Menu
header photo

White Hat Link Building: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

By De-de Mulligan

 

It isn’t a secret that Google values backlinks. They want lots of them, but as with everything else Google does, there are rules. Dos and don’ts of the industry.

The number and quality of backlinks that lead to your site can ultimately affect your organic search rankings. However, if you undertake the practices listed below, don’t expect your phone to ring off the hook in days or weeks following the implementation. This strategy takes time.

 

 

What are White Hat Practices?

 

It’s following Google’s E-A-T practices when producing content. Don’t keyword stuff. Or link to spammy sites. Or buy links. In other words, show your Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness, one page and post at a time.  

Trying to manipulate Google’s search rankings (i.e., Black Hat methodologies) can only lead to bad things for your organization, including penalties, which may ultimately mean your organization won’t rank at all in organic searches. Remember, Google rolls out quarterly core updates, with a mission to eliminate or minimize spammy or suspicious sites.

As tempting as it is to “trick the system,” prepare for a marathon rather than a sprint.

 

4 Ways to Link Build

 

  1. Guest Blog Posting
    Write an original piece for another organization with the understanding; they will provide a hyperlink back to your site. The downside is they usually don’t pay for this effort and often (but not always) don’t promote the blog among their audience. The upside is it’s one more link to your site. If the website your writing for has proper domain authority, this will, in turn, help boost your site’s trustworthiness.

     
  2. Content Promotion
    If you’ve recently written a whitepaper, eBook, or case study, reach out to online media outlets such as newspapers and magazines. Hopefully, they will pick up your story, sharing with their readers an executive summary that will lead back to your content. Make sure your content resides on your website for maximum exposure.

     
  3. Member Organizations
    If you belong to the BBB, Chamber of Commerce, or other professional or volunteer organizations, be sure your website hyperlink is on their site.

     
  4. Internal Linking
    Often referred to as “pillar content” but what it means is linking other similar blog posts or pages from your website.

Need Help with a Linking Strategy?

Contact me at Mulligan Management Group to help you sort out the best way to proceed. Also, I can write and pitch your guest blog posts, if you desire! We are a HubSpot Partner Agency.

Go Back