Back Links
A Back Link is any link out there on the web pointing to a page on your site.
Why are backlinks important?
Because they are the mechanism through which the search engines infer the 'importance' of your site.
Google PR is the best known example of this, but other search engines employ similar mechanisms.
You can find out more about Google PR on (surprisingly) the Google PR page.
Backlink Destinations
Many backlinks grow organically....someone finds something of interest on your site and links to it
from their site. Under these circumstances you have little control over where they point. When, instead,
you are actively involved in providing the link, think about the destination you choose. Depending on
the circumstances (and your PR goals) it may make more sense to provide a link to a particular page
whose PR you are trying to raise, rather than a link straight to the detail.
Backlink Text
The text of the link itself (as opposed to the URL) is also important. Link text stating
"AmazingWidget found here" is better than "Great stuff found here" if you are trying to
capture users searching for AmazingWidgets.
Backlink Structure
This really comes down to the page name topic discussed elsewhere. If your page is called "amazingwidget.aspx"
rather than "product.aspx?productID=123" the link is more meaningful to the search engines.
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