The success of your website is hugely predicated on your ability to generate quality links. Andrey Lipattsex, Search Quality Senior Strategist at Google Ireland, reports ‘incoming links’ as one of the top three Google ranking variables. Back-links indicate that other websites perceive your content as valuable; Google — and other search engines — will then be more likely to improve your search-ranking.

Simple right?

Not always.

Developing back links may be easy. But developing quality back links is another story. And it’s a story to be told when you consider how crucial back-linking has become to SEO. So start asking yourself these questions…

Am I linking to the right websites?

Who are the sources and publications you want to achieve inbound links? Are they credible? How old are they? Most importantly, are they respected in YOUR industry? If the sites you are linked to are not relevant to the products you provide, you will be less likely to generate web-traffic – even if those sources are credible.

Is my content worthy enough of quality links?

CONTENT is KING. It is HOW you generate links. Remember? Websites will only link to you if they perceive your site as valuable. So be sure to write content that engages the interests of your target audiences so they are motivated on other relevant sites to visit yours. And consider following these content best-practices from our previous blog for even more tips on writing quality content.

(1) Lists
(2) Memes
(3) Research and Original Data
(4) Guides

Is my back-linking strategy effective?

Consider the variety of sources you are back-linking. Too many links from one publisher will not optimize your SEO. But a wide range of reputable links from a variety of sources will. And don’t forget to choose relevant sources as we mentioned earlier. Credible sources will only drive traffic when they are relevant to the products that you sell. So if you are cosmetics company, a back link to Home Depot may not direct as much traffic to your website as you’d anticipate.

There aren’t too many  questions to ask as you begin or refine your ‘inbound-link’ strategy. But you must ask yourself these questions if you want future success. Without considering each of these variables,  you won’t be able to drive target-audience prospects to your website. So just stay focused and remain dedicated to this process. The rewards will be ample if you give it enough time.