Link building is an SEO technique to help websites get to the top of search results. To do this, do not use arbitrary link building methods.
This article is suitable for those of you who are just learning SEO or are building a website/blog. In short, SEO or Search Engine Optimization is a method that can help your website or blog get a high ranking on the Google search engine. Well, one part of this SEO is Link Building.
The following article will help you understand what link building is and what the right strategy is so you don't get penalized by Google. Come on, see more.!!
What is meant by Link Building?
Link building is an activity to get links from other websites that point to your website. This type of link is known as a backlink and is one of the main factors in evaluating SEO by Google. Technically, link building efforts will enter the realm of off page SEO. So, the optimization that is carried out is indeed outside your own website.
Although having many links from this effort is good, the quality factor of backlinks is far more important. Quality backlinks generally come from relevant, credible websites and stable traffic.
Link building is a website's effort to get a large collection of backlinks, without getting penalized by Google. This happens when the website that provides the link is a spam website.
Don't take this lightly. This is because the penalty given can be in the form of removing your website from search results for an indefinite period of time. Or, until those low-quality backlinks are completely removed from the website. You already understand what link building is, right? Let's learn what the benefits are..
Why is Link Building Important for SEO?
Link building is an important SEO effort because links are still a consideration for ranking on Google. Google's SEO algorithm is always changing, but one thing is certain: quality backlinks are still a major factor in Google's assessment of search results.
The logic is this: the more backlinks show your website to be a role model for other websites. As a result, Google will prioritize your website in search results because it is considered to have the most useful content.
Well, you can get these backlinks by doing a link building strategy. This is why link building is an important SEO technique for every website owner to do.
What are the three types of link building?
These are the types of link building that can generate backlinks, both quality and those that should be avoided:
1. Link Building Natural
This type is the best link building you can get. How come? Other people will be happy to put your link on their website without being asked. This type of link building usually occurs when:
- Others include links from your content as a trusted source of information
- Others offend your website for being an additional source of their own content
- Incorporate your website as an infographic or statistics maker
- Conduct interviews with people related to your website
You can see that other people have to have a special reason to want to put up backlinks voluntarily. In other words, you have to make other people "fall in love" with your website. This is of course very difficult and requires a lot of time. Because, you have to create high-quality, interesting, updated, and complete content at the same time.
That's why the natural link building method is the best and most valuable step. In fact, usually a website that manages to get it will be at the top of Google's search results for a very long time.
2. Link Building Outreach
This type requires you to contact the website owner and ask them to post your link. Outreach is the most commonly practiced type of link building. Especially for new websites that are still small and not well known.
The person you contact certainly doesn't necessarily agree to install a backlink. You must be able to provide clear reasons and the benefits they will get.
In addition, you also cannot contact random website owners. You should contact the website owner whose topic is similar to your website. For example, we both discussed computers. Typically, link building outreach occurs when:
- Guest blogging where you write articles to be published on other people's websites. Then, include a link to your own website in the article.
- You become a sponsor for a website. So that your website is alluded to in its content as a donor or sponsor of an event.
- Press releases regarding the latest news related to your website/brand.
3. Misguided Link Building (Must Be Avoided so as not to be Punished by Google)
This is the worst type of link building that you should avoid as much as possible. Because this type of link building practice usually aims to deceive Google. So, it seems as if the content on the website is relevant and important, even though it's not at all.
Backlinks that fall into this type are:
- Paid backlinks. Google itself blatantly prohibits the practice of buying and selling backlinks.
- Spam in other people's comments by including your own website link.
- Spam in online forums deliberately creates topics/threads that contain lots of backlinks to their own websites.
You can see that this link building method is indeed very easy to practice. Therefore, it's no wonder that there are still many people who do it as a shortcut to success.
In fact, since the Penguin algorithm in 2012, Google has been very active in hunting down websites that carry out the above fraudulent practices. If caught red-handed, Google will not hesitate to impose a penalty and remove the website from search results.
What is Link Building Techniques?
Actually, there are many link building strategies that you can try. However, below we'll provide some general strategies that work for everyone in all industries:
1. Link Building from Content
The essence of this strategy is to aim to make your website a role model because of the high quality content you have. That way, other people will be happy to put up a link because your website is a complete, trusted source.
Therefore, the content that you create cannot be original or similar to other websites. Below are some types of content that usually get a lot of backlinks:
- Infographics
- Statistics
- White sheets (white papers)
- Guide
- Videos
- Image gallery
Once you've created one (or more) of the content above, contact the sites that you find relevant. Ask them to put your content link on their website. Whether it's on content that has been created or on their content that will be published at a later date. This is a quite effective link building method, although it requires some effort at the start. Why is that?
Slowly, you don't need to beg like that anymore. Because, your website will be famous by itself because of its quality. Think of this as a way to promote your blog and build credibility because there are many other websites that provide backlinks.
This link building method does take a long time. Moreover, creating high-quality content requires a lot of effort, time, and a lot of money.
However, the end result is truly satisfying and a dream for most people: number one in Google search results and a role model for other websites. If you have this, whatever success you want to achieve with your website is bound to happen.
2. Guest Blogging
As the name suggests, guest blogging is when you become a guest on another website by writing articles to be published there. Then, in the article you insert a link to your own website. This link building method has been commonly practiced between website owners since ancient times. But now, Google is closely monitoring this guest blogging practice.
This is because not a few people use guest blogging just to look for backlinks instead of writing quality content. As a result, the content is just spam and violates Google's rules. If you have this ending, you will definitely be found out, Google will give you a penalty.
Therefore, make sure your guest blogging content is taken seriously so that it is of high quality. Write the article as if you were writing on your own website. Apart from that, make sure that the website you choose is also relevant with stable traffic.
3. Ego Temple
When interpreted literally, ego bait is fishing for the ego. Fishing ego who? Of course the other person's ego you want to get backlinks from. The hope is that the person will feel flattered so they want to put your link on their website.
This link building strategy taps into basic human psychology and (almost) always works—provided you do it right. Who doesn't like being complimented? So, for your ego bait to be successful, here are the steps you can try:
a. Conducting Single Interviews
The solo interview is the best type of ego bait because the person being interviewed automatically becomes the main focus. As if, they are important people whose opinions deserve to be heard by the public.
To carry out this link building strategy, you need to contact the website owner first for approval. If he agrees, you can send him a list of questions to answer. Finally, all you have to do is publish the list of questions and answers on your website.
So, after the article is published, you can follow up by contacting the website owner. We are 99.9% sure that he will immediately post a link to your interview article on his website. In fact, chances are he'll share it on his social media without you even asking.
b. Group Interview
As the name suggests, group interviews mean that you are interviewing several people at once on the same topic. However, you don't need to send detailed questions like a single interview to all sources. Instead, spread the question to all sources.
So, each resource person only gets one or two questions. Depends on the topic discussed. Oh yes, the topic chosen must be relevant to your website. Likewise, the selected informants must be experts on the topic.
After all the sources have answered, all you have to do is create content with the topic of the interview. For example, "Wow, 10 Famous Shamans Share the Secret to Doubling Money in 2023!" or “Tips for Cooking Water Without Burning from 7 Famous Chefs.” So, you can include short quotes or opinions from sources in the discussion points.
After publication, you can contact the source again to place a backlink for the article on their website and share it on social media. Most likely, they will be happy to do it.
c. Ego Bait Listicle
Listicle is an article that contains reviews of several things on the same topic. For example, "10 Secrets of Upin & Ipin that Not Many Known" or "10 Most Unlucky People of All Time in India." Well, you can make this listicle article by adding ego bait.
In the ego verse listicle, you add the person to your list. The goal is for him to be happy and proud that you think he deserves to be on the listicle.
So you also have to create a listicle that is well deserved to be proud of and not badmouthing. Compliment the person but don't overdo it. Just explain why you chose him and not someone else. That way, your bait ego doesn't seem artificial.
Oh yes, one thing you have to remember about the ego bait is to make sure that the person deserves it. Don't just share ego bait with people who are not experts and are not relevant to your website. If practiced correctly, this kind of link building method can help websites get a better position on Google.
4. Broken Link Building
As the name suggests, broken links are broken links that cannot be accessed by visitors or search engines. There are lots of links of this type scattered in cyberspace and surely you have also met them.
Broken link building is a strategy that aims to help website owners fix existing broken links. How to? Of course by providing a link to your website.
Still confused? OK, here's an example: Let's say you have a website discussing cat sundries. So, you want to collect backlinks so that articles can get high rankings on Google. Then, you find a website for buying and selling imported cats which turns out to have lots of broken links in the product description.
Then, you contact the website owner buying and selling imported cats. You offer a new link to a fresh article to replace the old broken link.
After that, the website owner is happy to replace it because your content is also useful and of high quality. In short, the broken link building process is as follows:
- You do research into relevant websites.
- If you find a broken link, you see if there is an article that discusses the broken link. If not, you can make a special article discussing the broken link (as long as it's relevant).
- Contact the website owner to replace broken links with your own.
5. Link Reclamation
Link reclamation is a strategy that aims to claim a link that is rightfully yours. This link building strategy is divided into several types:
a. Links 404
Let's say there is a website that has installed a backlink to your website. However, it turns out that the link leads to a page on your website that doesn't exist/has been deleted. So that a 404 error will appear when someone accesses it.
There are two things you can do. First, you must contact the website owner to change the link. And secondly, fix the 404 error on your website or use a 301 redirect.
b. Mentions without links
Not infrequently there are other people who mention (mention) the name of your website without providing a link as appreciation. Especially if the mention of it strengthens the content on the website. Irritating? Of course!
Therefore, you can contact the website owner to provide a backlink at every mention of your website. Oh yes, you still have to ask carefully, yes. Because, there are no written rules regarding this matter, so it is not the responsibility of the website owner. You can find these mentions by using tools like Google Alerts, Mention.net, and Fresh Web Explorer.
c. Images without links
Apart from the mention above, there are often websites that go around posting pictures made by you without permission. So, instead of attacking the website for copyright infringement, you can make this an opportunity for link building.
Contact the website owner and ask them to provide your website link in the caption right below the image. You can use tools like TinEye and Google Image Search to find these unlinked images.
Does link building still work for SEO?
Link building is an important technique in SEO, so the links you get must be of high quality. Make sure the website you are collaborating with is relevant, trusted, and has good traffic.
Stay away from and ignore misguided link building practices such as buying and selling links, comment spam, forum spam, and so on. Indeed, the way link building is easy and a lot to do. However, the end result is totally not worth it: your website will be removed from Google search.
Oh yes, quality link building is still not enough to fight for the top of Google, you know. There are other SEO aspects that you also have to pay attention to in order to emerge victorious. We hope this SEO link building article is useful for you. If you have questions, just write in the comments column below....