Link building is one of the most effective ways to boost your website’s ranking and visibility on search engines. However, it is also one of the most challenging and complex aspects of SEO. Many marketers and website owners make common mistakes that can harm their link building efforts and even get them penalized by Google.
In this blog post, we will reveal the top four link building mistakes that you should avoid in 2024 and how to fix them.
Mistake #1: Not Looking at On-Page SEO and Search Intent First
Before you start building links to your website, you need to make sure that your on-page SEO is optimized and that your content matches the search intent of your target audience. On-page SEO refers to the elements of your web pages that affect their relevance and quality, such as title tags, meta descriptions, headings, keywords, images, and internal links. Search intent refers to the goal or purpose of the user behind a search query, such as informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial.
Why is this important? Because if your on-page SEO is poor or your content does not satisfy the search intent of your visitors, then your link building efforts will be wasted. No matter how many links you get from authoritative and relevant sources, if your web pages do not provide value to your audience, they will not rank well or convert well.
How to fix it? You need to conduct a thorough on-page SEO audit and optimize every element of your web pages according to the best practices. You also need to conduct keyword research and analyze the search intent behind each keyword that you want to rank for. Then, you need to create content that matches the search intent of your audience and provides them with the information, solution, or action that they are looking for.
Mistake #2: Not Creating Linkable Content
Another common mistake that many marketers and website owners make is not creating linkable content. Linkable content is content that is valuable, relevant, original, and engaging enough to attract and earn links from other websites. Linkable content can be in various formats, such as blog posts, infographics, videos, podcasts, case studies, guides, ebooks, etc.
Why is this important? Because if your content is not linkable, then you will have a hard time getting natural and organic links from other websites. Natural and organic links are the ones that you do not have to ask for or pay for, but rather they are given to you by other webmasters who find your content useful and worth sharing with their audience. These are the best types of links that you can get, as they are more credible, relevant, and trustworthy in the eyes of Google and your visitors.
How to fix it? You need to create content that is linkable, meaning that it has the following characteristics:
- It provides value to your audience and solves their problems or answers their questions.
- It is relevant to your niche and your target keywords.
- It is original and not copied or duplicated from other sources.
- It is engaging and interactive and encourages your audience to comment, share, or take action.
- It is well-formatted and easy to read and scan, with clear headings, subheadings, bullet points, images, etc.
- It is updated and fresh and reflects the latest trends and data in your industry.
Mistake #3: Performing Bad Outreach
Outreach is the process of contacting other webmasters and influencers in your niche and asking them to link to your content or collaborate with you in some way. Outreach is an essential part of link building, as it helps you build relationships with other websites and expand your reach and authority. However, many marketers and website owners perform bad outreach that can hurt their reputation and link building results.
What is bad outreach? Bad outreach is an outreach that is:
- Spammy and irrelevant, meaning that you contact websites that have nothing to do with your niche or your content.
- Generic and impersonal, meaning that you use the same template or script for every email and do not customize it according to the recipient.
- Pushy and demanding, meaning that you ask for a link or a favor without providing any value or benefit to the recipient.
- Unprofessional and rude, meaning that you use poor grammar, spelling, or tone in your email and do not follow the etiquette and best practices of email communication.
How to fix it? You need to perform good outreach that is:
- Targeted and relevant, meaning that you contact websites that are in your niche or related to your content and have a high authority and traffic.
- Personalized and respectful, meaning that you use the name of the recipient and mention something specific about their website or content that shows that you have done your research and that you appreciate their work.
- Value-driven and reciprocal, meaning that you offer something of value or benefit to the recipient, such as a guest post, a testimonial, a social share, a mention, etc., and that you ask for a link or a favor in a polite and reasonable way.
- Professional and courteous, meaning that you use proper grammar, spelling, and tone in your email and that you follow the etiquette and best practices of email communication, such as using a clear subject line, introducing yourself, being concise, providing a clear call to action, following up, thanking, etc.
Mistake #4: Setting Poor Expectations
The last common mistake that many marketers and website owners make is setting poor expectations for their link building efforts. Link building is not a quick and easy process that can yield instant results. Link building is a long-term and ongoing process that requires patience, persistence, and consistency. Many marketers and website owners set unrealistic goals and expectations for their link building efforts, such as:
- Getting hundreds or thousands of links in a short period.
- Getting links from top-tier websites or influencers without any prior relationship or value proposition.
- Getting links that will immediately boost their ranking and traffic without any other SEO or marketing efforts.
Why is this a mistake? Because setting poor expectations can lead to frustration, disappointment, and demotivation. It can also lead to bad practices, such as buying links, spamming links, or using black-hat techniques that can get you penalized by Google and damage your reputation and credibility.
How to fix it? You need to set realistic and smart goals and expectations for your link-building efforts, such as:
- Getting a few quality links per month from relevant and authoritative websites.
- Getting links from websites or influencers that you have built a relationship with or that you have provided value to.
- Getting links that will gradually improve your ranking and traffic over time, along with other SEO and marketing efforts.
Conclusion
Link building is a powerful and effective way to improve your website’s ranking and visibility on search engines. However, it is also a challenging and complex process that requires careful planning and execution. By avoiding the common mistakes that we have discussed in this blog post, you can optimize your link building efforts and achieve better results.
If you need help with your link building strategy, contact us today. We are 90 Leads, a global leader in transforming web presence into increased sales and conversions through intelligent digital marketing. We offer innovative SEO solutions that help businesses rise to the top of their industry and stay ahead of competitors by maximizing visibility and leveraging content marketing. Our team of experts works with clients to transform their online presence into an engine that drives more traffic and profits. Contact us today and let us help you achieve your link building goals.
