Are you unsure of how to generate website traffic from link building?
Is linking to spammy sites not having the desired result on your SEO
Do you want to change your link building services because they are failing to generate website traffic?
Every brand at some point or the other is caught at crossroads when it comes to link building. We all know that effective link building is one of the strongest SEO strategies out there. We also know that if done right, link building services can help fulfill the dual purpose of-
- Climbing Google’s Search Engine Rankings Page (SERPs)
- Help generate website traffic from industry authority sites
However, rarely do we come across a brand that is completely satisfied with their link building services. The intention of engaging in SEO services is always there. It is the priority, which keeps changing from one aspect to another.
In this article, I look at some ways in which link building services can help generate website traffic for your brand.
Table Of Content
How to use ‘Do-Follow and No-Follow’ Links to Generate Website Traffic
We have already stated that link building serves two important SEO functions. However. What most people do not know is that the two types of links have different impacts on the two outcomes.
Anyone familiar with link building will tell you about the two major types of links. If you want an in-depth understanding of the same, I suggest you look up this article on ‘do-follow’ and ‘no-follow’ links.
Let us discuss briefly on the kind of effect do-follow and no-follow links have on SERPs and generating website traffic-
- Do-Follow Links:
Do-follow links serve a dual purpose of contributing to SEO scores and metrics and helping generate website traffic. This is the ideal that most SEO and link building services strive for.
- No-Follow Links:
Publishers make hyperlinks as no-follow links to deny websites the benefits of SEO scores. In other words, no-follow links do not contribute to the metrics increase of SERPs. It does, however, help generate traffic to your website.
For a casual visitor, there is hardly any difference visually towards both the types of links. For the visitor, both of them serve the same purpose- redirecting to a new page. However, Google created no-follow links in 2005, to help search engines differentiate between good links and spammy ones.
For Google, too many websites were manipulating links and artificially engineering their rise to the top of search engines. With the introduction of the no-follow, Google made it a point that websites need to earn links in a natural and organic fashion.
Why Brands and Agencies need to fix Link Building priorities
There is a consensus amongst all in the industry that link building is one of Google’s number one currency. It is part of Google’s algorithm on rankings and contributes heavily to search ranking positions.
However, Google also states that the process of building links needs to be as organic and natural as possible. Meaning- you cannot use any Black Hat or Grey Hat strategies. If Google finds out, it can severely penalize your website.
The punishment can range from lowered metrics and poor visibility to de-indexing in harsh cases. Thousands of websites have suffered because of Google’s Penguin Update of 2015. Google’s Web Spam team is constantly on the lookout for sites that are working through Private Blog Networks, Link Resellers, and Link Directories.
According to me, Google wants websites to follow a path for link building. After being in the industry for over ten years, I want to share some close inputs on what I think Google wants.
This path is for every new website that wants to climb the SERPs, generate website traffic and increase revenues. We need to understand how Google is redefining its goal posts. The past couple of years have seen Google and other tech giants face court cases in different countries.
Almost all the cases revolve around how Google through paid advertising has influenced behaviors in different countries. In other words, Google wants to redefine and reinvent itself. This redefinition will take it back to its original founding intent of being the most credible source of information on the World Wide Web.
Can Content Generate Website Traffic for Brands
Investing in content creation will probably be the best decision you can ever take for your brand. Great quality content is the foundation of any digital marketing strategy on the internet. Great content also scores high on Google’s recommendations of websites.
If you are creating great (please notice that I am not mentioning good; well does not cut it anymore), you will always generate traffic. The key to understanding is the fact that content acts as an anchor to several things-
- You will get more acceptance for Guest Posting requests that you make to another website.
- You will reduce your website’s bounce rate, as people will be attracted and spend more time-consuming content.
- Other websites will cite you and link to your page because of the great nature of your content.
- You will establish your credibility as an industry authority voice.
In terms of time, content can act as an accelerator, when it comes to generating website traffic through guest posting. It can also help slowly build your audience and engage them over a period.
When I talk of content, it applies to not only website content, but also content on-
- Your brand’s social media pages
- Content on forums like Quora and Reddit
- Blog section content (this is very critical)
- Other platforms that you might be targeting
Investing in a content writing team or content writing services is a sound investment that every brand should make. Please take into account that Google values great content more than anything else in 2019.
Read more: Best Content Writing Tools to Create the Perfect Blog
Guest Posting and Generating Website Traffic
Let us be very honest with regard to our statuses as novices. We cannot expect do-follow links on 80+ DA industry authority site if we are starting out. Most websites that allow great content to be published as guest posting offers no-follow links.
Further, no follow links are given for linking to the resource section of another website. This might be the blog section, the reports/data section, or even the case study section. The best industry authority sites are highly critical of giving links to relative newbies. This helps them maintain their position, credibility, and respect in the industry.
However, if you have great content, you can start guest posting successfully. No matter how new your website domain is, it will see a spike in DA in the first three months if you create amazing content. Once you have created at least 30 blogs on your website. Start reaching out for guest posting on other sites.
Aim for the low hanging fruit (DA- 20-40), and submit an article. Try to reach out to websites. which have higher traffic flows than other metrics? Settle for a no-follow link to your blog article. You need to get at least 100 links from websites to see a spike in your traffic. You also need to be careful that you are guest posting on websites that belong to your industry.
Social Media Link Building
Apart from guest posting, social media is an important platform to drive traffic to your website. This is because as compared to a website, a social media page is part of a more vibrant and dynamic eco-system. Your aim should be to get your website as close to this eco-system as possible.
By creating eye-catching content on your social media pages, you can redirect audiences to your website. Let us enumerate the same with the help of an example.
Some months ago, a travel blogger reached out to me with a similar problem. He had thousands of followers on social media, but his website was not getting any traffic. He explained that the nature of his work is such that social media satisfies all his followers. Why would they visit the website?
In short, he wanted a strategy that would help him generate website traffic.
This person was creating some amazing content with GoPro.
I suggested just one thing. I asked him not to upload entire videos on social media. He should just put out a small minute snippet on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. I also created a YouTube video embed section on his blog site and updated every travel adventure as a content piece.
Within a month, his website traffic shot up over 500% percent! With just two small tweaks. People got so curious about the amazing content that they visited the website to view the entire video.
Social media also allows hashtag usage to reach a wider audience who are not part of your direct followers. Again, content is something that ranks at the top of the social media food chain. If you have the right content, you can drive an insane amount of traffic to your website.
Quora as a platform for Link Building Services
Quora is slowly emerging as the ‘Wikipedia with a Voice’ (yes I coined that term, right now!).
It is the platform of choice for millions of people who use it to gain credible information on a host of issues.
The key is to offer constructive solutions and information to visitors on Quora. Everyone who visits Quora is looking for something or the other. If you are able to engage the right audiences, you will see a spike in your website traffic.
Do not go on commenting on every article under the sun. Always comment on articles that belong to your industry. Your comment should be detailed, simple and constructive in nature. It should also stop after a point. Here is where you need to give users your website link.
If you have satisfied 60 percent of their query through your comment, you can be rest assured that for the last 40%, they will visit your website. The best part about Quora is that you get targeted traffic belonging to your industry.
You can only get no-follow links on Quora. The same holds true for social media platforms as well. However, if generating website traffic is your aim, these platforms are most credible.
Read more: Understanding Social Media Analytics: An Expert’s View
Do Not Copy Competitors to Generate Website Traffic
Everyone including me can help you with some basics and best practices to generate website traffic. It is not necessary that what worked for someone, might end up working for you as well. However, it is essential that you try to plan and execute as many strategies as possible to succeed.
I have seen so many SEO experts give examples of what they have done and how they managed to grow their traffic. However, all of them fail to take into account that they are industry authority voices. The results they will get from Guest Posting will be infinitely different from what your brand will get.
Do not copy them for the only thing you will feel is a disappointment. There is only advice from experts that you should pay attention to- creating great content! Do not look at how they were able to grow something. That final effect or result is because of ten thousand different variables.
Conclusion:
In this article, I have exclusively talked of how you can generate website traffic through White Hat Link Building. Not all digital agencies offer White Hat link building services. Further, this is a pretty long drawn and expensive strategy.
However, the biggest benefit of this strategy is that it guarantees you peace of mind. Not every update from Google at 3 am in the morning will cause you to have a stroke. This will also ensure that your website is always clean, functional and does not deal with any shady element.
It is crucial that you maintain a safe distance from link resellers, private blog networks, and link directories. Being in the industry for so long, I understand that sometimes it can get transactional. There are pulls and pressures that you cannot ignore. In such instances, you need to be safe by taking help from your content.
If your content is great, you do not have anything to fear, even if there are monetary transactions involved. Great content, more than money, will become the overriding factor for you to get access to industry authority sites.
If you have any other question with regard to link building services email me at [email protected]
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