With so many algorithm changes that have taken
place over the past few years, some SEO professionals have declared that
traditional backlinks are dead. Although link building has experienced massive
changes, it is still alive and kicking. The manner in which backlinks are to be
built, however, has to be modernized.
What does it take to build quality, whitehat,
natural backlinks in 2016? Several SEO strategies will deliver the best
possible results.
Natural backlinks are the ones that other
websites use to point their audience to your content. Why would other websites
want to do that? The answer is simple. Your site features quality content that
their audience is going to benefit from.
Thus, the best 2016 SEO link building strategy
does not focus on links at all. It focuses on having a good content strategy.
Come up with a content plan and get in the habit
of updating your website on a regular basis. Stick to very specific,
well-researched and unique topics. The more original your content is, the more
others will be willing to share links.
On top of making it easier to obtain quality
backlinks, a good content strategy will boost exposure and help you establish
your website's online reputation. This is essential for getting your articles
and other types of content to go viral. Thus, good content will also play a
role in your social media marketing strategy.
Social media sites are considered high authority
websites. This is the main reason why social media marketing can impact your
link building strategy.
Many social networks do not provide do-follow
links. This means that links coming from such websites are not going to have an
impact on your link building strategy. Facebook is one such website. Still,
sharing content through Facebook makes sense because it impacts your online
reputation. It also boosts audience engagement, which will have an indirect
impact on your SEO efforts.
Some of
the best social media that will impact your link building strategy include
Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, HubPages, Reddit, Tumblr and WordPress.
As already mentioned, these are not the only social media networks to focus the
efforts on. Even the ones that do not directly impact your link building
strategy will produce social signals that help to build a website's reputation
and maximize the traffic.
When
done correctly, guest posting is a good strategy for link building in 2016.
Just like with any other link building method, guest posting should be all
about quality rather than quantity.
Guest
posting refers to writing a unique article for another website or blog. It gets
featured there, including an author biography and a link to your website. The
blog benefits from a fresh piece of content written by an expert and you
benefit from a backlink.
To be
effective when it comes to guest blogging, choose relevant websites. Authority
websites that discuss topics similar to yours provide the best links. Therefor,
you should do your research when it comes to choosing guest posting partners.