Craig - Great info!  Thanks.

Craig  I do try to use only important links and use new window options . I will try the different color blue .Great Post

Thank You

Hannah

Nice post on this issue. I will particularly take action on item 3!

Craig:  Interesting ... as I've been blending the color of my hyperlink in with the remainder of my posts, as I didn't want it to be glaring.  Of course I've been wondering why I get so few clicks on my links too.  Duh ...

Gene

Great tips.  I'll never forget to "open in new window," again!

Craig...this was a really great post and perfect for anyone getting into heavy blogging.

Wow, great information.  I had no idea I could change the color of my link.  Yeah!!!!  I'm so excited.

Craig,   "EVERY link that is to an outside source should open up in a new window." I see this mistake so much here in the rain. I click a link and I wonder ... why did this take me off their page?  My default is to have all links open in a new window. Great post ... thanks for sharing your wisdom with us.

Great reminder Craig.  The color one is really important. 

I was wondering about this. Starting to blog & I'm mapping out about 100 neighborhoods and 50 schools in the next 3 months. I was wondering if my anchor texts were correct. Then, I wonder if labeling my pictures is correct. LOL So much to learn and remember! Great post. Following you now!

I like to make my hyperlinks green so it matches the contrasting color of my website and offers conformity. However, SEO is beginning to lose its edge as social media takes over, and it's always wise to remember that authority rules.

I learn something new and valuable every time I read your blog.  Thanks

Craig- once again, you've given us an excellent easy to follow tutorial.  I've been trying to underline my hypertext but perhaps I should be changing the color as well. 

Craig - great post with great ideas. These are some of those things where all you need to do is make small adjustments and the effect can be so much greater. Thanks for sharing!

Didn't know that AR would let us change the link text color & It's a great suggestion that I'll use from now on.

Hi Craig... spot on reminders! Especially 'write the quality content first'... Google is getting quite adept and picky about ranking pages with quality. Great post! 

Craig good stuff. Very important in making a good blog and making it work.

Thanks Craig - I wasn't thinking about "anchor text."

Craig, As always, great advice on how to make our blogging experience provide us better results.  Thanks!

Great advice, Craig.  Yes, I've been trying to mix up the anchor text a bit over the last year or year and a half.  I also try to update my sidelink text every 3 or 4 months...and here is my reminder to do it again.

- Debbie

Thanks for the lesson, Craig. I especially needed to be reminded to write the good content first.

Nice reminder Craig. One thing I love about ActiveRain is the contrasting link colors. They make it easy for readers to see what is being highlighted so they can click on it and see more great content (hopefully on the author's website).

Great tips to follow.  I'd also add that if you are inserting a hyperlink that takes a visitor away from your website, such as to a local business providing a product or service, ask if the business can return the favor and include a hyperlink to your website, maybe mention your business in their blog.

Craig,

Thanks for the tips, as a relative newbie, I welcome all this useful info.

Thank you Craig as I am guilty of these errors. Now to fix this stuff. 

Great reminder.  Sometimes choosing the right text for the link can make all the difference for SEO.  I'm good about making sure my links are SEEN and clearly defined.

Good afternoon Craig, thanks for explaining this.  I never quite understood the difference between opening in a new window or opening in the same and now I do!

Thank you Craig, great reminders and checks for all of us to do...I do forget to shake it up!

As always, great reminders for some of the things I often forget. I am grateful for all you do for us!

Great information, thanks for sharing.

Have a Big day,

Randy

Thank you Craig. 

Great informative post once again. I will watch those pesky links and window tabs. 

All the best!,

Barry

I was aware of #1 and #2, although I don't always see a choice regarding opening a new page or not. #3 is new info for me that I'll have to be aware of and make sure I don't make that mistake. Thanks for the post, Craig. 

Though I'm aware of most of this  and have been using it all along, I never really gave much thought to the anchor text (I know that sounds really stupid), just writing what I thought made sense.  I will, in the future, be aware of it, bearing the SEO value in mind.  Thanks.

Great to see you in AR Craig, and wonderful reminders. Not sure I do those links right with the new or same window options. Now I will - as for the font color. Duh? Why didn't I think of changing the color? Lol.

Great information,  I did not know I could edit or change the color of my hyperlinks.

Craig, thanks for the tip about the anchor text. One of my pet peeves is when links do not open to a new window -- you addressed that! 

Thanks Craig,

This post was helpful for me.

Have a good day.

Best, Clint McKie

I was not aware of the anchor text tips! Great advice! 

subscribed, thanks for this post.

Thanks for the info Craig.  I was unaware of the hyperlink stuff, doing it all the time the way you suggest not to!

Yes, I especially like links that open to a new window, too.  I always get carried away going from one link to another, and I get really annoyed having to click the Back button to get "back" to where I started. I almost always remember to right click on a link to get a new window for that very reason.

Great read here. I am a new subscriber to your blog. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing the info with the neophytes.

Thanks for posting Craig. As a designer I am sometimes guilty of #1 as I want the links to be in the same color palette I'm using on the page. BUT it's easy enough to tweak the color so the link pops out like you suggested.

Good info. I've always had links open to new windows as that's the way that "I" prefer for myself when looking around.

Loving the tips here.  The anchor text to the link is something that I need to clean up.  Thanks for the post.

Thanks Craig, Very informative post.

Craig-something that should not be glossed over, thanks for the linking strategy tips. 

Good stuff, Craig - thanks for the tutorial - really helps!

Is a person or machine reading the text content of the website? 

Thanks Craig! Your info helps us stay on top of the latest changes with links and how Google views them.

SEO, ever evolving.  Keeps it hard to be a novice trying to do it yourself.  Thanks for the tips!

Hi Craig, I was wondering about this. Thank you, thank you for the timely information! I especially appreciate the examples for changing anchor text labels.

Craig, I noticed the links were not highlighted and try to remember to make mine bold or now I may change the color as well.

Craig, thanks so much for this great post.  I have work to do concerning the anchor text!  Thanks!

Craig - thank you so much for your expert insights.  I'll definitely pay attention to my phrases and hyperlinks as you mention toward the bottom of your post.  I'm okay with not sending people "away" but could more careful with phrases and hyperlinks.  

Craig - thank you so much for your expert insights.  I'll definitely pay attention to my phrases and hyperlinks as you mention toward the bottom of your post.  I'm okay with not sending people "away" but could more careful with phrases and hyperlinks.  

Craig, thanks for all the info.  These are things we all need to know to help us stay on top of this.

Craig,

Identifying these three frequent mistakes is very helpful.  Probably I can stand to learn more about anchor text strategy.

Great post and great content Craig.

Thanks your posts are almost always a very helpful and content rich read!

Hello Craig: I'm going to have to re-read your post a couple of times to be certain I got it, especially Mistake #3.  Never-the-less, your post is most helpful and appreciated. 

Hi Craig~I read about mistakes 1 and 2 and thought, "ok, I'm good, I knew about both of those things" (I think I was aware of them because of a post you did a long time ago...LOL), then I got to #3...

I have so much to learn...

Thanks for this very informative post.  I have bookmarked this post so I can read it again.  

Hi Greg great post. Thanks for the refresher. 

I try to write my blogs, with hyperlinks to any external sites being put at the end of the article.  I don't always do so, but I'm beginning to more often!

I also like your suggestion about the "target" directing to a new window!  I use that method quite a bit!

Craig,

Thanks for sharing useful information once more with our AR network.  Great post.

Craig, these are three great tiips, and especially relevant is the reminder in #3 about how to properly link with the new Google updates.

Craig

Great tips, as you always share. Seems like the whole issue of linking, especially anchor text, had undergone fairly significant shifts in terms of what is important. Sounds like this also ties in with the increasing emphasis on semantic search.

Jeff

Craig - These are excellent tips. I always try to make the hyperlink stand out. Bolding it works well. Of course the second tip makes total sense. The third is something I need to work on. Excellent post!

Craig - I'd like to think Google is getting smarter, but when I'm searching for something, I'm still gnashing my teeth.

It annoys the heck out of me when I STILL get link farms.

Craig, these are all great points. Thank you for sharing this information, especially the idea of varying anchor text labels. 

Great tips.  I bookmarked this one for future reference.  Thanks.

The first two mistakes I have learned early, the third is a going to take some learning. I don't over stuff keywords but I need to work on that array of texts Craig.

Great topic!

Hey Craig,

I am probably making these mistakes.  Have bookmarked to follow up and correct.  Best of GREAT success to you in 2014!

Great points Craig; thank you for sharing the info.

Once I make the link I have never really looked to see what the color was.  When I'm done today I will.

#2 is critical.  I always set my links to open in a new window but I've clicked on links through the web and even here on AR, and it doesn't open in a new window and then sometimes I click on another link and like you said, before anyone realized it, I was 10 pages away from the original post and sometimes I never go back to finish reading the original post.  Just like that, you lost the consumer!

Don't know what we'd do without you Craig - always the patient and relevant teacher. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing this info.  I still need help in this area so bookmarked to come back to since I have to head out on an appointment.

This is something I need to know more about...Thanks for the awareness lesson

Craig, Wow! That was quite an education.  I knew about the first two, but the third one made my eyes pop open.  No more "click here" for me...thank you!

Very helpful.  This is a component of blogging to which I, admittedly, pay too little attention.  Thank you.

Hey Craig thanks for the links =) and suggestions of how to write anchor text. I am sure that I have not been doing it quite like this. As always you have such great informative posts. 

Super post... about things many of us are already aware of, but it never hurts to refresh our memories and check our work going forward.

Craig-I think I have your first two points down pretty well. I think I'm making the anchor text issue more complicated than it really is.

Active Rain posted this on Facebook - and my first thought was that it was Craig Daniels or Bob Stewart's post. Looks like my first instinct was correct. Great stuff Craig, and thank you for posting.

I had not really focused much on the Anchor Text, not that what I have is bad, but I will be more thoughtful about it.

Craig, I scanned the prior comments and hope I am not dupicating this question - I've read about #3 and understand anchor text to be an issue with G.  Do you have a relatively simple method for finding all of your existing post links and checking to see if they need to be edited to "unstuff" the keywords? Or are you manually reviewiewing and editing all old posts?

Thanks, that was helpful.

Craig - thanks for all the info.  I already was doing most of it but like some of the other comments I was not that focused on the Anchor Text.

Always good info when I log into active rain 

great info.  Thanks again Craig

Craig,

Just popping in to see what you've ben writing lately, because it's always good!

Craig - I knew this, but I still found it valuable because things change, so it helps to know what is still revelant.  Also, you explain everything so clearly that it enables me to express myself better when I talk with other bloggers.  Thank you.

Craig, I didn't know that the new window was the way to do it. For some reason, I thought it was the same window. 

Good tips Craig! I’ve been doing the same thing as well. I always use different text color for a hyperlink. If needed, I also make it bold. And one my hyperlink strategies, for internal link I have it open up in the same tab and new tab for external link.

Great information Craig!  I need to work on my anchor text!!!

Mistake 3 is a good tip. I'll check my blog posts in the future.

Greg-great explanation about how to get better results by varying your anchor text descriptions. This is one of the best explanation I've heard. 

Craig, I understand some of this, have done some of this, but I'll have to bookmark and go back and make sure I can do the color change on the hyperlink text. It annoys the heck out of me when I will click on a link of a blogger's and close it out and get spit out of AR. This is so easy a fix, too!

Good Morning Craig,

Thank you for sharing yet another blog post with such useful information. I can honestly say that I have learned so much from your posts. I may not comment but I do read them,Whenever I need to do something on active rain I check your blog for the answer.

Your posts provide us with the tools we need to make ours better. Thank You

I hope you have a wonderful day

Craig, have not passed by your blog in awhile. But never fear, you always learn something when you visit. In this case, a refresher of sorts...but still great! 

Craig - August is my work on SEO strategy and your article are a great source of knowledge and ideas.

Ahhhhh, so there is a little glitch about the link not defaulting to a link color. I wondered about that.  Well, off to the editing feature to change that! Thanks, Craig.

I like the anchor text explanation Craig and thank you for sharing it with us...

I too think I need to rethink the anchor text approach.  I will try tonight and tomorrow in my next posts.  

I was dismayed this morning when I wrote a post and you couldn't see the anchor text. I will go change it now. Thanks again for all of your timely advice!

Well Done!

excellent information, thanks

Craig, we always learn from you. I need to pay closer attention to anchor text.

Good tips here. I understand the color differences but need to take a look at some of my links. Thanks!

Great tips about adding to blog posts, or webpages.  In the past when I have added links to my posts here on ActiveRain, I have noticed the default link color is that lighter more difficult shade of blue.  I hadn't even considered that AR would give me the option to change its color.  

Thanks! I didn't know we had an option to change the link color here. So often the systems don't allow it that I hadn't even tried. 

Everyone keeps saying Google is getting smarter. If that's true, then I wish they'd quit giving me link farms when I'm searching! Opening new pages is slow on my satellite system and it annoys the heck out of me to find I've just opened a link farm. 

Thanks for the great tips, Craig. I especially like the way you explained anchor text.

Thanks for the tip on anchor text as I simply haven't gotten the hang of it yet, so paying extra careful attention to everything on this topic

Thanks Craig. I found your explanation of anchor text strategy particularly useful.

Another great post & reminder Craig...i forget to shake the 'wording' up on links and this is a great reminder!! thank you

Thanks for another helpful post Craig.  

I remember the part about changing color fonts, and I have been doing this as well as ensuring post open in a new window.  The last one, I am working on.

I keep thinking of your web class when I do graphics and links. Lessons well learned! Thanks, Craig.

Hi Craig,

Great information about links and anchor text. I learned a lot today...thanks.

Good pointers.  I need to pay more attention to opening links in a new window.  I hadn't paid enough attention to that.

Didn't know the text link was no longer a different color - that's a problem. I know on my WP site it's not highlighed which is annoying.

Thanks for the tip on getting a better contract for the hyperlink text and the Anchor Text explanation.

Many people believe that if they hyperlink the same phrase it will help them out only to find their post drop - because they used one word or phrase too much.

Moving AWAY from your content is TERRIBLE I so agree.

Great info. on an important tool.

I appreciate this invaluable information, thanks for sharing them.

Craig, this is good information for all of us.  Great idea to change the color of hyperlink text-

Great post.  I often get frustrated when I click a link and it takes me away from the original content. 

Craig, I had no idea that hyperlinks would provide SEO.  Wow!  Great tip!

Great tips and I've bookmarked for future reference. Thanks for sharing.

As others have said I did not realize that links could provide SEO benefit.  Thanks for the tips!

Craig, thanks for the advice. I now understand how to determine when to use links to send someone away from my site, and when to keep them on my site.

I've decided that you are like my ActiveRain hero. Always teaching me new tricks and tips! 

Thanks for the info. I need to sharpen my SEO skills again.

Directing traffic like the cop in the busy intersection. Don't send them to Siberia, with no way how to return, knowing where they were when lucky to have them in your place, space, post.