Link building is an essential element of search engine optimisation. To put it mildly, ranking high in Google search results without links to your website – preferably from the most popular sites – is quite difficult. We’ve already shared some useful link-building tips in a quick read, but now we’re launching a series of articles to dive deeper into the tricks of the trade. After parts one and two, here’s part three!
Buying Links
Two of the four main methods of link building have already been covered in previous articles, and the third tip starts with a perhaps surprising but important note: it is generally not advisable to buy links. Paying for links to websites that do not provide a meaningful SEO-optimising benefit is not only a waste of money but could also harm your rankings – Google may even rank your site lower for linking to a “bad” website.
If you decide to take the risk, make sure you buy links from a site whose background and content have been carefully checked. This is not just to please the algorithms but also to maintain your credibility.
Earning External Links
Now, this is a more valuable tip, but also the most difficult. While linking and buying links are direct methods, the quality of your content is the most important factor in earning a link. And let’s be honest, a bit of luck helps too – it’s not always guaranteed who will discover your blog post and consider it worth linking to.
Fortunately, luck isn’t the only factor in your success. There are some effective ways to earn links. For example, promotion and advertising – how can you expect your content to be linked if potential linkers don’t know about it? The more readers you attract to your site, the better your chances of getting links.
Highlighting a case study or research that interests your industry and/or target audience on Facebook, posting an engaging press release about it, or even summarising the data in a single eye-catching infographic – these are evergreen methods.
One of the easiest ways to gain media coverage these days is to appear on podcasts – whether they are someone else’s shows or podcasts of your own making – so it’s worth looking for opportunities to appear.
SEO-friendly, link-worthy content is easiest to publish on a blog, so promoting your website’s blog is key – you can check out our list of 8 traffic-boosting practices on this topic for more insights.
There are certainly useful practices, but the real key is to consistently share high-quality, highly useful content with the right keywords. If you do this consistently – and become a trusted, increasingly popular source in the process – earning links is almost guaranteed. That’s why you shouldn’t waste time, energy or money – an informative website is worth its weight in gold.
For more useful advice, read part four of our article series!