(Newswire.net — March 25, 2019) — Marketing trends are constantly evolving, but link building remains a key element in any SEO strategy; by connecting your site with other high quality, relevant pages, you’ll give it a serious reputational boost. On the other hand, when executed poorly, link building can drag your page down in the ranking. If you’re going to undertake this process, beware of these four common misconceptions. With this information at the ready, you can become an SEO master.
Misconception #1: Only High DA Links Matter
DA, technical shorthand for domain authority, is a third-party metric that’s supposed to tell companies whether a website is reliable or trusted, but don’t get too invested in DA. Any third-party metric is going to restrict your growth and push you into a lopsided link profile. The fact is, not everyone’s content belongs on a small group of high DA sites.
Rather than getting caught up in researching DA statistics, look for link building opportunities that provide relevant connections, useful context, and room for growth. A small website that’s doing good work will help you build quality links and could take off down the road – at which point you’ll already have a strong relationship in place.
Misconception #2: No Follow Links Don’t Matter
Recently, websites have been intervening in the link building process. Examining links added to their site, they may tag the majority as “nofollow,” which can hide them from Google’s view – and understandably, this can be discouraging to marketers. After all, if your link is marked nofollow, will it really benefit your website? The answer isn’t completely straightforward.
While nofollow links may not enhance your website’s authority, they can still increase your site’s visibility and provide a boost to specific pages. What’s more, Timothy Carter, CRO of the marketing firm AudienceBloom, explains, it’s actually important for sites to mark links as nofollow because this keeps the publisher site in good standing with Google’s ranking system. As Carter notes, “too many authority-passing links to the same source, or in the wrong context, can be a red flag.”
Misconception #3: Link Building Is Just Product Pushing
Linking to product pages is one part of link building, and it can work when it’s in the appropriate context; but in most cases, good marketing focuses on the overall brand. By emphasizing the brand over the product, your company is more likely to offer authentic insights and demonstrate your support for your customers. Readers don’t want to feel like you’re pushing a particular item on them, but they welcome a brand that uses its marketing to present a social, community-oriented face.
Misconception #4: You Can Do Link Building In-House
Large companies with full-scale marketing departments may be able to do their link building in-house, but for the majority of startups, it’s just not a good idea. Rather, like web design and other highly specialized skills, most startups should outsource their SEO and link building.
Because the norms are constantly changing and the learning curve is steep, this is a task for experts. More importantly, while you could learn to do your own link building, it wouldn’t be the best use of your skills. Do what you do best and let the experts do the rest – isn’t that the key to running a successful business?