Tired of link-building efforts that don’t deliver the desired results? Want to improve your website’s visibility and rankings on Google? Check out this blog post for a comprehensive overview of current link-building strategies for SEO success in 2024!
Get ready to step up your game with techniques such as followed/nofollowed links, generating diverse backlinks, analyzing those links properly, plus more advanced methods.
All these solutions will ensure higher levels of link achievement.
So what are you waiting for – start taking advantage now!
Key Takeaways
Link building is essential to improving website authority & rankings.
Focus on acquiring high-quality, relevant links from authoritative sources.
Leverage advanced link-building tips to grow your SEO traffic
Understanding How Links Work: The Basics
A good link building strategy plays a key role in SEO, and landing on the first page of Google search results. The success of your website requires acquiring links from high authority and relevant sites that are strong enough to boost up its ranking significantly.
Instead of using spammy link building techniques that can damage your site reputation, we’re going to teach you how to identify links that build on page SEO and improve your organic search results for your target audience with a simple link building campaign.
But before we dive into HOW, we have to cover the basics of what the different kinds of links are and how they relate to your overall SEO strategy.
Understanding Link Schemes
A link schema, also known as a link structure or linking schema, refers to the planned arrangement or pattern of internal and external links within a website.
Effective link schema provides clear paths for users to follow, which can increase engagement and time spent on the site.
A good link schema helps them understand the context and relationship between pages, which can result in improved Google rankings.
The main components of a link schema include:
Link Hierarchy:
This refers to the way links are structured and prioritized within a site. Typically, more important pages should have more links pointing to them.
Anchor Text:
This is the clickable text in a hyperlink. Good anchor text is descriptive and gives users and search engines information about the content of the linked page.
Outbound Links:
These are links on your website that point to other websites or other pages within your own site. Think of these as the main links you can control because YOU are the one creating them.
These fall into two categories:
Internal Links:
These are links that connect different pages within the same sites.
They help users navigate the site, and they allow search engines to crawl and index the site more effectively. This means the owner of the site is linking back to the site owners own pages and URLs.
Example: sophiekessner.com/blog linking page sophiekessner.com/podcast both of which are from the same domain: sophiekessner.com; Because these are pointing back to my own site, they are called INTERNAL
External Links:
These are links that you create within your own site to relevant pages on other websites .
External links can enhance the value of your content for users, and when other websites link to you, it can improve your site’s authority and ranking.
Example: Any blog post on sophiekessner.com/blog may have links point to meljudson.com or another relevant link I want to reference that I believe would be helpful to the reader; Because these linking pages are on a separate domain that’s different than mine, they are called EXTERNAL
Inbound links:
Also known as backlinks, are links from other domains that point to your website. Unlike outbound, you earn links from other relevant websites who see value in what you have to share.
There are two types:
Natural Links:
These are links you earn without taking any actions. For example, when another blogger finds your content useful and links to it in their post.
Manually Built Links:
These are links you’ve obtained through link-building activities, such as asking influencers to share or link to your content, or by guest posting on other blogs.
However, not all links are the same and the quality of the linking site matters; Backlinks from authoritative domains are more beneficial than those from low-quality sites.
Balancing your inbound and outbound links is crucial for good SEO practice.
While inbound can increase your site’s authority, outbound (both internal and external) enhance user experience and help search engines understand your site’s structure and content.
High Quality Inbound Links
One of the best type of high-quality backlinks that are given naturally by sites and pages that want to link to your content are called Editorial links because editors or website owners think your content is valuable and will be useful to their audience.
The term “editorial” comes from the fact that these links are placed within content by the editor or website owner themselves, without any input or request from the site being linked to.
Here are a few characteristics of these special links:
Given Freely: These are not paid for or exchanged, they are given freely by other sites because they find your content valuable and relevant.
High Quality: These links often come from reputable websites with high domain authority, which can significantly boost your SEO rankings.
Relevant Anchor Text: The anchor text used often naturally incorporates relevant keywords related to your content.
Contextual: Usually placed within the content, in a context that makes sense. They aren’t randomly dropped into a page.
Non-Reciprocal: In general, an editorial link is one-way, meaning that while a site may link to you, you’re not required to link back to them.
One of the best ways to improve your site’s SEO is to earn links like this, as they show major search engines like Google that your content is high quality and trusted by others in your industry.
However, earning these kinds of links requires creating exceptional content that others find valuable enough to attract links from other authoritative sites– crucial for building building links to your site.
It’s important not just finding quality backlinks but also sustaining diverse kinds over time if you want better results regarding SEO performance as well as keeping ranking positions stronger against competitors’ sites in SERPs.
Types of Links: Followed vs. Nofollowed
It is important to understand the differences between follow links and no follow links when it comes to website SEO. Not all of these types are equally beneficial, so developing a good link profile becomes key.
To simplify this concept Followed links will be those that pass along ‘link juice’ while nofollowed ones don’t transfer any kind of authority or advantage from one page to another. This distinction must not be overlooked as part of your overall approach to search engine optimization (SEO).
Followed links
When it comes to boosting a page’s authority and visibility in SERPs, followed links can be of great help.
These kind of links transfer link equity from one website to another, positively affecting the SEO ranking for the linked site – becoming an essential factor for success with SEO.
Gaining good quality followed connections through authoritative websites is critical if you want your web pages’ rank and discoverability on SERPs to get improved significantly.
It should be taken into account that not all types of following hyperlinks possess equal value – some may originate from untrustworthy or fishy sites which will hurt rather than helping our rankings instead.
Thus making sure those connected are trustworthy sources must always come first before any other considerations when striving towards achieving high-classed featured positions among SERP lists.
Nofollowed links
Google implemented the rel=”nofollow” tag on hyperlinks in 2005 to help avoid deceptive links from impacting SERP rankings.
Nofollowed connections don’t offer a direct rank lift, yet they can be advantageous for driving traffic to linked web pages and helping cultivate potential future references, both elements that are important when it comes to SEO success.
Link equity isn’t exchanged with nofollowed links either but having an appropriate balance of followed/nofollowed back-links will ensure your link profile is healthy and varied.
So how many links do you actually need to rank on Search Engines like Google?
A common question for new SEO enthusiasts is trying to figure out what to with so many links and how to know how many you actually need on any web page to actually start ranking.
The answer, depends.
How many backlinks you need to compete for the Google SERP spot on any target keyword is calculated by a number of variables and is different for every keyword which is why it’s crucial to start with keyword research before trying to build a thorough link strategy.
When you conduct proper keyword Research using tools like Ahrefs and Ubersuggest, you’ll be able to track the exact analytics for how many site links a specific web page needs to have for the specific keyword you’re wanting to rank for.
Below is an example of how these tools help to determine the number of links the top pages ranking on the Google SERP have to help you better understand the amount of links you need on your own blog post or site in order to compete for that keyword.
If you need support with this, you can checkout our free guide on How To Do SEO Marketing Step by Step in 2023 here.
Understanding Link Attributes and How To Link, Links.
A link attribute, in the context of HTML and web development, is a characteristic or property that provides additional information about how a link should behave when it’s clicked.
These attributes are included in the HTML code within the <a> (anchor) tag, which is used to create hyperlinks or a clickable link.
href: This is the most common attribute. It specifies the URL that the link leads to.
target: This attribute specifies where to open the linked document. The value blank will open the link in a new tab or window, while self will open the link in the same frame as it was clicked.
rel: This attribute specifies the relationship between the current document and the linked document. Common values include nofollow, which tells Google not to follow or give SEO credit to the link, and noopener, which prevents the new page from being able to access the window that opened it.
title: This attribute provides additional information about the link, often displayed as a tooltip when the user hovers over the link.
download: This attribute instructs the browser to download the linked file instead of navigating to it.
type: This attribute specifies the MIME type of the linked document, helping the browser to understand what kind of file it’s dealing with.
Remember, attributes should be used appropriately and sparingly. Overuse or misuse can lead to poor user experience and potential penalties.
What is Anchor text and why does it matter?
This is the clickable text in a hyperlink that users see on a page. In HTML, it looks something like this: <a href=”https://www.example.com”>Anchor Text</a>. The words “Anchor Text” are the anchor text in this case.
Now, how does it work for link building and why is it important?
Relevance: Helps Google understand what the content of the link is about. Using keywords related to the content of the link can improve its SERP ranking for those keywords. For example, if you’re linking to a page about ‘vintage cars,’ using ‘vintage cars’ as your anchor text can help Google understand that the linked site is indeed about ‘vintage cars.’
User Experience: Good anchor text can improve user experience by clearly telling the reader what they can expect if they click on the link. This can increase the likelihood of users clicking on your links, which can lead to more traffic to your site
Link Quality: If the text is relevant to the content on the web pages that are linked, it’s seen as a quality link. On the other hand, if the text has nothing to do with the content on the web pages linked, it could be seen as a low-quality link.
However, when using anchor text, it’s important not to over-optimize by stuffing keywords into your text. This can be seen as spammy by Google and could potentially harm your site’s SEO. Instead, aim for a natural and diverse mix.
Link Building Strategies For Beginners
Now that you understand the basics of links in SEO, it’s time to start mapping out your strategy to build referral traffic, increase SERP ranking, and begin building your web authority!
Before we start exploring fancy ways to build links on your site, let’s tackle the simplest and easiest ways that can start improving your overall ranking TODAY.
Rather than focusing too much on trying to get new links for your site, one of the lowest hanging fruits in link building is fixing what you already have or had by fixing broken links and getting back lost ones.
Reclaiming lost links
This is an important part of maintaining your site’s SEO health. When you lose a backlink, it can impact your site’s authority and rankings.
Lost backlinks can happen for several reasons:
The linking page might have been updated or redesigned, and the link got removed.
The linking website might have been shut down or the page might have been deleted.
The link could have been intentionally removed because the linking site found a better resource to link to.
Step By Step Process To Get Back Lost Backlinks
Identify Lost Links: Use a tool like Ahrefs, SEMRush, or Moz to track your backlinks and identify ones you’ve lost.
Analyze the Situation: Determine why the link was lost. Was the page deleted or just updated? Was the link replaced with a competitor’s?
Reach Out: If the link was lost due to a page update, reach out to the website owner or webmaster. Politely notify them about the lost link and ask if they’d consider adding it back. Make sure to explain the value your content provides to their audience.
Offer Updated Content: If your content was outdated and replaced with a more recent resource, this is a good opportunity to update your content and request the website owner to reconsider linking to you.
Redirect Broken Links: If a backlink points to a page on your website that no longer exists or has a broken link, set up a 301 redirect to guide visitors (and search engines) to a relevant existing page.
Remember, not all lost links can (or should) be reclaimed. If a low-quality site removes a link to your site, it might actually benefit your SEO. Focus on high-quality backlinks that will genuinely have an impact on your site’s authority and traffic.
Broken Link Building
Broken link building is a more advanced link building tips that focuses and doing outreach to a site owner informing them of broken links on their site and providing new links to replace them.
This process involves identifying any dead link from OTHER websites in your industry and replacing them with content that is beneficial to both you and the website owner from your own site.
Through this method of discovery, utilization and substitution of outdated or obsolete resources on other sites, not only are they improving their site by fixing any faulty hyperlinks but also assists in earning backlinks for enhancing SERP rankings related to one’s own domain.
Whereas in the previous strategy you’re fixing your own OUTBOUND links, this strategy focuses on INBOUND and helps you build authority by supporting other web pages in linking back to your own web pages.
Link Building Tools like Ahrefs’ Site Explorer or Check My Links have been designed specifically for discovering these opportunities which webmasters should take advantage off when pursuing a successful linking campaign strategy online.
Guest Blog Post or Guest posts
Networking is crucial in link building.
Participate in forums, leave blog comments, join blogging communities, and engage with influencers in your niche. As relationships develop, opportunities for link exchanges and guest posting will emerge.
Reach out to other blogs or websites in your niche and offer to write a guest post for them OR invite them to write a guest post for you with your sites linking back to each other.
This not only helps you get backlinks but also exposes your blog to a wider audience.
Create Linkable Assets
These are pieces of content designed to attract backlinks.
They could be infographics, case studies, original research, or comprehensive guides with a link embedded within the context of a page that encourages readers to want to download or refer back to the asset.
Here is an example of a Comprehensive Guide Blog we’ve written about SEO For Coaches
Content creation and promotion
In order to successfully build links, it is key to create and share content that resonates with your intended audience. This might be anything from blog posts and infographics to videos or other types of valuable resources – all being likely shared through different sites related in the same niche.
After producing this material, utilizing social media networks helps bring attention towards it. Resulting in more external sites connecting their own pages back yours, improving ranking visibility within the Google SERP too!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The implementation of effective link building techniques is essential for the SEO success of your site, Being aware of typical mistakes that could put a dent in your website’s rankings and reputation is just as paramount.
Buying or exchanging links
It is essential to avoid the misstep of buying links as it could lead to being penalized by Google and compromise your website’s standing. Instead, concentrate on producing pertinent content that is high-quality and establish relations with notable sites in your niche field.
Link exchanges, also known as reciprocal linking, is a strategy where two websites agree to link back to each other. This used to be a common SEO practice, but over time, its effectiveness and reputation have been debated. Here are some pros and cons:
Pros of Link Exchanges:
Increased Traffic: A link exchange can potentially drive additional traffic to your site from the partnering website.
Networking: It allows you to build relationships with other website owners in your niche, which could lead to other opportunities.
Improved Rankings: If done correctly and with relevant, high-quality websites, reciprocal links can help improve your search engine rankings.
Cons of Link Exchanges:
Penalties: Search engines like Google have become smarter and now penalize websites that engage in excessive link exchanges, especially if the links are not relevant or appear unnatural. This could harm your site’s SEO.
Relevancy Issues: If you’re exchanging links with sites that aren’t relevant to your content, it can confuse your audience and Google about what your website is about.
Time-Consuming: Finding quality link exchange partners, reaching out to them, and managing the links can be time-consuming.
Potential for Negative Association: If you link to a low-quality site, or a site that gets penalized, it could negatively impact your site’s reputation and SEO.
In conclusion, while there can be benefits to link exchanges, they should be approached with caution. It’s best to focus on creating high-quality content and earning natural backlinks. If you do engage in link exchanges, make sure it’s with websites that are relevant to your content and provide value to your audience.
Summary
Building High Quality Links is essential for SEO success and should be approached strategically.
It’s necessary to understand the basics of linking sites, differentiate between followed/nofollowed links, build a quality link profile as well as apply advanced techniques if one wishes to maximize visibility in search engine results.
For optimal outcomes it’s important that effort goes into maintaining high-quality standards instead of focusing solely on quantity, while also avoiding common errors linked with this practice.
Eventually you will enjoy the rewards brought by increased traffic conversion rates and engagement thanks to your website rankings in SERPs.
To learn more about SEO for Beginners, checkout the Full Guide on SEO Coaching For Beginners.
