Backlinks to other websites are an integral part of any SEO strategy that works. They can help improve your site's reputation on Google and other search engines and help with organic visitors.
Savvy internet entrepreneurs understand, however, that all backlinks are not created equal, so whereas some can contribute to your ranking and visitors, if poorly done, it can reflect negatively. As one of Brisbane's leading digital agencies, we understand how essential it is to build backlinks as part of your SEO strategy. So join us to discover how to create rich content and high-quality backlinks with our do’s and don'ts guide.
What is Link Building?
In a nutshell, the best link-building strategies mean that high-quality websites are linked to yours. Backlinks refer to URL links from other websites that point back to your website. The clue is in the title, links that connect to your website. It’s not a quick fix and can require a methodical approach and consistent effort. It’s effectively a long game, but with a robust game plan, you will be rewarded with super content performance and the organic traffic you need to increase views and conversions. Quality links can help give your site the edge over competitors, but poor links can do more harm than good. Let's start with the do’s and discover more about what you should be doing to build an effective backlinking strategy.
Do: Guest blogging
Writing guest blogs for other relevant sites is one of the best ways of increasing your website authority and also one of the most effective ways.It’s a great way to not only deliver your brand to a different audience but also build the trust necessary to increase views and visitors.By guest blogging to another high-quality/high authority site, you can get the opportunity to add editorial backlinks to your content. This helps to build search engine trust and helps you to increase authority via other successful sites. It’s worth understanding that guest blogging can be a little time rich, so you could improve your SEO strategy by outsourcing your campaigns.
Do: Link to companies you already do business with
Any pre-existing relationship can be a two-way street regarding link-building strategies. One of the simplest places to start is by reaching out to companies you already work with to see if there are any linking opportunities for both parties.This type of link ticks the box for relevant linking and provided you choose companies carefully, it can also meet the high-quality criteria. If you are active in the community and also do any kind of charitable work, these types of organisations will often be happy to provide linking opportunities as gratitude and appreciation for your partnership.
Do: Look for unlinked mentions of your site
According to Search guru Google Search Quality Senior Strategist Andrey Lipattsev, quality links pointing to your site is one of the three most crucial search ranking factors.So you might also get some quick wins in the linking takes by searching for any mentions of your business that are currently unlinked online.There may be more waiting for you than you think!
Do: Link to quality sites
It’s important when building a sterling backlink strategy that you don’t simply go for anyone and anything. Quality is much more important than quantity, and rather than adopting a fishing net approach to gathering as many as you can, you must be linking to the right kinds of sites. Keeping relevant to your industry is a given; even if their domain authority is not the highest, it can still be mutually beneficial and worthwhile on the relevant stakes. The types of links you should be looking for are:
- Educational websites
- Government organisations
- Authoritative news
- Industry publications
So, what type of backlinks should you be actively avoiding? Let’s find out more about the type of backlinks you should steer clear of.
Don’t: Link to poor-quality sites
Although this might be obvious, it’s worth mentioning that you do need to research the types of sites you are backlinking to and avoid those who aren’t creating high-quality, valuable content. Links can make or break rankings, and reaching out to poor-quality sites can harm the ranking you’ve already worked hard for. Although you can’t always control those that link to you, you can thoroughly vet the ones in your link-building efforts.If you link to sites with a poor reputation, you may find yourself on the chopping block of Google’s Penguin algorithm.
Don’t: Use paid links
Paid links can be an easy and appealing option for busy website owners. If we need links. We can just buy them, right? So although this can seem like the quickest way to a backlink strategy, it can destroy any traction you’ve already made in rankings in one fell swoop. If Google discovers this practice, they will likely penalise you for up to six months, which means you may lose all the keyword rankings you’ve worked hard to achieve.
Don’t: Use backlinks that aren’t in the text body
Backlinks from outside the body of a text, such as in a sidebar or a footer, aren’t as effective as a backlink strategy mainly because smaller links aren’t as visible to readers, alongside the fact that Google doesn’t deem them as important and they may lower your SEO ratings.
Don’t: Link to websites packed full of links
Webpages that are stuffed full of links generally have no real SEO strategy and most likely won’t gather traffic that converts. Google needs to see your website linked in valuable ways, and any kind of ‘stuffing’ from keywords to backlinks is frowned upon by the powers that be at Google.
Don’t: Use junk anchors
When linking, always try to use anchor words that are most valuable to your reader and make sense in the general text. A junk anchor is a link such as ‘read more,’ ‘click here,’ or ‘there’, for example. Although they have their place and can drive conversions, ensure you use relevant keywords when adding backlinks to your content.
Don’t: Consistently link to the same page
Make sure you are mixing up your keywords and authoritative sites you link to. If you consistently use the same links, it can result in a drop in rankings and penalties from Google. Google is looking for your site to provide unique and helpful content to your readers, so not only will it mean your content loses readability, it may mean your webpage won’t figure highly on Google rankings.
Wrapping it Up
For any website owners in Brisbane or anywhere else in Australia, it is crucial to understand that link building plays one of the most important roles in your SEO strategy by driving organic traffic. This is especially important in more competitive industries.However, it must be combined with a great on-page user experience and a robust technical SEO foundation to ensure your website ranks highly in Google searches. Quality, not quantity, is the key to an outstanding backlinking strategy. Get in touch for more information on how we can help you drive a successful SEO strategy and elevate your website rankings.
