Chadrack
Should marketers and webmaster still invest in link building in the face of recent Google SEO updates?
Frankly, is link building still a viable SEO strategy?
These and many other similar questions have taken the center stage since Google launched its first major war against “blackhat” SEO.
Starting with the Panda update then the Penguin update and the many other changes that have come in since then, Google showed its determination to weed out all forms of SEO strategies that were aimed at “gaming” the system.
The effect of these changes was so devastating that not only were many SEOs put out of business, link building quickly became one of those things that marketers thought they need to avoid. Yes, link building became the bad boy in the neighborhood!
But Is Link Building A Dead SEO Strategy?
There is no doubt that the various Google changes saw many websites that depended mostly on link building plummet in the SERPS. But that is mainly for these reasons:
- These sites were gaming the system, depending mostly on quantity and not quality links.
- Google considers off-site SEO (which is dependent mostly on back links) more important than on-site SEO and therefore the changes must affect this aspect of SEO the more.
Based on the above it is clear that even when Google has changed, link building is still a fundamental part of the marketing and SEO world.
It will interest you to know that of the over 200 ranking factors used by Google, backlinks still occupy a very high position. This means link building is necessary and therefore should still form part of your overall digital marketing strategy.
The lesson therefore is, instead of fearing the changes of Google, it’s time to embrace them. After all, people need to see your site in search engine results. Link building is one of the best ways to do this.
However, when it comes to link building, there are some important things that you need to know.
The Importance of Link Building in 2015
In the crux of Google changes, you need to ensure that you are link building in the right way. This means that you need to adopt the proper processes when it comes to building links back to your page. The importance of off page SEO cannot be underestimated. As a general rule of thumb, these links are necessary for your site. After all, you need to make people aware of your business and your services. This means contributing to forums, local directories and undertaking guest blogging.
Links and Google Changes
Links are still important. While ‘spam’ is not received well, good quality content with lots of information is the best way to do link building. This can ensure that you are building a good online reputation. Make sure that you are linking to the right websites. These are known as high authority sites. What’s more, if you can get them to link back to you, you are onto a winner.
Content Marketing and Link Building
Many people think that content and link building are two sides of the same coin. This is not strictly true. You don’t have to write reams of material to ensure that you are link building. Although, of course, this does help. Writing content is an important strategy. Making sense of content is easy. Write things that people are interested with. Engage and resonate with your audience. Make it easy to read and give them lots of tips on how to use your products and services. Your content must be valuable. Adding links to your content is a good way of giving your customers what they want. What's more, you can ensure that you are providing your readership with the best online experience.
Keywords and Anchor Texts
According to Alecan Marketing Solutions, it’s important that you research your keywords. This should be done in a more robust way. Adding these keywords to your anchor text is important. Adding your keywords to the link that you use to your content is a must. This can create a better experience for the reader. But, it also ensures that search engines are finding your content via your keywords. See, it’s easy once you know how!
Links Diversification
Links are an essential part of the SEO process. But, having the same links is not good for you as a business. Google doesn’t like it much either! Ensuring that you diversify your links is a must when you are working on your link building strategies. It will ensure that you are seen as an authority on your topic.
Conclusion
You must not be afraid to build backkinks to your digital properties. It is understandable that keeping up with Google changes can be tough. But, link building is here to stay. Implement the suggestions in this article in your link building strategy and you will definitely stay within Google’s rules and therefore get some more love from Google!
Image Credit: Hans & Flickr
