Off Page Linking
Search engines rank sites and look at Page Rank and Domain Rank to determine if a website is "worthy" of ranking for many keyowrds. The quality of Links from other websites linking to a client's website can pass"link influence" thus inproving Page Rank and Domain Rank of the target website. Other sites pass "page authority" to your site - think of it like getting your home in a good neighborhood surrounded by good contacts (you may get a good reputation / good value for your home).