3 Link Building Strategies to Get Backlinks - 3.2. SEO Course by Ahrefs

Summary

In this lesson on link building, Sam Oh outlines three key strategies for obtaining backlinks: creating, buying, and earning them. Creating backlinks involves manual actions like directory submissions, but offers limited SEO benefit. Buying backlinks is a risky strategy, violating Google’s guidelines and potentially resulting in penalties. Earning backlinks through outreach, media mentions, and organic sources is the most effective, though it takes time. The lesson emphasizes that harder-to-obtain links are generally more valuable. The next lesson will delve into what makes a backlink truly beneficial for SEO.

Takeaways

• 😀 **Difference between Strategy and Tactic**: Strategies are high-level plans, while tactics are micro-steps that help execute those plans. Strategies guide direction; tactics define how to get there.
• 😀 **Three Methods to Get Backlinks**: You can create, buy, or earn backlinks. Each method has varying levels of difficulty and effectiveness.
• 😀 **Creating Backlinks**: Involves adding links manually on directories, blog comments, or social media profiles. Easy but generally ineffective for SEO.
• 😀 **Buying Backlinks**: Paying for backlinks from other websites. This is risky (against Google's guidelines) and could lead to penalties, including loss of rankings or removal from search results.
• 😀 **Cost of Buying Backlinks**: The average cost of buying one backlink is $353, based on a survey of 250 websites.
• 😀 **Effectiveness of Buying Backlinks**: Buying links may work short-term, but the risk of penalty outweighs the reward, especially for long-term SEO success.
• 😀 **Earning Backlinks**: More sustainable, involves outreach to other website owners, becoming a source for journalists, or receiving organic links from social media or search.
• 😀 **Challenges of Earning Backlinks**: Earning links takes time and effort, especially through outreach and creating content that naturally attracts links.
• 😀 **Organic Links**: These are links that come naturally from others linking to your content. They're hard to rely on consistently unless you have an established brand.
• 😀 **Link Difficulty and Value**: Links that are harder to acquire are often more valuable. A strategy focused on earning high-quality links will yield better results in the long term.
• 😀 **Importance of Consistency**: A steady flow of backlinks is essential for building traffic and improving SEO rankings. Simply waiting for organic links is not enough to stay competitive.

Q & A

What is the difference between a strategy and a tactic in the context of link building?

A strategy is a high-level plan that outlines the overall approach, whereas a tactic refers to specific actions or steps taken to implement the strategy. The strategy guides the direction, and the tactics help achieve the goals set by the strategy.

What are the three main methods for acquiring backlinks?

The three main methods for acquiring backlinks are creating them, buying them, and earning them.

What does 'creating backlinks' mean, and how effective is this method?

'Creating backlinks' means manually adding links from other domains to your own, such as through directories, blog comments, or social media profiles. While this method is easy to execute, it is not very effective in improving SEO or rankings.

What are the potential risks of buying backlinks?

Buying backlinks is against Google's Webmaster Guidelines and can lead to penalties, such as losing search rankings or being removed from Google's search index. Additionally, it is a costly method, with an average price of around $353 per link.

Why might buying backlinks be considered risky despite its apparent ease?

Although buying backlinks is easy if you have the budget, it is risky because it violates Google’s guidelines. If discovered, it can lead to significant penalties that could harm your site's reputation and rankings.

How much does it typically cost to buy a backlink?

The average cost of buying a backlink is approximately $353 per link, based on research involving 250 websites.

What does it mean to 'earn' backlinks, and why is this method the most effective?

Earning backlinks means receiving links naturally, either through email outreach, media mentions, or organic links from other websites. This method is considered the most effective because it focuses on building relationships and providing valuable content, which results in more sustainable SEO benefits.

What are the three main ways to earn backlinks?

The three main ways to earn backlinks are through email outreach, becoming a source for media or publications, and receiving organic links from users or other websites.

Why are organic earned links considered less consistent, and how does this affect your link-building strategy?

Organic earned links can be less consistent because they typically occur when others naturally link to your content, which requires time and a strong online presence. This makes them less reliable, especially for newer websites, so relying solely on organic links can hinder your SEO progress.

What is the general rule regarding the value of a backlink based on its difficulty to obtain?

Generally speaking, the more difficult it is to obtain a backlink, the more valuable it is. This is because harder-to-acquire links typically come from more authoritative and trusted sources.