Inbound Links: What They Are And Why You Need Them
E-commerce sites are always looking for easy and cost-efficient ways to boost SEO on their websites. One way to do that is by using inbound links.
Many online businesses might not be aware of what these links even are. Others may know but not understand why they are so necessary.
Yet, without them, websites are missing out on a lot of potential traffic. It’s part of an advertising effort that’s effective and affordable.
Keep reading to learn what these links are and why they’re so beneficial.
What Inbound Links Are
Inbound links are used in the content sections in websites. Often times, they are useful when writing blog articles.
The link itself is a hyperlink that connects one website to another. In the content, there would be a keyphrase like Cymax Media web developer Denver that would be linked directly to another website’s page.
Inbound links can be both internal and external. An internal link is a link that is already on the website.
An external link is a link to another website altogether. There are myriad advantages to using both internal and external links.
The Benefits of Using Links
There are many benefits to using inbound links. When one company links to another’s website, it benefits them both.
It will help drive traffic to the linked website. That’s called referral traffic.
If the company notices, they may also be inclined to do business with the company that linked to them. One way to make sure they’re aware is to send a quick e-mail to the company that was mentioned.
But there’s also Google to contend with. Google likes linking.
It’s also possible to check Google to see if any external links have been used by other sites.
In fact, it’s so important that 72% of SEO professionals believe internal links help increase ranking significantly. That’s because linking helps Google understand the relevance of the page. It also helps Google feature the keyword phrases found on the page.
The more people who read the content, the higher Google will rank the website over other sites with less traffic.
With the audience reading the content, it helps build up a relationship of trust. The website which wrote the content is now linking to a site that backs up what they’re talking about.
With internal links, it provides a link back to a page that may not get as much traffic. It also helps provide additional information to help back up the information that is written about on the blog.
How to Use Them Properly
Good content is what will bring consumers to a site. It will also keep bringing them back to the site time and again. Always make sure the content is fresh, interesting, and relevant.
Make sure the content pertains to the links provided. It’s what helps drive traffic to the site from search engines.
While many links can be external, it’s also useful and good to use links that are internal to the site itself. It can further promote pages that don’t often get a lot of traffic.
It can also help to set up the site as one that’s an authority on a particular subject matter.
Other Ways to Use Linking for SEO
There are other ways to use inbound links to promote traffic to a website. Guest blogging is one such way.
Try finding another company that complements but doesn’t compete. Then ask to write a blog for them in exchange for an inbound link.
A page devoted to resource links is always useful to consumers and other bloggers. This type of page has a high likeliness of being used by other bloggers, complete with a link back to the original site page.
Writing about current news events is also a great way to drive more traffic to a website. If a site is the first to comment on the latest news story, it will most definitely also rise to the top of the SERPs. This type of linking is called newsjacking.
Creating other forms of content like cartoons, charts, and graphs are also great forms of linking. More and more people are drawn to visual images rather than the written word.
It doesn’t take long and it’s not expensive to create. Best of all, most other bloggers will skip doing it themselves if they can easily utilize someone else’s work.
Create something funny. People love to laugh. Funny content is also highly shareable. Even boring industries can find something that’s amusing to share with their readers.
What to Avoid When Using Links
There are many right ways to properly use inbound links. But when used incorrectly, Google might notice and penalize the website.
If the link makes no sense to the content that is written, then search engines will not reward the links. If the link is to a spammy site or features inappropriate content, it also will not be rewarded.
Avoid linking to sites that contain malware or other potentially hazardous sites. Not only will search engines disapprove, most consumers reading the content will as well.
Don’t pay for links, either. This is something that can be done for free.
Exchanging links can be penalized by Google. They may see it as spam. So even if it sounds like a fair deal, avoid doing this.
Don’t provide useless content. Whether writing a press release, a guest blog, or any other type of content, it’s not worth it to write something for the sake of writing something. Search engines and consumers alike will be turned off by useless content.
Lastly, do not overstuff the content with keywords. Google and other search engines will take notice and the site will be penalized.
What to Do Next
When it comes to best practices for SEO and traffic building, it’s always changing. Sometimes that’s because of technology, sometimes it’s because Google has yet again changed the rules.
Other times, it’s just about providing the right kind of content that consumers want to engage with.
But the only way to stay on top of it is to continue learning. Search out sites that provide fresh and new content that is both engaging and informative.
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