lost if carried on their own site by their own.

I do not have much experience with large database and script driven websites. I understand what you are saying about the extra sales adding up, but I try to stay away from a large line of products. I am just a single person that wants to eventually own a few online stores, does seo for a few people, & keeps up with the news.

The idea I am talking about is the gaining through focus. Some sites may specialize in coffee and do well. Over time though lets say you specialized in a specific coffee + solving a users problems. Perhaps you only sell single serve coffee, but you have one of the widest varieties available on the web (http://www.podhead.com/). A site which only sells specific kind of coffee has way less competition than a site that sells everything.

They may not cross sell as much, but if they can get you to associate any specific product type or packaging with them then it is far easier to remove yourself from being just another comodity selling estore.

[DanThies]

We're rapidly departing from the topic here, but if they aren't at least offering something else on the checkout page (coffee making tools/toys/accessories) then they are leaving money/profits on the table.

Impulse items can be offered with pretty much zero risk to finishing the sale and they can be marked up a lot more than the core product. Coffee is still a commodity, no matter where you sell it. The added profit per sale translates into higher profits per visitor, and that means you have more money for marketing.

[Dodger]

I hear what you are saying Aaron. My example is probably more of an unusual case to be citing anyway. There is not that wide of range in products (about 5 ... 6 if you count the stuff for pets, but that IS on a seperate site).

We do have the single sites out there that are more focused, actually they are basic three or four page single-product wonders. So we are basicly covering it from a number of angles.