Reading SEO forums is often frustrating. People suggest a possible algorithm element, and two seconds later it is accepted as fact.

One of these unproven theories that is generally accepted as fact is the theory that if you want to rank for a specific search term that you need to link to “authority sites” on that topic.

So if you wanted to rank for “Internet Marketing”, you need to link to KnowThis, Clickz and WilsonWeb.

Just a note here to say, it isn’t true. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to think to check the SERPs and see that many top ranking websites do not link out to authority sites in their field.