Link Building in 2021: What to Do and How to Do it?

Knowing the very basics of link building will help a brand flourish and understand how search engines like Google use links to help the audience reach a specific page.

In the last two decades, the internet and search engines have evolved considerably. In the past, they relied mainly on keywords. Then there was an emphasis on keyword phrases/variants and keyword density.

In a Question & Answer session with Google, Andrey Lipattsev, a Search Quality Senior Strategist at Google, said that the three most important factors were Backlinks, Content then something they now refer to as RankBrain

Links and Link Building

When a website or a web page gets updated with quality content, it starts accumulating links from multiples sources. The practice became prevalent and new businesses are expected to work on link building, understand its dos and don’ts while adding sources to sustain their credibility.

A new person who has just stepped into the world of SEO may think that having more links would translate into better rankings for their page. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Rather, a hyperlink, usually called a ‘link’, will simply enable search engine robots to crawl a website easily. They understand the content and the pages they are linking to.

Seasoned search engine optimisation professionals agree that link building in 2020 or any year for that matter is one of the complex tasks among other website optimisation techniques.

Basic Elements in a Hyperlink

1. Anchor Tag – Often known as the start of a link or an anchor tag, it informs search engine bots that there is more relevant information available to be explored.
2. Referral Location – Hyperlink referral, shortened as ‘href’ inside the quotation mark, points the link to another object. The target location could be a website, an article, an image, or a social media page and usually redirect the user.
3. Visible Link – Users who visit the web page will be able to view this text/link. They are usually highlighted using a blue coloured font with an underline. When users hover their mouse pointer over a link, it will change the colour of the link to indicate that it is clickable.
4. Closure – Every hyperlink should be promptly closed which is a clear indication to the search engine bots that there is no further information available.

What are the Ways in Which Links Influence a Website’s Success?

Google is the largest search engine on the planet and they are often not so transparent about the ranking algorithms they use. While links definitely play a role in helping a website reach the top spot or on the first page of the search results, they are often not the only criteria for a website to become popular.

A website’s popularity is often determined by a variety of factors including a page’s load time, quality of content being presented, relevant to visitor’s requirement, and domain ranking. There are few more factors that should be considered as well but they are trivial when compared to link building or content quality.

• The user should be able to find what they are looking for when these links redirect them to a specific page.
• The information presented should be concise and easy to understand.
• Links should not be further redirected as it is a sign of spam.

Links – A Search Engine’s Perspective

Throughout the history of the internet and search engines, links have been used in multiple ways to showcase the relevance of a website. Website owners have created several links for the websites they have developed. The search engine algorithms are designed in such a way that they can discard any irrelevant links or link spamming instantly. They have an entire map of the world wide web which enables them to understand if the link building standards found on a new website are solid and reliable.

A series of keywords used in a page will also be checked to understand whether audiences are being redirected to the right page. Unless a user receives what they are searching for, the search engine loses its brand value. With all these factors being considered, a search engine always uses a link to,

1. Understand if relevant and useful information is being presented to the user.
2. The period of existence of a website because credible websites often have more links.
3. Get rid of spam websites that try to bask in the glory of popular keywords.

The Non-Professional Way to Link Building – Why it Matters So Much?

The term ‘organic’ is a popular word that search engine optimisation specialists love. Search engines are designed in such a way that they send traffic to both established websites and new ones as well.

For starters, if users are directly searching for a brand name like Nike or Samsung, they are evaluated based on the user request. When they require more information on a product, its specification, or pricing, the official websites will usually receive top priority. However, if users want to compare two different products, get the best deal or are looking to exchange, they will be forwarded to a deals page as it is considered more relevant for them.

While search engines help in sending traffic to a website, it is up to the website owner to make the best use of the traffic and deliver quality content to hold the user on the page. Word of mouth, even in the age of the internet, is one of the most powerful tools to create a positive impact on a new web page.

By providing quality content, relevant answers and possibly legit products if the website is dedicated to selling those, a positive impression can be made among the visitors. They are bound to talk about it in social media, at times provide an organic link back to the website which is more valuable than those generated by manual link building methods.

Connect with visitors – Establishing a connection with visitors before completing a sale or offering a service could help build links.

Local businesses – The local businesses with a brick and mortar store can often provide the necessary boost with an online business needs. Partnering with one such firm can help in gaining credibility for the website, especially if they would provide a hyperlink.

Social media presence – The information shared on the brand’s social media pages should be easy to understand, captivating, and reach more audience. It is yet another organic method to build a base before more analytical methods are implemented.

Link Building – Focus on the Don’ts

Before getting deeper into the world of link building and becoming a phenomenal power on the internet, knowing some of the common mistakes and how to avoid them is vital. In an attempt to bring their website to the front page, the vast majority of websites and brand owners tend to do everything under the sky to get quality links.

Such an approach often acts against the well being of the website which is why focus on the don’ts of link building in 2020 is more essential before taking the right steps.

Link Spamming

• A lot of firms either through paid marketing or paid blog content, spam their web pages with tons of links.

  

• Acquiring links is more of an organic process that takes several months and years.
• Forcing a new website to have a dozen links or touching the goal of 100 hyperlinks in a short span of weeks doesn’t sound credible to search engines.
• Links are not the only way search engines would rank a website in the first place.
• Most high-quality links are acquired through a generic method of providing value to the reader and not by spamming them.

Baiting Readers

Every time a visitor drops into the website, they are probably looking for a product or answers to their questions. While good titles are often necessary to attract visitors and encourage them to click on an article, if the content in the article doesn’t solve the purpose, the site will tend to start going down in ranking.

Being honest may not be the best approach in the real world but it stands true in the world of the internet. The word of mouth promotion any brand or a new website gains through social media posts will be more viral than any paid marketing strategy could ever achieve. Avoid gimmicky or clickbait titles to bring in more visitors. Making false promises to acquire hyperlinks is yet another factor to avoid when looking at building a brand for decades to come.

White Hat vs Black Hat Techniques

By browsing through tons of pages online, it is easier to understand that there are unauthorised ways to build links. While they may provide instant results and much-needed credibility, they often pose a huge threat in the long run.

• Never pay and buy links because they may become obsolete in months or years once the service provider or the website from which you got the link goes out of business.
• White Hat techniques offer results but are a slow burn and require months of hard work to be invested in.
• There is no need to stuff every article with keywords but rather provide relevant content with a good title which will help generate the expected results.
• Always focus on White Hat and avoid Black Hat techniques right from the moment the website goes live.

What are the Elements of Successful Link Building?

There are a few things every new business or website would need before kick-starting the link building campaign. Having the pre-requisites ready before expanding the business is the way to go as there are dozens of elements that would influence the website’s ranking.

The concept of link building is not at all obsolete as some may claim because it is still relevant even in 2020 and will be for the years to come. However, one must understand that the link building strategy works in addition to quality content, relevant keywords, user interface, web site’s layout and audience’s requirement.

1) Website Quality – Content and Layout

The website should be professional and designed according to the latest standards. It should not have junk text or broken links. The user interface should be seamless to provide a user experience that would keep bringing the visitors back to the site. A crucial aspect of every successful web page is high-quality content that is relevant, concise and delivers value at every level. If a website is aimed at professionals, the content and design should be on par not only to generate links but also to retain the viewers.

2) Search Engine Optimised

If you have a new website and want organic traffic, seek professional help or go through tons of online videos to properly optimise a website for search engines. When search engine bots can find and rank your website on the first page, your site will naturally get tons of links automatically.

3) Competitor Analysis

With both paid and free tools available online, they can help analyse competitors and their successful strategies. After getting a clear idea of how the business operates, it is much easier and feasible to establish a business development plan. Besides, competitor analysis includes results of customer analysis to understand what people expect from a website and this will help you deliver value accordingly.

Quick Do’s of Link Building

• The best way to build links is by providing quality content.

   

• Good quality content invite links on their own.

   

• Establish a relationship with local business partners.

   

• Connect with fans on social media and stay interactive.

   

• Respond to customer queries and seek hyperlinks through customer’s feedback.

   

• Lay down a long term plan.

   

• Avoid illegal techniques and focus on building a brand, not just the page.