LinkBacks - LinkBack is a generalized term used to reference 3 seperate methods of communication between Websites.

A Trackback is simply an acknowledgment. This acknowledgment is sent via a network signal (ping) from Site A (originator) to Site B (receptor). The receptor often publishes a link back to the originator indicating its worthiness.

Trackback requires both, Site A and Site B to be Trackback enabled in order to establish this communication. Trackback does not require for Site A to phisically link to Site B.

Why use LinkBacks? (Trackbacks, Pingbacks and Refbacks) Because they allow you to notify another site that you have written something related to what is already written on a specific page. This improves the chances of contributors to this page noticing that you gave them credit for something, or that you have improved or added to what they wrote. Websites are interconnected. Think of them as references at the end of an academic paper; or a chapter in a textbook.

Linkbacks have long been a major force in the development of the blogging network world by creating an interconnected series of blogs and posts acknowledging one another. Not only does this improve the general community enviornment throughout the blog-sphere, but it helps to make blogs much more powerful link-building tools.

Links built via this method are highly relevant and don't have any of the disadvantages generally associated with those crappy old "link farms" or "link exchange programs" which are useless.

The LinkBack principle has moved on from blogs to other publishing platforms like news content systems and forums. ARefback is also a link. However in this case, Site A (the link originator) does not need to "tell" anything to Site B (receptor). Instead, the receptor Site finds this link immediately after the first web visitor gets to the site by clicking on the link. This is done by analyzing information carried by this visitor's browser referer header.

This is an easier method than Pingbacks since the Site originating the link doesn't have to be Pingback enabled (Posting a link back within any webpage is good enough).

A Pingback is also a signal (or ping) sent from Site A to Site B. However, it is also a link. When Site B receives the notification signal, it automatically goes back to Site A checking for the existance of a live incoming link, if the link exists, the Pingback is recorded successfully. This makes Pingbacks less prone to spam than Trackbacks.

Both sites must be Pingback enabled in order to establish this connection. If a site is Pingback enabled, each time you link-out you will be "pinging" external sites. Pingback requires for Site A to physically link to Site B.

For example, a Pingback will register on a forum by simply linking back to a thread or post from a Pingback enabled forum.

If the forum administrator requires moderation for Incoming Pingbacks, a link-back to the site originating the Pingback will be published only after the Pingback has been manually approved by a moderator.

Once a Pingback has been published, an automated notification email will be sent to the thread contributors. A Refback is also a link. However in this case, Site A (link originator) does not need to transmit any information to Site B (receptor). Instead, the receptor Site simply discovers this link immediately after the first forum visitor gets to the site by clicking on the link. This is done by analyzing information carried by this visitor's browser referer header.

This is an easier method than Pingbacks since the Site originating the link doesn't have to be Pingback enabled (Posting a link back within any webpage is good enough).