Are We Doing Link Building Right? Do Certain Links Actually Matter?

[RickyShockley]

I've been thinking about this as I go through my daily link building activities for clients. Do we really know as much as we hope/think we do about how Google values inbound links, which links actually matter, and how much these link signals play into rankings?

For example, does Google REALLY value the fact that a business is paying to sponsor a local sports team, or to join a local chamber? For local businesses, link building is rather difficult because they don't necessarily have the resources or ability to implement ongoing Content Marketing initiatives to earn links naturally. How can we be sure that the things we recommend actually make a difference? I had my family real estate business featured in almost a dozen articles as expert sources, with links from authoritative sites like Realtor.com and others.

Does Google distinguish between a profile link on a site like Realtor.com vs. being featured as an expert source on home page news?

Just second guessing a lot of this today. Anyone can to share thoughts and insights?

[wholewhaler]

Hey Ricky,

Just to answer the straightforward questions - yes - profile links vs expert source reference are weighted differently. Though there are tons of other factors in play like the anchor text (does it show as repetitive generic spam or organic linking), the reputation of publication, and whether they made it a rel=nofollow link could hurt the reputation of the publication causing it to be less than a profile link.

Profile links can help with the exact brand name but not as much for the general search terms you're going for.

Local business SEO is tougher to be sure - make sure to check out the Moz local tool: moz.com/local   and be sure to register with Google Business to manage how you show up.

Big picture! Do all of these small actions matter, especially when you can't see the ROI on day 1 =  yes.  SEO is the ongoing act of optimization - not a one and done action. Keep in mind that you are also crushing it for awareness and reputation when you land those press hits and thought leadership placements, regardless of the SEO value. Doing the little things the right way will add up over time. Here is a solid backup of link building as a strategy: https://moz.com/blog/state-of-links

Hope that helps!