In the beginning, it was believed that the more backlinks a site or page has, the more trustworthy it is. A link is viewed as a recommendation, especially if it is from authoritative sources.
Aira says that about 53% of marketers believe that link-building will continue to have a positive impact in the future, while 41% think it will have a lesser effect.
What is Google saying about backlinks for websites?
Google’s search advocate, John Mueller, has an answer regarding link building and why it might impact your ranking in search engines.
In today’s blog, we will discuss what Google Search Advocate says on Reddit about website backlinks, suggesting that overfocusing on links is a waste of time.
So, let’s find it out!
Why is Link Building Crucial?
Why do you need to build links for your website?
Well, your website backlinks are crucial as they act as a currency of trust for search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bingo, etc.
This is because when high-quality websites link back to your site, search engines see it as a vote of confidence. They look at it as a sign that the content you are putting out there is relevant and valuable, which increases your chance of getting ranked when a certain keyword is searched.
So, your website is more likely to pop up when a searcher searches for specific keywords, increasing your chance of getting organic traffic.
However, you must understand that linking building is more than just ranking. If you have backlinks from reputable websites in your niche, your brand reputation and credibility also increase. It acts as a recommendation to the interested audience that you are a reliable source of information.
Moreover, placing your backlink for a website in an appropriate place can enhance the user experience by connecting them with even more valuable resources, increasing the chance of getting a better understanding of the subjects.
SEO link building is an investment that pays off in multiple ways. It drives quality traffic, builds trust, and keeps your users engaged, leading to a better online presence.
Warning Signs You Have a Bad Backlink
Poor link building can have a detrimental effect on your overall online presence and search engines. So, today, we will provide you with the top 3 tips on identifying bad backlinks. There are:
1. Low-Quality Backlinks
Links from authentic sources around your niche are an advantage. However, backlinks from spammy websites, irrelevant directories, or even broken links can hurt your website’s ranking. Google views these low-quality backlinks as an attempt to manipulate its algorithms and penalise websites associated with them.
2. Unnatural Spike in Backlinks
So, now you imagine waking up one morning to find your websites flooded with hundreds of new backlinks. This might be a dream come true from a quantity standpoint, but Google sees it as suspicious.
Search engines expect backlinks to accumulate naturally over time as other websites discover your website and the value of your content.
However, if you see an unnatural spike, it can be spam alerts, potentially leading to penalties and a drop in your site ranking.
3. Paid Backlinks
Getting quick results from buying backlinks might seem strong, but Google strictly prohibits link buying.
Many people turn to backlink buying because link building is complex and time-consuming. However, Google considers any links that pass page ranks as a link scheme, violating its Webmaster Guidelines. So, if you are caught in such a practice, there is a high chance that your websites could be penalised, demoted in search results, or even there is a chance of getting removed from the index.
Is Overfocusing On Links Likely a Waste of Time?
So, here’s the catch!
Well, Google’s Search Advocate, John Mueller, replied on Reddit when asked by a person regarding why backlink checkers show different backlinks and, with consensus, that the website was new and is fully indexed.
This was asked by a person who was facing issues with link-building
“I have a couple backlinks on google search console on the “external links” page and I know recently I have gotten a few more.
However, on Ahrefs, it says I have none. Is there a reason? My website is relatively new, but I feel like that should not matter because everything is indexed and working properly. Is there a reason?”
Mueller replied that there is no fair way of counting links on the Internet, and every tool has its way of collecting data from crawling, so there is an obvious scenario that the data collected will always be different from each tool.
How to Build Link Building For Your Website and Get Them Rank on SERPs?
When asked about link building and getting ranked on the search engines, John Mueller replied, “My recommendation would be not to focus so much on the absolute count of links. There are many ways that search engines can discover websites, such as with sitemaps. There are more important things for websites nowadays, and over-focusing on links will often result in wasting your time doing things that don’t improve your website overall.”
Are Links Less Important Now?
To answer this question, let’s compare what Google said before and after the update. For the last six months, Google has been hinting that links are not as important as they used to be. So, to better grasp this, let’s see it.
Before, Google said, “Google uses links as an important factor in determining the relevancy of web pages.”
Now, Google said, “Google uses links to determine the relevancy of web pages.”
Google has removed the word “important” from the later documentation regarding the role of backlinks for websites. This means that link building for SEO is not the same as before. It is about having quality links for a positive impact; however, focusing on the high number of backlinks for the website can be a waste of time.
How to Build Quality Backlinks For Your Website?
To conquer the search engine results pages (SERPs), you must have a strong SEO strategy. Moreover, link building remains crucial if you are looking for Google to see that your website is trustworthy.
So, the more high-quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy and relevant your website appears in their eyes.
The question is, how do you build quality backlinks for your website?
Here are some key strategies:
- Creating quality content is the foundation of any successful link-building strategy. You can give information to engage, solve the user problem, or even offer unique insights. So, if your content has some valuables, it will naturally attract links from others who want to share it with their audience.
- Start blogging with other relevant websites in your niche through guest posts. This will allow you to showcase your expertise and reach a wider audience simultaneously.
- Look for broken link building on relevant websites within your niche, then reach out to the webmaster and suggest your content as a replacement. This provides value by fixing their broken link while earning you a backlink.
- Establish yourself as an authority in your field by offering valuable resources like infographics, tools, or research reports. This will attract other websites to link to these resources, boosting your backlink profile.
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Conclusion
To conclude, link building is an SEO powerhouse, but wrong links can backfire on your ranking on SERPs. So, watch out for the warning signs of bad backlinks to avoid your ranking. Focus on building quality links by following the tips to attract natural backlinks and establish your website as a Google SEO authority through strategic links.
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