As any SEO specialist or indeed anyone who has dabbled in the field of search engine optimisation will know, the link building process forms the backbone of any good online marketing campaign. What is not always as well promoted however, is just how important it is to build a strong variety of links.
While it can be tempting to focus your time and efforts on gaining links from high authority sites, especially when you’ve spent precious time working towards these, it is actually more beneficial to build a collection of links from an assortment of backgrounds. Not only does this make for a better link building approach, but it also means your site should attract a more comprehensive range of traffic.
One really effective way to gain more links, and control where these come from is through the use of online blog-sharing applications. These basically serve as an outlet for your articles, encouraging other users to bid for your text. By allowing you to control where your piece is published, you can begin to take more of an active decision over your link building portfolio.
When making judgements over which sites to accept offers from for your carefully crafted article, there a number of factors which should influence your decision. One of the most important of these is PageRank. It might seem natural to aim for sites with a high score here, but it is important to acquire a mixture of sites amongst your links, so don’t be afraid to include a few lower ranking sites amongst your list.
Another issue to look for when making your choice is site relevancy. It makes sense to select a site which is relevant to your industry as their readers will be the ones following your links, but it doesn’t hurt to have a bit of variation within limits. After all, gaining a larger range of visitors can only stand to help the overall success of your company.
Finally, always take a few minutes to browse the site of your prospective bidders. Use your common sense and instinct to judge whether or not you feel your piece would be well suited here and how beneficial a link from this site would be. In particular look for good content and a clear layout, general indications that you are dealing with a genuine company that are likely to have a number of readers.
Whilst it is essential for SEO purposes to build up a substantial number of links (as well as different kinds), it is just as important not to overdo it. With Google’s most recent algorithm update, the Penguin, you could find yourself penalised for having too many links, especially if these do not appear natural.
SEO Positive is an online marketing firm who provide SEO advice and services to companies of all sizes
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