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Backlinks Are A Critical Component For SEO

By Julie Ann Ross

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 03Jul2009
Word count: 514
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Backlinks and SEO are inseparable. Without high-quality inbound links pointing to your website, your pages cannot grab and maintain high rankings in the search engines' organic listings. For many business owners, building links is one of the most time-consuming and frustrating elements of executing an SEO campaign. Not only must they attract backlinks when they first launch their campaign, but they must continue to maintain a growing link profile. That is the only way to secure competitive positions and keep competitors at bay.

Below, we'll explain why backlinks are integral to your SEO efforts and the ways in which website owners sabotage their success. We'll also provide a few suggestions for building high-quality inbound links that will support your long-term link profile.

Why Backlinks Are So Important

Years ago, search engines were keenly focused on the number of links pointing to your site. The greater number of backlinks you had, the higher your pages would be listed in their organic rankings. Pages were positioned based on popularity.

The importance of link-building has only grown stronger. Today, links are still the key element in every SEO campaign. The difference is the manner in which current search engine algorithms consider backlinks. Volume is not enough to rank highly for competitive keywords. SEO must now be focused on developing a link profile that is both expansive and authoritative.

SEO And Your Link Profile

When link popularity was the only factor considered by search engines, website owners realized they could easily "game" the algorithms. By purchasing a site-wide advertising spot on large online properties, they could build hundreds of thousands of backlinks overnight. In an effort to combat such short-term SEO techniques, search engines modified their algorithms. They now favor sites that have attracted thematically related link backs from a wide selection of properties. Sites with link profiles that include backlinks from authoritative properties enjoy an additional ranking advantage.

How To Build Backlinks For Your SEO Campaign

Building high-quality backlinks is not easy. If it were, everyone would do it. This is one of the core reasons businesses partner with experienced and professional SEO consultants. That said, there are several ways in which you can slowly develop your site's link profile. The key is to maintain, or gradually accelerate, the pace with which you attract links. A quick burst in the beginning will have little effect over the long run.

Article syndication to a broad neighborhood of thematically related websites is an effective SEO tactic. Distributing press releases, attracting .edu and .gov links, and seeding targeted directory links are also valuable. Keep in mind that it's important to watch the competitors who occupy your market. Research the places from which they have attracted links and try to coax inbound links from the same sites.

Don't underestimate the complexity of building high-quality backlinks for SEO purposes. This area continues to represent one of the most important parameters used by today's search engine algorithms. If you lack the time to launch and maintain an ongoing link-building campaign, consider partnering with a top SEO consultant who can do it for you.

With 20 years in marketing, advertising and 10 years in internet marketing, Rostin Reagor Smith has refined the SEM SEO Expert Formula. Hundreds of case studies have combined to build the formula that drives search engine ranking through Social Media Optimization, Online Reputation Management, Social Marketing, Link Building and web 2.0 communities and resources.

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