Oh No! Link “Popularity” Will Make a Comeback

Google’s new Link Analysis Tool will surely get people talking more about link “popularity” again. Please, spare yourself from the numbers game.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for building links as part of an online marketing strategy. Even if they didn’t influence natural search engine rankings, links are great for driving direct traffic.

Marketers never really lost their passion for link “popularity. When they feel that they fall “short” of a competitor, it’s akin to saying “he has more toys than me.” Google has failed to reveal all of the links to your website. But the new tool provides a much deeper look at the actual links to each website.

The kicker is that the data is for your site, not your competitor’s website. I guess that makes comparisons a bit tough.

Take this tool for what it’s intended – a great analysis of your own situation. See what links you got on your own and find out who decided to link to you without asking. It will help you see how good content and public relations can pay off.

Don’t let the big numbers go to your head. Your rankings aren’t changing. You’re just seeing what Google concealed from you.

It’s still about quality, not quantity. I don’t care about having more links than my rival. I just want a visitor they don’t get or a choice search phrase and high ranking that will elude them in the months ahead.