Category: Link Building

Ever since the Google Penguin 4 update in 2016, the sites stopped being ‘penalized’ for spammy link profiles. Too many sites that were not actively creating spam links got caught up in the penalty box. But that is not to say site owners don’t quake a bit when there is a new update.

Now that another update has been released that specifically targets spam links, webmasters are gearing up for swings in their rankings. The announcement was at the bottom of Google’s article about the release telling people to keep it clean. 

Even with clean link-building efforts, Google’s release can wreak havoc on rankings. While there is not a penalty for a bad link profile, having links suddenly stop counting will change the rankings.

The best defense is to continue developing partnerships, create and disseminate content that can garner links from other sites. This is so simple, but core to building up a site’s rankings.

Pagerank is one of the tools Google uses to determine the quality and importance of a page relative to a specific search query.

Pagerank

Google developed Pagerank in the late 1990s as part of its toolset to determine which pages will show up for a given search, and in what order. It is important to note that PR is only one of the tools they use, and its weight in the ranking process is a part of the Google ‘blackbox’.

At its most simplistic, Pagerank is a popularity ranking used to determine the likelihood that a person will wind up on a particular page if they randomly clicked on links throughout the internet. As you can imagine, given the number of pages, this will render a rather low likelihood for most pages.

Augmenting this ‘randomness’ is a lot of mitigating inputs. Quality of pages plays linking, ‘normalcy’ of the linking profile (the mix of all pages linking to a page), and according to Google, the quality of the linking pages as well as other factors that are not made public.

Link Spamming

As one can imagine, in the early days of SEO work, there was a lot of blackhat SEO going on, trying to game the Pagerank Algorithm. One of the techniques was to create as many links to a website as possible. One tool among many was link farms; a series of loosely (or even closely) connected sites that did nothing other than sell links to other sites.

It didn’t take Google long to identify these techniques and warn site owners away from them. Unfortunately, many dismissed Google’s warning.

Google Penalty

From a technical perspective, identifying a site that is trying to game the system was not hard for Google. At first, Google tried to ‘play nice’ and tell people they shouldn’t do this. Then, they took the gloves off and penalized pages and perhaps evens sites, the engaged in this activity. The penalty box pulls the money pages of a site from the SERPS, required extensive mitigation activities, and was usually difficult to overcome.

It didn’t take long for competitors to take advantage of this. Before long, webmasters were spamming each other’s sites. Through no fault of their own, owners found their sites suddenly delisted in the SERPs.

Google steps back on the spam penalty

Google changed tactics. Rather than delist a site for a spammy profile, it began dismissing the suspicious links. So, while you won’t be penalized for overly aggressive link building, you won’t get credit either. Spamming becomes a waste of resources.

Link Building

Is link building worth the effort (and money)? In short, yes. Without links to your site, Google will not put it in the SERPs. But, you need to balance the link-building efforts and your content development and technical efforts. A bunch of links to bad content, or content that can’t be properly indexed, will not get you in the SERPs.

Link-building programs are beyond the scope of this article. If you are not familiar with link building, check out a couple of articles to give you a basic understanding.

Link Building, what is it. and What are 2nd and 3rd Tier Links?

Passing Pagerank

While we don’t know the Pagerank algorithm, there is a simple way to think of it. Each page is assigned a Pagerank number (between 1 and 100). Part of the Pagerank is passed through to each of the links from that page to the pages it is linking to. There are some companies, like MOZ’s Domain Authority and Page Authority, that created a proxy for PR, and have been able to model PR very closely… at least until Google stopped publishing Pagerank.

Pagerank no longer visible

Google stopped publishing Pagerank a number of years ago. Before they stopped publishing completely, they scaled back the frequency. So, today, you don’t actually know your Pagerank. But, as mentioned above, there are companies that developed proxies for PR and were able to track to it very closely while it was being published.

Link-building is an integral part of search engine optimization, and it does need to be done properly to avoid issues. However, there is more that can be done than just creating links that go back to the website. Links that go directly to the website are 1^st tier links and, while they are valuable, 2^nd and 3^rd tier links can be an important part of a link-building campaign as well.

What are 2^nd and 3^rd Tier Links?

The 2^nd tier links are any links that point back to the 1^st tier links. The 3^rd tier links, similarly, point to the 2^nd tier links. While the 1^st tier links are added in to create authority for the website they link to, the 2^nd and 3^rd tier links are used to add authority to the page that has the 1^st tier links. So, website A has an article that points to the business website. The value of this link depends on how much authority website A has. The 2^nd and 3^rd tier links point to the article on website A, creating more authority for that website, which makes the link to the business website more effective for optimization.

Benefits of Using These Links

The 2^nd and 3^rd tier links have value beyond just adding authority to the 1^st tier links. They can also help increase referral traffic and expand visibility. Any traffic that goes to the 2^nd or 3^rd tier link could end up on the 1^st tier link and, from there, end up on the business website. On top of that, if the consumers see the link to the business website, even if they don’t click the link, it can help to increase brand awareness. Plus, having these links leading back to the business website can help increase consumer trust, which can lead to more sales in the future.

How to Use These Links

There are a few things website owners can do to use the 2^nd and 3^rd tier links more effectively. The first is to prioritize high-quality content. Websites with high-quality content have a higher authority, so those links are going to count more. It’s also a good idea to target the most successful 1^st tier links with the 2^nd and 3^rd tier links, as this helps generate more traffic for them and, thus, more traffic for the business website. While it is important to have a variety of links, it is important to avoid using the same link too many times. By creating a number of 2^nd and 3^rd tier links, this can be avoided easier.

While links are crucial for search engine optimization today, the type and quality of links can have a huge impact. Creating 2^nd and 3^rd tier links can help add authority to the 1^st tier link, which can be beneficial for the website it links to and can help bring in more traffic. Learn more about these types of links today to start using them with your optimization plan, so you can get all of the benefits mentioned here.

While search engine optimization continues to be a vast ever-changing terrain, some constant components help website owners rise higher in rank. Although SEO strategies will continue to develop, there is still a keen focus on link building. Those who are new to SEO practices and seasoned veterans will all find this guide to offer the information they require, to create strategies that will propel them to higher levels of traffic and turnovers. 

The Importance of Link Building Has Never Been So Paramount

Before delving too deeply into the importance of link building, it is essential individuals first understand how a link is created and how search engine result pages view these links and categorize their importance. 

Components of Links

There are a few components search engines read when scanning a link. These parts are each important in their own way, allowing Google and other search engines to index a site appropriately. 

The Beginning of the link tag

The anchor tag is the beginning of the link tag. This anchor includes a message to the search engines that a website link is to follow. This tag also opens the link. 

The link referral location

A link first includes href, which stands for hyperlink referral. The text that resides within the quotation marks shows where the link points. The link does not have to be a website link. It could point to an image or a downloadable file. 

The anchor text

The anchor text is the only part of the link users will see on a website. This text is highlighted or formatted in a way that makes it stand out from other text on the page, letting users know it is a clickable link.

The closure

The closure alerts that this is the end of the link tag, so search engines know there are no further components to crawl in the link. 

How Do Search Engines View and Use Links?

There are a couple of key ways search engines use links. First, they will use the link to find new web pages that need to be crawled. Links also help search engines determine the quality of a web page, to determine its rank. 

When a search engine is crawling a web page, they look at several factors to determine how it should be ranked. Although content is of prime importance, search engines also factor in the number of links from outside websites. The quality of the external websites is also a part of the ranking process.

For the most part, websites that have many high-quality website pages are going to rank better on search engine result pages. Google started using linking to rank websites back in the 1990s, and their system has allowed them to dominate the search engine world and remain one of the most trusted search engines. 

The Invention of PageRank

Larry Page, one of Google’s founders, invented PageRank, and the search engine used it to help determine the quality of the website or page, based on the number of links pointing to the website. In the beginning, PageRank became a valuable tool that helped determine whether a website was an authoritarian on the subject. 

Unfortunately, as with most things, people began learning to manipulate PageRank. When SEOs were found to be manipulating the system in mass, Google began regularly chugging out updates that were aimed to take care of those attempting to increase their rank using manipulative means. 

Links Are Still Highly Important

Despite some changes to Google’s secretive algorithms and constant updates meant to discover rank manipulators, link building remains an integral part of a website’s rank. Those who want to rise in rank on search engine result pages need to be aware of the steps involved in link building and how they will affect a website’s rank. 

Important Steps Involved in Link Building

Having the right link building strategy is integral for improving a website’s rank. Not only is link building an important part of any SEO plan, but it is also essential for drawing traffic to a website. Consider the following steps as a part of link building.

1. It is imperative website owners know their audience. Website owners need to evaluate their current audience and the one they would like to obtain. 
2. Making a list of the websites that appeal to your audience is important. These websites should be authoritative and offer stellar content. 
3. Creating amazing and informative content will help with link building. Successful websites are more likely to link to other websites that offer superior content. 
4. Once you have the best content, it is time to match the subjects with the list of websites you made. Reach out to each website owner that fits the topic of your content explicitly. If the content is authoritative and informative, websites will want to link to because your content adds value to theirs. Those visitors coming from linked websites are more likely to convert and become repeat visitors.

Reaching out to website owners can seem intimidating at first, but it is the best way to start with link building. Ask website owners to write about your product or service. You can also ask to write a guest post blog for link building. Although by phone is the best method, you can also use email. Make sure to be informative, positive, and grateful for their time. 

There are other methods you can use for link building. Many website owners use a combination of the following. 

• Directory submission
• Dofollow social media posts
• Dofollow comments
• Infographics 
• Video content

What Should You Look for in Linking Sources?

Finding the right linking sources is critical. As stated above, Google is serious about rank. They did not get to the top of the search engine chain by allowing poor website content to reign. 

Not only should a website have many websites pointing to it, they also need to be high-quality websites. There are three fundamental things you should look for when determining which websites to seek for linking. 

• The website should be an expert on the topic. 
• The website should be considered an authoritarian on the subject. 
• The website should be trustworthy. 

The more authoritative a website, the more weight its links will carry. Before contacting any website owners, research is critical. Checking the websites for their content, rank, and following will help you determine if the website will add value to your site and improve its rank. You should be very picky regarding which websites you choose for linking. 

What Are the Benefits of Link Building?

Link building is a complicated subject. Once a person feels they have grasped the subject, search engines change their rules, and website owners must scramble to keep up with the changes. Despite the many changes over the years, link building remains a key aspect of SEO practices. The following offers insight into the benefits of link building. 

• Increased visibility for your blog or website
• An influx of traffic from other websites pointing to yours
• Increased rank in search engine result pages
• Reduction of time to index your site
• Increased chance of your website being considered an authoritative source

Discover Your Link Profile

Your link profile is not only about the number of websites pointing back to your website, but also involves their quality. To assess your link profile appropriately takes a concerted effort and a careful eye. 

Remember that search engines like Google use links to understand how your website relates to others. Aside from the following considerations, many tools can test your link profile, so you can make beneficial changes as needed.

• How many websites are pointing to yours?
• Are the websites diverse?
• What is the quality level of each website?

Evaluating your link profile regularly is critical for SEO. There is always room for improvement and growth with any profile. By improving your link profile, you can increase brand awareness and see a better conversion rate. 

If you are concerned about your link profile, start taking action now. It will take time to improve your profile, but hard work pays off in the end. 

Bottom Line

If you are new to link building, this guide should provide you with the basics. It can be difficult to stay abreast of the latest rules regarding link building, but the landscape seems mostly unchanged as of now.

It is important to remember that you should never attempt to begin link building without having something of value to link. Why should any website owner want to link to your website? Think about this question and ensure you can answer truthfully. 

It will take time to go through the process of link building, and you can never say it is finished. Highly ranked websites consistently look for new link building strategies, and you should too. 

With this guide, you should be well on your way to better understanding the principles of link building. Knowing how link building benefits a website makes gathering links more enticing. Get started now and soon see results.