Link Building: Uncomplicate Thyself! Whoever coined the phrase “Too much of everything is bad” obviously did not have links in mind at the time. Most probably, he wanted to say “Too much of everything is bad, except that a vast amount of good quality links are never enough”. Link building strategies in the SEO world have become trickier in recent times due largely to the watchful eyes of ‘Uncle G’, his ‘algorithm nephews’ named Penguin and Panda, and ‘manual penalty niece’. Penguin 3.0 has recently been released with winners still counting their gains, and losers still reeling from their losses. However, this has made watchers and analysts in the SEO world more confused than ever before as to what criteria Google actually takes into consideration when wielding the big stick.
Have you also heard the differing opinions about link building being dead altogether or that it just complicates your SEO efforts even further? However, one thing is certain; building good quality links are still a sure bet way of ranking higher in search results and also of staying on the safe side whenever an algorithm release come calling. How then can you complicate or uncomplicate your link building efforts? Here are just a few points. Uncomplicate: Guest Posting Done RightIt is somewhat an irony placing anything that has to do with guest posting on an uncomplicated list, right? If you manage to find a good website or blog that accepts guest posts, their guidelines are so strict that you might just consider a sponsored post instead (this doesn’t come cheap). Then, you need to come up with a really good pitch and an article idea that would very sure be difficult to turn down. However, guest posting are still truly alive and well, just requires more effort. One thing which is very vital is relevance; dig deep into the blog you will be pitching to, offer a very unique but relevant idea, and then submit a wellwritten and properly researched article. It is also vital that you have a platform with valuable content which will make you appear credible, in addition to giving a face and meaning to your articles. Complicate:
Links, Links, Links and More LinksIt is 2014, yet some people still blindly believe that any link is just about good enough. However, there is a big difference with quality and quantity as it relates to link building. It is important to remember that a million Zimbabwean dollars might be worth next to nothing when compared to the American dollar, yet they are both legal tenders, bearing the dollar in their own rights. Therefore, it will be really nice to have a re-think the next time you attempt sourcing for an inbound link. Those irrelevant guest posts and comments, link schemes and all, don’t advance your cause in Google’s books. They only make you susceptible to Google’s ‘big hammer’ and make your efforts all complicated.
Uncomplicate: Quality Platform and ContentI know this might seem like a vague submission or concept, but having a quality platform with effective content does give your link building efforts an edge. Nothing sells itself better than a good product right? In the case of link building, it is the first step towards selling itself and not the actual sale. However, think about relevance and authority, in addition to how easy it would be to build relationships which could in turn translate into quality links. In this instance, the idea is just to look inwards before you venture outwards. Complicate: Link Building Right… in the Wrong DirectionAs they say, you cannot fix a square peg in a round hole. You might be ticking off all the right boxes towards your link building efforts, but towing the totally wrong direction as you tick them rightly will all come to nought and get you entangled in the intricate web of link building. Are you directing your efforts or building relationships towards the other side of the
divide that have no importance or value to your niche? It could be time to retrace your steps and start finding a ‘square hole for your square peg’.
Uncomplicate: Sharing and PromotionNow, you have built yourself some great content and your other link building efforts are being done right; it is time for these to be properly promoted. Make engagements and build relationships with the actors and shakers of the industry in which you operate. Social media is another platform in which your content could be effectively promoted, take advantage of it. It is not like social media will instantly enforce your link building campaigns, but it will enable your platform and content to be seen and shared which will consequently return beneficial effects. A great platform and content will not promote itself; you should do it! Complicate: Immediate ExpectationLink building requires a lot of hard work and resources, but it also requires a lot of time and patience. Expecting immediate results for your link building campaign will be expecting too much, too soon. It will not be described as waiting for a ship at the airport, because it will surely come. However, you might as well fit yourself psychologically with that mind-set so that you will not be distracted into revamping your entire campaign sooner than you should. Do not be discouraged even if the present campaign does not bear instant results, do not be tempted to change and overhaul everything, it could complicate things even further. When done right, the results will definitely come and it will be the one you will be happy about.
Overall, times are changing and it is no different in the world of link building. This particular change is in-fact a good one, there is a lot more sanity on the web-space and user experience is being seen to be paramount. I believe that businesses that deserve to be visible and highly ranked will put more effort into their link building efforts rather than spam the entire available space. Once again, link building is still truly alive and well; uncomplicate thyself by building right!
Do you have some other ideas on link building done right? Please do leave a comment below.