Just add a few dots between letters: like f.reed..o..m.i.d.eas.com

If I mention the names, it would show up on search engine results for the owners of these websites to find out. I don’t know how to be specific in this open discussion without being rude to them.

Let me know which sites you had in mind. One reason is the age of the website which helps a lot with rankings. They may also get few links but those come from authority sites.

Thanks a million for your great post/s. As for this particular post, I tried to apply what I have read by choosing a keyword “aloe vera”. I noticed two or three sites which on the front page of google for this keyword have poor quality and little content plus like, less than 30 links. I am always a firm believer in working hard for links…I am not looking for a “short cut” but would appreciate any feedback on this observation which baffles me.

Thanks for sharing. There are websites that got links organically but those are so few, that those are simply lucky.

Also, note that in my experience you don’t need that many links, you just need some very strong ones.

If you happen to get a link from a PR5 page in Yahoo directory, your traffic may sky rocket in a month or two.

More links are even better, but to really get your traffic rolling, you need just a few good ones. (and not those from ezinearticles.com, goarticles.com and similar)

The reason I believe you about the importance of links is that my sites are living testimonies about what happens when you don’t have any.

I’ve read many of your posts in the sbi forums. While it is true that the AG speaks of the importance of getting links, I have always felt that keywords were stressed far, far more.

Yes, while it’s true that good keywords are essential, my sites are living proof that good keywords without inbound links won’t get me any traffic.

My first site is nearly a year old. It has over 100 pages. Not a great number, I admit, but with my keywords, I should have more than 26 visitors a day. Even if my site was a real screw-up I should have more visitors than that, especially after nearly a year. Pathetic. And that’s after working hard for nearly a whole year. And not working on links at all. Don’t know if I’ll commit to working any more on the site or renewing it, since it should be doing better, even with no inbound links.

Site number 2 has REALLY GOOD keywords and lots of them, and I’ve used them well. But, at only 70 pages and no inbound links, I’m getting 2 (TWO!) visitors a day after six months. No one will EVER convince me that keywords make a website rule.

Unfortunately, getting lots of inbound links is a bigger deal and a bigger pain in the rear. Personally, I am convinced at this point that unless all the planets are lined up just right, it will not matter whether I use great keywords and get lots of inbound links or not. Getting EVERYTHING right, that is, finding a niche that one enjoys, with decent demand and not too much competition, and not too many “big dog” competitors in the top 20 or so, and getting lots of traffic is a daunting task. Guess I’m getting too old for “hit and miss” anymore.

It’s alot like the weather. There is science behind it, but there are so many variables involved. It’s impossible to forecast success but easy to forecast failure. If ANY variable isn’t right on, my history has proved that it’s probably a futile adventure. All the motivational speeches in the world don’t make a bit of difference.

The site can get hundreds of links from one link posted in the blogroll of a blog – which then counts as a link from every page of that blog.

The site can also get just one link from one domain – if the link is not on a blogroll. It can be in the content, on the resources page, etc.

I’m sure I have the meaning of domain wrong . . .