SEO link building is one of the most crucial exercises in digital marketing. But, how do you go about doing it?
Experts use Linking to increase the number of outbound and inbound links to improve the quality of a website. In SEO, internal or external link building are all two sides of the same coin. Why is it essential for a website? Because 94% of online content has no external links at all.
In other words, it has a 6% chance of search engines—or other platforms recognizing it. Now, 53% of the experts predict that link building will have an even more significant impact on search engine ranks soon. Considering search engines are regularly shifting their algorithms, it is more important now to stay relevant than it ever was.
In the same context, the first result you see on any Google search features almost four times more backlinks than any position after that until 10. It indicates the importance of SEO linking to ensure the best possible results.
So, what is SEO Linking exactly? Moreover, why is it important? In addition, how do you go about using it? Let us dive in and find out.
What Is SEO Linking
SEO linking is the process of getting another website to link back to your content. It comes in a variety of shapes and forms. By using hyperlinks to increase inbound circulation, SEO experts use this linking process to generate organic traffic.
Notice how the backlink leads back to Search Engine Cage’s article. (Marked in green)
This article is an example of using backlinks to generate inbound traffic. However, you can employ this same tactic to create outbound links (back to your primary content/website). It would help if you used these hyperlinks as seamless keywords to draw the user to your desired page.
But, content intricacies aside, Backlinking and internal linking is a complex process in itself. It requires thorough attention and extensive work to operate correctly. Since these links signal the search engine crawlers that your website is a trustworthy resource and the quality is suitable for citation on other websites.
Why Is Linking Important For SEO
Linking is essential for optimization since it helps websites stand out against their competitors. According to an old standard, the more links a website has, the higher Google will rank it. The idea behind it is a bit outdated, but more links indicate better content.
So, suppose more links mention your website or content. In that case, Google identifies as a possible search result in your related queries. In other words, the more links your website has, the more users it will draw. Therefore, Google’s crawlers recognize it as a popular option.
Another important factor is relevance. If you’re a digital marketing agency, your website will draw more audience from other marketing providers, such as SEO experts, social media services, content writers, etc.
Then, it also comes down to authority. What is the domain authority of the website you’re trying to link? Is it a known name in your niche? Or does it require work? You can quickly check any website’s domain authority online before linking them.
If you combine all that, your website or desired content will draw more audience through quality backlinks. This organic traffic will amount to better ranks on the search engine results page.
Types of SEO Linking
SEO linking is not a singular act of Backlinking or internal linking. It is a process that requires extensive work, and you need to make sure you do it right. First off, let’s understand the type of SEO linking.
Internal Linking
Internal linking leads your target audience from one place within your website to another. As mentioned before, Search Engine Cage does it efficiently. The idea is to interlink content that interconnects in relevancy and information.
The primary benefit of this linking type is that they spread content equity and ensure a proper user journey. It also helps you push your audience towards navigating your website without going through much hassle.
External Linking
External linking points to your domain while existing in another. While internal links help you lead your customers from one section to another, external links help you draw an audience from another website or platform to yours.
In other words, external links are hyperlinks that source your website as a critical point in other content. It organically leads visitors to your website from another domain, increasing your rank in the search engine simultaneously.
Manual Linking (Manually Obtained)
Manual linking is perhaps the oldest tool in the shed for SEO linking. As the name suggests, manual linking features links obtained by deliberately inserting them in various places.
For instance, a social media post or a review featuring a link is manual linking. It goes for emails and messages too. However, does it help with SEO? Yes, it does, since it is helping you draw traffic.
Self-Created Links (Better avoided)
Self-created links are somewhat a cheap practice in SEO. They can help you garner traffic to your desired website, but it also risks blacklisting your website. The process entails making non-editorial links.
Tricking search engine crawlers to think your content is good and comprises an informative value for SEO. But, sooner or later, search engines change their algorithm, and your content goes to the back of the line. It is better to avoid this practice for the long haul.
How to Link For SEO?
We know now that links are essential. While there are some not-so-effective ways of doing it, there are certainly ways to do it where you come out on top. To effectively place links and increase traffic to your website, you must abide by SEO rules.
The first one is no bogus content. No fluff words. No keyword stuffing. Finally, a lot of informative value for queries. So, how do you go about linking for SEO? Here are some of the important and most eminent ways to do it.
1. Understand Your Competition
Understanding your competition in linking is not the same as studying an audience in digital marketing. In this case, you need to discern your competition’s common backlinks. You can use CBLT to find out the most common backlinks.
What then? You can use this information to find links to authoritative domains. Then, it must be your goal to place your links instead of your competitions. This process will come down to creating better content than your rivals.
2. Asking For Them
It is a simple process, but perhaps the most effective. In SEO, you might have the heart of Guest-posting, off-page SEO, etc., which is an effective way to generate traffic, as you can use your backlinks to lead your visitors right where you want them.
However, it goes both ways since you will also have to mention your partners on your website. In the long haul, it will be beneficial for both parties.
3. Building Partnerships
As mentioned above, you can bring about an unofficial partnership by asking for backlinks. However, you can make it official by announcing it. For instance, if a viable domain authority in your niche mentions your name or vice versa, it will draw a lot of traffic towards either website.
So, it would help if you focused on building partnerships with websites that feature high authority domains—ensuring organic traffic and helping you stand out in SERP.
4. Make Your Blog for SEO Content
One of the best ways to backlink your website is to become an authority of your own. If your content is related to search engine optimization and all that entails, you’re surely going to turn some heads.
Adopting this approach for informative content will help you rank higher in search engine page results. However, it will also help you stand out in a competitive market and push your features on various high authority domains.
5. Linking In Reliable Directories (List Your Website)
You can find online directories, much like phone directories back in the day, which feature trustworthy websites in various niches and industries. Placing your website in such lists will help draw visitors towards your website.
But, it would be best if you were careful about your URLs or Slugs. If they are difficult to read, the index will place them at the bottom. The shorter and crisper your URLs read, the easier it will be for you to index them.
6. Write Crisp & Informative Content
To become a high-authority brand in your niche, you need to feature crisp and informative content. There should be no compromise when it comes to creating content for SEO. So, using fluff words or writing over-the-top content should never happen.
The content needs to entail only the things which it should be portraying. It would be best to talk about features over benefits and solutions over problems. It should be direct, give answers rather than raise more questions.
Writing content that agitates your audience into looking for a solution is essential. However, your content needs to feature only the proven or well-researched information to ensure its integrity. The informative worth also needs to be high since search engines prefer a range with value for the visitors.
7. Avoid Dead Backlinks
Dead or broken backlinks happen when a page is removed without removing it from the index. If a line in any content mentions it, then the link would lead to a dead page. Making it hard for the index crawler to read your website.
So, you have to avoid or recover your dead backlinks. Search engine crawlers will have trouble indexing if your website has dead backlinks or orphaned pages. It might also lead them to avoid your website altogether.
Benefits of Linking
Linking has a variety of benefits in the world of SEO. It draws more audience, helps you rank higher, and generates leads. How exactly does it do that? Here’s what you get with a full-scale linking strategy:
Appear In Searches Organically
When your website performs well, and your content features rich information, search engines will place it on the top of their results.
Not only does linking push a search engine to do that, but it will ensure your place in the top five results. So, to appear in search engines organically, you need a linking strategy that combines your good content with website prowess.
Increased Website Authority
When search engines recognize a website with no broken links or linking errors, they prefer it over other websites. So, whenever a visitor asks for a relevant or related query to your niche, search engines will show your website as the top option.
Linking helps you improve your domain authority by sampling helping your content stand out. So, a complete linking strategy will surely increase your website’s domain ability.
Referred Traffic
When another blog or website with domain authority features your backlinks, it improves referred traffic. Search engines see it as a good thing and put your website in the top results. So, referred traffic can increase your domain authority as well.
Improved Ranks In Related Keywords
It is essential to employ specific keywords to stand out in a crowded niche. However, it is more important to rank higher in the search results. When a searcher asks for particular keywords, Google will recognize you as an authoritative content blog or website.
So, it will improve your presence on the first page, and it will push Google to recognize as a possible search result.
Conclusion
Linking in SEO helps you yield many benefits. The proper way to do it entails research and understanding of your competition. Combining those two elements gives you a viable linking strategy to help your website stand out in search results.
If you had been struggling with your linking strategy this guide must have been a great help for you. To see the best outcome, get started now or ask a professional SEO service to help you build better links for your business.
The Search Engine Cage team is on a mission to educate entrepreneurs. We make things easier for the small business owner, by writing articles that help them to understand SEO and Digital Marketing.