Backlinks: The Online Marketing Tool of the Week
Backlinking isn’t a new practice, but the way it is used in search optimization tactics has changed dramatically over the years. For this reason, it’s important to understand what a backlink is and how content writing services can use them to help keep your website near the top of the search results. This online marketing tool of the week can help drive traffic to your site from a number of sources and give your website the ranking boost it needs.
What Is a Backlink?  Â
Before you can explore how content writers for websites use backlinks, it’s important to fully understand what they are and why you should be using them. Backlinks are essentially any links that lead back to your website from an external site. For some businesses, these links can be found on their social media profiles or other similar pages. However, the most valuable backlinks are those that can be found on other relevant websites. The number of links from quality sites that lead back to your site can play a major role in your search rankings.
Quality Is More Important Than Quantity
Some content writers for websites are focused on including as many links as they can in an article. However, this isn’t the most effective way to provide the results you’re looking for. In fact, you don’t need to be concerned about how many links are pointing back to your website. It all depends on the quality of those links. Every website that posts a link back to your website should be relevant to your own industry or topic. One of the reasons backlinking practices have changed is due to its abuse like leaving links in random places in an attempt to drive more traffic. Keeping your website relevant is critical to your success.
Credibility Is Key
Another major concern you should have in regard to backlinking is the credibility of the sites on which your links appear. Google has made adjustments to their algorithms to determine the reliability of the websites that contain links. A well-known website, for instance, will carry more weight with its backlinks than one that may be relatively new or hasn’t established itself as a major player in your industry. Not only do you need to make sure the backlinks that lead to your site can be found on relevant webpages, but you must also determine whether the site offers the credibility you need to create a solid foundation for your backlinking strategy.
Use Caution
Content writing services need to exercise caution when they’re using backlinks. The search engines have begun to penalize websites that are using shady backlinking tactics to help crack down on the misuse of this strategy. As they look at the presence of links in an article online, for instance, they may choose to count it in their ranking of your website if they feel it is relevantly placed. However, if they find it is irrelevant, they can either choose to ignore it entirely or penalize you for it. This is why it’s important to know where your backlinks are coming from and take the proper steps to eliminate any bad or irrelevant links.
Build Your Own Links
While you may ultimately have little control over the backlinks that come from other websites, you can implement these links into your own site as well. Internal linking doesn’t have the same impact as true backlinking, but it can provide a solid foundation for your search engine optimization strategy. Make sure you always link to keywords as your anchor text and every page you link to is relevant to the article. This will ensure the search engines see your links as an added value, rather than a stuffed link designed to drive more traffic.
Keeping your website relevant is one of the most important elements of a successful backlinking strategy. As you work with experienced content writing services, they will help you determine the best tactics for using backlinks to your advantage, as well as provide valuable information regarding how you can control other websites that link back to yours. With this information available to you, your website can generate more traffic, helping you become more successful online.
If you’re looking for help with your backlinking strategy, contact us. Our experienced content writers for websites know how to use links to give you the competitive edge.
