Happy New Year All!  Finally getting my Blog going and trying to understand how does anchor texts actually benefit the source site. Is my Anchor text pointing to someone else's site or is it pointing to my own?

And as you can tell I'm turning up my marketing in 2015. One aspect of it is to get deeper into Internet marketing so that I can at least outsource this to someone whose competent.

http://moz.com/learn/seo/anchor-text   -   Good link to help understand anchor text.  

With running a blog you just want to focus on delivering the best content you can.  If you do that and put it out there on Facebook, craigslist, BP, etc, etc..   you will get traffic and leads...    good luck!    

Thanks @Ryan Mullin  

 - I actually came across this site when I was researching the issue. What I couldn't and still can't understand (using the link you provided and their example of "white board markers") how is it advantageous for the blogger to anchor text and link to someone else's site? I could see the advantage of the Blogger if someone linked to the Blogger's site. But don't see how the blogger benefits by linking to someone else's site.

Out-bound links don't directly benefit your site...    it just creates a better experience for the users of your site, more info to reference.  ..and it adds legitimacy to what you are saying if you have links to other sites that are relevant.   

In my blog articles I typically have like 3 - 5 out bound links and maybe 1 link that goes to another of my blog posts...   and having that one link to my own site isn't much of a help.  Links are like a reference.   Having a link to your own site is like having a really good reference from your mom.  - doesn't mean much...  

But if you had an in-bound link from biggerpockets.com, google would see that as a big deal because BP is such a heavy hitter in our industry.  

Like I said earlier having good content and making your users experience the best that you can is much more important than trying to be some SEO guru...  BP has done so well because they are truly the kings of content..   you get get on this site and read fresh content forever.  If you search google for something and BP pops first, Its not because they have to most in-bound links...   its because they have the most (and best) content.  

Hope the makes sense...    

Makes lots of sense @Ryan Mullin  

 - We've been working on our content and know that shortcuts to seo success is mostly hype.  Just kept getting stuck on the anchor text issue.  Thanks much!

To my knowledge linking to other sites can also be advantageous because it can also be a good way of networking with other local bloggers in your niche as well. They will see where their traffic comes from and if its coming from you, then perhaps a favor for a favor or future mention or link on their site in return? This is how it is beneficial from the marketing stand point anyways. Hope that provides more insight and good luck!