You might say that link building is very much in the past. In fact, you might even say, “Why waste my time with it when Google created Penguin to hunt down links?”. While it’s true that Google did unleash Penguin to punish those who were doing all the wrong things when it came to building links, the SEO technique is still a valuable strategy in your marketing campaign.

Yes, posting on social media and focusing on content marketing efforts help a lot when it comes to improving your online visibility, but you shouldn’t just forget about links entirely. Here are six reasons this should be the case:

 

1. Links are STILL crucial when it comes to improving search visibility

Matt Cutts, head of Webspam at Google, was asked whether the search engine has a version that doesn’t include backlinks as a ranking factor. Cutts said that they have tested the scenario internally and found that backlinks, even if they contain lots of noise and spam, are a “really, really big win in terms of quality for search results.”

Amit Singhal, the unofficial head of search at Google, even made mention of the importance of links at SMX West 2014. According to him, links are the best measure when it comes to the quality of your content.

In an interview with Eric Enge back in 2013, Matt Cutts declared that not all link building is bad. What does go wrong is how it is being used. Instead of building links after creating value, links are built beforehand which is a sign of manipulation.

2. Links are here to stay

Google already has more than 200 signals to determine the quality of the content being shared on the internet and link quality remains one of them. It has been around for ages, and it has been a tried and tested gauge of high-quality content.

Sure, social signals are a great indicator – because if content is being shared by many, there must be something of value contained in it – but it’s a factor that hasn’t been fully implemented.

3. Building links increases exposure

When an article posted on social media gets shared, retweeted, favourited, +1′d, etc., it’s safe to say that people reacted to the content being shared. This is exactly the same when it comes to being linked to.

When any content present in your site gets linked to, that serves as a vote of confidence. This is particularly true when a trusted source is the one that links to your content. People will trust your link because it was shared from a resource that they trust as well.

4. Natural link building works well with other online marketing activities

Link building shouldn’t be the only marketing strategy you employ. It should act as a complement to other activities you do online such as interacting/sharing relevant content on social media and creating valuable content on your own site.

Building natural links is not an easy task. It is one that takes time and a whole lot of patience. Link builders should know which communities to reach out to in order to draw attention to the content they want to share.

5. Link building establishes relationships

Brands can establish relationships from their link building activities, if done the right way. This means that outreach and communication with real people is a necessity in building links the right way. Any link building campaign should try to focus on creating a relationship with those who are interested in what you have to offer, in your company and the insights that you share.

6. Well-built links send good vibes to Google

When you’re working on your brand’s visibility online, stop thinking about getting things done quick and fast. Think about your target audience and what they want. Provide these to them and surely you will be rewarded.

Yes, it will take a lot of time to get the desired results that you want, but you will be keeping both your audience and Google really happy. All Google wants you to do is keep things simple, and it really does pay to heed that advice.

Final say…

The face of link building has drastically changed over the years, but it is not dead. It still remains a valuable asset when it comes to building a presence, but it also needs to be done the right way.