INTRODUCTION
In our previous white papers, we covered SEO basics (SEO 101) and content optimization (SEO 201). With SEO 301 we take the next step and discover the true “currency” of the web: links. Link building remains THE most valuable practice for SEO optimization.
LINKS ARE LIKE VOTES
I often tell clients that links are like votes. They represent someone or something, vouching for your website. A link from a highly ranked website will boost your rank considerably. A link from a poorly ranked website will barely help. How does this work, and what are tips for building links?
- Links TO your website help your rank. Links FROM your website to another help the other website’s rank.
- Links from low ranking websites don’t help your rank because new websites are easy to create, and are frequently used by scammers to create fake “link networks”.
- Links to your website need to be “follow” links. “Nofollow” links don’t pass any ranking value. Learn more about nofollow vs follow: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2013/07/24/follow-nofollow-links
- Easy links to acquire are from your local Chamber of Commerce, business directories, and websites of businesses and organizations with whom you may affiliate.
- Links from websites related to your business are more valuable than links from unrelated industries.
TIME INTENSIVE, BUT WORTH IT
The largest impediment to link building is always the time involved. While there is low effort, automated ways to build links, the value they transfer is too low to bother. Take the time, build your links manually and you’ll see positive returns for years.