SEO Link Building is the Key to Getting Your Content Noticed
Many people make the mistake of assuming that SEO and content marketing are two different entities, and that is a substitute for the other. Nothing could be further from the truth. SEO needs great content to back it up; in fact, SEO wouldn’t work at all without content. Similarly, content marketing without SEO is akin to putting up a stellar stage performance for an empty auditorium. Quality content alone is never enough to help a site rank high on the SERPs; it needs skillful optimization and promotion using the latest SEO techniques. If users don’t find you for relevant keywords on Google, how can you expect them to visit your site and engage with all the great content you have created for them?
As a content marketer, your focus must be both on creating stellar content, as well as using SEO effectively to make sure that the content reaches your target audience. A key SEO aspect that has the maximum bearing on search results is link building. When your website gets backlinks from trusted, high-authority sites, Google takes it as a signal that your business is credible, and your content is useful to its intended audience. For example, let’s say you are a landscaping company—a popular lifestyle magazine mentions your business and provides a link to one of your pages featuring a list of the city’s most spectacular gardens. Imagine the exposure you could get with just that one link! When you consistently work towards acquiring links from high-ranking sites, you establish your website as a prominent brand in your field, and attract more quality traffic and online leads.
3 Aspects to Consider With Link-Building
Link building is time-consuming, but don’t let that put you off. When something is difficult and requires consistent effort, not many people do it, giving you a huge opportunity to gain a competitive edge.
Below are three important aspects to consider while engaging in SEO link building:
- Link-Building Needs Specialized Attention: Companies make the mistake of spending a lot of time in content creation but not a fraction of that time for link building. Remember that PR is an essential part of SEO and content marketing. Also, link-building is not a one-time event, but an ongoing activity. For these reasons, it pays for a company to either hire a team member that can concentrate on acquiring backlinks, or to outsource the service to a leading link-building company that can help your brand get noticed. (There! We just gave a backlink to this particular company’s website!)
- Link-Building Is a Key Ranking Consideration: In SEO’s short history, many changes and updates are the result of Google’s evolutionary approach to the industry. Techniques (keyword stuffing, buying links) that were rampant a few years ago, are no longer acceptable. Also, Google keeps changing its algorithms constantly which means many SEO elements that were important for ranking even six months ago, may not be as critical anymore. Link-building, however, has remained a major ranking factor for search engines, and that is not likely to change in the foreseeable future. Backlinks continue to be the easiest way for search engines to judge the importance and popularity of a website. Hence, it pays for companies to invest in link-building activity.
- Link-building is About PR and Building Relationships: Don’t be an island when it comes to content marketing. Try to integrate with your professional community. Your field, however niche it may be, is bound to have thought leaders and influential bloggers who will be willing to engage with you and support you in your link building efforts. For example, why not interview a thought leader from your field? He or she will almost certainly post comments about the interview with backlinks to your website. Or why not be a guest blogger on a major website? Nurturing and cultivating online relations are important aspects of link building.
How Can I Begin Link-Building?
Link building always starts with having relevant, high-quality content on your website. The next step is to promote that content with backlinks. Links don’t just happen; they need strategic, manual targeting. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to acquire links. This Content Marketing Institute article offers 34 different link building tools and tips that you can explore. Check it out!
SEO link building can propel content marketing to another level. If you are looking for a leading content marketing agency with expertise and experience in SEO copywriting, call 1-888-646-8003 today or email us to learn about our range of copywriting services in Canada.