Link building has been a subject of controversy for the past few months, as comments from Google’s own John Mueller and evidence from the latest round of the Penguin update have called into question the overall legitimacy of link building as an
SEO strategy.
So there are some Fundamentals of SEO more important then link building :
1. Mobile Optimization :
First, make sure your site is optimized for mobile. After Google’s recent “Mobilegeddon” update,
there’s now no excuse for having a site that isn’t mobile-compatible.
Hopefully, your site is responsive, which will allow it to be viewed
consistently no matter what type of device is used to access it.
2. Site Navigation:
Google rewards sites that make
it easy for users to find what they want, whether that’s information, a
service, or a particular product. Optimize your navigation so it’s easy
to find any page.
3. Full, Informative Content :
Every page of your
site needs to have a full section of descriptive, accurate content. On
your home page, users should be able to immediately tell what your
business is.
4. Regular Ongoing Content :
Without an ongoing
content strategy program to support it, an external link building
campaign is practically useless. Every business needs to be developing
and publishing least one new piece of content every week—the more the
better. This content needs to be wholly original, informative, and
useful for its target audience.
5. A Social Media Presence :
By a social media
presence, I don’t mean a stagnant or token presence on Facebook and
Twitter. If you’re going to get social, you need to get involved. Claim
your business’s profile on as many social media platforms as you can,
and post regularly on those platforms.
6. Shareable Syndication :
In addition to the content
you produce onsite, you’ll also need to make sure you’re syndicating
shareable pieces—these can be materials you host on-site, such as
extended written posts or infographics, or they can be off-site
materials like YouTube videos. The key here is to make sure your content
is shareable by making it some combination of original, informative,
entertaining, practical, and surprising. If you can get one of your
pieces circulating in the social world, you’ll generate heaps of brand
recognition and Google will reward you accordingly.
7. Brand Mentions :
Google looks at mentions of your
brand name throughout the web in a way similar to how it used to view
links pointing back to your domain. Brand mentions carry little to no
risk of penalty, and pass authority based on the type of source that
holds the brand mention and the context of the brand mention—for
example, if you are being referred to as an authority, the authority
will be higher. Make sure you have a strong brand mention strategy before delving into link building.
