Whichever way you look at it, impressing Google is a long and complicated process, and backlinking is one of the many things you need to do to get in Google’s good books. However, there are certain things you need to avoid when it comes to backlinking so you don’t end up on Google’s bad list. But more on that later.
As one of Brisbane’s leading digital marketing 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.
The Basics of Backlink Building
To put it simply, backlinking refers to URL links from other websites that point back to your website. Backlinking is an important part of SEO as it shows Google that you’re an authority in your industry as you’ve been recommended by someone else in the industry. However, backlinking isn’t a quick fix and can require a methodical approach and consistent effort. It’s a long game, but with a robust plan, you’ll be rewarded with super content performance and the organic traffic you need to increase your views and conversions.
The Role of Backlinking in SEO
Each search engine has its own algorithm that it uses to determine how valuable websites are and to rank them, page by page, in search results, and backlinking is a part of that.
Backlinks can also boost your domain authority. While domain authority isn’t a Google ranking factor, many SEO tools use this metric to identify ways to improve your SEO strategy by comparing you to the competition. Essentially, the higher your domain authority, the easier it’ll be to earn top spots in SERPs.
While the rules for effective link building within SEO are not as black or white as you may prefer, Google may still squash your search engine marketing efforts if you partake in sketchy activities. If you stick to Google’s best practice guidelines, you’ll be playing it safe.
Backlinking Don’ts
Black hat SEO is the go-to backlinking solution for the bold (and sometimes reckless). Black hat SEO refers to the practice that goes against search engine guidelines, used to get a site ranking higher in search results. These tactics are called black hat because they don’t provide any benefit for the searcher and often result in getting a penalty from search engines.
Examples of backlinking don’ts/black hat backlinking include:
Buy links
Google grades links as votes, much like Facebook algorithms rate and value pages based on likes and comments between users. Buying these ‘votes’ is in breach of Google guidelines.
The Google algorithm has an eye on sites selling links, and if you knowingly or unknowingly buy from or become associated with these sites, you may suffer the consequences. Likewise, if you link to sites that have been penalised, you, too, may ensure a poor reputation for your website.
Put links that aren’t in the body text
Backlinks from outside the body of a text, such as in a sidebar or a footer, aren’t as effective as links within the body of text as they aren’t as visible to readers as well as the fact that Google doesn’t deem them important, which may lower your SEO rankings.
Consistently link to the same page
Ensure you are mixing up your keywords and the 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, but it may also mean that your webpage won’t sit highly on Google rankings.
Create insincere guest posts
Black hat link-building tactics target reputable sites and offer a guest post while demanding a followed link in return. Those who follow this tactic will submit the same guest post to hundreds of sites. However, this tactic will only tank your site. Instead, if you’re interested in writing guest posts, reach out to quality websites and write an original post just for them. Once you’ve written it and agreed on a link back to your site in the article, you will be rewarded with a quality backlink without having to use black hat tactics.
Simple and Effective Backlink-Building Strategies
Now that you know which mistakes to avoid, how can you successfully build backlinks and follow SEO best practices? For each black hat/don’t technique we’ve listed, there is a white hat/do version that is very strategic and follows best practices. Here are some of the best things to do when it comes to backlinking.
Genuine guest posts
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 on another high-quality/high-authority website, 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.
Link to quality sites
When building a quality backlink strategy, it's important 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.
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 the companies carefully, it can also meet the high-quality criteria.
Effective Backlink-Building Strategies With Anchor
For any website owner, it’s important 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.
If you’d like some assistance with your backlinking strategy, get in touch with Anchor Digital. We’re ready to help you drive a successful SEO strategy and elevate your website rankings.
