Link building is essential for driving organic traffic to your site, especially in competitive industries. Combining strong technical SEO foundations, excellent on-page optimised content and a good user experience can make your links super effective at increasing rankings.
What is link building?
Link building has been around since the early days of the internet. It was one of the first ways that websites could improve their ranking in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Link building is the process of acquiring links to a website from other websites. Links are one of the most important factors that search engines use to determine a website’s ranking. The more links that a website has, the higher its ranking will be in SERPs. There are many different ways to build links, including creating content, submitting to directories and guest posting.
What are the benefits of link building?
Any company that wants to increase website traffic, improve its search engine ranking and increase brand awareness should invest in link building. It is a powerful technique for generating qualified leads and increasing your customer base.
Are there any downsides to link building?
There are a few drawbacks to link building. First and foremost, it’s important to effectively track the results of your campaigns to determine whether they are producing the desired results. Some people frown upon link building, but it depends on how the link building is done. Google does not explicitly say that link building is bad practice, but it does recommend that websites focus on creating quality content instead. In general, Google looks at links as a way to determine a website’s authority and credibility. Therefore, websites that have a lot of links from other high-quality websites are likely to rank higher in SERPs than those that don’t. So when link building is done incorrectly, it may not produce the desired results.
What is the difference between white hat, grey hat and black hat link building?
There is a lot of debate about the differences between white hat, grey hat and black hat link building, but it’s simple enough to understand when you break them down, as below:
- White hat link building is a technique that follows Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. It involves creating quality content that provides value to users and building links to that content through legitimate means
- Grey hat link building is a technique that skirts around Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. It involves creating quality content that provides value to users but also using illegitimate methods such as purchasing links or spamming links
- Black hat link building is a technique that violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. It involves creating low-quality content, spamming links and using other tactics such as hacking websites to create links
The Main Types of Link Building Techniques
- Creating compelling content to get natural links
- Submitting your website to directories
- Guest posting
- Niche edits which consist of adding content on guest posts that already exist
Top Tips for an Effective Link Building Strategy
Do your research
Before you start any kind of link building campaign, it’s important to do your research and figure out who your target audience is. This will help you determine which techniques will be the most effective for reaching them.
Identify your target audience
Once you know who your target audience is, you need to identify what they want and need. This information will help you create high-quality content that provides value to users.
Create high-quality content
Once you know what your target audience wants, you need to create content that meets their needs. This content should be well-written, informative and engaging.
Use social media to promote your content
Social media can be a powerful tool for promoting your content. Make sure to use all of the major social networks to share your content with as many people as possible.
Submit your content to directories
There are many online directories where you can submit your content for free. This is a great way to get exposure and links back to your website.
Reach out to other websites for links
Another great way to build links is by reaching out to other websites and asking them to link back to yours. You can find websites in your industry or related industries that would be a good fit for a link exchange.
Monitor your results and tweak your strategy
It’s important to track the results of your link building campaigns so you can determine whether they are producing the desired results. If not, make adjustments as needed until you find a strategy that works for you.
How Much Should a Company Budget for Link Building?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the amount you should spend on link building will vary depending on your budget and your goals. However, here are a few tips to help you get started.
- Start by setting a realistic budget and then allocate a portion of that budget to link building
- Make sure you invest in quality tools and services that will help you achieve your goals
- Track your results and make changes to your strategy as needed
The Future of Link Building
As search engines continue to evolve, the techniques that we use for link building will also need to change. The days of simply submitting your website to a bunch of directories and calling it quits are over! In order to be successful in link building, you now need to create compelling content, submit it to social media sites and reach out to bloggers and website owners. In order to stay ahead of the curve and continue to reap the benefits that links have to offer, it’s important for marketers to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and techniques in this ever-changing field. You also need to be willing to invest time and money into the process. If you’re not prepared to do this, you may find that your competitors are getting ahead of you.
Here are a few of the most promising trends we’re seeing in link building:
The increasing importance of quality content
As search engines become more sophisticated, they are placing a greater emphasis on quality content. This means that if you want your website to rank highly, you need to produce compelling, original content that is useful and relevant to your target audience.
The growing popularity of social media
Social media sites are an excellent way to build links and drive traffic back to your website. By creating engaging profiles and posting interesting content, you can attract followers who will be interested in what you have to say.
The rise of video marketing
Video is becoming an increasingly important part of online marketing and it’s no surprise given its ability to engage viewers on a visceral level. If you’re not using video as part of your marketing strategy, you’re missing out on a powerful tool.
The importance of using different techniques to build links
In link building there is no right or wrong technique, it’s all about testing. Something that worked when you first started might not work six months down the line. That’s the beauty (and the curse!) of Google’s algorithm.
The need to stay up-to-date on the latest trends
As with any digital marketing channel, it’s important to know what’s happening around you. Things change fast in the digital world and you need to be able to pivot quickly.
Link building has often been considered difficult territory to talk about, but here at Passion, we’re turning this around. It’s a crucial part of any organic marketing strategy and when it’s done properly, the results can be impressive. Get in touch if you’re looking to supercharge your marketing efforts, link building could be the answer!