I was recently sent a quote which another company had received for SEO (search engine optimisation) services. With the object of either beating it or offering any feedback.
When reading through the quote I noticed that one of the main tactics used was ‘buying links’. Now this is a frowned upon strategy and one that I find very risky indeed, let me explain.
For years Google has penalised black hat (bad) SEO practices, often with heavy punishments. This could often cause dropping off the rankings completely.
Although it’s yet to be punished, with advancements to their ranking scripts, it could soon have you looking over your shoulder.
Let’s look at the positive and negatives of buying links:
Positives of buying links
- Google uses links to your site as ranking factors.
- Fast method for ranking quickly.
Negatives of buying links
- Will often be links from low ranked pages.
- The better the link the more it costs.
- It might not be of relevance to the blogs audience, making it less effective.
- The original search might be taken into account when landing on your site, effecting your other positions.
- Google has stated that it’s not best practice.
As you can see the negatives outweigh the positives and for what you main gain in the short term, it could have devastating effects in the long term. For further information on link building check out this blog, link schemes and bad neighborhoods.
Now the example above is the right way to go about link building, it’s a natural link. They haven’t paid me, I have had no contact with them and it’s of no personal gain for me. The only purpose of the link is to provide extra evidence for my points. This is what Google wants to see, the only benefit to me providing extra content for my readers.
Another thing I also noticed about this quote was that it also lacked content production for a blog. One of the ways to go about link building in a positive way is to write a blog. This is a great way to provide fresh content to people and often leads to good natural links from other sources.
Here at Pug Mug Marketing, we avoid link building schemes and any short term gain which might have long term effects. We hope this has given you an insight and hopefully you’ll avoid these methods going forward. If you’re looking for SEO services, please click the following link SEO West Bromwich
Kevin has been involved in Digital Marketing for over 10 years. He’s worked with a variety of small businesses from telecommunications companies to skirting board manufacturers.
Working in small businesses has led him to develop various skills from graphic design to web design and search engine optimisation.
Along with his degree in Business Management and his digital marketing experience he formed Pug Mug Marketing in 2017.
After growing many small businesses, he believes he has the experience to help grow yours.