Google incorporates a particular algorithm to assign a higher page rank to the web site that has higher link popularity. About link popularity Google official document says: website page rank is ascertained according to the pointed quantity of links to your website. Google ascertains page ranks looking for both, the number of websites that point to your website and relevancy factors between the two websites.
Considering everything on a comparative scale, we can say that besides the number of websites that point to your website, also the quality and relevancy of other websites shows the impact. You can get better ranking provided with more relevant theme on the pointing website. This whole process of "partnering" with other sites to point to yours is called "Link Exchange program " or "Reciprocal Link campaign". And the concept is referred to as Link Popularity.
In addition to Link popularity, using various techniques such as Improve Link Popularity, Outsource Link Building, Directory Submission etc., you can have successful link building campaign. In Search Engine Optimization process, one has to clearly decide how many quality links to have. Search engines use the number and quality of links pointing back to your site as an indication of the sites’ value.
The process of extracting prospective link partners can be carried out by utilizing the keywords already picked for consideration, which would render a number of players in the same domain with established good page rank. This could also be carried out in automated mode using a number of tools available online.
Types of Link Campaigns:
All search engines show varying impact on link popularity to assign a page rank for a particular web site. There are two kinds of links to your web site, which perform better to enhance your link popularity: External links from website that are optimized around a keyword/phrase same as your website and related theme from major directories and industry specific portals.
One can go for either of the link building campaigns:
Reciprocal Link Exchange Campaign: The Webmaster for the website under consideration can search for prospective link partner using the keywords already extracted. For obvious reasons the web site thus obtained are having the same theme as that of yours. Then he/she can go ahead by sending mailers to all the prospective link partners to exchange links mutually.
Point of concern here is the quality of link pointing your website makes all the difference.
Inbound Linking (One way lining) Campaign: Search for directories and web domains either in the same category or related to your web site wherein you can submit your domain’s (web site) details. Care has to be taken in case of directory submission, as the web site details should be submitted in appropriate category only.