Is Link Building Still Relevant to SEO?
Link building is dead!
It's a common complaint among the digital marketing community that doesn't have a firm grasp on Search Engine Optimization. In reality, NOTHING could be further from the truth.
The practice of link building is one of the most effective ways to drive organic traffic to a website and is considered one of the core rank-determining characteristics. Google even said this in their patent filing. However, only 2.2% of web content generates links from multiple websites which makes this a major opportunity for those who understand it.
This is mainly because of the common misconception about link building losing its effectiveness in recent times. On the contrary, numbers show that 92% of marketers believe links will still be a ranking criterion in the next five years.
Does that mean you should consider using link-building to your advantage? Let's explore the nuances related to link building to help you create a successful SEO strategy.
But First, What is Link Building?
Link building is a digital marketing tactic where other websites link back to yours leading to better search authority. This time-tested marketing tactic helps websites gain high-quality inbound traffic via “backlinks."
Effective link-building can help you have better visibility in search, deliver relevant user experiences, and establish authority in the market. Every website with a significant number of backlinks from authoritative sources, reliable businesses, and publications can be seen to have better Search Engine Optimization performance.
Basics of Link Building
Getting the digital word around about your business is the primary goal of link-building. The idea is that you aim to get natural backlinks from reputable sources that want to link to the content on your website. This is Google's way of determining whether you have a vote of confidence from other websites. It all starts by creating high-quality content with a focus on creating information that people find helpful and engaging.
For the definitive guide on how to build backlinks, check out this article (coming soon!)
It is always important to avoid shortcuts when devising any link-building strategy. This will help your website establish better authority, authenticity, and credibility among visitors.
High-Quality Backlinks vs. Quantity of Links
Not all links are created equal. It's essential that when doing link building for SEO you focus on effective link building strategies that avoid spammy links, taking shortcuts, or acquiring links from sites that do link farming.
The more quality backlink profile that your website has, the more Google can see your website as a subject matter expert. The best link building tactics generally focus on building relationships with other websites built through trust and quality of content. This is the quickest way to earn connections without having to buy them.
Google's algorithm can determine the quality of those links to your site and discover if they're earned artificially. When the search platforms discover this spammy link building, they see it as if you're trying to manipulate the system and will penalize your site. This is why you don't want to just go acquiring as many backlinks as possible, but focus on earning links from reputable sources. You'll see your website's visibility rewarded with additional traffic to your site.
There has to be no debate on the matter since quality link-building should always be a priority. Even a single quality link in your content can help drive better results than content with five spammy or unrelated links.
So, is Link Building Still Relevant to SEO in 2024?
Link building is still relevant to SEO, just as it has been for many years. Effective backlinks from authoritative sites can help websites rank better on search results for a competitive edge. However, your approach towards link-building must differ from what it was in previous years as link building has evolved since the early days of search engine optimization.
Modern link-building requires a more content-centric approach that provides readers with relevant and informative content. You must also leverage other tactics, such as influencer outreach programs and guest posting, to strengthen link-building efforts. It is further essential you regularly identify broken links and fix them before they adversely affect your website's performance.
How Does One Do Link Building?
Granted that link-building is a complex and demanding ordeal, it still doesn’t call for any ultra-specialized skills for effectiveness. You only need the proper knowledge and a well-thought-out approach to get link-building right. You must start by determining what exactly you wish to realize with your efforts and proceed accordingly.
Once you have a well-defined goal, you must start working on the specific strategy to bring you closer to the destination. You must evaluate the type of content your website features and find authoritative and relevant links.
It would help if you focused your efforts on highlighting your business's and website's unique qualities. This will help you create a valuable asset while spreading the good word about your business and its offerings. You can even consider using the unlinked mentions campaign if your website is new and you are getting started with link-building.
Unlinked mentions are where your site, brand, or products are published but do not link to you. Contact the author and ask if they would be open to adding a link to your website. If they agree, then you’ve just started building your backlinks.
Wins: Effective Link-Building Strategies
There is no one simple way to get link-building right at the first go, as it requires a lot of composite and consistent effort. So, some of the best link-building strategies you can use in 2024 include:
Evaluate Your Competitor's Link-Building Strategy
Evaluating your competitor's link-building strategy is a great way to start with your link-building strategy. You can identify and replicate specific link-building elements that work for your competitors. This will save you all the effort, time, and resources needed to create a link-building strategy from scratch. This can be done through tools such as SEMRush or Ahrefs.
Use Keywords To Your Advantage
Mastering keyword research is a critical aspect of any successful link-building strategy. It would be best if you found the right and relevant keywords based on the interests and breeds of your target audience. You can add webpage links to those specific keywords and drive more organic traffic. Also, use relevant keywords and anchor texts to drive actual results.
Never Compromise on Consistency
Consistent effort is key to getting results with your link-building efforts. You must commit constantly to working towards new backlinks and campaigns. This might require some time, but it will bear more traction once you have a robust link-building portfolio.
Use Visuals To Your Advantage
Attracting your links to engaging infographics or video descriptions can be a game-changer for your link-building strategy. Visitors and readers can easily comprehend the content in visuals, so adding relevant links might help spike a reader's or visitor's interest. Use anchors in alt texts and captions, or make the entire visual clickable for instant redirection. These are some incredible ways to optimize your content for Google Search.
Fix All Broken Links
It is common for websites to feature links that lead to no webpage but a screen displaying an error. These links need to be fixed and can have a detrimental impact on the website's SEO performance. Now, you can't get all broken links at once. So, a great idea is to set up a landing page for such links that convince the visitor to continue their journey on your website.
Fails: Common Link-Building Mistakes
No one is perfect, and mistakes are relatively common in the world of SEO link-building. But it is possible to avoid those mistakes as long as you are aware of them, so here are some common link-building mistakes you need to avoid.
Incompatible Link Strategy For Content Type
Choosing the right link-building strategy is essential, but ensuring the approach complements your content type is even more crucial. Every link you add to your website must be related to the content you are featuring. Failing to do so will adversely affect user experience and your website's SEO performance.
Poorly Structured or Insufficient Links
It is important you don't take a randomized strategy of adding links at every page but rather a systematic approach. This helps SEO crawlers index your pages effectively and boost visibility.
Accumulation of Toxic Links
Unwanted backlinks can be toxic for your website as they have lower authority and can hamper overall SEO performance. Besides that, this will also degrade the user experience of your website. You must use practical link-building tools to determine and eliminate these links from your website. The best way to do this is a backlink monitor tool that will allow you to discover these links and disavow them with Google. You can find information about the Google Disavow tool here.
Undermining the Three-Click Rule
The three-click rule states that visitors must find information on a website with no more than three clicks on the mouse. This makes it essential to focus on enhancing the website's navigability and ensure visitors stick around without adding to their work.
Backlinks: A History of Manipulation
Also known as inbound links, backlinks are important for redirecting traffic from other websites to yours. These backlinks are a vital indicator for search engines as these small pieces of code act as digital links between websites. This means a website with more quality backlinks is automatically more likely to gain more authority in front of the search engine.
You can get organic backlinks in many ways if you are a link-building basics veteran. Ultimately, it is all about creating the right quality-driven content and distributing it in a manner that the content gains more popularity. Whenever someone shares your web page or content using backlinks, it automatically helps enhance your website's credibility.
This makes it very important to avoid practices such as backlink spamming, as it can have an adverse impact on the website. While these tactics might have worked before, search engine algorithms are more advanced now. This makes it difficult to get away with these shortcuts while your website suffers from the adverse consequences of such practices.
The State of Backlinks Today
Backlinks have come a long way since its primitive use in the early days of the internet. But they are losing significance as search engine algorithms become more sophisticated. Even a poll from marketers suggests backlinks lack effectiveness compared to older times. However, it's still a relevant SEO practice today and link building remains a highly effective aspect of SEO strategy.
It is worth noting that gone are the days when having countless low-quality backlinks could yield any result for your website. Times have changed, and the focus is now more on the backlink quality than the quantity. This is not surprising since quality backlinks are key to providing searchers with more relevant information.
Sticking to the right backlinking strategies can still be a beneficial tool for your business and website. You must make all efforts to avoid backlink penalties and only follow recommended best practices to maintain your site's authority.
In Conclusion
So...is link building dead?
The simple answer is of course not! Link building is still very relevant and an effective SEO marketing tool that helps businesses widen their reach. Using the right link-building strategies can do significant wonders for your business.
But ensure you fix all broken links and avoid backlink spamming practices to use link-building to your advantage. Instead, it's important to focus on providing readers and visitors with relevant content and add links strategically. This will help you stand out and drive significant results with your link-building efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q.1. Do backlinks matter anymore?
A – Not all backlinks are as relevant and useful as before, but the quality ones do have significant benefits for your SEO.
Q.2. Can you rank high without backlinks?
Backlinks are just one of the many components you need to enhance your website's SEO performance, but ranking high without backlinks will always be a significant challenge. To get started, click here to see the ultimate guide to on-page SEO.
Q.3. Does SEO still work in 2024?
A - SEO is a time-tested marketing tactic; no marketing process can match its effectiveness, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.
Q.4. How can you ascertain that you have high-quality links?
A - Evaluating the relevance of the anchor text and determining the link location, domain quality, and linked page's quality and relevance are some of the most effective ways to determine if you have high-quality links on your website.
Q.5. How important is link relevance in link building, and how can I ensure my links are relevant?
A - Adding relevant links is very important since it leads users to more expert topics and insights while enhancing SEO performance simultaneously. You must evaluate your content type and add links that add value to your context to ensure your links are relevant.
