Difference between 'link:' and general links on Google

[NiallF]

When I enter my website's address into google I can see a multitude of sites that link to its homepage but when I enter link:www.gothcloth.co.uk it only shows two of them. It's also no longer listing some that it used to even though they have not changed.

Can someone tell me how Google selects pages for the link: list please?

Thanks.

[Mike Hughes]

As with everything in their serps, Google will only show links it thinks are important.

If you want to see the rest, go into webmaster tools.

Mike

[grantglendinnin]

Can someone tell me how Google selects pages for the link: list please?

Your best bet is to ask Google - if you get a defining answer, you've probably just made one of the biggest breaks in the SEO world there ever was;)

[NiallF]

Ok, thanks :) Kind of what I feared really. It's just a tad frustrating when links that used to be counted are suddenly ignored :(