Zack Williamson

I’ve been doing SEO since 2003 and have braved the many ebbs and flows of the ever changing algorithms but an increasing trend that I have always recognized, is Google’s push for quality over quantity.  10 years ago complete noobs could merely tweak a few HTML attributes and land themselves on the front page of Google for a KW like “free porn” or some other hyper competitive niche. Simple things like embedding invisible text in your page or forum spamming could have kept Matt Cutts up at night but  nowadays, Google seems to be winning the race and forcing us to seek better quality links.

Google vs SEOs

It’s always be a technological arms race between us grassroots SEOs and the big brother of the web, Google and their Webspam team. As we evolve so do their algorithms and really, Google should embrace and reward our mischievous efforts because it been just that competition that has shaped Google into what it is today. Yes, us SEOs owe ourselves a pat on the back for our contribution in Google’s Algos… we taught them how to identify truly higher quality, relevant content from the billions of other garbage pages out there.

As this race continues, it is a natural inevitability that the easiest way to obtain links will always result in lower quality links because as those channels become overused and abused, Google will have no choice but to update their algorithm and sometimes these updates come with serious consequences.

The White vs. Black Hat Debate

A good way to explain this is to compare it to financial investments. If you are willing to take on more risk and exposure then the rewards can be much greater. I know two different people in the same adult niche applying basically the exact same black-hat SEO strategy and today one is pumping in millions while the other got penalized and may never recover. Sometimes there’s just no rhyme or reason why some sites get taken out while others never get penalized and that can be a risky game to play. Now of course, the best financial strategy is one that combines just the right mixture of high risk and low risk stocks. That being said, your link building strategy should be the same.

Not only can adding quality links to your site render better results but it can also inculcate your site against penalties as I’ve mentioned before. You might think what you are doing is good for now but Google has already showed us what they are capable of with the Panda and Penguin updates. The Panda targeted on-page attributes while the Penguin fought against spammy link profiles. I’m not telling you guys that you should listen to everything Matt Cutts tells and go 100% white-hat but some expensive or hard to obtain links is just what this SEO doctor orders.

Where to get quality links?

• Wikipedia- If your site is so awesome and creditable then why isn’t it listed in Wikipedia?
• Educational sites- don’t just spam .edu sites instead actually contribute to or participate in educational journals and studies.
• Social Signals- Are people talking about you or your site? They should be.
• News Sites- Get mentioned in the news or try the easier route press releases.
• Partnerships- Forge real online partnerships with another reputable website.
• Go the Extra Mile- Take extra measures in all your link building activities. Little nuances can make a big difference in the end.

Now go forth and conquer my SEO compadres!