You know where you are headed – the page 1 in search engine results. It’s quite impossible to get there without external links. You need support of others to climb up the SERP ladder. We have already written about the safest stepping stones when building your backlink profile. However, since it’s a pretty long road to landing on that coveted first page position, you might be tempted to use shortcuts. In the field of SEO, shortcuts are usually synonymous with black-hat techniques that are a quick dial to the dark and rocky bottom of search results.
The following infographic points out the most dangerous and manipulative link building techniques that you should best avoid. Google’s algorithms are uncannily quick at recognizing manipulation and particularly harsh at penalizing it.
It’s always good to stay in Google’s good books. Apart from smart link-building, there is a host of other ways to improve your ranking. Pay your tribute to Content the King – have you considered all the ways content marketing can help small businesses? Do you know which media will give you the best bang for the buck when it comes to promoting your brand? Do you know how to be the first of mobile-first? Arm your digital marketing strategy with these resources and prepare yourself for a lucrative 2017.
And of course, bear in mind the worst link-building practices that you should keep away from.
