What is a Hi Powered Link?

One that establishes trust in content related to a contextual theme or topic.

It is not about page rank and it is not about an authority site or a hub. It CAN be, but when it is, it is purely incidental.

It’s not even about Google or any search engine. A hi-powered link doesn’t get it’s power because a search engine trusts it. A link gets it’s power because PEOPLE trust it and that is what makes search engines want to trust it. Not the other way around.

One big misconception within the SEM community, (that I’m actually grateful for because it has given me a huge edge over my competitors;), is that hi-powered links gets their power from being on theme. I hate to invalidate anyone but the sad truth is that most of the people I’ve seen making that comment have not thought the statement through and obviously have no idea of what “on theme” really means.

Conventional wisdom from within the SEO ignoratti, would have us all searching at Google for our keyword  inurl , intitle, etc. to find “good” link request targets. All that does is get us begging our direct competitors to please send your best prospects to me.

A little better advice is to research out competitors backlinks and target those sites for a link. The thinking seeming to be that if they linked to a guy just like me and now that guy is placed better than I am, they’ll probably link to me too. Anyone that has actually tried this knows that it doesn’t work well enough to justify the time spent on the process. Now if Yahoo site explorer showed how much our competitors paid for each link, maybe THAT would make the time invested to results returned ratio much better. Until then, it’s pretty much a pound in an ounce out proposition.      

Rooting For Free Links

When I’m rooting for free links, I pay VERY little attention to theme. At least as it’s commonly known.

When you’re paying for links, you get to negotiate the link AND THE TERMS. What to say how, when and where to put it.  But when you’re digging for link worms, you are at the mercy of the human being whose fingers can click on the upload button of that site’s file transfer protocol.

So you see, we’re not dealing with content, or context, or websites, or THEMES. It just looks that way. We’re actually dealing with people.

So how do you REALLY determine the “theme” of a site?

WHEN IT MAKES SENSE TO ANOTHER HUMAN FOR YOUR LINK TO BE THERE.

When your link being right there makes sense to someone besides just you, it is on theme! Keep in mind though, you have ulterior motivations beyond the original intent of the target site. You’re opinion of what makes sense doesn’t count in this instance.

So, just because your link would make sense to be right there, doesn’t mean the human running the site NEEDS to put it there. There is a LOT of things he has available to put there that makes as much sense to his visitors as your link does. Unless you built that site too, the original intent of the target site did not have YOUR search engine placements as an objective.

What makes the human running the site decide to use your link to add value to his site?

The same things that make any human want to do anything. 

In the last post I wrote,  What do you REALLY want, a PR 8 link or to be on the first page of search results?   I explained some of the basic human motivations:

Either it makes them money, saves them time, provides added value to their visitors or they believe it makes them look good or smart or benevolent to their visitors, their peers, their friends, their relatives, to the search engines, award sites or just about anyone that can make them a buck or stroke their ego. 

Isn’t it funny how often search engines have little to do with search engine placement? That’s because a search engine can’t do anything until AFTER a human creates something for them to do. Once you accept that concept, all that’s really left is why would they do something for you? Answer that and links of the free persuasion become yours for the asking.

Does it REALLY work GURU?

Can you REALLY get relevant hi-powered links just by saying something people that can provide them want to hear? Well it works for the GURU.

People I Know Of Who Have Worked Hard, Contributed Something of Real Value and Deserve A Hi Powered, Guru Themed Link

Debra Mastaler  -- Link  Genius

I love having discussions with smart people. I recently got lucky enough to have one with a very smart young lady who has done a LOT to influence this industry for the better. Her name is Debra Mastaler and she writes a killer blog here --- http://thelinkspiel.blogspot.com/

 She is the Link Genius! Not hard on the eyes either.

How do I know she’s so smart? Because she said this about me.

“But you know Bob, you have a wonderful solid reputation in the seo community, I call it the smith barney syndrome:  you talk and people listen.”

Aaron Wall. I should put a permanent link to him. Oh wait. I did already!

http://www.seobook.com/blog

Seriously, a true internet resource. He gives much more than he has too and while I have no idea of how much he gets, he deserves more.

If you are not paying close attention to what Aaron tells you, YOU LOSE!

Guy Kawasaki – Here’s a dude who has gotten it from the very beginning.

Have a link on me Guy!

Guy Kawasaki knows how to market online. I’ve read a LOT of his stuff over the years and have never failed to be impressed. Imagine my surprise when I got an email from him. He tells me about a new project he’s just launched that happens to mention my blog and would I be kind enough to blog about his site.

Well, I follow the link he sent me to http://seo.alltop.com/. There I find a really pretty cool concept where under the topic of SEO I find tons of the most hi-end, well read and well respected industry blogs with easy to read headlines including mine!  I was elated and ego inflated.

Bobby Pham -- The Link Building and SEO Blog

http://www.bphamlinkbuilding.com/articles/the-truth-about-pagerank/

I wasn’t familiar with Bobby until I saw him in my referrers. Naturally, I looked and when I did I realized how smart Bobby was and he instantly became a friend. How do I know he’s so smart? Because he said this about me:

“Here’s a great article that talks more about the decreasing value of pagerank.” That links to

http://massa.techndu.com/2008/03/26/FranklyPageRankIDontGiveADamn.aspx

Ken Jones is next up on the smart person list.

http://www.seopscentre.com

How do I know he’s smart? Because he said this about the Guru.

The Chess Club
The smart kids.  You may not understand all of the big words that these guys use, but you can’t shake the feeling that they really know what they’re talking about.

The word club links to me and the word chess links to Bill Slawski,  (another really smart cookie http://www.seobythesea.com/)

Ken really put out a unique post that illustrates creativity and a keen awareness of the industry. Dang it! Another blog to have add to my must read list.

Here’s someone I should have said something nice about long ago.  

Wiep Knol from http://wiep.net/ If you want to  know how to pronounce that, http://wiep.net/talk/branding/7-ways-to-not-pronounce-my-name-correctly/

http://thehouseofoojah.com/news/index.php

A concept similar to Guy Kawasaki’s but I link to it because whoever is running the House of Foojah,(love that name), had the mental wherewithal to list the Guru along with many other SEO loudmouth, errr, experts.

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Oh, believe me, THIS person is getting a Guru link!

http://www.page5network.com/blog/

links to every article I WRITE.

I predict this site to be the winner of this years best SEO news blog in the history of blogs. It’s quality really does set the standard for the industry and blows me away everday I read it!

http://www.searchengineland.com

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Finally, I want to give links to three men I have had the great fortune to know and learn from for a long time now. But that is not why I’m giving them link smooches. I’m doing it so you will go to their sites and read their stuff.

These men really are three of the smartest men with a very unique insight into the business of search marketing. They are absolutely brilliant and they definetly do not follow the herd.

These men consistently give away tips and advice that will absolutely unscrew your head and force you to think. If you are not reading them, you are doing yourself a disservice.

Sometimes I have to read their posts two or three times to understand it because they are often over my head BUT they are worth every word I have to look up. They have taught me soooo much and I’m so grateful. I feel by encouraging you to become familiar with them I doing the seo community a great service. The more people read them, the better off the entire industry will be.

Michael Martinez http://seo-theory.com

Be sure and start with this page and take the test. You’ll more in an hour than your competitors that don’t read it will learn in a year!

http://seo-theory.com/wordpress/2008/04/02/the-seo-theory-self-test/

I’m very proud to consider him a friend.

Next is John Andrews. http://www.johnon.com/

John is so far ahead of the pack it’s difficult for me to find the right words to describe his approach and his pragmatic approach not only to the practice but to the philosophy and the politics as well. He shows you how to look at the REASONS search works like it does. He is really pretty amazing. If you ever get the chance, argue with him. He’ll teach you a lot, but if you ask him to teach you, you’ll get nowhere with him.  

I’m very proud to consider him a friend.

Last but far from least, is Ralph Tegtmeier. Most know him as Fantomaster. http://www.fantomaster.com

Here’s a guy who dances to the beat of his own drummer. He is absolutely brilliant, educated and entertaining. He possess the clarity of mind of a laser targeting device, wit as sharp as a razor and the sense of humor to make him very entertaining as well as enlightening. He is what I call a real character. A kind of leading man type too. Must work out a lot because he has those big biceps and the six pack to go with it.

Peace Y’all

G

If you put that bug on your sister I’m gonna slap the fire outta you!