Backlinks: how to avoid the six types that Google despises.One of the most important indicators is the quality of your backlinks profile.They are used by Google in relation to website ranking.
Relationships with link donors can take months, if not years, for an SEO specialist to build.Developing effective content strategies, identifying and profiling relevant resources, and so on.
However, not all difficult-to-obtain links are actually valuable.Google will not consider some (or many!) of them.What are they?Are you concentrating your efforts on the right kinds of backlinks?
This blog post examines which types of backlinks are not worth your time.
1. Backlink From .edu Domains
You've probably seen people get links by commenting on.edu websites.Alternatively, articles published on student portals.It might work if the link comes from a well-known blog.
It must live on a well-known university resource.
But that would apply to any website and not necessarily a top level domain. At least that's how .edu links were considered, as top-level.
Contrary to popular belief, most .edu links are simply ignored by Google. Moreover, they are even considered spam. SEO specialists advise you to spare no effort in getting links from .edu.
It is a waste of time and energy.
Also, keep in mind that Google considers them spammy. You might be better off marking them as nofollow or removing them altogether. Through an SEO analysis you can have access to all the data you need to be safe.
2. Paid Links
Link building is a time-consuming and laborious process.It's so tedious that it's tempting to get them in exchange for money.Some people attempt to avoid organic traffic.
Links can be purchased in exchange for money or in exchange for services or products.Or any other "monetary" reward you can think of.As a way of life and business, some websites sell links.
Why you should avoid purchasing links:
- Google can easily detect websites that sell links, believe it or not.You aren't the only one approaching them for a sale.If such a website is found to be selling links, it may face penalties.As a result, their page rank falls, putting their link building investments in jeopardy.Finally, it comes down to lowering your website's ranking;
- Be cautious when approaching websites that sell bulk links.Google is definitely aware of it!That is, Google has already listed them and will ignore them by default.
It would be beneficial to the consumer if Google marked the websites as red.As a result, no money or effort will be squandered on the backlink strategy.But no one, not even Google, can tell you how to run your business.
The rule in this game is to play fairly and not to sell or buy links.It's much more enjoyable to earn them naturally!
There are so many tools that help you choose the best resources to work with.
3. Backlinks From Low-quality Forums
Spamming forums with links to your site is an old-school link-building tactic that, to be honest, does nothing for your site.
If links are ever posted in forums, they should appear naturally as part of an ongoing conversation.
As part of a discussion, someone on Hacker News recommends various flight simulators. When used to provide genuine advice or resources to other forum users, links should only be placed in forums in this manner.
4. Backlinks From Press Releases
Perhaps there was a time when a press release was written for a product update.Pull strings in the hope that it will help you build connections and public relations.
Journalists used to pay attention to such news.However, these links were not assisting in the development of your backlink profile.They are certainly obsolete these days.
Here are a few things to keep in mind in this situation:
- Google transmits links in press releases by default. They are published by companies, being unnatural;
- links in press releases must be nofollow. Again, Google classifies these as unnatural links;
- developing and distributing press releases could still be good practice. Especially for brand awareness and public relations. Maybe you represent a well-known brand and have a solid PR strategy. But for link building purposes, don't waste time on this activity.
5. Links From Directories
The traditional method is to list your company in relevant and reputable directories.It is, however, effective at driving high-quality traffic to your website and earning valuable links.
High-quality, well-moderated directories can aid in the development of your backlink profile.This is especially true if you have a "young" website.Choose relevant directories with care and avoid mass submissions.
Key Points To Keep In Mind When Using Directories As A Link Building Technique:
- Google has gotten smart and will ignore links from irrelevant and low quality directories. This is wasted time and effort with zero benefit;
- do not add keywords in the anchor texts of the links in the directories;
- never consider working with directories that do not have review policies. These are of very poor quality and will do you no good;
- don't submit your company information to irrelevant directories. The reason is quite obvious.
What Can You Do In This Case?
Are you just getting started and don't know where to begin?Make use of a pre-made digital marketing strategy.It must be built using the best SEO optimization practices.
There are tools available to assist you in getting started and providing advice on how to build your backlink profile.It also advises you on which directories to look into.
6. Links From Irrelevant Articles And Publications
Link building via a well-planned content strategy.This is most likely the best way to build a strong and effective backlink profile.
But there's always a "but"Avoid creating content solely to obtain a link.The days of content being republished in multiple publications are long gone.
The days of stuffing keywords into text are long gone.Keyword-rich anchor texts that could lead to a quality link are also no longer effective.In fact, Google employs these indicators to filter out such links.
Things To Consider When Pursuing A Backlink Strategy:
- always write quality content that is fair, on-topic and relevant to your audience. Don't save money for so-called writers who develop poor quality content. Google will ignore such publications, possibly marking you as a spammy website;
- never publish the same content on different resources. Use rel=”canonical” in addition to rel=”nofollow” if you need to copy content;
- do not collaborate with sources that publish irrelevant content on their website. Especially if you suspect that it was developed specifically for link exchange. Such links not only do you no good, but can damage your reputation. They can work against you in Google or Bing rankings.
What do you need to do to work with sources that have a good reputation? Which ones are relevant to your niche and of good quality? You can spy on the backlink profile of your top competitors.
Do these sources accept publications from your competitors? There is a good chance that your articles will also be targeted and they will accept your content. Keep in mind that you need to develop a compelling and handy article.
7. Links Collected Using Special Scripts And/Or A Link Building Outsourcer
Have you spent your entire life dealing with various SEO and web promotion services?You've probably come across software and scripts that promise to improve your backlink profile quickly.
They should not be confused with legitimate link building tools that assist you in conducting proper research.Create effective content strategies, for example.We're talking about special scripts that use algorithms to generate backlinks automatically.
This method is not only inadmissible, but it is also strictly prohibited.You never know what kind of links you have, and you might find yourself with nowhere to remove them.
One such method is to have a script publish various comments on your behalf. Then, on a variety of resources, include a link to your website.
This method provides uncertainty and Google does not favor such activities.
One more important note! Be careful when outsourcing your link building. There are many people who are ready to provide such services.
However, there are very few who know what you need. They will not be ready to spend time building a quality profile. Ultimately, they won't be able to produce better results than your staff.
CONCLUSION
The source from which the link was purchased is critical.We must also consider where the link is placed.What is her anchor text, for example?
There is a lot of information on the internet about how Google may ignore a link.Even if it is on a high-quality, highly relevant resource.
Is the hyperlink in the footer?Is it unrelated to the article's content or the sentence in which it appears?Google will disregard it, effectively undoing all of the effort that went into it in the first place.
Perhaps you generated a bad link for some reason.Add it to your disavow file or delete it entirely.
Consider the goal of placing the link in the source you choose when working on your backlink profile.It will assist you in bringing in high-quality organic traffic.It will have a positive impact on brand awareness.
It will help your page rank.Obtaining links should never be your sole objective! Participate in no link schemes.Google will, at best, ignore them.
At worst, it will apply penalties against your website.