October 14, 2007
by Paul Lamach


A back link, or reciprocal link, is a link on a web site outside of your web site that points to a page on your web site. Back links are what the web is made up of. Back Links are a very important part of the Web. Plenty has been said about the importance of going out and getting back links to your site. I agree, back links are very important. I don't see anyone telling you why back links work. How do back links really affect your web pages? How do back links effect your web site overall? Put on your thinking caps. We'll see if we can sort this mess out! I am going to take a simple three page web site and show what happens to the pages of the web site when the back link takes place. I am using the original google algorithm for my calculations.


The typical web site

Lets take a web site that has three pages. Usually all three pages have a link to one another. For this example I will assume each page on the web site has a PR score of one(1.00).

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In the diagram above Page A1 links to Page A2 and Page A3. Page A2 links to Page A1 and Page A3. Ok, Mr. Obvious, what points to Page A3? Yes, Page A1 and Page A2. Each Page has a PR score of one(1). The web Site has a total PR score of three(3). This stuff is easy!
What a lot of people don't understand is where the value of the web pages come from. Of course I'm going to tell you. A web page gets its PR score from the links that point to it. This is not 100% accurate, but it's really close. Well, if that is true, lets calculate the PR score for web page A1. A web pages PR score comes from the links pointing to it. Web Page A1 has two links pointing to it. Web Page A2 points to web Page A1, and web page A3 points to web page A1. Now heres another important point. The value of a link from a web page depends on how many links are on that web page. Lets look at web page A2. Web page A2 has two links on it. The value of each link is one-half(.50). In this easy example Web Page A2 has a PR score of 1. If the web page A2 had a PR score of four(4.00), each link would be worth two(2.00). Getting back to the value of Web Page A1. The PR score of Web Page A1 is the sum of all links pointing to it. Web Page A1 has a link from web page A2 and a link from web page A3. The value of a link coming from A2 is one-half(.50) because there are two links on that page. The value of a link from web page A3 is also one-half(.50). So the PR score of web page A1 is one-half(.50) and one-half(.50). The total PR score for web Page A1 is one(1). The web page A2 has two links pointing to it. Can you see how that page is also worth a PR score of one(1)? The total PR score for web site A is three(3). Just add A1 to A2 and A3. Notice that I have not named any of these pages. I did not say A1 was the home page. Do not label any pages yet!


Two web site Example

The internet is made up of web sites with web pages. So let’s make things more confusing by bringing in another web site. I didn't mean confusing, I meant more meaningful!

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The diagram above shows web site A and web site B. Web site A has a PR score of three(3), and web site B has a PR score of three(3). Life is great!!!! The total PR score is six(6). Both sites are cruising along fine, then web site B sees a web page that he would like a link from. Piece of cake. We know how to do this, ask to exchange links! Before you say NO or YES to a link exchange, you better know how it affects your web site, and your web pages. The answer should be great, YES let’s do it! You have to know how to get that Win-Win situation! The Win-Win situation takes place when the USER (remember them) of both web sites gain a value by each site exchanging links.


Two happy web sites form a marriage

Sounds like a fairy tale doesn't it! OK, webmaster of web site A and the webmaster of web site B decide they can add value to their users by exchanging links.

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The diagram above shows the new set-up.Its a beautiful thing! Everybody is happy for the rest of their lives. End of story. But what really happened? Well, since you graduated from the Locaref School of Back Links(LSBSU?) you can figure it out! Let’s figure out the PR value of web page A1. Let’s see Back Links 101 stated that a web page gets its value from links pointing to it. There are three links now pointing to web page A1. Big deal! The value of the link from A2 is one-half(.50). The value of the link from A3 is one-half(.50). The value of the link from web page B1 is one-third(.33). You get a gold star for noticing that web page B1 has three links. The PR score for web page A1 is .50 plus .50 plus .33. WOW! web page A1 has a PR score of 1.33. Told you this exchanging links crap works! Did I say crap? Better check the other pages and see what happens, just in case. OK, the value of web page A2 is the total of the links pointing to it. A1 has a link to web page A2, and web page A3 has a link pointing to it. Man am I getting tired of typing. The value of the link from web page A1 is one-third(.33). The value of the link from web page A3 is one-half(.50). The total PR score for web page A2 is .33 plus .50. Web page A2 has a PR score of .83. OUCH! What happened? By exchanging links with web site B you lost PR! I'll save you some time, the PR value for web page A3 is .83 also. What’s the total PR score for web site A? The total PR score is 1.33(A1) plus .83(A2) plus .83(A3). The total PR score for the web site is 3.00. Wake up I'm trying to make a point here! The web site A did not.......gain any PR score. The web site A did not.....lose any PR score. Just in case you’re wondering web site B has exactly the same PR score for its web pages and web site.


Lets do the new "Distribution Tango"

All of a sudden when web site B asks to exchange links with you, it means something entirely different! He is asking if you want to do the Distribution Tango! I think we need some background music. Dream with me. I'll establish a new school, the Distribution Tango School for Better Linking. I can certify Linkers doing the Distribution Tango. I'll design a new logo - DOT - Distribution of Tangos. ADT - Association of Distribution Tango. How about ADT Trading Cards. You can go to conferences with all these ADT trading cards in your pocket that represent the keywords on web pages you want to add value to. You could have them pinned to your clothing. If someone saw sa keyword they could help with, you could exchange ADT Cards. How about CAD - The Conference to Add Distribution. Better get back on subject! Wait...How about a web site that lists pages that you have that you want to add value to and the link value on that page. When someone sees it they just click it and send that person what they have available with the same value. Sorry, this brain is non stop!


How about that one-way reciprocal link?

Comments on blogs are one-way links. Articles published with your by-line are one way links. Press releases published on another web site are one-way links. How about the directory you joined. That is in fact a one-way link. Just remember the value of the link you are establishing is determined by the number of links on that web page and the PR score of that web page. Whoa...another idea for a web site. Have a listing of all web pages and the present link value if you made a comment. No...better yet, make up a widget that gets put on a page, and it automatcally calculates the value of the link you are placing on the page!

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The diagram above shows the one-way back link. Yeh, I know more calculations. Web Site A has decided that a web page (B1) on web site B can add value to their users, so they have linked to web site B from web page A1. OK, grab your partner and let’s do that Distribution Tango! Too funny! OK, web page B1 gets its PR score from all links that point to it. BLAH-BLAH-BLAH. Let me just give you the final PR scores. Web site A-1.80; web site B-4.20; total PR score-6.00; web page A1-.64; web page A2-.58; web page A3-.58; web page B1-1.48; web page B2-1.36; web page B3-1.36. WOW! It sure does make a difference now! Do I have your attention now! I bet you'll think twice about that outgoing link now!


The perfect situation

The perfect situation is a web page on another web site links to a web page on your web site, and the link was only one of two links on that web page. And of course the PR of that web page would be ten(10.00)! The value of the link would be five(5.0). In that one link you placed on another web site you would gain a PR score of five(5.00). Pinch me! That of course is not going to happen. Whoa, I just thought of something. How many links are on Google's front page? Do you think they know what they are doing? How many links on Googles front page go outside their site? How many links point to Googles front page? (Just checked - about 30 links - all to google.com, except orkut.com owned by google - which I had to check out of course!). All the value of all the web pages that point to Googles front page get directly transferred to the rest of their site. How many advertising text links are on Googles front page? OK, SLAP! Let’s get back to that perfect situation. Problem is you can't control the other web sites. You can control where you place the back links out on the web. Going to make a comment? How many comments have already been made? How many links on the page? Are you wasting your time? Going to join a directory? How many links are going to be on the same page as yours? What is more valuable, a link from a web page with a PR of 10 and 100 other links, or a link from a web page with a pr of 1 and only two links? If you know the answer I have done my job.


Evaluation of this web page

This web page came about from CourtneyTuttle.com. Courtney started a writing project. Basically he is getting everyone to publish a page on their web site, and he is going to link to it from his web site. Tell me Courtney's readers won't benefit from that! I am a true believer that in order to get someone on your side and believe in you, you have to give first. Courtney has given me a BIG opportunity. If you have not taken advantage of his giving, shame on you. I hope we all find out that this project takes off big time. BUT, always a but, what are you doing for him? Courtney - Thank you so much for this oppoptunity. This page has two links. One link goes to your home page and one link goes to my home page (Im not a complete fool!). If this page gets to PR of one(1.00), guess what you get half(.50). If this page gets to PR ten(10), guess what you get five(5.00). Will it stay that way? Probably not, but for now it will. Boy, what a novel idea, a web page with two links. Thats better than googles front page. I hope everyone pays Courtney back. I have a feeling this project will be very useful to all readers. Courtney made the first move, he gave, It’s your turn. By the way I do not know Courtney. Then again, you could add a link to this page for your users if it is truly worth reading.


What did I gain from this project?

I kinda knew about reciprocal links. Now, I feel I really understand about back links. It’s always that way with me. I used to be a teacher. If I had to teach something, I made sure I did my research, and got it right. Be doing that I ended up understanding the subject more. I sure hope I did a good job here. If I didn't I will change it. Right now I'm ready to go out and redesign my entire site. My site makes me look stupid! Ha Ha!


Will I exchange links?

You betcha! What do I have to offer someone interested in internet marketing? Every one of you are located somewhere. I'm going to guess most of your customers come from a location. I have a site made up of nothing but locatons. Still need help figuring it out? Let me put it in Distribution Tango terms! I love that saying! Let’s go for that Win-Win situation. I control my links which are made up of keywords like Wildwood, NJ. You control links made up of keywords internet marketing. When someone is searching for information on internet marketing in Wildwood, NJ is there any way we can help the user find that information, by joining forces and doing the......
       

Distribution Tango!

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CourtneyTuttle.com - Make Money Online FREE