Link building is one of the most important parts of any effective SEO strategy, and it looks set to stay that way: more than 90% of marketers expect links still to feature in Google’s ranking algorithms in 5 years. But getting external sites to link to yours can be tough, especially if you’re experimenting with link building for the first time. That’s why our Orange County SEO team has created the following list of 4 do’s and 4 don’ts for successful link building.
4 Link Building Do’s
Create High-Value Content Other Site-Owners Love
Good content is a must to generate links and boost your ranking — you need to give site-owners a reason to direct their visitors to your site.
This might be:
- A thought leadership post that establishes you as an authority
- A well-designed infographic featuring original research
- A comprehensive white paper offering detailed tips or insights
- A professional video featuring an interview with an industry leader, a tutorial, or anything else of value
Write Guest Posts for Relevant Sites With a Solid Audience
Creating guest posts for industry websites or blogs relevant to your business, products, or services is a simple but effective tactic. This will introduce your brand to an established audience likely to have an interest in your brand.
Source Links from Satisfied Clients
If you run a B2B business, ask satisfied clients to link to you: for example, they may mention that your web design agency built their site or that you supplied IT hardware for a key project. A reputable company endorsing your services helps build trust and credibility.
Focus on Quality First
Prioritize building links from respectable sites that have good reason to connect to yours — even if this means a slow-and-steady approach. Set a realistic target for building good links and stick to it.
4 Link Building Don’ts
Don’t Write Content for Irrelevant Sites
Remember when we recommended writing guest posts for relevant sites? That’s crucial to reach prospects likely to visit your site, but don’t write for sites with no relation to your products or services just to place a link. If your business specializes in men’s shoes and you publish a post for a blog covering French cuisine, readers won’t be fooled. You may waste your time and energy on a task that leads nowhere.
Don’t Experiment With Black Hat Tactics
Engaging in black hat schemes to build links and climb the SERPs is always a bad idea. Avoid paid links, cloaking, injecting links, and anything else that could put you in Google’s bad books.
Don’t Give Up Before You See Results
Link building for SEO takes time, commitment, and patience. You can’t expect your ranking to improve instantly. Stick with it and be willing to adjust your strategy as new opportunities arise.
Don’t Spam Blog Posts or Forums with Links
Never write comments on blogs or forums just to leave a link. Users and search engines will see right through it. You could damage your reputation and face penalization.
Follow these 8 tips to hone your link building strategy and achieve better results. Want to know more? Have no idea how to build a better linking plan? Our Orange County SEO specialists are here to help — get in touch now!