The world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) changes direction quicker than a bowl of Jello in a speeding car. Just because SEO is constantly shaking and shimmying in new directions doesn’t mean you can’t gain control over your site rankings.
One of the recent changes in SEO has been in the concept of link building. The days of “More Is Better” are coming to an end. The focus has now shifted to quality over quantity. High-quality links create a stronger focus on brand messaging. In link building, quality is measured by a PageRank score, which is calculated based on credibility and relevancy. The higher PageRank backlinks will help distinguish your brand as an authority, but low PageRank backlinks can actually negatively impact your page’s credibility in the eyes of search engine bots.
Despite what you may have heard, Google still cares about relevant links. Google may have recently entered into the world of mobile phones, but they are still a search engine first and foremost. Google wants to remain the best at what they do, which is why search queries should provide relevant results.
Content relevancy is key and is subject to individuals. It is important to only create relevant links. Creating a link that is irrelevant takes away from the relevancy of search results and may result in ranking punishment. Building links on irrelevant directories is considered spamming. This may give you short-term results, but will not improve your rankings over the long haul.
According to Rand Fishkin, co-founder of Moz, the era of link building has now become an era of “link earning.” The way this model is incorporated into our suggestions is that relevant content often gets viewed and shared by relevant users on the web with other relevant users. An increased focus on the concepts of social bookmarking and distribution will allow you to earn strong backlinks from social sharing, and avoid being penalized for building links that are considered spamming.
The bottom line is that the stronger your links are, the stronger your brand’s presence on the internet will be. Improving the presence of your brand is a major goal of link building. If you have links that are of poor quality your brand will be negatively impacted.
Hopefully, the above article has given you some insight into why you should focus on quality over quantity of your backlinks. Share your thoughts on link building in the comment section below.
Source: Moz – Whiteboard Friday