Google downgrading paid links to your site; what next?
One thing about site optimization is that it is dynamically changing. A particular step that seems to help a site today becomes a strict no-no a day after. So, don’t be surprised by my recommending something not-to-do-today which was forcefully recommended in the archives. With Google announcing downgrading the site selling and buying paid links, rules of site optimization are bound to change.
Getting links for a site have been regarded as the best thing that can happen to a site. Now, I have always recommended that best and useful way to get inbound links is to have a good content. Most small webmasters can not afford quality content. If you see various forums, going rate for an article starts from meager 3 dollars. How can you expect a genuine content at this rate except for a rephrased one? Other items that can help you getting inbound content are keyword research while writing content, keyword density & frequency, proper use of html tags, making sure your site/pages are W3 Compliant, proper use of titles and descriptions etc.
Today’s blog is not to say that getting in bound links are less relevant now, no, they still continue to be as important as ever but buying a link to gain PR or befool Google is not acceptable, at least to Google. So links are essential to the health of your site, and indeed your business, but all links are not equal in value to your site.
Reciprocal links will help, but they are far less effective than one way back links, i.e. links from another site where you don't have to link back to them. These "One Way" back links will give your site a far greater boost in the search engine results and bring you more traffic, providing of course that you have chosen good (relevant) keywords for your links.
It's fairly common for webmasters to now buy or "rent" links to their sites through various services and these services will allow you to choose the anchor text, but they are far from cheap. A link from a PR 8 site can easily cost 0+ per month.
I really wonder, if a webmaster spends this kind of money in a quality content (and yes, patience too), the site would beget genuine links as well as traffic that accompanies it. Google has also publicly stated that they disapprove of this practice and are actively seeking to downgrade the value of such "paid links". Personally, it appears an industry build around sale of links would come down crumbling, does not appear to be true.
So what is the best way to get one way links?
Submitting your site to website directories can be a very effective way of picking up some high quality one way links from high PR sites, but you will seldom be able to choose the keywords/anchor text used for the link, often ending up with the site name as the link.
This is not a waste of time, as the Page Rank passed to your site will, with the correct internal linking structure, be passed on to your sites internal pages, helping them to rank better for their targeted keywords.
You can also link to internal pages on your site to improve their rankings as well. But above all the best and time tested way is to have good content.
Apportion part of your budget for buying links to buying content for good to your site in the long run.
Article courtesy: Ms Soniya CFO, www.b2blounge.com
