Link building is revered as one of the most effective SEO strategies for boosting search engine rankings of a website. However, you need to be aware that doing it the wrong way can do you more harm than good. Regular updates from Google may get your site penalized, impacting its ranking if you’re following wrong practices for creating backlinks. Overall, there has been a complete turnaround in the perspective for link building following these updates. There are several myths and misconceptions that may leave you trapped and your website being nowhere in the SERPs. So let’s look at the myths that need to be debunked to get your strategy on track for effective results.
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1. The quantity of links is as important as their quality.
This is one of the biggest mistakes many people make. Google uses the link source to determine the level of credibility it has. This, in turn, links to “Domain Authority” which is a critical factor in helping determine the ranking of your website. So it would be better to make 10 high-quality links on authority sites rather than make 100 irrelevant ones just anywhere on the internet.
2. Multiple links from the same domain serve no value.
Another common misconception, is that you will not get any value from multiple links made from the same domain. Of course, getting links from as many diverse, high-authority domains is recommended but having two or more of them from the same domain can also be helpful. Even though the subsequent links may not be as valuable as the first one, they may still contribute some value to your ranking as well as drive traffic to your site.
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3. Getting links from sites with lesser DA than yours is useless.
Logically speaking, this may be true but facts state otherwise. As long as the website has quality content and is not spamming, the link can be valuable. Even, if the domain’s authority is lesser than your site’s DA. It is obvious that links from high DA domain will be beneficial but this does not mean that you should ignore ones that have content which is related to your website.
4. Fast link building can get you penalized.
Fast link building will not get you penalized by Google unless they are spammy in nature. The culprit is not the large number of links that you build but the fact that you are creating spammy ones. According to Adam White of https://seojet.net targeting keywords in your link building is much riskier now and can easily lead you to an unnatural backlink profile. For instance, if you create a new site and then get a large number of links with the same anchor text or over-optimized text, then Google may not see these links as natural. However, if you do get them because of a content going viral, these are seen as genuine and natural ones.
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5. Links from directories are of no value.
Conventional SEO used directories as the main source of link building because the main motive back then was to submit the site to as many places as they could. However, directories lost their value over a period of time as people started to spam the tactic too much. But like other domains where you need to consider authority as the criteria, quality matters for directories too. Some directories are particular about giving links to business sites and they do several background checks before doing so. Therefore, use your judgment to analyze the quality of the directory before you get a link from it.
6. Only manual links are worthy.
Another major link building misconception is that only manual links are worthy. This is an outdated approach as experts recommend acquiring only links that are naturally attracted rather than made manually, such as the ones on forums and directories. Only and only high-quality and compelling content can get you natural links because high DA domains would want to publish, provide links for and share such content.
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7. Reciprocal link building always gets you penalized.
If you believe that Google always penalizes websites that opt for reciprocal link building, you are mistaken. Reciprocal link building, as the name suggests, is the practice of linking to a website which happens to link back to yours. This may be intentional or by chance, but Google may not have any problems with it. However, you may face a penalty if you are following a reciprocal link scheme and doing it with multiple sites to take undue advantage.
8. No-Follow links are useless.
Absolutely wrong, because no follow links are to be a part of your link profile so that it appears to be natural. Google does not appreciate too many followed links and may even push you down the search rankings if they see too many of them. Experts recommend a healthy mix of do-follow and no-follow links to build an optimal link profile for your website.
9. There are penalties applicable to each link-building activity.
If you are being legitimate with your link building activities, you need not fear being penalized because Google only penalizes spammy and manipulative practices that create illegitimate links. Ensure that all the links you make are genuine and come from relevant, credible and authoritative sources. If you are following these best practices, your site’s ranking will be safe.
10. Link building is a difficult task.
Another misconception that shrouds link building is that it can be a complicated and difficult task, considering the complex PA (Page Authority) and DA (Domain Authority) parameters, ever-changing algorithms and stringent attitude of Google. But it may not be that tough if you focus on following the guidelines. If you lack proper understanding, it is better to hire experts with complete SEO knowledge and experience to create a strong link profile for your business website.
Clearing these myths and misconceptions will enable you to perceive link building in a new light. As you realize the importance of getting genuine and high-quality links for your website, results will be faster and easier. A healthy link profile is a long-term asset for any business. The sooner you build one, the better it is.
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