Google takes a number of different factors into account when ranking Websites for specific search terms, including: content, page titles, descriptions and navigation.

However, the number one thing Google looks at is how many other Websites link to your site (i.e. inbound links). It considers each link an endorsement of your site to other Internet users, and the more you have from legitimate Websites relating to your subject matter, the higher you rank.

For this reason, when optimizing a Website, generating inbound links must be a top priority. Paul touched on this topic in an earlier post titled – Tools to Build Inbound Links, Website Traffic and Leads.

Well, in a recent post on Ramblings About SEO, Eric Enge shares a transcript of his interview with Matt Cutts, head of Google’s Webspam team.

In it, Enge asks Cutts to describe what makes a good inbound link and to explain Google’s take on several inbound marketing strategies, including article publishing and reciprocal links. Below are a couple excerpts from the transcript:

On What Makes a Good Link:

Matt Cutts:  So, what are the links that will stand the test of time? Those links are typically given voluntarily. It is an editorial link by someone, and it’s someone that’s informed. They are not misinformed, they are not tricked; there is no bait and switch involved. It’s because somebody thinks that something is so cool, so useful, or so helpful that they want to make little sign posts so that other people on the web can find that out.

On Article Publishing:

Eric Enge:  ... writing a really good article, placing it in an online magazine site somewhere. I mean, that’s a pretty solid strategy as well, right?

Matt Cutts: Yeah absolutely; because someone is choosing to put that article up.

If you think about it as a freelance journalist, it is exactly that situation where they are getting their article placed in a magazine and in return they get credibility. And, a journalist is actually paid as well, but getting well-known, whether it’s through networking or through writing articles that you are expert about, or even doing a guest post on a blog are all important to journalists who are trying to get their name out there and have people know more about them.

On Reciprocal Links:

Matt Cutts:  ... that’s another place where not so long ago [we] improved our documentation, because at first we said avoid the reciprocal links. Really, what you need to do is avoid the excessive reciprocal links.

Click here for the full transcript. And for more from Matt Cutts, check out Google's Cutts: Good directions drive traffic to your Website from USA Today.