Link development has become more of a quality driven process and the quantity of links are no longer a defining factor. This shift in perception is a direct consequence of scenarios wherein websites have attained higher search engine rankings with fewer quality links than compared to websites with tons of back links. This shift has fuelled the need for development of quality back links. However, developing the coveted quality link is no child’s play and requires careful planning and manual execution.

The adage "well begun is half done", as always, holds true for the link development process. The process of identification of potential link pages is time consuming and the most challenging part of the entire process. In fact, identification of the potential link page is crucial to every link building exercise. Let’s delve into the details of ways to ensure that the process of identification of potential link is in sync with the widely accepted quality parameters.

Link and the link page can be evaluated on the following two parameters.

Relevance:

It is imperative that the links be obtained from pages that are semantically relevant to the page being linked to because such links are given due credibility by search engines, and helps in driving classified traffic. The links should therefore have the following qualifications.

• The page from where the link is to be obtained should be thematically related to the page to be linked to and therefore ensure that you get qualified visitors.

• Links should be from the same domain but none competing in nature.

Authority:

Once the relevancy of the link page has been established, the next step is to decide whether the page commands substantial authority. The authority of the webpage can be assessed by the number of times the page has been referenced by search engines. A high number is an indication that the page attracts a sizeable amount of traffic. Also, it is important to check the number of links that point to the targeted link page. The reason why this parameter is important lies in the fact that when you target a link page, you are not only targeting the link page you are also targeting the links that point to that page.

Adhering to these points would help you identify potential link pages that would add value to your page and build its authority. Targeting link pages that feature your competitor’s links are passé.