With search engine optimization, relevancy is simply that your site reflects content which is similar to what a user is searching for. Your site is ranking based on that beautiful nine letter word, relevancy. Relevancy is determined by the content on your site and how many links link to your web site.

If you read a previous article put out by this search engine optimization company, you may recall a reference to ten pounds of gold verses ten pounds of cotton. I’ll use it again when talking about links.

It’s true, ten pounds of cotton is in fact the exact same weight as ten pounds of gold. Certainly most average third graders can confirm that science. However, the gold (though the same weight) is worth far, far, far more than the cotton. The same applies with links.

By now you should have realized that all links are certainly not created equal. Links are not just about quantity but also quality. For the sake of giving an example, you have an online shoe store. Your shoe store web site has one hundred links to it. Links from directories, indiscriminate link exchanges, links from your chamber of commerce, and a colorful variety of web sites. Unfortunately, not all of these links are working in your favor.

Relevancy. The links to your web site need to be from relevant web site. The shoe store could link to a variety of “shoe related" web sites. For example, sport web sites always talk about footwear. Do link exchanges with those. Articles and press releases are syndicated based on relevancy, write a handful of those. Let relevancy be your guide.

If you are working with a search engine optimization company, make sure they are connecting your site with relevant web sites. Check your link exchange partner page and see who you are linking to. Relevancy is what makes the difference between cotton and gold.