Mobile Link Building Tips

[MarkChambers]

Any tips on link building for mobile sites?

Thanks

[iPullRank]

Hey Mark,

Aside from the queries that return hyperlocal results the only true differentiation for mobile search over Desktop is made for dump phones like Motorola RAZRs and early Blackberrys rather than iPhones and Androids. With that said the only difference for link building is that you should be submitting your site to mobile directories. Here is a short list of those directories to get you started.

Also there tends to be a big split amongst users over whether or not to use a full separate mobile site rather than just a mobile stylesheet. You should use the stylesheet in order to make use of link equity garnered by the desktop site.

Let me know if you have anymore questions!

-Mike

[MarkChambers]

This post is deleted!

[skrauss]

Mike, thanks for the mention. Appreciate it. I also wrote a separate column in Search Engine Land on mobile link building if you're interested, Mark.

Mike, I agree with you frequently, but there are two things you said here that I strongly disagree with:

1. "Aside from the queries that return hyperlocal results the only true differentiation for mobile search over Desktop is made for dump phones like Motorola RAZRs and early Blackberrys rather than iPhones and Androids. "

Google actually has a smartphone Googlebot now, which they use to present mobile sites in smartphone search results. It's called skip redirect/Old Possum and I have pictures of it in the wild here. Beyond that I've actually detailed 14 differences between desktop and smartphone search results, though I agree they can seem similar at first glance.

2. "You should use the stylesheet in order to make use of link equity garnered by the desktop site."

This is a popular myth, as mobile URLs that are duplicates can rank without link equity due to Google's inclusion of mobile URLs through smartphone Googlebot. In addition, it misses opportunities from creating mobile content to address mobile search behavior, as I've explained most recently in Search Engine Land here. Better to build your site using a hybrid model with both responsive and dedicated mobile URLs.

As you say, there is a split in the SEO community, but I have yet to see proponents of responsive design argue against the missed opportunities with mobile content or display evidence of split link equity preventing mobile content from ranking on smartphones. If you have it, I'd love to see it.

As always, love to see others discussing mobile SEO, and trying to come closer to standards for this relatively early discipline.

[skrauss]

Mark, glad you like the blog. I'm writing more at Search Engine Land these days if you want to check it out. The other columnists writing about mobile search usually also have great things to say.

I wrote a column recently on how to best optimize a mobile site, and wouldn't recommend responsive design if you're not simply duplicating the desktop site. In fact, though there is debate about how to build a mobile site for visibility in search, even proponents of one URL like Michael Martin would not recommend responsive design without a one to one relationship.

Good luck!

[MarkChambers]

Thanks Bryson,

Very helpful!

Mark

[MarkChambers]

Thanks again Bryson,

I will check out those resources, very kind of you.

Cheers

Mark