Most sites have a “links page”; you have probably seen it many times. It links to other resources on the Internet considered useful or relevant, or with which the site exchanged links. However, most of the links pages out there are done wrong. Completely wrong.

Why? They just list sites. That’s it. It’s a very long list, and the sites listed are sometimes irrelevant and useless. Because of this state of things, I’d like to offer tips on how your links page can be modified to look natural and be useful.

First, never actually call this page “Links.” Don’t even use the word—it’s a red flag for Google. Call it “Resources” or, because the latter word is also quite overused, come up with something else, like “Web Map,” “Online Center,” or “Interesting Sites.” Even better is to call it by the name of your niche and adding the word: “sites”, “resources” or “websites”; for example, you can call it “Digital Marketing Sites.”

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I am talking about something huge that will happen pretty soon, I assume in the next year or two: SEO becoming obsolete. Google has already talking about it for quite some time; it’s become reality in both their Labs and in actual SERP (search engine results pages).

In this new world, search results will be different for every individual. They will be personalized. It will be impossible to rank high for even one keyword for all searchers. The days of current common search results are numbered.

So why will there be no more SEO? And why is an SEO guy like me so excited about it? Here are four major factors of this new search age:

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It is right to say that Google actually owns the Internet. These guys with a fresh vision came out of nowhere, and with the right idea, exactly 10 years ago this week. No one could ever imagine what that startup would become in just a decade. Billions of dollars in income isn’t the most terrifying thing about Google: It’s the power it has over everyone on the web.

The Internet will always be what it is: The world, the web, the network. It will always need some way to be organized; there always will be a need to find stuff in this huge pile of data. And “search” is the only choice. Google has taken search to the next level, and it still is just the beginning.

The Internet will have more access points than today-and the majority of them will move to mobile devices. This is where mobile companies will step into the search game. They will also become significant web browser figures. The Internet will then be a different place, and the current browser leaders like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari, Google’s new Chrome, and Opera will have to arrange deals with mobile device manufacturers like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Apple, Motorola, and Samsung.

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There are continual discussions on the web about whether directory submissions are useful for SEO. I’ll add my thoughts to the mix: I think directory submission is a good strategy that should be a part of any SEO campaign. If it’s done right, it will get you rewarded with higher ranking and better traffic. Now let me explain why:

First of all, every good link counts. Directories’ links to your site are good because your link is placed under its own category among other links; the links you get from directories are related to your website. Of course, you shouldn’t submit to some FFA (Free-For-All) “linkfarm” directories—having your link there might even harm your site. Only submit to authoritative and reputable directories, like Yahoo! Directory, DMOZ, Business.com, Kahuki.com, BizFive.com, etc.

All these directories, except DMOZ, are not free, but in my personal opinion paid directories give many more benefits than free ones. The have less links in their databases, that’s more value for you; the sites they contain are in most cases good-quality sites, making these directories “good neighborhoods”; and they do care about their reputation, so you are in good hands.

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