Why is Link Building So Important to Improve Website Rankings?
As a business owner, you’re probably already aware that your website is a valuable part of your sales chain. You may also already know that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a huge factor in your website’s value. However, if you’re like most people, you’re not quite sure all that goes into SEO. Things like page load time, technical SEO, content, crawling, indexing … and link building. But wait – what’s that? And why is link building so important? How can it help improve your website rankings?
We’re here to answer those questions for you. Let’s take a deeper look at link building, starting with the basics: what is it?
What is Link Building?
Link building is just one pillar that holds up your successful SEO strategy. However, it’s an important pillar. Have you ever been on a website and seen a link within an article that leads to a different website? That’s a built link.
The proficient SEO expert devotes time and resources to setting up links on other websites. They do this on behalf of their clients who choose that service. It can be one of the most challenging parts of the SEO process, but offers great reward when you hit the mark.
Why is Link Building Important for SEO?
Now we get to the main question. Link building is important to raise your search rankings because search engine algorithms are smart – and they take factors all over the internet into account when ranking search results.
How Links Work
If our website was to link to your website, we would be giving Google’s algorithm a nudge. “Hey, Google – this other website is worth promoting.” It’s a “vote” in favor of your website’s value to people who are searching the keyphrases you want to rank higher for. The more high quality links you gain on other sites, the higher your Google ranking should move.
For example, let’s say you’re an oral surgeon. You want to rank higher when people search “oral surgeons in Nashville, TN.” If another site links to you in an article about oral surgery, your rankings will get a boost. For that reason, clients could be more likely to find you first.
In addition, if your SEO team gets link building right, you should see results in a few other areas. Along with the search ranking boost, your website should see an increase in:
- Speed with which your new pages reach the search results page
- Credibility rankings for your site (this raises the quality score – and therefore lowers the cost – of your paid search ads)
- Targeted referral traffic
When Link Building Goes Bad
If you or your marketing team build links in the wrong way or using “black hat” tactics, you could hurt your website’s reputation. This potentially (read: “likely”) would hurt your rankings and cause organic traffic to drop.
Simply avoid violating Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
Easier said than done? Perhaps. For that reason, it pays to have an experienced team working on your behalf. Just like the other elements of a successful SEO strategy, building links can be rewarding to your bottom line!
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For help with link building (or for a new site altogether), call Interactive ID today. We’re ready to help and our experience is that local businesses often benefit the most from simple, consistent SEO. Call us today at (888) 623-1891 or fill out our online form today.