Over 80 percent of businesses using SEO in Scottsdale and around the country spend thousands of dollars on it every month, and yet there is still no standard definition for Link Building. So what is it exactly? And how can you properly use it to your advantage?

Simply put, link building is the acquisition of back links that point to your site, and it is a key component of any successful digital marketing and search engine optimization strategy. But link building goes beyond just finding great links: it requires creativity, hustle, and financial savvy to create an effective link building campaign that enhances your brand’s visibility and reputation.

Why Link Build?

Link builds have been, and will continue to be, one of the most important ranking signals in Google’s algorithm. Beyond creating awareness and increasing exposure, link building can also help drive your business’s other digital marketing strategies. When combined with content marketing, for example, link building can help forge online relationships that serve your business in a variety of endeavors.

Link Signals

Not all links are created equal, so before you commit to a search engine optimization campaign that includes link building, it’s wise to understand how their value is measured:

a)       Global Popularity – If a site is popular, its links matter more. Earn trust and gain authority by linking up with well-known sites.

b)       Local Popularity – Links from sites within your specific community matter more than links from off-topic sites.

c)       Anchor Text – This is one of the strongest search engine optimization signals recognized by Google algorithms. If your page has keywords that several links point to, its probability of ranking well increases. “Click Here” is a great example of this: many results are ranked based solely on the anchor text of inbound links.

d)       TrustRank – Much of the Internet is spam. To weed out irrelevant or shady content, search engines scan for trustworthy content and links. Earning links from trusted sites, such as universities and non-profit organizations, boosts your credibility and rankings.

e)       Freshness – Engines use signals to determine a site’s freshness, and sites with old links simply get looked over.

f)        Social Sharing –  Search engine optimization professionals know that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn share links differently than other pages, but that engines still recognize them. Their importance is on the rise, and their value should be considered when developing your digital marketing strategy.

Link building is a proven form of promotion, brand enhancement, and relationship-building that, when done properly, can enhance and even transform your company image. With the right search engine optimization campaign and web development in Scottsdale, you can be well on your way to building popular, trustworthy and high-ranking links.