6 Ways Link Building Changed Over the Last Decade

Link building is a crucial part of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and when properly implemented will significantly improve your site’s search engine rankings.Over the years, we have observed numerous changes to white-hat tactics and SEO, and according to a recent article from Search Engine Land, link building strategy was not exempt from these shifts. The following are ten major ways link building has changed, and by starting a conversation with PBJ Marketing, we can help find you solutions.

1. Harsher penalties – Too many links on a page is a bad thing. In the past, these “link schemes” weren’t harshly scrutinized, but more recently Google has stepped up its efforts to penalize pages labeled with "link-overkill".
2. A link is no longer “just a link” – Ten years ago, spammy forum posts and blog comments linking back to your site were tolerated and had little-to-no impact on your rankings. However, nowadays, if Google finds a pattern of spammy links, you’re going to get hit with a harsh penalty.
3. Domain diversification – Including links in your content to multiple domains always returns more than numerous links from a single domain. Links from various sources offer legitimacy to your site, so diversification is crucial.
4. Guest posts rule the content kingdom – Writing an article and posting it to a publication that’s not associated with your brand is considered a guest blog and Google REALLY likes them. By creating quality content to reach a new audience, it packs a much stronger SEO punch.
5. Quality over quantity – Although quality is important for all content, it’s especially crucial for guest posts. The vast majority of web publishers vet pieces and writers before posting them, requiring you to build relationships with editors and webmasters.
6. Avoid press releases – Press releases are a wonderful way to announce a product launch or major event surrounding your brand. Years ago, many companies started publishing countless press releases, while shoehorning in a newsworthy topic so that they would get picked up by news sources. These days, the tactic to so over-used that Google downgraded the power of links to press releases.

Read more about changing link building strategies at Search Engine Land.Link building and SEO is a moving target, but with a dedicated team of professionals you can hit the bullseye every time. Contact PBJ Marketing todayand let’s come up with a plan to launch your brand to the top of Google’s search results.