Despite Google’s continuing evolution of its algorithm (such as new emphasis on social media ‘buzz level’) and new page ranking methods, good old incoming links still play a vital role as one of the factors examined in determining a page’s SEO value.
Webmasters and Search Engine Optimizers, however must not become antiquated in their approach to linking. Some of the techniques of yesteryear will not be able to be employed with the same effectiveness nowadays. And as the web continues to evolve, new technologies are becoming available for use.
Let’s discuss a few things that you should no longer be doing, and a few things you should be doing for your linking campaign.
Stop doing triangular linking
The age-old ‘triangular linking’ technique has got to go. In the old days of the web this was the way to go. You could get ahold of a hundred websites, and set up the most intricate arrangement, and it worked for many years, but not these days.
Even modern spin offs such as ‘pentagonal linking’ are still missing the boat. Google has long since stated that it can and will discover and penalize any site engaged in triangular linking, whether or not it would be as sophisticated enough to detect something esoteric like ‘pentagonal linking’ is besides the point. Emphasis needs to be put on getting links in a natural way, as opposed to playing the system. Besides, who would want to play games with something as fierce as Google?
Stop doing reciprocal linking
The earliest form of linking, reciprocal links used to boost your site’s SEO value, but that has not been the case for MANY years. Despite that fact people are still engaging in it. There is nothing wrong with Company A letting its visitors know about Company B, and then Company B returning the favor. This is good for informational purposes but will not do anything SEO-wise for your page.
This is not to say that your website should have no external links. Indeed that would be unworkable. But your website should be able to have sites linking to it, to which you are not having to link back.
Stop Buying Links
When Google started devaluating reciprocal linking, and started cracking down on triangular linking, it created a demand to get ‘link juice’ from whatever means possible, and so entered paid links.
While Google does recommend that you don’t do it, it remains a gray area as how can you differentiate (technically and ethically) between paying for a link on a website, and then paying for an ad on that website which also has a link?
The main issue however is that paying for links is a tremendous waste of funds (assuming your company does not have money to waste). Money spent on buying links could be used in far more productive avenues such as:
1) Press releases
2) Promoted posts/ads in Facebook
3) Google Adwords
In next week’s article we will examine what you should be doing in today’s day and age for your link campaign.
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