Geek Grove SEO

Anyone how knows anything about SEO/SEM knows that one of the greatest tools within your arsenal to move you up within the Google rankings is a good link building campaign. What many do not understand is the difference between a good link and a bad link. This mistake can cause a company to destroy their websites reputation entirely within Google. I speak from experience when I say it is much easier to do things right the first time rather than get caught doing it the wrong way by Google. As Google’s algorithm is constantly changing, it can be really hard to keep up with removing the links that Google deems unsatisfactory. If Google does find issues with links it could cause permanent damage to your online reputation. Keeping your link building is “above board” from the beginning is key to keeping your site from experiencing any backlash in the Google rankings.

Many of the consultations that I take end up mainly focusing on this subject as I try to stress the importance of gaining links that Google feels add relevancy and value to the internet. It used to be that in the past, before the infamous Panda and Penguin updates, that gaining links to help your rankings was as easy as putting it in your blog or forum signature. Link exchange programs were also very popular before these updates. Those type of link building campaigns are now a thing of the past, although many SEO/SEM firms have failed to recognize this and build like this without realizing the damage it is doing to the reputation of the website that they are representing. While I will be releasing an article this week about the warning signs of a bad SEO company, I now will give you some hints on good link building.

#1. Getting Links

The quality of the backlinks that you receive can be controlled. First ,when trying to obtain links from other sites, make sure that you are reaching out to relevant sites. In other words, if you run a flower shop and you are trying to gain links from a Star Wars fan site, that link isn’t going to do anything in the eyes of Google. Where as, links gained from other botanical sites will offer you a greater gain. Now it is also key to remember not to be too boxed in by this idea. In the example of the flower shop website I would also try to gain links from wedding, catering, and special event sites. The way that you need to look at is as if you were the user. If it is something that you would find out of place, then chances are Google is going to feel the same way.

#2. Giving Links

When giving “link love” to other websites, the same idea applies. Do not link out to other websites unless it is relevant to the content of your website or to the content of a particular article on your site. Throwing links all over your site will only send a red flag to Google and could easily diminish the ranking of your site within their listings. Just again, think about how you would view how the links are placed on your website. Are they lending value to the page? Are the educational or informative links or do they appear to be out of place? If the link looks “spammy”, “forced”, or even worse, like paid links, Google will easily catch on.