Link Building. A strong link profile is a fundamental component of any comprehensive and successful SEO strategy. But the protocols and best practices continue to evolve along with each new Google update.
Although these changes have affected how links fit into your overall SEO approach, some principles remain true today.
Understanding what links are most effective to your SEO success and how to implement your link-building strategy improves your rankings in the long run.
Link Building Problems
Today’s businesses face new challenges with building link profiles. Despite investing much time, energy, and money, many of the links they generate show no benefits to their rankings.
Staying current with the best ways to generate high-quality links that improve your search engine rankings ensures that they work for you.
Businesses must adapt to the evolving Internet. Their content marketing efforts must create new opportunities for generating quality links.
As other businesses improve their own link profiles, you must consistently work to achieve higher rankings than your competitors.
Building Links as Search Engines Evolve
Every new Google update presents a risk to your business rankings. In general, sites that depend on manipulative or spammy links for short-term gains lose out in the end.
Machine learning continues to improve and search engines have become better
at providing relevant content. The best approach is a long-term one that builds upon the main principles of link building.
The content you create must earn quality links. It must be useful and relevant to a user’s search query. Users must have a strong reason to link to your content such as providing greater value to their own users.
Getting your content in front of the right audience increases their sharing of that content. This also works when you are consistent in your content development and distribution.
You should consider your marketing efforts related to your content, product, or service. This lets you build a large audience that will generate new traffic to your site and create relationships with other sites who are likely to link to your content.
Where to Look for Better Links
Your current link profile is the best place to look for improving and maintaining your link building strategy.
The links that point to your content must come from diverse sources. If you continue to generate links from the same sites, Google may not place much value on them when determining rankings.
Next, look at the sources of your links and evaluate other sites they link to. If they link to other assets that are authoritative and trustworthy, then the results you get from your links will be more effective.
Consider how timely your content is. Users searching for topics may need more comprehensive and long-lasting information. In contrast, content that addresses a current issue may run the risk of becoming irrelevant over time.
Being relevant means that your business remains “top of mind” for users. Generating new links generates this relevancy and allows you to reach now prospective customers in the process.
Your content should be built upon thorough market research and a properly optimized site. Although link building isn’t the first step in your business development, it’s one of the most critical for long-term success.
Adhering to the basic principles of building a strong link profile in the face of search engine updates helps your business grow its audience and acquire new paying customers along the way.
If you’re having trouble with your own link building process, or if you’ve been able to use these suggestions effectively, let us know in the comments below.
