In this day and age, SEO is no easy task. From the lack of Google keyword data in analytics programs to the infamous Panda update, a constant barrage of changes in the SEO world that have made the work of optimizing websites all the more difficult. One of the most challenging aspects of SEO is undoubtedly building links. But having a natural link profile is essential to your website’s success because search engines penalize sites with backlinks that weren’t “earned.” If you are actively building backlinks for your website, here are 7 ways to make them appear more natural to the search engines.
1. Use A Variety of Anchor Text
It’s common for SEOs to build multiple links using the same keyword anchor text, but it’s better to use different versions of the keyword you’re hoping to rank for when creating anchor text for backlinks. For example, if you’re trying to rank for the term, “Omaha web design,” you can target related keywords like, “web design services in Omaha” or “Omaha web designer.” It’s also a good idea to use your website’s URL as anchor text sometimes because it will make your links look more natural.
2. Avoid Purchasing Backlinks
Never buy links because the search engines will penalize you if they find out about it. And besides, most of the links that are sold these days are of low quality and will only hurt your website’s rankings in the long run.
3. Build Links Gradually and Steadily
Don’t build links too quickly because it will raise eyebrows, unless of course your site was featured on CNN’s homepage. To avoid arousing the suspicion of the search engines, build links to your site gradually and steadily. Remember: quality always trumps quantity when it comes to links.
4. Get Many Different Types of Links
While editorial links are generally the best types of links to have, you shouldn’t limit yourself to one type of link. Try to obtain links from various sources, including blog rolls, resource pages, high quality directories, social media sites, etc.
5. Don’t Just Build Links to Your Homepage
While it’s important to build links to your homepage, it’s also a good idea to get links that point to internal pages of your site because it shows the search engines that other pages of your website are attracting interest.
6. Build Your Presence in Social Media
Social media isn’t going away any time soon and anybody who’s anybody online needs to have a social media presence. Links that are shared via social media aren’t as valuable as links from standard websites, but they still count towards your rankings, so you need to be sure to include them in your link portfolio.
7. Get Links from Sites in the Same Industry
Links from websites that are specific to your industry are hands down the most valuable. Perform competitive backlink analysis to determine what industry sites are linking to your competitors, and then try to get links from the same sources.