As you probably know, Google relies heavily on incoming links in ranking web sites. Google recently submitted a patent application which reveals some details in how links are evaluated. In addition to the sheer number of links and their anchor texts, the patent specification shows possible ways how Google might use historical information to further specify the value of links.
For example, Google might record the discovery date of a link and the link changes over time. Google might also record the life span of a link and the speed at which a new web site gets links.
The patent specification indicates that Google might track the following information:
- The anchor text and the discovery date of links are recorded.
- Google might monitor the appearance and disappearance of a link over time.
- Google might monitor the growth rates of links as well as the link growth of independent peer documents.
- Google might monitor the changes in the anchor texts over a given period of time.
- Google might monitor the rate at which new links to a web page appear and disappear.
- Google might record a distribution rating for the age of all links.
- Links with a long life span might get a higher rating than links with a short life span.
- Links from fresh pages might be considered more important.
- If a stale document continues to get incoming links, it will be considered fresh.
- Google doesn't expect that new web sites have a large number of links.
- If a new web site gets many new links, this will be tolerated if some of the links are from authorative sites.
- Google indicates that it is better if link growth remains constant and slow.
- Google indicates that anchor texts should be varied as much as possible.
- Google indicates that burst link growth may be a strong indicator of search engine spam.
What does this mean for your web site?
When it comes to linking, avoid one-shot quick solutions. If you participate in quick link exchange schemes or buy links to your web site so that you get many links at once, changes are that Google will see this as a spamming attempt.
When you exchange links with other web sites, do it slowly and consistently. ARELIS is a great tool to help you do this. Invest some time every week to build the links to your site and vary the texts that point to your site. Of course, the links to your site should contain keywords that are related to your site.
Make sure that your web page content is optimized for Google. If your web page content is not optimized, all other ranking factors won't help you much.
