7 Link Building Mistakes To Avoid While Building Backlinks

Even though the majority of SEOs and agencies know what kind of link building mistakes to avoid, many continue to make those same mistakes. This is because most of these people think they can get away with it. However, they fail to realize that sooner, rather than later, Google is going to catch up with them.

Due to constraints in terms of strategy, resources, planning and execution, link building campaigns fail on a massive level. This is because even though there is consensus on the benefits of the strategy, there is no consensus on its execution.

In this article, we will look at the top 7 link building mistakes brands commit. We will also briefly look at the meaning and definition of link building, along with discussing some of its major advantages.

Link Building: Meaning, definition and advantages

Google counts backlinks as one of its top three ranking factors on search. Link Building is the process of placing your website backlinks in external industry authority websites. Google sees your website backlinks on other websites as a positive sign of recommendation.

In other words, the more backlinks you have in high metric sites, the better are your chances to rank on search. Link Building is done through several execution strategies like Guest Posting, Blogger Outreach, Social Media Link Building and Quora, Reddit Link Building.

While Do-Follow Links are meant to contribute to both SEO scores and website traffic, No-Follow Links are just meant to drive traffic. However, Google still maintains ambiguity on how exactly No-Follow Links from authority platforms contribute to SEO metrics.

The following are some of the major advantages of Link Building-

1. Link Building helps in climbing Google’s Search Engine Rankings Page (SERPs).
2. The strategy helps drive significant website traffic to your brand website.
3. It builds credibility, networks and reputation in the digital industry.
4. Link Building contributes to improving SEO scores and website metrics.
5. Finally, if done properly, link building also contributes to sales conversion and lead generation.

7 Link Building Mistakes to avoid while building Backlinks: The List

In this section, we will help SEOs and digital marketing executives avoid the top link building mistakes while building backlinks-

Prevent Building backlinks with low-quality Content-

I have often seen that the attention given to the quality of content is poor, when it comes to link building. SEOs need to wake up to the fact that you not only need to build links but also drive traffic and improve credibility.

It is important to pay attention to authentic, original and non-plagiarized content. Try doing this for at least three months and see the results for yourself. Link building articles need to be of at least 1000+ words. This will have a major impact on your digital marketing performance.

Do not build links on Spammy Websites and Private Blog Networks-

If you are still using the above two platforms to build links, you are inviting Google to deindex your website. With the changes in Google’s algorithm, spammy link building is going to have a disastrous impact on your performance.

For agencies and SEOs, it is high time that proper diligence is followed that prioritizes the interest of the client. This also helps in showing positive success stories and enabling better business and growth. Please avoid building backlinks on such platforms.

Avoid Working with Link Resellers and Directories-

This is a continuation of the earlier point. If you want to avoid some major link building mistakes, avoid working with Link Resellers and Link Directories. The negatives and risks involved far outweigh the small benefits.

Try to work with established SEO agencies, which offer specialized services for Guest Posting. This helps in maintaining the quality of the content, outreaching in the right manner and saving extra costs at the same time.

Not taking a ‘No-Follow’ Link from an Industry Authority Site-

In the beginning of the article, I mentioned how a no-follow link from an authority site is a good win. This is because, Google is still unclear about the impact high authority no-follow links have on SEO scores or metrics.

However, it is important to pursue them and cherish them. Authority sites are wary of giving do-follow links to newbies. They try to bargain for no-follow links. If you are stuck in such a position, fret not, accept the link and ask the site to social share your article. You will see immediate spikes in traffic.

Not Building Backlinks on Quora, Reddit and Social Media-

The best SEO experts rely on Quora, Reddit and Social Media to build backlinks and drive traffic. This is because all these sites are high authority sites that command traffic and metrics. If you are building backlinks on such platforms, you will see great performance following.

Going for do-follow links all the time is not a great way to proceed. In the opinion of many digital marketing experts, a no-follow link on a high authority site is better than a do-follow link on a spammy website.

Do not build backlinks only for Product and Service Pages-

Most SEOs and digital marketing experts fail to take note of traditional link building strategies. It is equally important to build backlinks for your Blog Section Pages in Link Building. This is important as it helps build credibility for your brand.

In addition, other websites are more open to giving you backlinks for ‘Resource Pages (Blogs)’ rather than service pages. If you want to experiment with Inbound Marketing, building backlinks like these will help you in a major way.

Do not forget to do a Link Building Assessment once every three months-

Building backlinks and forgetting them is the most amateur thing that any SEO can do. We all know that trust and goodwill is under serious threat in the industry. Given this, it is important to see whether your backlinks are still there or not.

Some scrupulous website owners are always on the lookout to remove backlinks. Hence, you need to take time out and assess all the backlinks, which you had built over the past couple of months. This will help you stay on top of your link building game.

Conclusion

Many people are of the view that SEO is equivalent to Link Building and vice versa. There is a major amount of reality to this statement. Being a strategy, which offers 360-degree benefits, link building is highly attractive. By following the list of the top link building mistakes to avoid, you will be in a position to get the most out of your link building efforts.

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**About the Author: Mashum Mollah is an entrepreneur, founder and CEO at iDreamAgency, a blogger outreach platform. He is a passionate blogger and blogs at MashumMollah.com.