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A great website and optimized content is a big part of building a strong web impression. But to boost your search-engine-visibility, there's more to the equation. With the right approach to link building, you can bolster your website and improve your chances of connecting with your target audience.
What Is Link Building?
Link building is the process of getting links to your site from other sites around the internet. This then constructs a network of hyperlinks that search engine web crawlers can explore, archive and use to build connections – boosting your presence on search engine results pages, or SERPs. In general, the more links pointed at a website, the more reputable Google ranks it to be. In the early days of SEO (search engine optimization), building links used to be simple, but with Google's ever-changing algorithm updates designed to fight spam, the process now takes some know-how to get right.
Search engines use links in two distinct ways: to discover new pages that haven't yet been annexed and to determine how a page should be ranked. This directly affects your positioning – Google explains this logic in a handy video guide – along with other factors, such as quality content and applicable, relevant keywords. While your site may be able to rank adequately without this strategy, linking can be a great way to put your team on top. Best of all, even the best SEO performers spend less than $1,000 a month on link building.
The Benefits of Building Links
Creating a way to effectively reach out to other businesses, structure deals and sell your services as a worthwhile brand may take brainstorming, but the benefits are well worth the effort.
What Is Link Building?
Link building is the process of getting links to your site from other sites around the internet. This then constructs a network of hyperlinks that search engine web crawlers can explore, archive and use to build connections – boosting your presence on search engine results pages, or SERPs. In general, the more links pointed at a website, the more reputable Google ranks it to be. In the early days of SEO (search engine optimization), building links used to be simple, but with Google's ever-changing algorithm updates designed to fight spam, the process now takes some know-how to get right.
Search engines use links in two distinct ways: to discover new pages that haven't yet been annexed and to determine how a page should be ranked. This directly affects your positioning – Google explains this logic in a handy video guide – along with other factors, such as quality content and applicable, relevant keywords. While your site may be able to rank adequately without this strategy, linking can be a great way to put your team on top. Best of all, even the best SEO performers spend less than $1,000 a month on link building.
The Benefits of Building Links
Creating a way to effectively reach out to other businesses, structure deals and sell your services as a worthwhile brand may take brainstorming, but the benefits are well worth the effort.
- Increase Presence: If you want to rank as high as possible online, link building can take you there. Google has long prioritized the presence of links, and this hasn't changed, even in the most-recent algorithm updates. The intelligent use of links elevates your standing among search engines, increasing your presence and making it more likely that your audience will see you near the top of the results pages.
- Boost Your Brand: When you find a new company online, what's the first thing you do? If you're like most people, your initial instinct is to read reviews, check Google and look for connections. With a solid link-building-strategy, you'll be able to boost your reputation using the connections you've made, positioning yourself as a leader in your industry. When customers search for you, they'll see the people you've linked to and those who have linked to you, painting a vibrant picture of your esteem in your market.
- Grow Referral Traffic: Guest posting is among the most popular link-building-strategies, giving you a chance to show off your assets. It also drives traffic to your site from other businesses, offering a valuable way for an untapped market to see what makes you and your company shine. People who find your site through referrals will have a great opportunity to learn about your business. But there's another benefit to guest posts: since these visitors already trust the site you're linked to, they'll be more likely to trust you, too.
- Build Relationships: Links can come organically – but sitting and waiting isn't a great approach. Instead, you need to target industry influencers and leaders who are able to position your site in a positive light, jump-starting your strategy and offering up link placement. Not only does this benefit your SEO tactics but it gives you an opportunity to reach out to your community, giving you valuable relationships with reputable businesses both online and in the real world.
