Links

Along with unique content incoming links are an important factor in any SEO campaign. Search engines check the number and value of links pointing at your site as a means of calculating where your site should be ranking for a particular keyword. As well as the link itself, they also take in to consideration the anchor text, the relevance of the site, the history and the location.

However, do not be drawn too much into thinking links are the only answer; content is very important (and inceasingly so) and a good links strategy alongside great unique content makes for a winning combination. A links campaign or great content as standalone projects will struggle to succeed.

History

Search engines value history, and like to see that both a link and the site it is hosted on are aging – a new link from a brand new site is a lot less effective than an established link which has been on the site for a year or more. However, it is important to stress that all links will be new at some point, so concentrate on the relevancy of the site you are linking from.

Location

The ideal location for an effective link is either the left hand navigation or the centre of the page, embedded inside some nice keyword-rich text. The least preferable location is the bottom navigation of a page, with anywhere in between being of medium quality.