Google when first launched they paid particular attention to how websites linked to each other in order to provide relevant search results. How they did this was by awarding a site link the equivalent of one vote. The more votes the more popular they deemed a website. This popularity also related directly to high rankings.
As time passed they introduced the NoFollow attribute for links. What this did was ensure that no benefits were passed. NoFollow was helpful for pages where a site cannot vouch for the credibility of another. NoFollow was also a great ‘link sculpting’ SEO technique.
Link Sculpting in simple terms
When one pages links to another it passes on an amount of PageRank to that page. If one link passes onto several pages then PageRank is shared among them. NoFollow can stop this benefit from being passed to some page while allowing them to other pages. In effect it results in a greater share to some while none to others.
There are specific pages that gain no benefit even without a NoFollow, so it makes sense to include on them. Firstly it will allow search engine spiders to better use their time elsewhere plus you gain a higher percentage benefit for other pages which will ultimately boost your rankings and credibility. These pages are “about us” and “contact us” pages.
Page sculpting is no more
However NoFollow links are today treated a little differently by Google. Link Sculpting by this means can do harm instead of good. While a NoFollow link will still pass no PageRank it is now divided equally amongst the links regardless. So whereas before if you linked to 10 pages each would receive a 10% share of Page Ranking, yet if you included a NoFollow on five pages the remaining would receive a 20% share. This no longer applies; regardless of the fact that you have used NoFollow links on five pages you will be receiving only a 10% share of page ranking.
This change to the NoFollow attribute can have a major impact on ranking for some and result in huge changes for many websites.
Structuring your website
Even in the face of change in NoFollow rule there are ways to ensure that PageRank is passed to important pages. In a nutshell you need to show Google which links on your WebPages are important.
If your site has deep pages it is suggested that you link to them from your homepage, towards the top. What this does is it lets Google know that you want your traffic to find these pages. In effect Google views them are important and will allow them more PageRank.
You should also consider removing your NoFollow links and allow PageRank to flow naturally. Yet a word of caution here. This also means that you open yourself to the quality or lack of quality of sites you are linking to. The choice is yours to decide.
Page sculpting is a thing of the past. The only means available to you now is to place importance on pages from the point if view of a human and not in terms of search spiders.
Related posts:
- SEO: Those Nasty nofollow Links
- Prehistoric SEO – Techniques That No Longer Work
- PR – PageRank and its importance
- Search Engine Optimisation and Link Quality – Part Three
- How To Exploit Your PageRank To Assist SEO
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