Posted 5 years ago (February 16th, 2007)
Defensible Link Building
OK guys...unvarnished opinion
time. (Warning long post ahead!)
Here are some things to consider BEFORE going down the "let's SPAM the hell out of other forums and blogs and sites road" (Which we already seem to be well on the onramp of in the SEO world today for those who haven't been reading the road signs )
Consideration 1: Q.Why does SPAM exist? A. Because it does (or at least DID) work at one time. (We likely all agree on that) What was at one time mainstream is now considered bad form in many cases.
Consideration 2: And then there is the consideration for HOW long it will work --which DIRECTLY relates to the longevity of my site STAYING at the top.
Consideration 3: Does it still generate the value it once did? MANY older tactics (now considered SPAM, but once used VERY effectively) may not penalize, but may be devalued by the search engines to the point that they are not worth it.
Consideration 4 (and IMO the most important) Am I leaving myself vulnerable to a penalty that will ruin my asset and put an end to a valuable revenue stream.
With ANY "tactic" that you consider, you should consider the above IMHO.
There's a helluva difference between what you CAN do and what you SHOULD do.
We all CAN buy a ton of stacked, sitewide links on non relevant sites and add a boatload of backlinks in a hurry...but is that the right move as an asset builder?
We can all buy solid directory links.
We can all go to forums that don't have decent controls on sig links and rack up meaningless posts to beat the band....
Many of us can comment on blog posts with meaningless drivel and a link.
Many of us are tempted to because of our competitive position (or simply our greedy nature-grin)
The key in my opinion is to do things that others cannot easily do. That creates DEFENSABLE linking that will generate a longer term ride at the top--i.e. if your going to spend treasure and toil on SEO, why not get a better return? Play for the long haul.
If we do link building strategies that are defensible, won't those be the ones that Google is looking to find and reward as well? They are in the business of rewarding those long term winners...(ummm--link aging is simply the process of rewarding those at the top so that Google doesn’t have to find the next defensible linking strategy to reward....)
On page strategies can change and you can accomodate for them, however linking ugliness can cost you an asset for MUCH longer (again IMHO).
Note: I am not saying that ANY of the above strategies are bad or evil. I am a businessman. I try to look at things in practical terms. So if we are going to discuss it, where have you tested?
Do you know where these strategies rank in the overall scheme of the considerations above? How much blog comment spamming do you have to do before you get to page 1 and then, how long can you maintain before you lose...Is it even still viable?
My philosophy has always been to build as much quality as possible. Why? Because it creates a longer term asset.
Here are some things to consider BEFORE going down the "let's SPAM the hell out of other forums and blogs and sites road" (Which we already seem to be well on the onramp of in the SEO world today for those who haven't been reading the road signs )
Consideration 1: Q.Why does SPAM exist? A. Because it does (or at least DID) work at one time. (We likely all agree on that) What was at one time mainstream is now considered bad form in many cases.
Consideration 2: And then there is the consideration for HOW long it will work --which DIRECTLY relates to the longevity of my site STAYING at the top.
Consideration 3: Does it still generate the value it once did? MANY older tactics (now considered SPAM, but once used VERY effectively) may not penalize, but may be devalued by the search engines to the point that they are not worth it.
Consideration 4 (and IMO the most important) Am I leaving myself vulnerable to a penalty that will ruin my asset and put an end to a valuable revenue stream.
With ANY "tactic" that you consider, you should consider the above IMHO.
There's a helluva difference between what you CAN do and what you SHOULD do.
We all CAN buy a ton of stacked, sitewide links on non relevant sites and add a boatload of backlinks in a hurry...but is that the right move as an asset builder?
We can all buy solid directory links.
We can all go to forums that don't have decent controls on sig links and rack up meaningless posts to beat the band....
Many of us can comment on blog posts with meaningless drivel and a link.
Many of us are tempted to because of our competitive position (or simply our greedy nature-grin)
The key in my opinion is to do things that others cannot easily do. That creates DEFENSABLE linking that will generate a longer term ride at the top--i.e. if your going to spend treasure and toil on SEO, why not get a better return? Play for the long haul.
If we do link building strategies that are defensible, won't those be the ones that Google is looking to find and reward as well? They are in the business of rewarding those long term winners...(ummm--link aging is simply the process of rewarding those at the top so that Google doesn’t have to find the next defensible linking strategy to reward....)
On page strategies can change and you can accomodate for them, however linking ugliness can cost you an asset for MUCH longer (again IMHO).
Note: I am not saying that ANY of the above strategies are bad or evil. I am a businessman. I try to look at things in practical terms. So if we are going to discuss it, where have you tested?
Do you know where these strategies rank in the overall scheme of the considerations above? How much blog comment spamming do you have to do before you get to page 1 and then, how long can you maintain before you lose...Is it even still viable?
My philosophy has always been to build as much quality as possible. Why? Because it creates a longer term asset.
I have watched and increasing
number of notorious risk takers link wise retreat to the comfort of
more quality link building of late (last couple of years). They
weren't doing the risky stuff because they were stupid AND they are
not working more toward the quality side of link building now
because they are stupid. These guys are veterans and they get
it.
That approach has worked for me. Consistently.
I'd love to hear your opinions.
That approach has worked for me. Consistently.
I'd love to hear your opinions.
Eric Blackwell
Technologist
My Real Estate Blog
Southern Indiana Search Marketing / EriconSearch
My Local Search Engine Marketing Blog
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Eric Blackwell
812 786-3412
Eric Blackwell is a moderator here at REW who helps REALTORS reach and assist their clients using Technology at EricOnRealEstate,com and also cons... Read More
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