No company likes sitting idle in web space. It is extremely painful for them to realize that they are falling miserably short on traffic as this implies oblivion for the company. Companies use SEO firms to rise on the ladder of Google ranking. Obviously higher Google ranking determines higher traffic for the site; this invariably materializes to greater sign-ups and subsequently higher revenue-generation.

This also brings us to the concept of link popularity. It fathoms the extent to which a website is visible on the net. Put simply, it is the cumulative figure which corresponds to the external websites that link to the site and the inbound links which a website keeps. Google is choosy and fairly prudent in judging a site's well-being.

In Google's eye, a link's popularity is judged by the quality of website it adheres to and not the quantity by itself. This probably explains why people try floating their article in reputed web directories and the directories produce stringent norms for the acceptance of an article. In this regard, themed search engine optimization plays a great role.

Good link popularity helps a site avail myriad benefits. Primarily it opens access area for traffic to visit the website. With enhanced link popularity, quality traffic is just few meters away.

Top search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN do not only look at the website content for giving it a thumb up in ranking. It also measures a website's link popularity. They look for back links to judge approval gained by the particular website from other websites. Google may be attracting brickbats for its shabby algorithms and sandbox techniques but its Page Ranking technique is quite above par in analyzing the back links. It meticulously judges the anchor texts and the authenticity and relevance of the back links.

Let's take an instance. Two websites have a same theme. In such an event, link from website A to website B using a text that comprises of keywords pertaining to website A will increase the authenticity of website A in the eyes of Google search bots.

Champion search engines look for links to cache web pages. More links for a website implies they will be cached frequently. Frequent caching is truer for sites regularly updating their content.

Link popularity can be enhanced through exchange of links. This fact is a microcosm for life. We spread to a greater territory by exchanging, sharing and developing ideas. Websites just need to focus on finding related websites and requesting them for an exchange of links. Participation in forums, blogs and myriad new groups across the web scene help in increasing popularity.

Websites often create affiliate programs. This certainly enhances the number of incoming links. By far the most fruitful way of increasing link popularity is to align to online web directories. Such directories are behemoth of articles and blogs floated by different sites. They have great mass appeal and are accessed by extremely high number of traffic; needless to say, if they accept a company's submission, it stands a great chance of being siphoned by Google.

The worrying factor for such online directories is certain recently introduced unethical practices within their domain. Online directories are using company's e-mails for selling to third parties which then use it for nefarious junk mailing like selling Viagra online. . Further they take a lot of time for accepting submission.

Before aligning to an online directory for increasing link popularity, it is important to judge whether a directory has sold its services to a networking unit. In such an event all the article-seekers for a particular online directory are flooded by futile newsletters from the networking group. This can be quite harassing.