It’s hard to avoid the term “link building” when talking about digital marketing. It’s a strategic practice that not only helps improve search engine visibility, but also strengthens a website’s credibility and authority online.
However, it’s not just about being seen in search results; it’s about building authority and trustworthiness online – an authority that will only become more important as Google SGE is rolled out around the world. When other websites link to yours, search engines like Google see it as a recommendation or a sign of trust. The more quality links, the higher authority your website will have. A strong link building strategy can improve your ranking in search results and increase the chances of attracting organic and “free” traffic.
In this post, we’ll dive into how link building plays a crucial role in strengthening your digital foundation and making your online presence valuable to your business.
How are link building and SEO related?
Link building and SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, are closely related disciplines in digital marketing. These are tools that should both be used to improve your website’s visibility and authority on search engines, achieve better search engine rankings and build a strong digital authority.
Improved search engine rankings:
If a website has undergone solid SEO work, it will have a direct impact on its rankings in search results. Keyword optimization is at the core of SEO, where it involves selecting and integrating relevant keywords into content to signal search engines about the topic and relevance of the content. Effective keyword optimization, combined with link building, not only boosts a website’s visibility but also helps improve rankings in search results. By optimizing the content, structure and technical elements of your website, your website will rank higher in Google.
Increased authority:
Link building for SEO plays a crucial role in building a website’s authority. When other websites link to your content, search engines like Google interpret this as a stamp of recognition. Authority is a key factor in SEO, and websites with high authority tend to achieve better rankings in search results. This authority score is also known as the E-E-A-T score (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Effective SEO and link building strengthen your E-E-A-T score and have a direct impact on your website’s visibility in search engines. The better the link profile and the better optimized the website, the better the chances of dominating search results and attracting organic traffic.
Overall, link building and SEO work in symbiosis to establish a credible online presence, boost visibility in search results and attract targeted traffic to your website.
How do you do link building?
The first step towards creating an effective link building strategy is to identify potential link sources – websites or sources that you would want to link to your company’s website. It is crucial that these sources have authority and provide quality content. The new Google SGE will consist of AI-generated answers where affiliates and partner sites are displayed. It will therefore also be important to work with trustworthy partners with a high E-E-A-T score, where you have links and relevant content on their website.
A link is considered quality or authoritative when it comes from a trusted and recognized source on the internet. This can be from reputable websites, industry publications or authority domains within a specific niche. Quality links are often relevant to the topic or content they link to and they add value for users. Links from high-authority sites signal to search engines that the content is reliable, trustworthy and worth showing up high in search results.
Link building and digital PR
Digital PR (Public Relations) is a strategic approach to managing and building a positive reputation for a company or organization by leveraging digital and online platforms. It differs from traditional PR by focusing on internet-based media and interactive communication channels. When companies focus on producing engaging and valuable content as part of their digital PR strategy, they not only generate media interest, but they also open the door to natural link opportunities.
Digital PR is all about telling a story in a way that captures the media’s attention. In digital PR, the focus is on creating quality content, such as images, videos or other engaging material. This should be engaging content that is published on your website and is designed to be so valuable, informative or entertaining that media and other websites want to link to it. When this story is valuable and relevant to the target audience, it also becomes attractive for other websites and media to link to. Digital PR and link building are thus closely linked.
The key to a sustained online presence
Link building is a dynamic practice that evolves with changes in search engine algorithms and user behavior. It requires a constant understanding of how algorithms and user behavior evolve and continuous monitoring, adaptation and creativity to remain effective. In the big picture, link building isn’t just a technical SEO tactic; it’s an investment in the digital success and sustainability of your business. By implementing a well-considered link building strategy, businesses position themselves to thrive in an ever-changing online world where visibility, authority and consumer trust are crucial components of success.
