Proof (almost) of the value of outbound links on Google

[dburdon]

There's been conjecture about this subject since Green Eagle raised it on WPW about 10 days ago. It seems I have, what could be termed, almost conclusive proof.

My search blog http://uksearch.blogspot has just received a visit in response to the search term "Novatex Texas" on Google.com. I recall, earlier this year, agreeing a reciprocal link with "Texas Jeff" a fellow WPW forum member. When I checked the Google search I was astounded to find my site was ranked number 1 in the Google SERPs. See:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=novatex%20texas

The only connection my blog has with the search term is the outbound link. My blog is only PR4 and has no other connection to Texas or Novatex. Certainly no IBLs. This single outbound lik must be competing with hundreds of IBLs.

[google junky]

I looked at the top ten results including yours.

All but 2 have Novatex in an outbound text link and texas atleast in on-page text rather than a text link.

I looked at the popularity of the word. According to Overture, the word Novatex turns up no other additions to itself other than simply Novatex. It was searched 59 times in the last month.

Not sure if you have ever done this trick but here it is.
Do a search with an asterick as "Novatex*texas" with quotes
This allows anything to be in between the words.


If I had to guess I would say this....

I believe that you just happen to be the only person with the words so closely together and inturn makes you the most relevent. Your site was the only one that shows in the results.

If you do it without quotes and still the asterick. You are still the only site with those words as close to each other.

It would be interesting to see a site that had it the same but in plain on-page text only. The outcome would prove interesting.

I'm really glad you brought this up. This is the stuff I love to look at and investigate. One day I might go outside and see the sun....maybe. :)

As a sidenote: I did put up a small form to make it easier to check the datacenter we all seem to be watching. If you would like to use it then feel free. I form uses prsearch.net, but I changed it to use the new datacenter and search within the first 1000 results.
http://www.horsesearchengine.com/jagger/

[dburdon]

GoogleJunky,

well done on the research.

I still find it odd that an outbound link with just one part of the search query in the anchor text can come top of the Google SERPs.

I'm assuming that Novatex must have some IBLs out there with "Novatex" featured in them. And they certainly have Texas in the text on their web site.

[dburdon]

Google Junky,

your research got me thinking.Why should one outbound link be so strong in the SERPs?

Trying not to corrupt or bias the existing Google SERPs, I searched for "Novatex Texas" on Yahoo.

The php pages from the company web site featured 1&2 in the SERPs. From there I went back to the dot.com home page. This is PR3. Has good title and meta tags.

I found 70 IBLs logged with Google and 1,815 IBLs logged with MSN. These links are all pointing towards the Novatex site!!!

In addition, the Novatex title tag includes "Novatex". "Texas" is included in the keywords meta tag. And "Texas" is included at the base of the page.

One negative, perhaps, is that the site is coded in php. I always thought php was fine with Google. Why should the Novatex web site do so poorly in Google against a PR4 blog with 1 relevant outbound link?

Other thoughts?

I guess right now its only 4:20am in Texas. So Jeff can sleep on this one.

[greeneagle]

When I do a GOOGLE search for:
laser machining houston
My pr4 portfolio page has been moving up steadily from 19th to 10th place now, durring Jagger, while my client; www.huntandhunt.com fell completely out of the SERPs. Note; That his Site is a PR4 throughout also.
I and other webmasters have been seeing the same phenomenen starting with the update prior and extending through, and more pronounced with Jagger.
Ken

[dburdon]

Ken,

do you think there is now sufficient proof to state that OBLs do have value in the Google SERPs?

I know the hardline "off page only counts in Google" crowd will have to rewrite a lot of their material if it is the case.

[greeneagle]

dburdon,

I think it is one the best options for culling link spam of all denominations, including the more difficult such as CSS and those that are non-relevant high PR purchased.

If you think about it, it makes perfect sense to reward relevance coming and going. Simply catch the problem at the source (OBL).

We continue to make the mistake in Forums everywhere, and need to better define "Links" as IBLs or OBLs in our discussions. I don't believe a link is just a link anymore.

That particular client I mentioned above fell in his GOOGLE SERPs in the Jagger Mêlée:
#1 to #101
#1 & #2 to #160
#3 to #248

This Site still ranks highly, in MSN and YAHOO, holding top SERPs there. GOOGLE weighted something extra heavy this time and at this point no one seems to have a handle on it yet. Maybe it is “hosting issues”, several do play in!

These drops are significant for a Site that is:
Relevant
Validates
No Spam – Completely White Hat
Etc..

The only differences between this client and all the others that did not experience the Jagger crash are:

1) It has fewer OBLs than any other.
2) They continue paid YAHOO listings
3) They changed Hosting Companies

I don’t know at this point which, or if all 3 are playing in. I doubt that it is #2, because they may be setting themselves up for legal ramifications there.

Ken

[dburdon]

I guess the whole objective of the regular Google updating change process is to attempt to outmanouevre the SEOs and companies that are deciphering any existing algorithm. With all the links for sale and automated link building businesses, Google has stepped in to nullify the impact of these questionable practises.

It seems like a continuous process.

1. Google changes the algo. And wrong foots the SEO community.
2. SEO community in disarray. Much alarm and discussion.
3. Slowly the algo changes are deciphered by the more perceptive members of the SEO community. Their thoughts are posted on forums like this one.
4. Entrepreneurs (for want of a better word) spot the opportunity of exploiting the new algorithm. This could be keyword stuffing, link building, anchor text building etc. They build business models around their "engima" style approach.
5. Early adopters begin to rise in the SERPs.
6. Many sites jump on the band wagon and devalue the SERPs in competitive categories.
7. Google changes algo.

This time 'round, for some, reason Google appears to have rewarded OBLs. Maybe this is because nobody out there is advocating them.

[aaron2005]

I will test this today.

Thanks

[google junky]

dburdon,

Your list is pretty exact. I will wait 3 or 4 weeks after the dust settles with Joker3 before I even start to get to deep into figuring this thing out. I will for sure put OBL on my list of things to look it.

#3 makes me stop and think everytime I post in a forum.

3. Slowly the algo changes are deciphered by the more perceptive members of the SEO community. Their thoughts are posted on forums like this one.

-Maybe off topic a bit here. Just something I had needed to say for awhile. -
I think you would agree that there are just some things we never post in a forum. I can surely say that for myself. I get a bit paranoid to tell everything.
For example: if you knew there was a 70% off everything sale in town and for some odd reason you were just one of the few that knew about it. I doubt you would want to become the town cryer and then end up last in line.

[dburdon]

Google Junky,

in my previous post "enigma" was misspelled. It refers to the machine that deciphered the German military code in World War 2.

I guess the benefit of a community like WPW is that we all share ideas and problems and help one another along. I've certainly learned from the likes of Green Eagle, Minstrel, DMC, Brian Mark, CTABUK etc. I'd like to think I'm also putting value back into the forum.

I recall raising the issue of the value of OBLs about 2 months back. I'd observed stuff coming through to my blogs that could only be derived from the OBLs. At the time my ideas were poo-pooed by some of the "off-page is everything" brigade. Ken's (Green Eagle) post on the subject about 10 days ago raised the issue again. This time with added credibility.

I guess you shouldn't post stuff that's confidential or of a competitive nature.

[aaron2005]

Originally Posted by google junky

dburdon,

Your list is pretty exact. I will wait 3 or 4 weeks after the dust settles with Joker3 before I even start to get to deep into figuring this thing out. I will for sure put OBL on my list of things to look it.

#3 makes me stop and think everytime I post in a forum.

-Maybe off topic a bit here. Just something I had needed to say for awhile. -
I think you would agree that there are just some things we never post in a forum. I can surely say that for myself. I get a bit paranoid to tell everything.
For example: if you knew there was a 70% off everything sale in town and for some odd reason you were just one of the few that knew about it. I doubt you would want to become the town cryer and then end up last in line.

you are one of them greedy fellahs that I do not feel bad knocking down as I rush to get the good sh*t at the 70% off sale! ;)

yes I agree, there are things I have already learned that I do not want "marketers and spammers" to have, posted in this forum, it would ruin it for the rest.

[greeneagle]

Quote:

"yes I agree, there are things I have already learned that I do not want "marketers and spammers" to have, posted in this forum, it would ruin it for the rest."

That thought crosses my mind often, but on the other hand if it is legal, within the forum guidelines, relevant and pertinant, it helps everyone to discuss and understand the underlying issues, making the community effort more valuable for everyone here.

Ken

[google junky]

Originally Posted by dburdon

Google Junky,

in my previous post "enigma" was misspelled. It refers to the machine that deciphered the German military code in World War 2.

I watched a documentary on the Enigma. The code was produced in Psuedo Random. The computers they used to break the code were as big as a warehouse and had huge bulbs.
I dont remember why , but they destroyed them directly after they cracked the code. Amazing how we have computers as small as a book now. That was a very cool documentary. Hope I didn't get any of that wrong. I'm working off of total memory. Time to do some web searching to refresh my memory. might be time for an upgrade :)

[kgun]

You spam my index?

Goto the following URL aaronlogan.com .

1. If you get the message, "You shall not pass.".
2. Try to go around the problem and find
"—Fight referrer spam—
.htaccess v.10/20/05"
3. Copy the code into your .htacces file.
4. You must know what to do. If you are uncertain, ask your webmaster or Incrediblehelp at this forum. If you do it wrong, your site may not work after you have put .hatacces onto your webserver.
5. You knew how to do it ...

[dburdon]

Google Junky,

my purpose in quoting enigma is that the people who claim to crack the Google algorithm try to present their findings on the same scale as the breakthrough in WW2. There's no comparison.

We all need to relax a little. If you spend all your time trying to crack the code rather than focusing on communicating and delivering value to potential clients you'll ultimately deliver a less valuable business proposition.

Any advantage gained will be entirely ephemeral. Let's all enjoy the challenge.

P.S.
This threads about the newly discovered value of outbound links.

[kgun]

There is at least one http://www.seo-war.com/keyword-marketing.htm

paralell :-)

[aaron2005]

Originally Posted by dburdon

Google Junky,
We all need to relax a little. If you spend all your time trying to crack the code rather than focusing on communicating and delivering value to potential clients you'll ultimately deliver a less valuable business proposition.

Yep, back to basics!

How refreshing, time to turn the computer off and get back to building. :-)

[dburdon]

Just checked this morning and my blog is still up there at No.1.

Does anyone know the correct name for the text that sits immediately adjacent to the anchor text? I use appendage text. But this sounds too crude.