The search engines uses popularity factors into their ranking algorithm for ranking the website. This does not mean that the importance of content can be ignored. If there are two sites with equally optimized meta tags and proper content writing, the site having more link building will attain a higher search engine position.

Getting links from the relevant web sites according to the popularity of the sites does not the effects of search engine spams and manipulation of the on-the-page factors. Search engines, like Google, which provides outstanding search for the visitors by using popularity factors in their ranking algorithm.

Tips to improve Link Popularity

First of all stay away from link farms, free for all links and similar schemes. They don't help you with your PageRank. You have a bigger change that your site get banned from the search engines than that you receive a PageRank boost. 

1. Get listed in the internet directories (Yahoo, DMoz). One of the most important things is that you are listed in Open Directory Projects. There are many directories on the internet try to add your link in so many directories if you can, they are great recourses for incoming visitors. 

2. Ask other website owners to link to you. A great way to find other website owners who are maybe willing to link to you is to do a link popularity check on one of your competitors. These sites are most of the time in the same tropic as you. 

3. Swap links with other website owners. Swapping links with other website owners is also useful for to boost your link popularity. The theory goes that you add a link to a website and they are adding a link to your site. One important thing is that a link ranks higher if the sites are in the same tropic.