Search engine bots or “crawlers” rely on links to find tons of pages that are in the web. After finding these pages links, the bots analyze these links and index those pages to recall them when a user is asking for information similar to what’s on these pages to return relevant results.
For years, search engines consider the number of links pointing back to a web page as a vote for the popularity of that page. Google use links as metrics to determine a website’s PageRank. As stated by Google in this help discussing Steps to a Google-friendly site that it “interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote by page A for page B.”
For years, search engines consider the number of links pointing back to a web page as a vote for the popularity of that page. Google use links as metrics to determine a website’s PageRank. As stated by Google in this help discussing Steps to a Google-friendly site that it “interprets a link from page A to page B as a vote by page A for page B.”
So, the focus on links is so important for the good optimization of a website in search engines. Yet, unlike the old days when webmasters build tons of poor links and manipulate search engines to rank on top of Search Engine Results. Now, the number of backlinks isn’t only what matters but quality of these links.
Backlinks are still important, but the flourishing days of spammy links from low quality pages are gone, and instead these tactics can result in penalties. Today search engines become smarter than before and can determine what links are trustworthy and what are not.
Even though link building under these new search engines guidelines and algorithm changes becomes harder, but this shouldn’t prevent you from building links in the appropriate way, meaning white hat backlinks. Link building, if done in a good manner, is still an effective way in SEO.
So, what are the successful tips to build links to endorse your business, increase your traffic numbers, and at the same time doing it safe?
As mentioned, rules have changed, so building links isn’t just easy as it used to be. If you want to successfully build links, you need to own a bunch of skills including in old school marketing, communication, programming, and most importantly content creation. You have probably heard the leading phrase of the web now is “Content is King”.
In your first stage in link building journey, you can start by these basic link building tips.
1. Directories
You can start earn some back links by submitting your website to directories. However, you should choose cautiously what directories you are submitting to, and don’t overdo it. Some directories that are created only for the sake of links are frequently penalized by Google , so be selective where you put your links.
2. Blog and Forum commenting
Most SEO experts may say that blog commenting as an SEO tips is dead, but it still really effective. If done in the right way it still works. Though most links built from blog comments are NoFollow, meaning they are not counted by search engines. Yet even if they are not considered as backlinks, they still can generate traffic.
The tip then is to search for blogs that publish articles related to your content, and post a comment with a link back to your content. The challenge here is to get your comment accepted by blog admin and not reported as spam, something that will hurt you. The advice is providing relevant comment that interacts with the blog post or other comments’.
3. Guest blogging
If you can devote some of your efforts and time to create high quality content and post it on other’s blogs, then you can earn some back links. Yet, you should consider 2014’s warning of Google WebSpam Head Matt Cutts in this Post where he stated that “if you’re using guest blogging as a way to gain links in 2014, you should probably stop. Why? Because over time it’s become a more and more spammy practice.”
However, guest blogging isn’t all bad. But if you do it for the focus of getting traffic, building awareness for your website or brand, then it can still be relevant in getting few links. If you believe that your guest post is high quality content, and links used in the post are naturally built, then you can do it without fear. Yet, you need as well to be cautious when doing it.
When you are famous for posting great content, the blog audience will know you and your brand. They would later reward your efforts by linking back to you without asking. Those are the earned links; those are the links you need to work hard to get.
Today, doing SEO on a safe mode is like walking in a minefield. Every step should be done with much attention to avoid walking over a bomb trigger. Booom! Sorry for the war imagery here!
4. Analyze Competitors
The great question you would ask yourself is “Why do these website rank well and not me?” To find the answer, you need to analyze what they are doing. Performing a SEO competitive analysis is your first step to learn where they have their links.
You can mimic them to some extent, but you shouldn’t be a carbon copy of their marketing and SEO strategy. But, it would be your first step to understand well how the industry is doing. When you understand that, you will be able to come up with new ideas and build your own strategies.
Here is a list of great tools that will help you collect relevant data about your competitors, or simply about websites that top the ranking: Open Site Explorer, SEMRush, Majestic, Ahrefs…etc.
Competitor analysis helps you understand not only how to build links but also where your competitors invest their time, money, and efforts.
5. Ask People you know for a link
Ask people you know for backlinks. Those people could be friends, employees, a customer that has just purchased your products, a journalist you dealt with…or anyone you have some kind of real contact.
This tip may seem absurd for some, but sometimes you are dealing with some people that manage great websites with high quality content. And if you ask them they would be gratefully link back to your website. You may probably know that 1 link from such high quality websites is worth tons of links from low quality sites. So why letting go such golden chance!
6. Build Relationship to Build Links
Because of all that spam out there, building links should not be seen as one side benefit. When you think of link building you should think first of building a relationship. And one of the best ways to build one is to help others. You can for instance add value to someone’s blog post by providing some information that is important but missing from the post. They can then cite your content and link to it if it’s really relevant.
You can also search for famous people in your niche and email them your new piece of content you just created, and ask them to link to you if they find it relevant. This is a bit difficult to get instant results especially if you are still walking your first steps in that field.
You can attend events, physical or online, and interact with people. Ask questions, communicate, and introduce yourself and what you do.
7. Content Creation to Build Links
It may not be what you want to hear. But before going elsewhere to build links for your website, make sure that what’s on your website is really useful. If you provide useful and high quality content that people would love to read, you have started building links.
Yes, when people find some useful tips that answer their questions and teach them something new, they are likely to link back to your content. But, they may not do it if you don’t ask. So, whenever you write a blog post, don’t be ashamed to ask people to share it with their friends if they like it.
8. Profile Page
Some people, especially journalists, would find linking to your home page very commercial. So, instead of asking for a link back to your home page, ask for a link back to profile page. Profile pages are not commercial and are informative. People would like to link back to someone’s profile page rather than the brands. If you believe this tip can work for you, think of creating your profile page and your employees’.
9. Dead and Broken Links
You can search for good pages with quality content and linking to content similar to yours. Perform a search for broke or dead links on that page. When you find them and have a list. Then it’s time to contact the website admin to alert them about the broken links and introduce your link as an exchange for that. You have done their job and made their life easy, they pay you back by accepting to link back to your content. The only rule is to have a good content that worth being linked to.
Here are the tools that will help you find broken and dead links:
10. Contact Mentioned People
If you cite people’s content or quote someone’s words, consider contacting them and tell them that you have liked their content and found it relevant to cite and link to it on your website. There’s a chance they would like what you have done. And with the standard that your content is high quality, they would link to it.
Linking building is just wide, and there are a lot of ideas and tips that work well. Some tips may work well for a business, and may not work for another. But, as link building is becoming tougher, you shouldn’t let go any chance of a high quality back link.
Without doubt, there are a lot of tips of link building that are not mentioned above, so feel it would grateful to help us by citing your ideas in the comments below.
I'm here to help you reach success with your online business. I can help with content marketing, social media, SEO, and email marketing. I provide tips you can follow to build a succesful online business.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment