What Will Link-Building Look Like In 2016?

Search engine optimisation techniques have certainly changed over the years, and the creation of high-quality, valuable content is more important than ever with regards to any kind of SEM campaign. Now, there are many in the SEO world (mostly self-proclaimed digital marketing experts than those with any kind of tangible proof) who claim that link-building is an archaic technique that is no longer worth the effort involved.

However, in our experience, link-building is still an essential component of any online marketing campaign; the only real change in terms of linking has, in fact, been in the shift from the amount of links, to the quality of the links that you receive.

How Can Link-Building Help A Website’s SEO?

Essentially, receiving links from other sites improves the reliability of your site or blog, meaning that your content is more likely to be supplied when a user is looking for answers to a specific question. The more people link to your site, the more search engines like Google will assume that your site is actually saying something worthwhile.

The more trustworthy the site linking to your site is; the better for your search engine optimisation efforts.

Which Sites Are Valuable Links?

Although nobody outside of Google really understands how the search engine’s algorithms assign value to a link, we do know that some sites are definitely worth more than others when it comes to link value.

A wide range of features are used when verifying the value of a website’s link; for example, the popularity of the site. If a site receives thousands of visitors every day, then it is more likely that Google will believe that the site itself has value. Therefore, if that site then links to another site, some of that value will be carried over in the form of the link.

News sites, including newspaper websites, are particularly valuable, and a link from a current affairs site will suggest to Google that your business is of interest and relevant to those users looking for keywords similar to your site’s topic.

How Can You Get High-Quality Links For Your Site In 2016?

For the most part, we expect link-building to remain fairly similar to 2015 and, certainly, many of the main techniques and strategies used to accrue these high-quality links will remain the same. However, we also wouldn’t be surprised to see more and more businesses take advantage of the proven benefits to engaging in link-building.

If there is one problem with the digital marketing industry, it is that so many of us are desperate to create snappy, opinionated titles in order to attract attention and encourage engagement, which is why we end up with so many blog posts and articles titled things like “SEO is Dead!” and “Link-Building Doesn’t Work Anymore”. However, throughout 2016, even those digital marketers who have previously mocked link-building as an archaic technique will be required to make the most of its incredible advantages.

Ask People For Links!

Now, this certainly isn’t a tactic that will work for everyone. However, if you have a small business or you’re just starting out, asking your friends, family and acquaintances to link to your site can really give you a great start-up boost. It probably harder to find someone who doesn’t have a blog, a Facebook account or a personal website than someone who does, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find friendly people who are willing to help you out.

When possible, only ask those friends of yours who are relevant to your topic; if your friend has a blog on food and links to your technology business, it probably won’t have much value.

More subtly, you can freely include a backlink to another site and imply to them in a private message that a link on their site, leading to yours, would be a nice response.

Guest Posting

Now, it may not be as hugely beneficial as it was just a few short years ago, but guest posting can still provide a massive boost to your site’s SEO. A single, high-quality article on a well-respected website can really offer a range of benefits that can’t really be beaten.

When it comes to guest posting, you need to ensure that your content adheres to your chosen site’s guidelines and actually provides some useful information or advice to their readers. Take the time to learn which websites are actually going to be useful, and only submit to those sites that you, yourself, would read as an interested party.

For example, if you were looking to improve your reputation as an SEO expert, you might consider submitting an article to SEO Hacker or a similar industry-relevant website. Guest posting is an essential part of any content marketing campaign, and you really cannot afford to miss out on the fantastic advantages that it can provide.

Broken Link-Building

This is a technique which is really starting to work more and more. When you find a broken link on someone’s page, you contact them and offer a page of your own as a replacement for the broken link. This works more often than not, and is a great way for newer websites to build their reputation very quickly, particularly in highly competitive markets where websites will regularly crumble under the pressure.

Viral Social Traffic And Signals

There isn’t really anything new when it comes to using social media as a means of promoting your business. It is important to remember, however, that there is a difference between just doing it and doing it effectively. In the modern online world, every successful social media campaign has elements of viral marketing within it, and you cannot afford to engage in a long social media campaign without ensuring that it will result in high numbers of backlinks.

Link Building In 2016: Make Sure You’re Doing It Right!

It might not be enough as a digital marketing strategy on its own, but link-building is an important part of any large-scale content marketing campaign, and it can offer a range of advantages to your website or business which you won’t find anywhere else. You cannot afford to miss out on the great advantages that it can provide.

For more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our professional team today on 0118 380 1002 or, alternatively, you can email any questions you might have to hi@promote.agency and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!