Archive for the ‘Link Campaigns and Search Engine Optimisation’ Category

SEO: Don’t Despair About Links

There’s no doubt about it, link building is one of the most difficult things to do for your site’s search engine optimisation. It’s hard not to feel like a beggar as you crawl around the web, asking reputable-looking sites if they can spare a link. There is no easy avenue to link building, and the hard road is full of potholes. Not all links are equal in worth, but take comfort from the fact that no link is ever absolutely worthless.

Some SEO pros talk about ‘worthless links.’ This is a symptom of being too deeply involved in search engine optimisation. While some links won’t do a lot directly for your site’s ranking, every link is another place on the net where your site is known. Every link is of value to your site in some way.

How do non-juicy links help?

The main difference between types of links are those that will provide you with some link juice, or help build your link profile, and those that don’t count towards your link profile. In the eyes of some SEO experts, you might as well not bother with these kinds of links.

Not everyone looks at such links this way. A more far-sighted view takes these links into account when developing an online presence. Take Twitter, for example. Providing a link in your bio for Twitter won’t get you any link juice. However, if one of your followers is interested enough to look at your bio, they are likely to be interested enough to visit your site. If they’re impressed by what they find, they are likely to feature your link on their own site. The result of the non direct link in your Twitter profile is link juice.

It’s not about the links, but how you get them

The main thing to remember about inbound links is their importance diminishes in connection to how you get them. The link itself doesn’t have real potential to harm your site. The way in which you get a link, however, does.

The search engines have changed the game when it comes to links over the last few years. Google and its competitors have rooted out all of the ways SEO pros used to forge links non-organically, and, having uncovered the techniques, have banned them. Paid links are now generally a no-no. Reciprocal linking schemes are similarly out. Of course, both of these are only bad for your site if Google detects how the links were formed, which is why link buying and reciprocity continues to happen.

Getting links through directories, article sites, forums and paid links can all work. At the same time, you need to ensure you have some quality, reliable links in your profile as well if you want to ensure your site’s long-term health. You can talk to our experts at SEO Consult when you’re looking for ways to form some high-quality links. These links might include a reference from an influential blogger, links provided by a high-profile competitor, or other links from people similarly relevant and influential in your industry.

The Three Best Links to Get for SEO

Looking for a way to boost your link profile? One of the best ways to boost your profile is to put your linking strategy in the hands of a professional, and you can talk to us at SEO Consult. If you’re looking for links outside of your SEO company, however, there is a handy protocol you can follow that will increase your chances of success.

First of all, it’s important to know that there are three types of links that will give your link profile a real boost. These are links from your competitors, links from high-profile sites in your industry, and links from sites that are ranking well for related keywords. All of these links will have a high relevance to your keywords, and are likely to be looked on favourably by the search engines. All of these are also incredibly difficult to get links from. Luckily, all of these link sources have their own link sources, which you can use for your profile.

  1. Identify the key sites in your niche. Every niche has prominent sites. Look for sites in the three categories above, and narrow down a list. If you haven’t identified your niche yet, it’s probably time to do so.
  2. Mine their links. This is a very old SEO trick for quality links. Find out what sites are linking to the above sites. These are people who could be linking to you as well.
  3. Make sure your site has link bait. It’s no use trying to build your link profile before you have completed your on-page SEO. Sites need a reason to link to you. If your site isn’t already high-ranking, the only reason you have is that you’re a quality site. Ensure that your content is up to scratch, and have some link bait prepared before you approach potential links.

Different sites will be looking for different things on your site. You will find that the links to your site can be separated out into three categories:

  1. Reciprocal relationships: A site that is in a reciprocal relationship with its linkee will need a similar sort of bait from you. The best approach is to contact them, note that your sites are in similar industries and suggest that each set of site users would benefit from a link. Note that Google frowns on reciprocal link schemes, but not on sites providing each other support for the benefit of site users.
  2. Media contacts: Media contacts respond well to a good press release, but only if you have something newsworthy to back it up. If you’re an influential thinker in your industry or have new research to share, let them know first.
  3. Editorial sites: These are the non-news sites that might find your site interesting. People such as influential bloggers or industry commentators have less to gain if you offer them news, so it’s a good idea to offer something else as well. Discount codes, free products and other incentives can work well.

And remember: persist. It takes time to build a good link profile. Keep emailing, and build relationships.