Link Relevancy Vs. Site Authority: What’s Google Looking At?

While there are various theories about what makes a link relevant and high-quality, Google has shed light on this topic.

Over the years, Google has been awarded several patents that provide insights into how it evaluates links and ranks pages. 

While not all patents directly address link building, they offer valuable knowledge on how Google's algorithm may interpret link relevance, quality, and authority. 

Google Link Related Patents

Here are some notable patents (throughout the years) around Google's approach to link analysis:

Detection and Analysis of Backlink Activity: Focuses on detecting and analyzing changes in backlink activity over time.

Producing a Ranking for Pages Using Distances In a Web-Link Graph: Talks about seed pages and PageRank scores along with references to trusted pages.

Method for Node Ranking in a Linked Database: Describes assigning ranks to documents based on the match between search terms and anchor descriptions in backlinks 

Others include the Google Rank-Modifying Spamming Patent, The Reasonable Surfer Patent, and the Parsing Natural Language Queries Without Retraining, published in 2024. 

In instances like the NLP-related patent mentioned above, the underlying information can be applied to link building, in this case, by understanding how NLP could impact how a page's topic is perceived. 

You could then use this knowledge to leverage NLP tools to enhance the relevancy of articles created for link-building purposes. This can improve the page's topical relevancy and help it rank for a more diverse but targeted set of terms.

While you have to read between the lines more often than not, these patents provide a glimpse into the complex factors Google considers when evaluating the impact of links on search rankings.

Unpacking Link Evaluation with Google's Patents

The TrustRank Patent and the Power of Seed Sites

The TrustRank patent is central to understanding link quality. 

It introduces us to Seed Sites, pictured as the internet's nobility. A nod from them is akin to SEO royalty bestowing a crown upon your content.

The Ripple Effect of Seed Sites

Links from these esteemed Seed Sites do more than just boost your SEO street cred; they're akin to a seal of approval from the web's most trusted circles.

 It's like being in a crowded room and having the most respected person point to you, saying, "This one knows what they're talking about." Suddenly, everyone's listening.

Beyond the Basics: Relevance is Key

But it's not just about who links to you. The relevancy of the linking page and its content plays a massive role. 

Google’s patents hint at this, suggesting the search giant evaluates how related the content on the linking page is to your page. 

So, if you're a culinary blog getting a link from a renowned chef's site, that's the algorithmic equivalent of a Michelin star.

The Subtle Art of Link Neighborhoods

There's also the concept of "link neighborhoods." Think of the web as a vast city and your site as a shop. Shops (or sites) surrounded by reputable neighbors are deemed more trustworthy.

It’s about the company you keep. Links from sites that Google considers to be in a bad neighborhood (like those with spammy content) can be the equivalent of setting up a shop in a sketchy part of town that is bad for business and reputation.

Actionable Insights: Crafting a Strategy

So, how do you use this knowledge?

Aim for links from sites that are authoritative and relevant to your niche. It's like getting a recommendation from someone who matters in your field. 

Engage with communities and create content these "seed sites" and reputable neighbors would find valuable enough to link to. Sometimes, this will mean directly pitching these sites.

Remember, in the vast web city, it's not just about being popular; it's about being recognized for the right reasons by the right folks.

DA vs DR: The Duel of Domain Metrics

When we talk about Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR), we refer to third-party tools that give their best guess as to how much authority a website has based on their own algorithms. 

DA and DR attempt to quantify your domains' oomph in the vast digital landscape. 

PA vs UR: Zooming In on Page-Level Authority

Page Authority (PA) and URL Rating (UR) narrow the focus from your entire domain to specific pages within your site. 

They predict the potential of a single page to rank in the SERPs, influenced heavily by the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing directly to it. 

Think of PA and UR as the magnifying glass that examines the finer details of your site's blueprint, revealing the strength of individual bricks rather than the whole building.

Bridging the Gap to PageRank

Now, how do all these metrics relate to the holy grail of SEO, Google's PageRank?

Yeah, I know it has been a minute since you heard PageRank. If you need a refresher, here is a good overview from Ahrefs.

In essence, DA, DR, PA, and UR are trying to emulate the PageRank metric—assessing the web's vote of confidence in your site and its pages through backlinks.

PageRank is the original algorithmic scale on which the web's interconnected trustworthiness was measured. DA, DR, PA, and UR serve as proxies, giving us glimpses into the labyrinth of modern ranking factors.

The Limitations of Metrics in Link Quality Assessment

However, this brings us to a crucial caveat: metrics alone can't pinpoint good links.

Why? 

Because DA, DR, PA, and UR attempt to reverse-engineer Google's complex, multifaceted ranking algorithm. They don't account for nuances like the relevance of the linking site to your niche or the context in which the link appears. 

A link from a high-DA site unrelated to your field might carry less weight than a link from a mid-DA site that's a respected authority in your area.

Moreover, these metrics can be manipulated. 

A quick visit to Fiverr will reveal a number of services that can boost your DR, claiming scores as high as 70 in ten days or less.

Just as a good credit score doesn't guarantee financial wisdom, a high DA or DR doesn't ensure a site is reputable, or its content is valuable.

Crafting a Smarter Link Building Strategy

The takeaway? Use DA, DR, PA, and UR as tools in your SEO toolkit, not the rulebook. 

A smarter link-building strategy involves seeking links from sites that are authoritative, relevant, and respected within your niche.

It means creating content that these sites find link-worthy and fostering genuine relationships in your industry.

In the quest for ranking success, remember that quality trumps quantity, relevance outshines numbers, and in the world of SEO, the best links come from a place of genuine connection and shared value.