Mediarun Search Marketing News

Link formatting impacts on search engine marketing

June 22nd 2010

Search Engine Optimisation News

While every SEO Company across the world continues to chant "content is king", a new Google patent could actually mean that style could become as important as substance where effective search engine optimisation is concerned. Content is still king in many respects, but as the search engine's algorithms get more complex, Google has begun to take into account a number of style and layout issues.

It was only a few weeks ago that the search engine began to judge sites on their mobile rendering - proving that good design and swift loading speeds have become a core aspect of modern search engine marketing. But Google has always appeared to steer clear of the actual look of sites - if you disregard the 'Flash issue', which makes any non-HTML sites practically un-optimisable.

But, as mentioned above, a new patent has been filed which shows that actual link attributes - such as colour and size - could boost, or hinder, its perceived value, which would impact on a firm's search engine marketing strategy.

As a result, Free SEO News has issued some sound advice on the benefits of ensuring visual consistency across your website.

The news provider said: "Your link should be in the regular text of the linking page. It should not be in the footer or another navigational elements. If possible, the link should be 'above the fold'."

It also suggested avoiding links with commercial terms in them such as "buy now" or "click here".

"Use the keywords for which you want to get high rankings. The link texts should be natural. Anything that looks like manipulation might devalue the link," the site concluded.

Although the value that Google places on individual links is uncertain, it is clear that they are not equal. And if they connect disparate pages or don't fit into the body text of an article, their value will plummet significantly.

Recently, H. S. Paik, president of LG Electronics in the Gulf, claimed that intelligent link building was a core aspect of the firm's long-term search engine optimisation strategy.

A link building strategy is something that all firms who have a public-facing online presence should consider. An SEO agency can provide plenty of advice to firms who are still getting to grips with the technical side of effective link building and other search engine marketing techniques.

To find out about the performance solution we can offer you and your business, speak to one of our consultants on 0207 843 2265 or contact us.