Google UK and the slog of Link building

[Brinley]

Background:
I have a number of sites built using the open eCommerce software zen cart. One of these sites was penalised by the original Penguin algorithm back in April 24, 2012. The reason for the panalty was that two ecommerce sites in Hong kong had a link to the above site in the footer of their 2000 & 4000 product website. I have no idea why the site had these links and even though I did contact them a few months before the Penguin massacre asking them to remove the footer link I was technically unaware of the ticking time bomb that they presented.

The result, as is now engrained in SEO history, was that the site was moved to sit alongside Googles equivalent of the restaurant at the end of the universe and stayed there for 2 years until April 2014.
As I had never indulged in link building for the simple reason that I found it laborious I was obviously infuriated with the resulting loss of revenue but that was balanced with an understanding that I had not kept pace with the changing landscape of SEO according to Google.

The quest I am now on is to increase my 3 sites profile on the web without getting another spanking from Google in the near future.  The problem I have is that white hat today may well be black hat tomorrow. (I can recall the days when Google said links are good and everyone went out and asked other websites to link with them and look where that led.)

So do I ignore actively cultivating links as some suggest and look to produce good content (which is quite difficult when you make mugs and candles by the way.) or do you go out and look to intentionally build links by studying competitors links, reviewing  link opportunity or get bloggers to review products.

For a small lifestyle entrepreneur like myself, the ever changing seo landscape and the amount of time & effort it requires is slowly and inevitably pushing us back out to that restaurant mentioned earlier.

If only Google had a little brother that was designed purely for small businesses - like it was in the good old days before the dinosaur that is big business grunt and thought hmmm! whats that?
And if there were such a thing I would add a caveat that it would be illegal to generate pointless amount of cyber content because the web is becoming something akin to a landfill.

Which leaves me nowhere really - but I think I am okay with that.

Waiter !!

[RyanPurkey]

Hi Brinley. Even as a small business, you'll want to consider your sites collectively as a brand and how that brand is different/better/more niche/whatever than the other mug & candle makers out there. The things that you mention like, "studying competitors links, reviewing link opportunity or get bloggers to review products," are all good starting points to not only finding place to network your site, but also how to make your sites live in the part of the universe where your competition doesn't (But still gets plenty of visitors).

PR and fresh content also go a long way in today's climate and that's unlikely to change as those have been centuries long trends. If you can make the work that you're doing hit not only on SEO but on making your sites all the more robust, then that will be your best course to take. Cheers!

[Brinley]

Hi Ryan
Thanks for your input and I hear what you are saying but the advice is positive if somewhat ethereal for little businesses which I understand is not what MOZ caters for.

For example my major competitors are now all big subscription/member based marketplaces like Etsy, notonthehighstreet, ebay & amazon and the like and I can never really hope to compete with them on the SEO playing field as I don't have the resources - namely their budget.

Playing the backlinks, Page optimisation, Social media game is only going to take you so far and after that I think the decision is simply a case of join them or sit in the back row and eat crumbs. To use your phrase, there is no place left in the universe where my competitors don't already live. I have to say I love the positivity of your (But still gets plenty of visitors). comment - made me smile.

Have written this post I have actually helped clarify the issue in my own head that SEO for small businesses is a treadmill that is now going too fast to stay on. I wont be jumping off just yet, as I am way too stubborn, but I will be considering who to ask for a piggyback in the not too distant future.

Have a good one!