With another update to Penguin expected this year, it can be safely assumed that the definition of spam is set to be broadened further. In the past, Google has already come down heavily on “Black Hat” SEO practices, including unnatural links, links with too much focus on anchor text, links from non credible sources etc. In short, links built with the sole purpose of influencing Page Ranks, have found no favor with Google.. With an update in the offing, it is time to take a close look at the link building strategies, that will stand the test of time in the post Penguin World.
Focus on Quality, not Quantity
While it is important to have a range of links, it is definitely more important to focus on quality. Google is likely to come down even more strongly on spammy links with its new updates. In the past too, Penguin losers typically had a link portfolio in which backlinks came from low quality Spam sites with no trust or authority. Before beginning to build links, it is imperative to evaluate the existing backlink profile. It will be worthwhile to:
- Audit and remove low quality links
- Create a content or social media strategy that can be leveraged & is link worthy
- Focus on building a diverse portfolio of link types including Brand Links, Exact Match Anchor Text Keyword links, Partial match Keyword Links, Generic Links, Page Title Links etc
- The link portfolio should not have an excessive reliance on Exact Match Anchor Text links
- The anchor text, should ideally, be changed with each link. The guiding principle, should be to ascertain the best call to action to fit into the individual copy. At no point should relevance or grammar be sacrificed only to make the link fit into a sentence. This approach, if followed, has the dual benefit of appealing to readers without compromising on SEO.
Relevance
Quality links can only be achieved, if the links are built from sites that are relevant to the business’ niche. Promotional Links, wherever built, should pass the test of building not just traffic but reputation for the brand. Any links built only from the point of view of search engine rankings, without paying attention to their relevance are likely to work against the brand.
Test for No- Follow
The most important test of building a worthy link is whether this link would have been built if it was no -follow. If the link building fails this test, it is not worth building. All links built, should further the popularity & shareability of the site. If the links fail to do it, they are not likely to create value in the long run.
Replicability
In following a link building strategy, due consideration should also be given to ascertain the replicability of the link building strategy. If it is fairly easy for any new comer to replicate the strategy, it is an indication that the business is only following a beaten formula, that Google could come down heavily upon.
Finally, Content Rules
While Content is King, may be a cliché, it is one of the most important factors for SEO & even link building. It is clearly a misconception that content & link building are mutually exclusive, as poor content lacks the inherent capability to attract any credible linking partners.
