Link building constitutes an essential pillar in the field of Digital Marketing. In an environment where online visibility is crucial, understanding and effectively applying linking strategies can make the difference between success and stagnation on the web. In this article, we are going to try to answer what link building is, followed by some tips on how to carry out this strategy correctly.
What is link building?
Link building, also known as link building, is a strategy that consists of obtaining quality links that point to a website from other pages on the Internet.
These links are not only connections between different parts of the web, but they also act as votes of confidence that search engines like Google use to evaluate the relevance, authority and quality of a website.
Now, to fully understand the nature and impact of link building, it is essential to explore the different aspects that make up this strategy. From its origins to the most current techniques and available tools.
Brief history of link-building
The evolution of link building is a reflection of the constant change and development of the digital landscape. Previously, in the early stages of the Internet and search engines, the number of links pointing to a website was considered an indicator of its importance and relevance. Back then, webmasters and SEO agencies focused on obtaining as many links as possible, without paying much attention to their quality or relevance.
However, with the advancement of algorithms and the increasing sophistication of search engines, such as Google, the perspective on link building has undergone a significant change. Nowadays, the quality and relevance of links are crucial aspects that directly influence the effectiveness of a link-building strategy.
Google and other search engines have implemented increasingly sophisticated algorithms that are able to evaluate the quality and relevance of links more accurately. Instead of simply counting the number of links, these algorithms consider a variety of factors, such as the authority of the linking site, the relevance of the linked content, and the diversity of sources pointing to the site.
This evolution has led to a change in link-building mindset and strategies. SEO and digital marketing professionals are now focusing on building high-quality, relevant links, rather than simply looking for quantity. This involves building relationships with other relevant websites, creating valuable and engaging content that builds links organically, and ensuring links are natural and relevant within the context of the content.
What types of link-building exist?
Now that you know what link building is and how it has evolved over the years, it is time to go one step further. But before we can move forward, we need to define the different types of link building that exist.
Currently, there are two main types of link building: internal and external, each with its own advantages and associated strategies:
1. Internal linkbuilding:
Internal link building focuses on creating links within your own website. These links connect different pages and sections within your domain. The main purpose of internal link building is to strengthen the structure of the site and improve the user experience by providing smoother and more coherent navigation.
How does internal link-building work?
- Improve navigation: Internal links make it easier for users to find and navigate different sections and pages of your website.
- Distributes authority: Internal links can distribute page authority between different sections, which can benefit search engine rankings.
- Increase user retention: By directing users to relevant content within your own site, you increase the chances of retaining their attention and time on your platform.
2. External linkbuilding:
For its part, external link building involves obtaining links from other websites that point to yours, this is the type of link building that we will focus on in this article. As we already mentioned a little above, these external links are a vote of confidence and relevance for search engines, which can increase the authority and visibility of your website online.
How does external link-building work?
- Increase domain authority: External links from relevant and quality websites can increase your domain authority, which can improve your ranking in search results.
- Drive qualified traffic: External links from sites with similar audiences can drive qualified traffic to your website, which can increase not only the number of users who visit your page but also conversions and engagement.
- Build relationships: External link building can also help you build relationships with other websites and professionals in your industry, which can open up future opportunities for collaboration and promotion.
In summary, both internal and external link-building are fundamental components of an effective SEO strategy. Combining both approaches in a balanced way can help you strengthen the structure of your website, improve its online visibility and increase its authority in search engines.
What is link building for?: Objectives and importance
Now that you know what link building is and what types exist, it is time to know what it is for. Link building plays a fundamental role in the success of a Digital Marketing strategy.
Its objectives and importance are multifaceted and range from search engine positioning to building online authority, something that we will not tire of repeating in this article, nor ever. And, so that there is no doubt, below we detail the main purposes and relevance of this strategy:
Improve your search engine ranking:
Search engines, like Google, use complex algorithms to rank and present the most relevant search results to users. Quality links are one of the most important factors search engines consider when determining a website’s relevance and authority.
Links from other websites to yours are interpreted as votes of confidence and relevance. The more quality links pointing to your site, the more likely search engines will consider it relevant and rank it higher in search results.
Increase traffic to your website:
Links from other websites can be a major source of traffic to your own site. When other websites link to relevant content from your page, they are providing their own users with a direct path to your site.
Simply put, links from related and authority websites can direct interested and qualified users to your page. As a result, these visitors are more likely to convert into leads or engage with your content.
Domain authority is a measure of the credibility and trustworthiness of a website as a whole. Links from high-quality, trusted sites can improve the perception of your website as a trustworthy source of information.
When other websites link to your content, they are implicitly endorsing the quality and relevance of your content. This can contribute to building a positive reputation and the perception of your site as an authority in your niche or industry.
What types of link-building techniques exist?
Link building encompasses a variety of techniques and approaches that can be used to obtain quality links to a website. Below, we share in detail the main types of link-building techniques:
MD Tip : Don’t forget that any of these techniques involve risk. Google controls everything (from search history to selected results in the SERP) and does not look favorably on exchanging links for money or any other service. That is why it is always advisable to have an alternative when developing a link building strategy.
Link exchange
Link exchanging involves collaborating with other website owners to (as the name implies) exchange links. This method results in both parties linking to each other to improve the authority and visibility of their websites.
Guest posting
Guest posting consists of writing and publishing content on relevant blogs or websites within your industry or niche. By contributing valuable and relevant content, you can earn links to your own website from the author’s bio or within the content itself.
Sponsored links:
Sponsored links involve paying other websites to link to your site. This technique can be effective in getting links from relevant and authoritative sites, but it is important to ensure that sponsored links comply with search engine guidelines.
In the words of our SEO Manager, Luciano Truck, when making sponsored links:
It is very important to verify that the sites from which we are going to link have a healthy domain. This means that we must analyze both the quality of links and the quality of content that this site has. In the event that we detect an irregular development in the performance of organic traffic or in your backlinking profile, we refine our analysis to detect possible negative SEO strategies on the site, which would make us rule out that domain as a valid option.
On the other hand, it is important that the theme of the site is related to the industry of the page we are working on. The link is more natural if the sites cover similar topics and is less suspicious for search engines.
Finally, it is important to control what anchor text the link will be used with. Always using the keyword for which we are optimizing our content can make Google suspicious of this practice and penalize us. We recommend always using different anchor texts and long tails (hiding the keyword among other complementary terms).Luciano Truck , SEO Manager at MD Digital Marketing
Actively participating in relevant social profiles, directories and forums can help you get links to your website. By completing profiles and participating in discussions, you can establish profile links that can be beneficial to your link-building strategy.
To carry out this task, in our Enjoy Minder agency, we have the help of SEO Specialist Javier Osorio, who collaborates with our clients’ link-building strategies. When creating links in directories and discussion forums, Javi recommends:
Directories are not only part of a link building strategy, they also contribute to Local SEO. This is why it is key to complete the profiles in local and professional directories in detail, not only the NAP (Name, Address & Phone), but also the products or services offered.
In the case of forums and social profiles, it is important to actively participate in the conversation and be attentive to mentions of the brand or queries in which our product or service could be a solution. Several platforms have moderators to avoid publications with the sole objective of self-promotion, but they allow you to join a thread or conversation and include a comment with the link if it provides value to users.Javier Osorio, SEO Analyst at MD Digital Marketing
Comments
Interacting on related blogs and websites through relevant and helpful comments can be another way to get links to your site. It is important to leave meaningful and relevant comments that add value to the conversation.
Regarding this practice, Javi gives us some extra advice:
One of the best tools for this strategy is Disqus, a commenting system used on most blogs and news sites. Its main advantage is that using the “powered by Disqus” footprint we can find publications related to our topic to publish a valuable comment that includes a link.
As a recommendation: it is advisable to periodically change your Disqus account, because if you are penalized we will not lose all the links made.Javier Osorio, SEO Analyst at MD Digital Marketing
Linkbuilding Black Hat
Just as in real life, there are also more mischievous people in digital life. Black hat link building, for its part, includes practices that could be considered controversial and questionable, sometimes prohibited by search engines. This includes techniques such as bulk buying links, creating backlinks from low-quality websites, or participating in manipulated link schemes. These practices can result in penalties from search engines and damage your website’s reputation in the long term.
There are different types of penalties (algorithmic, manual, per page, per site penalty, among others) and they can range from a decrease in search ranking to complete removal from the search index, which can have devastating consequences for visibility and long-term online reputation of a website.
Black hat link-building is an ill-advised strategy as it not only contravenes search engine policies but also compromises the integrity and credibility of the entire online ecosystem. Likewise, if you decide to opt for this strategy, keep in mind that you do so at your own risk and consider the possible repercussions for your website or that of your clients.
It is important to remember that an SEO specialist always walks on the edge of the ledge, without becoming black or white (let’s not forget the words of Amanda Chicago Lewis ) and many times we find solutions in unconventional alternatives. The secret is to do it in the best possible way, without falling into ill-advised and risky practices.
Tips for carrying out an effective link-building strategy
We already saw what types of link-building strategies exist (both good and risky). Next, we are going to share with you a series of fundamental tips to carry out an effective link-building strategy, regardless of the type you choose:
1. Create valuable content:
Our CEO, Claudio Heilborn, repeats it ad nauseam: in this new paradigm
“content became king, and quality and authenticity became essential. “Google’s new updates created content creators with real value.”Claudio Heilborn, CEO and leading SEO at MD Digital Marketing
Creating useful, relevant, high-quality, user-centered content is essential to attracting natural links from other websites. Make sure your content is interesting, informative, and answers the needs and questions of your target audience. Don’t parrot what someone else said about a certain topic, but rather create your own content that provides your point of view and opinion on the matter.
2. Quality over quantity:
It is better to have a few quality links than many low-quality links. Look for relevant and authoritative websites in your industry to get links that really improve your site’s reputation and visibility.
3. Link from websites with a good PageRank rating:
PageRank is an algorithm used by Google to rank the importance of web pages. Prioritize links from well-ranked, high-authority websites, as these links have a greater impact on your site’s ranking in search engines.
4. Use a natural and varied Anchor text:
Anchor text is the visible text in a hyperlink. As Luciano Truck advises, use relevant and natural words or phrases as anchor text instead of overusing keywords. Variety in anchor text helps keep your links natural and avoids appearing spammy.
Links from websites related to your topic or industry have more weight and relevance. Look for link opportunities on blogs, forums, and websites that share interests and audiences with your own site.
MD Tip: Avoid links that have nothing to do with your topic. For example, if your website talks about extreme sports, don’t look for links on a cooking recipe website.
6. Get your backlinks little by little:
Avoid aggressive link-building strategies that try to obtain a large number of links in a short time. Google and other search engines pay special attention to websites that use unnatural link-building tactics, resulting in penalties. Instead, build your links organically and gradually over time.
By following these tips, you will be able to develop a solid and ethical link-building strategy that contributes to the long-term success and visibility of your website. Always keep in mind that, in both life and SEO, patience and consistency are key factors in the link-building process.
Tools for link-building
There are several useful tools that can facilitate the link-building process and help you identify link opportunities, perform competitive analysis, and track the progress of your strategy. We share with you some of the most popular tools that we use in our SEO agency:
Ahrefs:
Ahrefs is one of the most complete tools for backlink analysis and the most complete and preferred keyword research in our SEO agency. It allows you to explore your competitors’ links, identify link opportunities, perform content analysis, and much more.
SEMrush:
SEMrush is another powerful tool that provides detailed data on backlinks, as well as information on keywords, organic traffic, and competitor analysis. It helps you identify link opportunities and monitor the progress of your link-building strategy.
These are just a few of the many tools available for link building. Depending on your specific needs and budget, you can choose the one that best suits your link-building strategy and objectives.
Do you need help doing Linkbuilding?
Link building is the key to improving your online visibility and standing out in the competitive world of Digital Marketing. But many times it is not as simple as we make it seem. The key is to be in the right place at the right time.
By working with link-building strategy specialists you can leverage their experience and expertise to develop and execute a customized backlink strategy that aligns with your business and marketing goals. Additionally, having their support allows you to dedicate more time and resources to other areas of your business, knowing that your link-building strategy is in good hands.
If you are looking for tangible results and a personalized approach to boost your web presence, at Enjoy Minder we have exactly what you are looking for. Our team of link-building and SEO experts is here to help you build quality links, improve your search engine rankings, and increase traffic to your website.
Contact us now for an evaluation of your link-building strategy and discover how we can help you achieve your business goals. Let our specialists guide you on the path to online success. Don’t let your competition surpass you, it’s time to stand out!
