Google and other search engines have long considered a website’s links as a ranking factor for search engine rank; however, their quality requirements have changed drastically over the years. While websites used to use link exchanges or private blog networks to get the job done, those tactics will now result in sometimes-unrecoverable penalties. That being said, SEO link building is still a very powerful tool that can increase your online visibility, website traffic, and position on the SERPs—as long as you do it right:
Above all else, amazing content is a must for any SEO link building strategy. Nobody is going to link to humdrum, poorly written content. Period. You need to invest the time to write high-quality blog posts before you even think about convincing anyone to link to them. While anything that is interesting, engaging, and well-written should be able to get you links, a recent study by Moz shows that the real SEO link building goldmine can be found in well-researched, evidence-based content or opinion-based articles that are about current topics.
Once you have your incredible content published, it’s time to reach out to website owners and ask for a link. But Search Engine Land points out that it’s not enough to send a mass-produced email out with auto-populated personalization. That tactic is transparent, and will only get you about a 2.5% success rate. The secret to getting a coveted link on an authoritative website is to get to know the people in charge of posting these links. Pick up the phone, call them, make a connection, and demonstrate the value of your content to their readers.
Guest blogging is another SEO link building technique that has changed in recent years. While the quantity of inbound links used to be the goal, now it’s about the quality. In fact, a link from a low-quality website may very well lower your ranking, so you need to be picky. Research the websites with a high domain authority in your industry, and then spend your time building relationships with the owners. At the same time, develop a guest blog for them that their readers will benefit from and that will also establish you as an expert in your field.
While SEO link building has a lot to do with earning high-quality links, it is just as crucial for you to stay on top of all of the links you receive. Regularly check to make sure you aren’t getting any spammy links (here’s what to look for), and if you do, contact the sites directly to request for them to be taken down. If that doesn’t work, get them disavowed ASAP.
If you follow the above rules, your SEO link building strategy will yield long-lasting results. Just remember, quality is always more important than quantity when it comes to both the links themselves and the content you are linking to.
To get your SEO link building strategy on the right track, contact Zero Gravity Marketing today.