Failing to notice that certain which aid Search Engine Optimisation have moved on can harm not only a website but an entire SEO campaign.
Many SEO techniques are today useless, yet are still being implemented, some tactics have changed while others have been completely eradicated and replaced with something else. Terminology has also changed and now requires a change of mindset.
Things related to Ranking and Linking
Tags are well known as being related to rankings. ‘Noscript tag links’ were previously used to insert invisible links in pages that looked legitimate, at least to a search engine. They haven’t been used for quite a while now. An alternative should be provided for non-flash or non-AJAX users. If you have got flash installed or have switched scripts, load Flash or an AJAX-free menu. Search engine robots find these links useful.
Building links requires an action on your part that of building them and this implies that because they are built, they are artificial, something you have manufactured. Links gained in this way are under close scrutiny by a search engines quality team. What you should replace this with is getting links in a natural and organic way and as links cannot be filtered out. While building links is still alive and well, the onus is on you whether to continue with the old ways or adapting to the new ways.
Paid links, text link ads or sponsoring and charity? Paid linking has shown that it seldom works in the long term. However, there are ways to get great links for some sort of payment, but they are usually indirect links. Today sponsoring links or giving them away as charity is preferred. If done right they can result in great benefit to parties, those receiving and those who support them financially.
Not that long ago footer links were popular and people totally stuffed their page footers with link exchange partners. It is a useless exercise though and if you are still doing it, change. You should be practicing content links instead. These make people want to write about you because your offer fabulous resources, news articles and unique copy that has not been filched or repeated.
Free counter links force you to add invisible links back to the counters homepage as well as links to other third parties you know nothing about. Don’t do it. Today there are such things as ‘widgets’. Contained within these ‘widgets’ is basic information that offers more information once you have clicked on it. ‘Widgets’ are legitimate in terms of Web 2.0.
Things pertaining to blogs and forums
A Search Engine Optimisation technique which many people still use is forums that allow signatures that ‘pass PageRank’. You should consider placing links on the home pages of social media profiles instead. Social media sites which allow this offer you a way to consistently contribute to these profile pages and in the process gain more authority over time.
Blog comments vs. trackbacks. Trackbacks are also known as comments on your blog. As a link building tactic, many people still comment on ‘dofollow’ blog sites. This is very outdated and they don’t often pass Google’s scrutiny. If you want to get a link back to your site, or a response, it is preferable to write your own blog about other bloggers then link them or trackback.
