Google’s recent SEO Algorithm updates have spread fear, uncertainty and doubt among Brighton Business Owners who rely on the web for leads and sales. Which tactics can you still use to build back-links to your website and which tactics should you avoid if you want to keep on the right side of Google?
Many people now believe that Link Building has had its day – but this is simply not true.
Here is a summary of some of the SEO initiatives that will still work, if done correctly:
1. Forum backlinks
The wrong way to do it:
Automatically created back-links from any web forum are almost guaranteed to incur a Google penalty, usually in the form of a manual action. There are still many tools and services that are being peddled by unscrupulous (or uneducated) SEO agencies which automatically created forum accounts with keyword rich links that point back to the websites of the user. These links do not work anymore and should be avoided.
The right way to do it:
If a high quality forum is closely related to the topic of your website or your industry then a link from that forum can still have a positive influence on the search engine positions of your web pages. Typical forums that still work are industry associations, trade associations and professional governing body forums that are well established and have already built trust with the search engines.
2. Directories
The wrong way to do it:
Bulk submitting your website to directories that have no inclusion criteria, i.e. they will accept any website will not do your rankings any good at all. Never use any software or automation to submit your website to any directory.
The right way to do it:
If there is in a high quality directory, usually some form of payment is required for inclusion, that can deliver targeted visitors to your website, you should manually submit your site for inclusion in that directory. Links from authoritative directories (including niche directories) with strict submission guidelines and inclusion criteria are still good for your website ranking.
3. Guest blogging
The wrong way to do it:
Using the same article on several different blogs doesn’t work. These days using keyword rich links in an article can even trigger a Google penalty. If the main purpose of your posting on someone else’s blog is to generate back-links to your own website, don’t do it.
The right way to do it:
Guest blogging can still be a good way to drive targeted visitors to your website if you write solely for blogs that are related to your business activity. Your guest blog article should always try and add value for the readers of the post by giving insights, sharing knowledge and demonstrating your expertise. Done correctly guest blogging good quality articles on established related blogs can have a positive influence on your website’s performance and your own ‘authorship’ rating.
4. Link Building
The wrong way to do it:
If the pages that contain your links also contain links to many other non-relevant websites there is a strong chance that the links will not be good for your site ranking as Google will regard these links as ‘unnatural’.
The right way to do it:
Highly themed, i.e. relevant to your industry, link pages that contain links to closely related high quality websites are good for website visitors and search engine rankings.
A scattergun approach to link building is no longer going to help you – it will only lead to your site being suspended from Google’s results pages. Link building is no longer a numbers game – it is all about quality and relevancy.
The bottom line is: spamming doesn’t work anymore, building genuine good quality backlinks from relevant high authority web properties still works, in fact it works better than ever before.
It you are not sure if your Business SEO strategy is on the right track give us a call today on 01273 328877