The Art of Quality Link Building

So much of SEO has changed over the past 20 years. These days, search engine algorithms penalize keyword stuffing and ignore meta keywords, and having a website that displays on mobile devices is arguably more important than desktop performance. As technology evolves, more about SEO will continue to evolve. But the importance of link building hasn't changed. While other aspects of SEO either get your website indexed or clarify its relevance, links will determine your website's reputation and popularity. If your website is linked by trade publications, business partners or scores of customers, then the search engines will view your site in a positive light and increase your rankings. On the other hand, a website with very few inbound links — or, worse, inbound links from spam websites — is more likely to be penalized in favor of more popular competitors. Remember, a search engine's worth is its ability to provide users with the content that's likely to be most relevant to their needs. Trusted, popular websites are most likely to have that content. So if you want to get the most out of SEO, then you'll need to work on building links. How Do Search Engines Evaluate Links? As stated above, not all links are equal. Understanding how search engines evaluate links can help you know which links to pursue. Here are some of the more important link factors: Overall popularity: The most popular websites tend to have the most valuable links. Truly popular websites on regional, state, national or global levels tend to have scores of reputable links and strong social media signals. Topic relevance: Look for links from other businesses, publications and associations that are relevant to your line of work. If you run an auto mechanic business, then you won't get much value from a link about sporting goods. Spam: The Internet is filled with spam sites that aren't useful for anyone. Search engine algorithms are continually adjusted to devalue spam links. Relevant anchor text: The text that makes up a contextual hyperlink is referred to as anchor text. If several websites link to a site using the same or similar anchor text, then search engines will be more likely to view the linked site as an authority for that keyword term. Search engines evaluate all these factors and more when determining link quality. Links from social media are also becoming more important, although SEO experts are divided on exactly how search engines value these links. How to Get Links Now that you know what search engines look for, the next step is getting others to link to your site — and this doesn't need to be a struggle. Here, we'll review five ways to build a network of reputable links. Ask Customers and Business Partners Your greatest supporters are likely to link to your website if you ask. You can make it easy by giving them badges, logos or icons that link back to your site. Many of your customers won't have actual websites, but people who have blogs can post about your business and include links (with relevant anchor text for bonus points). You can also ask customers and partners to connect with your business on Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels. Start a Blog Blogging has several benefits in the world of SEO. At the very least, blogging is an easy way to populate your site with fresh, relevant, local content. Do a good enough job, and customers and business partners will link to your blog and provide you with a wealth of quality links. Don't limit your blog to writing about what's happening in your business; write about your industry and your community, or even write seasonal do-it-yourself pieces that appeal to your customers' needs. Make your blog a valuable resource and others are likely to build your links for you. You can also send your most interesting blog entries to bloggers, trade associations and others who might want to publish your posts with links. Do Something Special Get others to write about your business by doing something special in your community. Host a charitable event, launch a contest or spread the word about an innovative new service, product or technology. Local reporters, bloggers and publicists for political organizations and trade associations are always looking for good stories. Register With Site Directories Take advantage of popular business review sites like Yelp and Angie's List that allow you to place a link to your website. You should also create a profile in Google My Business. Registering your business with these well-known directories has numerous other SEO benefits in addition to being quick-and-easy links. Leave Comments Commenting on blogs, forums, news articles and other content is a quick way to expand your link network. However, largely as a result of spammers, search engine algorithms have evolved to minimize the value of content links. But while this tactic is less productive than other link-building options, a high volume of content links on quality sites can still positively impact your SEO. Is Trying to Go Viral a Good Idea? Creating viral content with the purpose of getting links — content commonly known as "linkbait" — can be difficult if you're new to online marketing. Try too hard, and you might risk annoying your supporters with your overly obvious efforts. However, a perfectly timed piece of content that's incredibly useful, humorous or just plain weird could expand your link network exponentially. Don't make catching lightning in a bottle the core of your link-building strategy, but be on the lookout for opportunities to produce quality, viral content. Conclusion Building a network of quality links remains one of the most important facets of SEO. If you're new to SEO, this process might seem overwhelming, especially if you don't yet have a network of loyal customers and business partners. Resist the urge to buy links, which can land you in hot water with search engines and sink your rankings. Be opportunistic about building links and remember to prioritize quality over quantity. You're not going to fool the search engines into rating your site as more popular than it is. Just take it one step at a time, one link at a time, and always think about how you can market your website to others. Want more SEO tips? Click here to get the Ultimate SEO checklist

Search Engine Optimization

The Art of Quality Link Building

Phil Frost

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Phil Frost