are backlinks the most important aspect in google ranking?

[home based business ideas]

Hey everybody

When trying to rank high in google, should getting a high number of quality backlinks be the number one priority?

The impression I'm getting is that this is the case.

thanks

[cbp]

Number one priority should be getting your keywords as the anchor text of the backlinks.

CBP

[home based business ideas]

okay, say for example that I have a website about cars, regardless of wether the word cars in the domain name I should try to get backlinks with the word cars in it?

thanks

[cbp]

Yes, if you can.

But I assume you are using cars as an eg --- otherwise cars is incredibily competitive.

CBP

[mj2043]

Good backlinks and quality contain are the most important two things for Google.

[cbp]

I would disagree on the quality and volume of content directly affecting Google rankings - googlebot and google's ranking algorithm are dumb computer programs (its getting smarter) - it can not tell what is good quaility or bad quality content (there are some signals they can use, eg links to viagara sites)

However, you and I can tell what is good content (buts thats in the "eye of the beholder") and choose to link to a site or not. Good quality content sites should get DMOZ listsing etc --- so the affect of content on rankings is indirect via the obtaining of links.

CBP

[braknews]

In my limited experienced, when compared to the experience of those like cbp, I have found in addition to the keywords in the IBLs these factors appear to help...

• Frequency the page is updated. I update my site at least once a day & I have noticed recently that it has moved to the top of the SERPs for my desired keywords. The other sites that are pretty static have dropped down the SERPs. The previous No. 2 is no longer on the first page.
  
• I am sure that keyword density on the page plays a part too.

[home based business ideas]

thanks for replying everyone

as far as updating my site, I'm adding an article roughly once every two days.

I do not pay too much attention to keyword density at the moment. My intention is to first add content and then go back and optimize the site fully although I do try to use some keywords and phrases that I feel will bring quality traffic. - Is this a good idea?

again thanks for help

[cspelts]

Originally Posted by small business ideas

My intention is to first add content and then go back and optimize the site fully although I do try to use some keywords and phrases that I feel will bring quality traffic. - Is this a good idea?

It's a great idea! If you have lots of quality content that is written naturally, you'll inadvertently hit on a lot of the phrases that people would use to search for you. The more real content you have, the more likely this is to happen.

For example, if you write an article on Small Business Ideas, you naturally might use words and phrases like company, home-based, self-employment, family-run, mom and pop, etc., and all of those are keywords you might choose to optimize for - so there's no substitute for quality content!