Link building is one of those areas we are extremely careful about. If done wrong, it can undo months of hard work, trigger Google penalties, and can ultimately destroy your website.
The one ray of hope we have here is Google’s guidelines; these tell us what to avoid and how to maintain a clean and healthy website. In this comprehensive guide, we will explain what and how you can build links in a clean and healthy way and things that you should avoid in link building.
Method 1: Be legitimate in all your ways
If you take a close look at Google spam policies, you will get to see that Google does not prohibit the buying and selling of links; it just makes sure that there is no link spam that is done to alter search engine results. When you pass the link with the attribute “ rel=nofollow” and “ rel=sponsored”, it tells Google that you are passing link credit according to Google guidelines.
Despite having this policy, some practitioners still buy and sell links. One report from Ahrefs suggested that backlink purchasing needs to be approached with caution. A study included a combination of 450 websites, where links were sold at an average price of $361.44. The report also showed that getting a placement does not mean that you will be visible as the top performer in Google, as many guest post sellers, in reality, have low domain rating.
We would advise you that you focus on building content that is link-worthy. This will eliminate the need for backlink chasing, and websites will automatically link back to you if you include original research, studies, and inputs that are worth the reader’s time. If you are buying links, make sure the link follows the “ rel- sponsored” or “rel=nofollow attribute.
Method 2: Link me and link to you
This sort of arrangement can be really detrimental for your website since it follows an arrangement and not a natural link-building process. Let’s assume that you run a fashion website and another website showcases fashion accessories. When you link your fashion website to fashion accessories, they look natural since they are from the same niche.
Now, if you contact 50 websites and ask them to link back to you, but they serve a different audience, then that can be detrimental to you. Since that falls under link spam, there are no natural link exchanges that are followers here.
In such scenarios, search for websites that are relevant to you and build backlinks that are natural. Don’t try to have quick seo wins, since that might trigger a Google penalty.
Method 3: Automated with no reference
Let’s say you operate automated software designed to create backlinks without any genuine editorial references. The automated software posts links on several websites, submits them to link directories, places them in headers or footers, and also inserts them into widgets.
All these tactics fall under link manipulation since they are not useful to the reader. For instance, let’s say you created an automated income tax calculator, but when other websites embed the software, it’s a keyword-rich backlink to you. This falls under Google manipulation.
We advise you to use the software with human intervention. At the final workflow, make sure that there is a human present. A human would review a small number of directories and industry listings that directly belong to your business. If you distribute links through free software or templates, make sure you mention that as endorsements.
Method 4: The anchor-heavy problem
Anchor text can be useful only if it directs the user to the specified destination page it is intended for. Yes, guest posts and press releases can attract visibility, but not knowing how to use them can create problems. Let’s say that you operate a shoe website. Now you guest post on 30 different websites, but on all of these websites you have used the same anchor text known as “ best shoe available.”
Now, when Google checks that you have the same anchor text across all these websites, it may fall under link spam. The next is known as a press release, where you pay the publisher to insert a link without providing a link attribute as sponsored. The easiest way to avoid this is to follow a natural writing rhythm and avoid commercial keywords in every guest post article. The goal should always be creating link-worthy content that would naturally act as the resource page.
Method 5: Expired domain abuse
There have been times when PBN users buy expired domains and publish random articles on them just to pass the link juice to the main website. This is called domain abuse. So previously, the domain might belong to fashion, but when PBN users purchase it, it becomes a technology website. So it’s advised that you never buy links from PBNs, as they might look like a quick seo win but ultimately can trigger a Google penalty.
Method 6: Check before payment
Let’s say that you operate a wellness website and a publisher tells you, “We offer 800 backlinks at $200”. If we were you, then we would have a close look at the publisher. Backlink building is a tiresome process, and usually people like these offer scams instead of real delivery. Once such a statement is made, we start our investigation.
We look at the overall design, content structure, and author bio before making the final deal. A publisher offering backlinks from websites filled with random ads, poorly written articles, and poor site structure is not a good investment.
If the previous tests pass, then make sure that you check Google Search Console and verify if the website has consistent traffic from Google. If you notice a consistent drop in traffic, it may be due to SEO issues or link manipulation. So, before buying backlinks, you can check traffic history, content quality, and website credibility.
Method 7: Just attract anyway
Every page, every article that we write should have a purpose. They should always say to the reader, “Thank you for your time and attention.” When writing, act as if you were the reader; as a reader, would you read it? The answer would be a resounding no, so it’s advised that you don’t write content just to attract low-quality backlinks.
Let’s say that you are a software agency that constantly publishes content on AI and link building, but every page has the same repeated information, the same repeated structure, and the same tonality. Then they add no value to Google or the reader. If you use AI for research, editing, and checking the audience segmentation, then that would not be a problem, but writing everything in AI with no value to the readers would make your content spam.
How to get started
The start is easy; just make sure that you create link-worthy content. Give a reason for people to cite you and make you act as a resource page. When you include original research, studies, and cover content gaps that nobody else dared to try, then you add value to the readers and to the search engine. Additionally, when you publish content that does not mean people will like it right away. You have to make yourself discoverable to make people like you.
Reach out to the publisher and introduce them to your guide. Make them understand why they should take you seriously. Just embed these three rules: Be open about paid promotion, focus on quality over quantity, and always check your backlink profile to see if the sites linking to you need your attention. Disavow them if you do not want to be associated.
