So, what is the consensus?

Do we or do we not use back links? I've been hearing varied Googly ideas on this.

Back links are important, if they have authority, e.g. PageRank > 0. The effect of cross linking articles between HubPages, Squidoo, Wizzley and others is not sure - it may have positive or negative impact. Personally, I wouldn't do it, and in any case, I wouldn't overdo it ;-) A relevant link here and there may be a good compromise ...

Yup, if you're going to be getting links by guest posting from good blogs/websites and so on, they would surely benefit not just your article, but wizzley as a whole. But, make sure that the sites you get links from are good in Googles eyes

Thank you Simon and Brandon.

Definition of a good backlink:

Another blogger/author/webmaster thinks that your article is brilliant, so he links to it from one of his posts. Ideally, that author's site is of good quality and has some authority with Google.

Google recognizes this as an endorsement of your article. If you collect more and more of such endorsements, Google will upgrade the value of your article in the search results (higher ranking).

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Your job is to write an article that is so interesting that people want to share it on their social networks, and write about it on their blogs. Then the good backlinks will come automatically.

Of course you can promote your article on your own social networks. However, those backlinks won't count very much. Google ain't stupid - they know when you've created your own backlinks. They won't punish you for that - after all, there's nothing wrong with promoting your content - but they won't count it as an endorsement, either.

BrendaReeves: 10/31/2012 - 09:42 AM

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Do we or do we not use back links? I've been hearing varied Googly ideas on this.

Actually Google is very, very clear on that front - don't create your own backlinks! As a rule of thumb I would say it is ok to post links to your own work online that have the main goal to attract real, human visitors and are not posted for the search engines alone. I also tend to make them nofollow if I remember it, just to stay on the safe site of Google.

Links between Squidoo, Hubpages and Wizzley make me shiver with unease, they look so unnatural to me and most likely also to Google...

I disagree with you Sam.  Links to related content as I have said before is fine.  It is natural to link to related content.

It is the massive spamming of backlinks that Google is frowning upon.

Here is an article by AJ on this topic.  And there are several more on this site.

@lakeerieartists

Please look up Google's webmaster guidelines and the news about the Penguin / Panda and Disawow tool. Google is absolutely and without doubt against people fabricating their own (dofollow) back links, no matter what you or I wish or think!

Sam: 10/31/2012 - 04:45 PM

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@lakeerieartists

Please look up Google's webmaster guidelines and the news about the Penguin / Panda and Disawow tool. Google is absolutely and without doubt against people fabricating their own (dofollow) back links, no matter what you or I wish or think!

Well, I think that when you look into the horse's mouth, you have to make sure his teeth aren't rotten.  There is absolutely no way that people will stop making their own backlinks.  No matter what Google says, they cannot expect people to do so.

If I am a guest on someone's blog, and I put my company's website in my bio, that is a backlink.  Why wouldn't I do it?  That is like saying never advertise or market yourself.  That is ridiculous!  Marketing and advertising are part of business.

If I write a how to article on sewing a blanket, it is natural for me to link to another article I wrote about sewing a baby blanket. That is a backlink. 

Therefore, I stand my ground, and say related backlinks are okay.

Have you actually read Google's guidelines regarding this? BTW, the work around is very easy, just make all these backlinks nofollow and you still get the real visitors that are interested in your field of expertise PLUS you don't fall foul of BIG G's guideline to not to fabricate your own backlinks that pass PageRank ...

Google will always think of Google first, and everyone else much, much later.  As entrepreneurs, it is our job to promote ourselves.  Even the link in our forum signatures here is a backlink. 

It would be much more suspicious if someone never backlinked.  Then you would know that they were hiding something.