Introduction to Link Building for SEO

Introduction to Link Building for SEO
We all know that no website means no business in 2019. What you might not realise is that no views on that website can be just as terrible for success. That’s why we all do what we can to increase online traffic as much as possible. Luckily, there are a few ways to do this. Working on web design is always good, as is adding content. Even linking on social media can make a difference. But, none of these methods has the pulling power of search engine optimisation (SEO).

In layman’s terms, SEO involves techniques which get your website ranked higher on search engines, and thus increase your chances of organic traffic. Methods used include things like keywords, content, and, as we’ll be discussing here, link building.

Link Building for SEO
Links matter for SEO in two different ways. For one, you can use links within content on your site to display your relevance. With link building, though, you convince outside sites to provide inbound links for your page, thus increases your chances of both impressing Google and finding more customers. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. If you’re to understand link building, we need to start at the beginning.

What are links?

First thing’s first; what exactly are links? The chances are that you already have a basic understanding of this. But, do you understand what a link really is, or how it comes to be on those websites?

To put it simply, a link is a piece of HTML which allows viewers to jump from one website to another. And, it isn’t just humans who make use of links like these. Search engines also rely on hyperlinks to find relevant sites. And, that’s where link building comes into play.

The right way to build links

The most important to think to bear in mind is that not all links are created equal. Much like using keywords for SEO, it’s vital that you consider inbound link quality before seeing any real results.

Shady linking can do more damage to your website than not link building at all. As you can guess, it involves shady techniques, such as buying links from outside sources. There was something of a boom in this area a few years ago, but Google has since begun penalising and even wholly removing guilty sites. Instead, then, focus on building links in the right ways such as –

• Seeking links from relevant sites
If a link for your car company turned up on a blog all about pets, the chances are that Google would flag it as irrelevant. And, they would probably be right. It doesn’t pay to attempt link building from any platform which will have you. Instead, you need to seek brands which have some affinity to your own. Bear in mind that you can still get smart with this. If you were selling a cleaning product, for instance, an inbound link from that pet site wouldn’t be entirely unreasonable. But, there needs to be some connection to ensure those links have the best SEO success.

• Thinking about anchor texts
In most cases, a site won’t link to a naked URL. Instead, you should develop anchor texts which contain your link within them. Again, relevancy and subtlety are essential here. A well-planned anchor text will both explain what your site is about and entice customers to click. And, that in turn will convince Google that you’re worth their time and high listings.

How do you get links?

So, how exactly do you get your links placed in the first place? As we’ve mentioned, buying links is never wise. Instead, it’s vital to focus on a more holistic link building process. And, while it seems simple, the best way to do that is to create the best website possible. By perfecting your design and content with your audience in mind, you’ll become a lot more attractive to link building prospects.

Again, it all comes back to relevance. It’s also worth reaching out and sharing articles or content you’ve created which you think would be of interest to other websites. With a bit of luck, they’ll then think it worth linking back to on their pages.

Link Building for SEO is an elusively simple concept which stands to offer significant rewards. All you need is a little basic knowledge, and that all important concept of relevance. Patience won’t hurt either, as building a decent link base can take time. But, if you keep these pointers in mind, you will get there eventually.