Off page SEO is a form of link building. Link building should be done so that internal, inbounnd and outbound links are placed horizontally, vertically and diagonally within a website structure.

• Horizontal links are from one section to another, of equal hierarchy.
• Vertical links are when one page links to another page within the same section.
• Diagonal links are when one section links to another section of different hierarchy.

Mixing up links in this way helps to show they are natural. A website that has a whole bunch of links to one page and not much to other pages could indicate a link scheme or paid links.

Vary Your Anchor Text and Pages You are Linking to and From

It is also important to use varying anchor text when linking and to have variety with the pages you are linking to as well as out from. Having targeted keywords in the domain and URL should also be considered. Anchor links are a great way to get internal links into a URL if they don’t otherwise make sense with the structure. That being said, all links must make sense.

Place Links Only Where They Make Sense – Avoid Using Black Links or Hidden Links, They Won’t Boost Rankings

Placing links where they don’t belong can not only frustrate visitors, but lower the amount of trust search engines give you.

Outbound links are a ranking factor, however like internal and inbound links, they need to make sense. Placing black links, or hidden links whether inbound, outbound or internal, is never a good idea. This especially doesn’t make sense to us when outbound black links are placed. Though this may seem like a creative way to build links, it isn’t search engine friendly. Unconventional link building, also known as purple hat link building, is search engine friendly. Black links are not.

Like all links, outbound links are also a search engine ranking factor so you should always try to use at least one for every secondary page or even on occasion for a main page of your website. Black links don’t fool search engines because they know if links aren’t being clicked. If links aren’t being clicked, it’s possible they are perceived of low value, or are being ‘hidden’ by visitors. Targeted link building is critical for success.

Be Transparent When Optimizing – Show Search Engines What You Show Visitors and Visa Versa

Other Link Building Considerations – Use Image and Video Links, in Addition to Text Links

Some other things to consider about link building are to use image and video links, in addition to text links. Many people forget that you can link using different content mediums. Most links should definitely be text links, however mixing things up is always a good idea. Just make sure your links make sense. That is the main message to link building – if it doesn’t make sense, don’t do it.

Visitor Link Quality Checklist – Pretend You are a Visitor and Click Your Links, Do they Make Sense?

Put yourself in your visitor’s shoes. You should be able to say yes to these items. Please note, this is just a guide and not all check list items have been included in this link quality checklist. Does the link:

• Specifically target a topic
• Read well and fit into the sentence
• Look like the rest of the text on the page
• Link placement, above or below the fold
• Match the background and appear invisible
• Describe the page so I know what kind of content to expect

Search Engine Link Quality Checklist – Be Cautious With the Links You Build

As far as search engines go, the above still applies. There are of course other considerations than those mentioned below:

• Links being steadily built over time
• Having a clean link profile is essential for good search engine rankings
• Links not appearing on all pages if it is targeting a keyword in the main content area
• Signs of PR scaling, which means pointing a whole bunch of pages to one page on your website. This is a tactic used in order to boost rankings for a particular page, however if the links don’t make sense or seem un-natural, don’t do them
• Inbound and outbound link quality. Carefully select websites that you want to associate your website with. A few quality links are better than a lot of low quality links

Contact Us for More Information About Our Off Page SEO / Link Building Services

It may seem like link building is difficult. Well, it is, however if you follow the best practices, keep up with trends and stick with it you will succeed. If you would like more info about the best way to do link building, want to use our link audit tool or are interested in our off page SEO / link building services you can contact us by email, by phone at 604-779-8438 or chat with us online right now. If you are ready to get started please click the button below to get a free link building quote.