Anyone who knows a little bit about search engine optimization (SEO) has heard about link building. Link building is one of the main factors search engines like Google use to determine the order in which websites appear in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). If we’re talking about a highly competitive niche, your website can not rank higher in Google if it does not have enough or no links referring back to it. Link building remains one of the most important and essential SEO practices for gaining good search positions.

What is Link Building?

As an important part of the SEO methodology, link building unites all actions and processes involved in creating and receiving links to your own website from other external sources (backlinks). Search engines scan the entire web, including the pages on your website and those that link from one website to another. Google uses the collected link information to evaluate your website and determine its position in a specific SERP.

Link building significantly increases your chances of getting quality backlinks and thus helps your website reach higher and higher towards the holy first page in Google. It is also a well-known strategy among marketers for increasing brand awareness and recognition.

Why do search engines scan the web in search for links?

1. To discover new pages

2. To index all pages on the Internet

After scanning the entire web, search engines retrieve certain website content and keywords and add this info to their indexes. A complex algorithm then determines how a page will rank for the specific set of keywords a user has typed in the Google Search box. But besides the page itself and the content it offers, Google also pays special attention to the number of links that lead to it as well as the quality of the websites providing those links! The more trustworthy websites link back to your website, the better rank you’ll be given by Google.

There are many ways to create backlinks, but a significant number of SEO experts claim that link building remains one of the most challenging parts of their job.

How has link building changed over time?

Google began using the number of links as a factor in determining website rankings back in the 1990s. It quickly became clear that it is a strong signal for website quality and reliability. Why? Well, simply because every link is validation for page expertise and relevance. Otherwise, websites would not receive any references from external sources, right?

However, SEO professionals very quickly discovered ways to manipulate website positions in the SERP for certain keywords. Especially through link building techniques. To put an end to these bad practices, Google began releasing regular updates specifically aimed at filtering the websites that used deceptive methods to rank first in the search engine. For example, one of the link building techniques originally supported and promoted by Google – adding your website to directories to get backlinks, gradually began to lose its influence and got “expelled” from Google’s algorithm.

Moreover, the excessive manipulation of link building practices started to negatively affect pages that actually offer content of high quality, pushing them further back in the SERP. Thus, in 2012 Google launched the popular Penguin updates. Their main purpose was and still is to regulate the use of link building techniques and to sanction those websites that overuse them.

*You can check all other Google updates here.

In our next article, we have prepared for you a list of link building techniques that you can safely use to rank your website (no matter if we are talking about E-commerce website, a blog or a single web page) and higher in Google in 2018. Without being penalized! So, stay tuned!

Trust Speedflow team to provide you with excellent web services and SEO optimization that actually works.

There are more than 200 factors that determine the position of your website in Google search results. Oh, yes! Since we have already introduced you to the basics of search engine optimization (SEO), we have decided to share with you all today our list of 20 less known, but effective factors for better Google ranking.

So…did you know that:

1. Latest updates

The most recently updated pages are prioritized in the search engine results page (SERP). Google now even shows the date of the last page update in the results:

2. Change volume

The number of changes you make to a page also contributes to its Google ranking. For example, adding or removing entire paragraphs and pieces of content is considered more important than switching a few words here and there.

3. Update frequency

Updating your website content regularly has a positive impact on its position in the SERP. The more you refresh your website or page content, the better!

4. Supplementary content

Did you know that if your website contains supplementary content (e.g. interactive recipes, different calculators, currency converters,  etc.), it improves its position in Google?

5. Ordered and Unordered lists

Formatting texts in ordered or unordered lists are visually appealing not only to users but also to Google. They make the whole text more readable and improve user experiences.

6. Terms and Conditions

It is advisable to have separate pages of your website Terms and Conditions, as well as Privacy Policy. Google will notice that and will rank your site as a credible and quality source of information.

7. Google Analytics and Google Search Console

Integrating these two systems in your website will help Google position it higher in SERP. Sounds logical as Google Analytics and Google Search Console are Google products. Therefore, the data they generate can be used directly by the search engine.

8. Competitor links

Links from other pages that appear in the same SERP as you for a particular keyword will have a positive impact on your ranking on Google for this particular keyword.

9. Link location

Where do you position links on your website? This is an important question. For example, a link at the beginning of a text puts much more “weight” that has a link at the end of a text. Moreover, Google prioritizes hyperlinks placed at the beginning of a page compared to those located at the end of it or in its sidebar.

10. Wikipedia link

Getting a link from Wikipedia gives your site more authority, especially in the eyes of search engines.

11. Word count and links

A link situated in an 800-word post is much more valuable than a link in a 70-character text.

12. Chrome bookmarks

Did you know that Google collects data from your Chrome browser? Accordingly, pages that users have bookmarked receive an extra “push” to the top of search engine results.

13. Regular users

Google also takes notes on the number of times a single user has visited your website. Websites that have regular visitors get a boost in SERP.

14. Duration of visits

Another important factor is the time that users spend on your page. The longer they stay on it or click on it, the more it will appear in SERP.

15. Search history

Search order affects the results Google displays in SERP. For example, if you first search for “coffee machines” and then search for “spare parts“, Google is more likely to show you websites that offer coffee machine spare parts up in the SERP. Additionally, the sites you visit while logged into your Google account get an extra advantage in the search engine

16. Social networks

17. The URL path

The closer a web page is to the homepage, the better Google rank it will get.

18. Link age

Older links are more powerful than new ones.

19. Number of words

An article with more words is ranked better in Google than text with fewer words.

20. Contact us

Do not underestimate the importance of having such a page on your website. If your contacts match the Whois information, Google will give you an advantage in SERP.

Which of these less known factors for better Google ranking do you use? Of course, they are all unpaid and need simply your time and efforts. However, there are also paid methods that enable you to appear in the top results of Google SERP.  One of these methods is called PPC /CPC campaigns.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more detailed information. And maybe we can also prepare your first paid ad campaign. Why not!