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Link Building and Google: What Helps Your Rankings?
by Mackenzie Fogelson, M.A.
Printable Version
In 2007, Google will continue growing and expanding its services, further establishing itself as the leading search engine. As always, Google sets the bar on the best Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices which also prove effective in the other major engines like Yahoo and MSN.
There are many SEO practices that contribute to a Website’s successful rankings in Google. In addition to quality content, targeted keywords, effective usability and navigation, one of the most significant strategies for improving and maintaining strong rankings in Google is link building.
Link Building
Links are valuable tools. They guide searchers, and
engines, in the right direction. Links provide a well-lit path
for uncovering useful information.
Like many good optimization practices and techniques, people usually find a way to exploit them in order to gain fast ranking ground in the engines. Exploiting algorithms may provide some temporary jump in rankings, but will eventually cause blacklisting, indefinitely banning your Website from Google. Link building has become one of these exploited practices, and Google has been doing something about it.
Some Background
It used to be that any type of link building: reciprocal (exchanging
links with another Website) or inbound linking (another Website links
to your Website, without your Website linking back to them) were
both great practices for improving rankings. These strategies
helped Websites to build popularity in the search engines. Meaning,
if your Website had a lot of other Websites linking your way, then
the engines used this as an indicator that your Website was credible
because it was receiving ‘votes’ from other Websites. This
theory quickly changed as effective link building practices were
being exploited.
One example of link building exploitation is link farms. Link farms allow Website owners to purchase thousands of links pointing directly to their Website, providing a plethora of links, or popularity votes, for their Website. The problem with this is that most of the Websites providing the linking are unrelated to the Websites they are linking to, and in many cases, unreliable. As a result, when someone conducts a search in Google, their chances of finding effective, relevant results are greatly decreased.
Google Takes a Stand
For some time, Google has been working to weed out dishonest link building
techniques. Consequently, Google no longer awards just any type of
link building. Instead, if you want to safely reap the benefits
of link building, try inbound (one-way) links where the following
principles apply:
- Demand Credibility
The Website linking to your Website must be credible. It must be effectively designed and not abuse any Search Engine Optimization practices. If it does, your Website could be deemed shady as well; guilt by association.
- Seek Similarity
The Website linking to your Website must be related to your industry. The reason for this is similar to the reason behind all good optimization practices; Google wants to return the most relevant results to its searchers. If optimization experts practice proper inbound linking techniques, then that makes Google’s job easier. How? When someone uses Google for a search and relevant, credible Websites related to that search are providing inbound, one-way links to other credible Websites, there is a strand of related and reliable Websites that are providing quality and useful information to the searcher. This satisfies the searcher and encourages them to come back to Google for reliable results, again and again.
Find Out Who’s Doing the Linking
Not sure which Websites are linking to yours? Go to
Google and search for your Website by typing in link:www.yourdomainnamehere.com to
the search box. The same goes for MSN and Yahoo (in Yahoo, include
the http:// before the www). A list of Websites that rank to
yours will be shown. Don’t have very many Websites linking
to yours? Time to start building some inbound links.
The Best Ways to Build Links
If you are interested in further improving and/or maintaining your
Website’s ranking in Google, try developing a link building
campaign using these strategies:
- Earn Them
Build inbound links to your Website by earning them. One of the best ways to do this is to provide such valuable content and materials on your Website that you become a resource for other Websites in your industry. This serves your company in two ways: your target audience views your company as the expert because of all of the credible and useful information that you are providing, and your rankings in the search engines will certainly improve over time.
- Publish Your Content
Use an E-Newsletter to publish your valuable content and articles. This helps to advertise this content, encouraging other Websites to link to your Website and serve as a resource. In addition, Websites like www.prweb.com are seeking quality content on a variety of subjects. Utilize sites like these, and those specific to your industry, to make your content and resources known.
The best Search Engine Optimization practices will continue to evolve as Google revises its algorithms. Ethical link building has been a focus of Google’s for some time now, and that focus will most likely gain momentum this year as Google continues to eliminate Websites that are abusing link building—all in an effort to continue providing its searchers with the most relevant results.
Link building is an optimization strategy that can take a long time to show its benefits, but can be very effective in contributing to consistent rankings. Work on developing an effective inbound link campaign—as well as maintaining an annual Search Engine Optimization program—and over time you will watch your rankings gain momentum and hold strong.