An Introduction to Link Building
Successful SEO requires successful link building. Every SEO out there knows that link building is key to building traffic and ranking well in searches.
Links have always played a key role on the web. They’re how we move from one source of information to another. Links are also a big factor in how Google ranks your site.
Link building is simply the process of getting quality inbound links aka backlinks to your website from other relevant websites with the goal of improving search engine visibility.
In the early days of the internet, search engines ranked their search results solely based on the content on a web page. In the late 1990s, Google changed all that when it introduced its now-famous PageRank algorithm. Instead of simply analysing the content on a page, Google started looking at how many people linked to that page when deciding where that page should rank in search results.
The search engines look at backlinks as ‘up votes’. These links or ‘up votes’ help the search engines identify which page on a given topic (out of many similar pages) deserves to be ranked at the top of the search results.
Good vs Bad Links
Before you learn how to do link building, you should know what constitutes a good (or bad) link. That way, you’ll be able to focus on improving your Google rankings.
It’s important to remember that links coming from high-authority pages impact ranking more than links coming from low-authority pages. For example, a link coming from thetimes.co.uk will have a much bigger impact than a link coming from an unknown blogger. While high-quality links are difficult to come by, they’re well worth the effort.
In addition to authority, a link’s relevance also matters. For example, let’s say you have a blog about remote control cars and you get a link from an authoritative site about bicycles. That link won’t do you a bit of good. Your backlinks should come from sources relevant to your page.
How to Build Links
Because not all links are equal, you need to build links carefully. Build links that are relevant to your business and your customers to keep Google and your users happy so your business will grow. Here are some link building methods to try:
Ask for Links: This is a good method for newbies. Simply locate a website that’s relevant to your niche and ask for a backlink. More specifically, ask for an in-content link instead of a link in the sidebar or footer.
Build Relationships: Become active in social groups, blogs, and forums relevant to your niche and start building relationships. You can connect with influencers this way and make new contacts so you can get some valuable backlinks.
Start a Blog: Start a blog and focus on writing posts regularly. Keep your content relevant, useful, and well-structured so others will want to link to it again and again.
There are many more link building strategies to try including guest posting, listing your site in trustworthy online directories, recovering your dead backlinks, etc. Whatever methods you decide to try, remember that you want quality links that will help your business thrive.