According to 65% of digital marketers, link building is the most challenging aspect of SEO.
For the average small business owner, picking a link-building strategy is like navigating a minefield. From our research and experience, we've determined that it's not detailed enough.
The problem is that the existing guides are too focused on advanced technical stuff. For beginner and advanced digital marketers, it's helpful to understand the most common link-building errors.
Here are the top mistakes you should try to avoid.
1. Overlooking Internal Linking Opportunities
Internal links are links that point to other pages on your website. They are a valuable resource for users and search engines but are often overlooked when people focus on building external links.
Internal links can help improve the user experience on your website by making it easier for people to find the information they are looking for. They can also help search engines understand the structure of your website and index your pages more effectively.
To avoid overlooking internal linking opportunities, take some time to map out the structure of your website and identify opportunities to add internal links.
2. Relying Too Heavily on Guest Posting
While guest posting can be a great way to build links, it should not be the only method used. Guest posting should be used with other methods, such as directory submissions, social bookmarking, and blog commenting.
3. Neglecting to Monitor Link Quality
Many web admins mistake assuming that all links are created equal. Links from low-quality websites can hurt your search engine rankings. That's why it's essential to monitor the quality of your links regularly.
Ensure the link comes from a website similar to yours regarding the topic and audience. If the linking website is entirely unrelated to yours, the link is probably not very valuable.
To avoid this, make sure to monitor the quality of your links regularly. Check for things like link rot, malware, and spam. If you find any links that are of low quality, remove them from your website.
4. Building Links in Isolation
The most common error is to focus on the number of links rather than the quality. Only concentrating on quantity can lead to participating in link schemes or low-quality directories, ultimately doing more harm than good.
5. Don't Diversify Your Link-Building Efforts
Not diversifying your link-building is a common mistake because people think they must build links in as many places as possible. However, this can be counterproductive because it will spread your resources too thin. It's better to focus your efforts on a few high-quality links rather than low-quality ones.
6. Creating Poor Content
Poor content can be anything from thin or poorly written to duplicate. Not only will this type of content not bring in organic traffic, but it can also get your site penalized by Google.
To avoid this, ensure all your content is well-researched, well-written, and 100% unique. Check here for more information if you want to organize your content for links.
Understanding Common Link-Building Errors
When it comes to link building, a few common errors can trip you up. Fortunately, you can easily avoid these with little knowledge and forethought. Avoiding these common link-building errors will go a long way toward building a successful and sustainable link-building strategy.
Check out our other articles for more guidance and information to help you on your way.