Link building isn’t illegal.
It’s not immoral.
Link building is still in-line with Google’s guidelines.
It’s HOW you build links that can land you hot water with search engines.
Link schemes and spam links can assuredly get you algorithmic or manual actions that can tank your rankings.
So, continue to build your links, but make sure you’re doing it within the guidelines the search engines have outlined, remembering that Google makes the rules, not a government agency.
As such, Google’s punishment may be a loss of rankings/traffic, de-indexation or both, but they can’t fine you or put you in prison đ
People usually mean many things when they say the practice is illegal. First of all, link building isnât technically illegal because there are no state or federal laws against the practice.
What people usually mean when they say itâs illegal is that itâs against Googleâs rules. In the SEO universe, violating Googleâs rules is as bad as doing something illegal (and sometimes the punishment is worse!).
Many of us associate link building with old-fashioned black hat methods and spammy methods that makes legitimate website owners think theyâre doing something shady.
Link building has long been associated with link wheels, link farms, blog networks and article websites, which we all know are against the rules today. These ancient ways to manipulate search engines will get your site penalized or banned outright.
That is why many people are leery of any practices to attract links to their sites. However, itâs important to remember that Google wonât punish you for generating quality links that are acquired naturally.
Because of bad impressions site owners have of link building, many believe we should run away from all link building. Some prefer not to use the phrase and now prefer to say âlink earning.â Whatever you call it, attracting quality links is perfectly fine.
The idea behind legitimate link building should be taking actions that boost the number of authoritative links, not just any link under the sun. Keep in mind in the SEO world that link building by itself is not the goal. You donât win by having the highest number of links on your site.
The end goal is to obtain higher rank and visibility, as well as more sales and traffic.
Nearly a decade ago, Matt Cutts outlined a detailed description of what âbad linksâ are and what legitimate link building is. He notes that any practice that involves bribery and hacking is clearly against the guidelines and will get you punished. But some link building is legitimate.
He also notes in an interview that your website should be encouraged to engage in legit link building, as long as you are using approved practices.
Cutts says that SEOs should focus on making the best site and content possible and having many ways to reach their clients and prospects and fans.
It all boils down to creating a fantastic product and marketing it so people will want to link to it.
Ok, so we know link building isnât bad, but which links can get you in trouble with Google? There are many types, but here are a few:
Anyone who is an SEO knows that all site links need to be organic and not purchased. That way, you stick to Googleâs guidelines and provide content that the user finds useful. The old days of link farms, and itâs not about how many links you have. After all, Google isnât in the business of simply counting your links.
Remember to write and shoot content that is focused on the user. Then, legitimate links will follow as more people want to share your content.
As far as what link building strategies to use, there are many fantastic resources you can access for best practices. But if you would never tell a client how you got a link, you shouldnât do it.
Link building is not illegal if you use the right methods and remember itâs a long-term, ongoing process. Your goal isnât to acquire a ton of links quickly to boost rankings. But if your aim is to create a good website with the best content for your audience, you will find that links will follow.
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