The best way to build links to your website is to ensure that you create the best possible, high quality content that is merit worthy, and then use relationship marketing, PR and content syndication to tell others about it. This way, people will naturally want to link to it. You have to create content that is scalable and has linkable assets. Don’t bother to build a me-too website, aim to build a site that does things differently and has a specific unique selling point (USP). For example, our USP is “we will build you a mobile and SEO friendly website for free, if you subscribe to our link building services for a minimum of 3 months.” this is our linkable asset.
There is however a downside to this strategy and that’s having to continuously monitor the quality of the backlinks and if necessary disavow some of them as you go along. You can control the content, and you can in some respect control your PR and content syndication, but what you can’t do though is stop the spread of your message, and that’s where you may attract unwanted links.
Link building is a highly skilled process and requires considerable attention to detail. Google has become more than competent at disregarding manufactured and unnatural links, therefore link building is really not for the inexperienced or untrained. You really should use a Inbound Marketing Agency that specialises in SEO
If you are seeking links with the sole intention of improving keyword rankings, then may I suggest that you don’t bother. Relying on Google as the primarily lead generator for your business is a highly dangerous strategy. The internet is full of case studies featuring businesses that one day ranked top of the tree and then next day disappeared out of the SERPs. If you completely rely on Google, then you often chase rankings, and this in most cases leads to using strategies and tactics that overtime are devalued.
The best links are those that bring traffic to your door, who in turn become leads and customers; and perhaps improve your keyword rankings. So what kinds of links should I focus on?
- Identify websites that will bring quality traffic to your door.
- If keyword ranking improvements are also desired, then make sure you choose Google trusted domains i.e. domains that occupy top positions in the same (or similar) market space.
There are ample websites that will link to you, and the great thing about Google and the way it returns its results pages, is that it will tell you the best links, if you know how to ask it. Always if you can, seek to forge links from websites who occupy top rankings for their targeted keywords, and most importantly are in someway related and relevant to your website. For example, if you offer holidays and weekend caravan breaks in Scotland, you need to get other caravan and UK holiday parks linking to it, plus all things holiday related.
There has been much debate about blogs, forums and directories. As a simple rule, ask yourself, is a link to my website going to bring the right kind of traffic to my door? If the answer is yes, then perhaps pursue these kind of link opportunities (albeit with no followed links). If however, you are seeking a link purely to influence rankings, then definitely avoid.
Only seek links from high quality and most importantly market specific blogs, forums and directories. For example, if you own a beauty salon in the UK, then Wahanda would be a good directory to use. This is because it is completely specific and will bring customers to your door. It may, it may not improve your rankings, but who care’s because its going to bring customers to your door. You must avoid the one size fits all directories, as these are unlikely to bring any traffic and will for sure damage your rankings.
“The best links you should seek are those that will stand the test of time, and remain in-tact regardless of how many algorithm updates Google decides to make.”
These are what I call stealth links, because they are undetected by search engines, yet still they bring high quality leads who in turn become customers. I can’t say too much about these kinds of links but all I will say is, there are organisations out there who have customers and who may be interested in your products or services, and vice versa. This is where relationship marketing comes into play and the art of being able to make a timely pitched offer is vital.
There has also been much debate about over-optimised anchor text. Despite reports, there is no formula when it comes to anchor text ratio. I can provide you with websites, where 100% of its backlinks are keyword rich, yet they still top the rankings. I can also provide you with plenty of examples where it has had the opposite effect. There is no ratio… Just make sure that you use a vast array of keyword rich phrases that are 4-5 words long.
