An effective link building campaign requires one major ingredient: variation.
If you are getting backlinks for the purpose of higher rankings in the major search engines, then you need a variety of links from a variety of source types.
The goal is to get organic, natural backlinks. The kind that both visitors and search engines love most. The kind that happen naturally on their own, but that you must also push along a bit for proper content marketing...
A common mistake that bloggers and webmasters make when promoting their content is to stick to one type of link-building only. Some do mainly article marketing, others prefer social bookmarking, some blog commenting, etc.
But ideally you'll want a variety of links, coming from a variety of source types - with variation in the anchor text of the links as well.
It's unnatural, and therefore appears spammy, to get 100 new backlinks all from social bookmarking sites only, and all with the exact same anchor text. This is likely to send up a red flag, and do more harm than good to your seo strategy.
This is not effective link building. It's similar to running for a political office, and visiting all of the voting booths yourself... to cast votes for yourself.
An effective link building campaign is one that appears more like a natural buzz. Google counts links to your site as 'votes' for your content, and they are most interested in what other sites/people have to say about it than what you say.
In order to create that natural appearance for your inbound links, you use variation. You'll want to get links from blog posts, blog comments, social bookmarking sites, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, web pages, press releases (if appropriate), article directories, niche directories, discussion forums, etc.
You'll want a variety of anchor text in those links as well. This is best achieved by using longtail keyword phrases, or by using more than one keyword phrase that is relevant to the content on that page.
The advantage to using variation in your anchor text is that not only do your links appear more natural, which means they'll carry more weight with the major search engines, but you can achieve top rankings for more than one search phrase.
For example, I have one web page that ranks in the Top 3 for three different keyword phrases. I make sales from that page every single week (and some weeks, every day). This is due to using the three different phrases as the anchor text, and switching it up each time I get a new link to that page.
You can create an effective link building campaign by kick-starting the buzz, and with great content you'll end up with many more natural backlinks in addition to those you create yourself.
This is not something you want to do for every single web page or blog post, but it's well worth it for those pillar articles - or those pages/post you most want to rank well in the major search engines.
An effective link building strategy might include:
- Create internal links from related pages on your blog/site
- Tweet the link and ask for feedback
- Publish the link on your Facebook profile or page
- If a blog post, create pingbacks to related blog posts
- Comment on related blog posts, using your specific link in the URL field
- Published a related YouTube video, include the hyperlink in the description field
- Add the link to your niche discussion forum profiles
- Include the link in your forum signature on niche forums
- Submit relevant articles to article directories with the link in the byline
- Submit a press release (if appropriate for your content piece)
- Write guest blog posts on niche blogs, with the link in your signature
- Engage in Cross Blog Conversations with other bloggers on the topic
- Include the link with 5-10 other related links on a social bookmarking list
- If the link is to the main page, add it to niche directories
- If the link is to the main page of a blog, also add it to blog/RSS directories
If you have a really good piece of content, these strategies will kick-start a natural buzz and new unsolicited links from a variety of sources. People may find and like your content and then stumble, tweet, bookmark, or blog about your link. And that's exactly what you want.
Sure, this is work - particularly in the beginning. But once you identify your best sources you'll find that it becomes faster and easier with time. You'll have a list of blogs in your RSS Reader, a list of niche forums you're engaged with, etc. And you can also outsource the tasks once you get a working strategy in place.
The variation in anchor text and sources is incredibly important for effective link building. Never dismiss a linking opportunity due to PageRank, Nofollow attribute, lack of option to include anchor text, etc. You need these to offset your highly optimized links... to avoid the dreaded "over-optimization" (ie: search engine manipulation, spam).
Best,
Previous Posts in the Link Building Series:
Web Page Optimization
Link Building 101
About Lynn Terry
I was pretty much with you until the last paragraph. Could you give an example of what you mean by anchor text variation?
Sure! As an example I could tell you that the Super Affiliate Handbook, written by Rosalind Gardner, is the best affiliate marketing guide I have ever read - and that you can read my Super Affiliate Handbook Review to get more details about it.
Got it? 🙂
Ah ha! Now I get what you mean (Stephen you weren't alone). I have been pretty much been using the same anchor text instead of changing it up like that. Boy, I still have a lot to learn.
Changing it up is good - you definitely want natural variation 😉
...Angie, you are in a good place on this blog here, although I gotta say, we all go alot to learn. 😉
Yikes! I've been using the same anchor text over and over. Thanks for clearing that up!
Great example of mixing up the anchor text. In the beginning make sure you stay focused on a limited number of anchor texts though. Trying to rank for dozens will mean you rank for none. Pick your best 2-3 and focus on them to begin with.
Variation can be tough unless you make it a conscious choice. We often get into the habit of blog commenting or article marketing (whatever we find comfortable) and tend to stick with those. Set up a spreadsheet with different categories and track how you build links.
You might be surprised by the results.
Scott Lovingood
Creating Wealth
Good point. My general strategy is to choose a Primary Keyword phrase and then one or two Secondary Keyword Phrases. I find this especially easy when using longtail keyword phrases because you can use variations of the phrase which include shorter phrases within the longer phrase.
One example is my post on starting a free online business which also ranks well for free online business (feel free to search both phrases and check the results in Google for a visual example).
Great post Lynn. I am really loving your blog.
This goes to show you that if you put in some effort, you will eventually see the results. When you do, all the time and effort you have put in will is well worth it.
Cheers.
Definitely worth it! 😉 And these are the things I am doing consistently while most people are out there spending their time searching for the magic button or the holy grail...
Yes, I got it! Lynn, you make this stuff easy and interesting. It's in the details and the doing. I'll just never get bored or completely finished, always improving, by following the steps you recommend. Paying attention to this good stuff keeps me focused and away from the "bright shiny objects" of distraction. Thank you for sharing what works.
Best for now,
Mary
Hiya Lynn,
Long time no see. 😉
I am starting to realise at last that SEO really only boils down to getting anchored backlinks and relevant content.
Sure there are so many different aspects to SEO and such and I am certainly no expert as you know, it seems the more anchored backlinks you have the better and really that's the main thing we should be doing, d the content then work more on getting anchored backlinks.
*Sigh if only I'd know that really is the main thing way back when and did it far more than anything else and I could have avoided all the crap fluff out there.
Must work at these backlinks far more. 🙂
Take care, hope kids are well.
Rob
Kids are doing great - thank you for asking 😀 And yours?
Glad to hear that, (no pun) 😉
mine are both doing great, eldest is settling into college, youngest on his last to year stretch (the important bit, as I tell him!) and sheesh, all gron up! 😛
Then it's us asking...damn where did all that time go!?
Before long it's grandad...or nan is in your case... lol!!
(I can wait lads!!)
It's all good though, we done the hardest part and our great kids are a reflection of that. 😀
Damn... My W is wearing out now, *sigh the second keyboard this year! 😛
LOL @ Good to hear haha 🙂
My stepdaughter just had a baby 2 months ago, and my other stepdaughter is about 5 weeks pregnant now. A while yet for my own children, but loving the babies in the family!
Babies are amazing, love em... but yeah I can wait. 😀
Wow, so, "stepnan" already 😉 ok... cool stepnan.. 😛
I like the list of examples for link building strategy. I knew about a lot of those but some like niche directories I didn't. Article marketing is something I must do now and I did my first guest blog post last month so I will do more of those. As for social bookmarking, I don't think I quite understand that. And then if I could only get up the nerve to do video, I could use your You Tube tip ha ha
Thanks for the great info!
Thanks for the tips! Do you do this for every post on your blog, or article on a site? That's what overwhelms me.
Or should I have a few "money pages" and focus on creating backlinks to those?
How do you decide which pages to create links for?
Thanks in advance!
Lexi
I optimize every single web page or blog post (as I go), but I don't do an all out link building campaign for every single one - only the "money pages" or pillar articles. Things I really, really want to rank tops for.
Over time, you'll build up enough authority and internal linking, that even without an external link building campaign you'll easily rank for longtail keyword phrases.
But now the $1miljon question is ... which articles will become the 'money pages' or 'pillar articles'? I assume that is something that you can not really predict upfront. So when do you start working on the linking?
Richard
No, no - it's not about predicting, it's about creating. You strategically create core content pieces, money pages, pillar articles, whatever you want to call it. The rest of your content is informative, and is used as a means of leading your visitor TO the core content. You absolutely must have a content strategy...
See: Web Content: Writing With Purpose
Content strategy. That's the key. And I had a stark reminder recently, while analyzing how my main site ranked for my top keywords (shocker: it DIDN'T!)
Fixing that aggressively now - with a revised content strategy. Your series of posts is helping a lot, Lynn. Thanks.
Am using your tips on this post to build visibility for my recent post on content strategy - http://bit.ly/conprof
All success
Dr.Mani
Thanks Lynn, I get it!!
Great post.
I also have created many backlinks with the same anchor text as well. Do you get penelized by doing this by Google?I've actually received almost all my traffic by doing blog commenting. I will start uding different methods from now on. Also I have another question if you don't mind.
I've been building backlinks and have used the anchor text, but am still not ranking in google for that keyword?Do you have any idea why i'm not ranking or how long it normaly takes to rank? My blog is 2 months old at the moment. Also which link building stratagy do you think is most powerful? I've been hearing a lot about getting links on web 2.0 properties is very powerful.
I hope you dont mind me asking all these questions.
Not at all - It helps everyone reading along too 😉
Yes, you can get penalized for "over optimization", or in their words: attempting to manipulate the search results. Variation is key to your link building strategy, both in anchor text and in linking sources.
If you would like for me to look at your URL and keyword phrase, I'd be happy to.
As for the "best link building strategy" - there is no one best method, because it takes a combination to get the variation you need for a natural, organic link building campaign.
Hi again Lynn - if I'd waited 12 hours from my previous question it would have been answered here!!
Could you please explain what you mean by Cross Blog Conversations? Is it like the website links in all the comments above?
If they are not related to your website content (internet marketing) - will they give much in the way of a useful link.
For example one of the links above is from Scott - his website is about wealth creation - by having a link on your site (internet marketing) to his in a different sector, does that give his site any advantage or does the link need to be on a relevant site to count?
Thanks
Andrew
No, you're referring to blog commenting - and it (like any linking) is most effective when you are linking from a relevant blog post, to a related blog post or relevant website. Relevancy is very important to your Link Reputation.
Cross Blog Conversations are an evolution of Guest Blogging:
http://www.clicknewz.com/1133/cross-blog-conversations/
I have a category here at ClickNewz where you can see a visual example:
http://www.clicknewz.com/category/cross-blog-conversations/
I have been doing some research on my competition and I have noticed a bunch of links to blogs and directories that are paid links. For example this site has a link from a geo-targeted blog for his local search phrase. It looks very natural but if you go to the about section of the blog you see where you can get a permanent link with the anchor text of your choice for a one time price.
Are these types of scenarios often identified by the big G and excluded from the sites link count?
Google does not like paid text links, designed specifically to manipulate the search results - which is exactly what you've described in that scenario. That's the reason they punished bloggers and publishers participating in PayPerPost and Text-Link-Ads awhile back: http://www.clicknewz.com/1261/no-more-tla-sponsored-blogging/
Google frowns on paid links. If you can find it, they probably can as well. You are much better off working to get relevant, consistent links to your site.
No one really knows how much they discount them (paid links) but they have publicly stated they don't like them.
Andrew - Part of the relevancy of my link for creating wealth on Lynn's site is that part of her focus is on starting a business. Since that is part of the formula for creating wealth it makes a lot of sense to me to create "breadcrumb" links to my site.
It won't give me a flood of traffic (though Lynn if you want a guest post on taxes for small businesses I would be happy too 🙂 It won't give me huge boost in rankings. BUT as Lynn has said, consistently performing the things you know work will give you the results you want. Most people quit before they get there because it takes....
WORK. Yes folks even internet marketing takes work. Just not the kind you find in a coal mine.
Put the effort into your site and you will reap the rewards.
Good stuff, I'm currently doing some of the things mentioned here...
when posting articles to article directories such as ezinearticles, should our call to action in the author signature contain the main site url or a link to a specific post??
Every article you submit will have it's own objective. You want a good mix of backlinks to your main page, and also to your internal pages (or on a blog, posts). You write articles on micro-topics, and use a specific call-to-action, using the link that matches that topic best and strategically leads your reader into your site at a place that makes sense after reading your article.
...and don't put TOO much into the article... you want the visitors going to your site 😉 Lead them there.
One of the most important things I learned from this post and your advice on this topic over the last few days is that SEO is not some complicated "black hat" process. It's actually very good PR and I'm really mad at myself for taking this long to realize this since I practice PR for a living offline. Practicing SEO as I'm learning from you is in a way a process for making it easier for not just Google, but your audience to find specific content that they're after in all the right, relevant places.
Exactly. Good SEO is actually good VO (visitor optimization) and it makes sense to market your content in a way that it's easy to find, easy to cross reference related content, and easy to navigate.
The best content marketing strategy is actually the things you would do if no search engines existed at all. And ultimately, that is the best SEO strategy as well.
Great post, and no doubt about that. My top 3 are through articles, forums and posting comments on blogs, thanks for sharing.
Picked up link for this article through RT by Terrance Charles. You've hit the ingredients spot on. Basically I use a variety of scources but always check for "no follow" in html so as to get maximum benefit from back links. Have RT'd the tweet.
All the best, Steve
Hey Steve - welcome to ClickNewz and thanks for the RT 😉
real good information. i will give this a try. thanks for the great information on ping backs.
I'm very good at the internal linking thing, but I haven't done it for anchor links as much as to link to previous posts that talk about the same subjects. I've thought about it more as a way to get people to read my older content; it's possible that's not quite the way to do it. I'll have to think about that one some more.
It's great to interlink your related content. Using keyword phrases will make those links stand out to your readers (especially those who are scanning) and let them know what that link is about - and it tells the search engines what that page is about (which keyword phrase to rank it for) at the same time.
True that. Of course, one of these days I'll get my PR back from Google, but as long as I'm listed in the search engines, I'm not so upset about it.
Yeah, I have established sites with ZERO toolbar pagerank, that have authority listings in Google and enjoy tons of top rankings and targeted traffic. Ignore the green and keep developing content and a strong link strategy 😉
Hey Lynn,
Another Great Post! Question for you, how do I create pingbacks and what exactly is a pingback? And secondly, how does one engage in a cross blog conversation? I'm not exactly sure what this looks like. Thanks and keep up the great posts.
Tyy
One of the next posts in the series is all about Pingbacks 😉
Cross Blog Conversations are an evolution of Guest Blogging:
http://www.clicknewz.com/1133/cross-blog-conversations/
I have a category here at ClickNewz where you can see a visual example:
http://www.clicknewz.com/category/cross-blog-conversations/
Thanks Lynn, I will check these out. Looking forward to the series on pingbacks. Keep the great information coming. I am loving all this great info. I finally feel I am starting to get a little better handle on things and I am feeling more focused than ever with this. Thank you so much!
Tyy
"Never dismiss a linking opportunity due to PageRank, Nofollow attribute, lack of option to include anchor text, etc. You need these to offset your highly optimized links… to avoid the dreaded “over-optimization” (ie: search engine manipulation, spam)."
AMEN!! People get so wrapped up in getting the MOST of every link that they will dismiss a link they don't deem worthy when those links serve a very distinct purpose!! Great post Lynn. Well written and very easy to understand.
Thank you, Jackie 😀
Link building explained. That's right. For those who can afford it, it's much better to outsource though. It's too boring and time consuming.
Franck
Outsourcing is definitely a great option, Franck - we'll actually be discussing that in this series as well. 😉
Lynn, you are "dead on" with your post. The more diversification the better in the SE's eyes. Also, the better the chance of getting even more traffic from quality and relevant sites.
Mike
Exactly 😉
Hey Lynn
My first time at your blog...very nice. It is so rare to see a blog on internet marketing that has do-follow links and one that is talking about link building too!
Nice tips and now I will bookmark you , oh the heck with that I'll just subscribe 🙂
I particularly like the part about commenting on no-follow blogs, sometimes I do, most times I don't .
Ron
Welcome Ron 😀
When it comes to blog commenting, I don't stop to check if there's something I want to add to the conversation. But often I'll do a pingback intead:
http://www.clicknewz.com/2114/pingbacks-vs-blog-comments/
Really good stuff Lynn. I have been doing all of the above. Maybe you could clear up some of the confusion that I and probably many other online marketers have is "anchor text"? Can you give us a good example on how it should be done?
Paul
Sure. Anchor Text is the text that is hyperlinked to your URL. If you go back to the first comment you'll see I gave a visual example: http://www.clicknewz.com/2110/effective-link-building/comment-page-1/#comment-240457
Hi Lynn,
Just been reading through the series so far and just want to say thanks for all of the great info. You've built up a fantastic community - loads of great comments to mull over as a bonus.
I think I have been guilty of over optimising links especially as anchor text and concentrating on articles rather than many different link types. I saw traffic drop to about 20% as my Google position fell. I wasn't spamming or anything (and they were all manually added) and we are only talking about 20-25 links, I just used the same anchor text all the time!
My question is - if I have been penalised, will building more natural links as you've described so well here, gradually get me some Google credibility back - ie are Google forgiving 😉
Thanks for your help
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
It's a common assumption that your site may have been penalized or 'slapped' when rankings fluctuate, but to answer your question on that I would need to know how long your site has been online, and how long it held it's top positions before they 'fell'.
Often with a newer site, you'll see your pages rise in the SERPs (search engine results pages) when they first get indexed, and then shuffle back down to where they actually belong. This is pretty normal.
And yes, Google is forgiving. If you have a problem with your pages (404 errors, not optimized, etc) you can fix that problem, and usually a few high quality inbound links from a variety of sources will get your pages reindexed correctly.
Hey Lynn, Another great post. I have really been learning a lot over the last month.This is a great series. Thank you so much for all your help.I am really interested in the post about pingbacks as I do not understand how to do them. I guess I am missing something else because I do not understand what you mean when you say...(404 errors, not optimized, etc)I have ear plugs in my ears now so all that info in there will not come out.LOL I'm so glad you give us a great place to learn. Thanks Lynn
Gail J Richardson
LOL Gail - I love that visual!
Here is the post about pingbacks:
http://www.clicknewz.com/2114/pingbacks-vs-blog-comments/
Let me know what your questions are 😉
I have read your article. Well that you mention here about variation of anchor text on different link building platform, I am doing that. For perfect link building work we do not have to use only the common link building strategy, For me I get one better link building work that is comment on digg story. I see lots of people comment on digg story by putting their link. So I think this strategy also can help us better link building work.
Legitimate comments should be left, regardless of SEO & link building, as a means of building and growing the web of content. If it counts towards your link reputation, all the better!
@Lynn, thank you for reply to my comment. Well I want to know that which link building work perform best for you?
The link building strategy I prefer is a combination of link types & sources, for a natural buzz effect. This includes a mix of follow/nofollow, high pr and low pr pages, social properties and static pages, etc. Variety is the main ingredient in my link building method.
I think you have perform lots of work for your link building work. That is really very great. Keep it up Lynn.
Great article Lynn! I've certainly fallen into the trap before of using a few good sources of links, while ignoring other sources (that, while not as high quality, provide the natural-looking variation). I also find it difficult sometimes to keep track of the anchor texts that I've used to make sure I'm varying it enough.
I'd be interested in your feedback on a tool that I recently created: BacklinkReporter.com. It automatically verifies whether or not your backlinks are still live. It also tracks the anchor text, PR of the linking page, price paid, and much more. It's a free tool and only requires a link for use. It's brand new so I'd love to get some feedback on it. Thanks!
Good insight...it would be interesting to find out a tentative metric about the variety...just like we have for keyword density etc. What percentage of links should have the verbatim URL, how many should have your top keywords, how many should have your name, and how many should have some text like "click here" etc. and so on...of course, there can't be some magic number, but ranges will be important...
Here's my rule of thumb: I need a specific number of high quality backlinks with the exact keyword phrase as the anchor text. The number needed to achieve a Top 3 spot in Google. See: How Many Backlinks Do You Need?
I aim to get 1/3 to 1/2 of total inbound links as my 'variation links' with the other half to 2/3 being that number of links I need with the keyword phrase.
This was very informative and comprehensive. We've been ramping up our anchor text link building to generate more traffic and your Effective Link Building Strategy list is going to be an asset for us. We've done some lopsided link building in the past - now we'll spread it out. Thanks!
Really valuable advice, although some of them are very difficult. Thank you.
Which of those do you feel is difficult?
Also see: One Way Link Building (newest post) for more ideas.
Thank you Terry for the response, I really appreciate that. I think press release is the hardest link technique since it involved expenses especially for a new site. And so far I don't feel the advantages of Facebook and Twitter link. In my country the social media network is no more than chatting tools. Most of our people don't think to get precious value from blogs.
Difficult and Expensive are not synonymous. Some things cost money but are super easy, other things are free and not so easy at all. A press release is not necessarily right for every model, but I wouldn't consider it difficult. Not if you have something newsworthy to share.
You really do have to find your target market exactly where they are, so if they are not on Facebook then Facebook Marketing is not for you...
With the new PR update, I've been dropped from PR 2 to PR 1 despite the amount of backlinks, I went all out to get in the past 2 months through blog commenting, forum discussions, article marketing and guest posting.I'm kinda feeling low at the moment and will give creating backlinks a break for now. I'll probably focus on a new blog.
What you're referring to is TBPR (Toolbar PageRank). It's not actual PageRank. The drop you saw could be due to paid links, a strange fluctuation in links, or any number of things.
I would never let "the vanity green" (as I call it) manipulate you into giving up on a blog you've worked hard on. I have been blogging consistently for over 5 years, have thousands of quality inbound links... and only have a TBPR of 4. Doesn't stop me 😉
I guess I'm just passing through a phase. Somewhere along the line, I'm bound to garner motivation to continue. Thank God I've got enough content already written to last me till the end of the year. 😉
P.S: The paid links on my blog have all been nofollowed so I don't think paid links had to do with it. BTW how do I know my actual pagerank?
Cheers
Google doesn't disclose actual PageRank - so the answer is: there is no way to know it.
Is the PR rating on the google toolbar not the pagerank for a website?
No, it's not actual pagerank, it's toolbar pagerank. See:
http://www.clicknewz.com/1173/google-pagerank-debate/
Lynn,
Concise and informational post. I think implementing a couple of your suggestions is going to make a huge difference for my site over time. I'd been changing the keyword phrase used for backlinking in the ezine resource box, but I always linked it back to my homepage, never to a podcast, post or article on my site.
Definitely work on getting deep links to internal pages or blog posts. Really helps with the overall site authority and rankings!
I love this post about link building.
Would you mind if I wrote a little article on my blog about it?
I am sure that some of my readers would like it.
Sure, feel free to quote my post as long as you include a link back to the post to credit the source.
Thank you. I will get a new post up on my blog today.
Hey Lynn,
Love your website!!!! I discovered you through the 30DC and the podcast Internet marketing this week. i am so happy I found your blog. I just have to say your link building series should have been on the 30DC...it's much clearer and easier to understand!
Anyway, I am still a little confused on creating a variation of your anchor text link. Let's say my main keyword was Dog Training and so my URL was: http://www.dogtraining.com. So the anchor text I would be using to link to my main page page would be: "dog training", as I am trying to rank for "Dog Training".
So are you saying so as to not look spammy, I should also create anchor text links like: "dog training explained", "dog training lessons" etc... to link to my main page so it looks more natural?
Now if I used the anchor text link, "dog training lessons", would this still be seen to Google as the keyword I am trying to rank for- "Dog training" and also the keyword "dog training lessons"? Or will it be seen as just the keywords: "dog training lessons"? If it's the later, how does this help me rank for the main keyword phrase: "Dog Training"?
I hope this isn't too confusing...:-)
Thanks.
Hey Brian - Thank you 😀
The variation in anchor text is important so as to create a natural inbound link structure. It also allows your pages to rank well for more than one keyword phrase.
In the example you gave, your main page could rank well for both "dog training" and "dog training lessons". Having a page that holds multiple top rankings is very beneficial (obviously).
I often use longtail keyword phrases and then use variations of that phrase for anchor text. An example is "starting a free online business" and also using "free online business" as anchor text (part of the primary keyword phrase). You'll notice I rank well for both on Google.
Does that help?
Thanks Lynn....that does help but I have another question...:-)
You mentioned that if you want to rank for your main keyword phrase which is obviously the index page of your site then it's best to use at least 3 different variations of the keyword when building backlinks so it doesn't look spammy.
So if my main keyword phrase was "Dog Training" and that was my URL, meta tags, title of the main post, keywords within the main post etc....I would use the phrase "Dog Training" as the anchor text link when creating backlinks, but also I should then have a few others so it's not spammy...like "Dog training lessons", "dog training course"....etc
So my question is should the other keywords also be embedded in that main post. So if the index page of my site is optimiaed for the keyword" Dog training" should I then also place "Dog training lessons", "dog training course" into the main post as well, or doesn't it matter?
So what I'm asking, is that is it important to have those other 2 keyword phrases on the page somewhere for that main page you are trying to rank for in Google?
Also should these additional keyword phrases be actual phrases people search for and have a decent amount of traffic associated to them, or doesn't that matter either.....is it just important to have a variation of my main keyword phrase so it doesn't look spammy to Google?
I've probably repeated myself here, I just want clarification...:-)
I try to use phrases that do get searches - that way I can get multiple top rankings for the same page. But ANY variation is good and keeps you from getting penalized for "over optimization".
On Page factors don't carry as much weight with Google, but I include them for good measure. I often use a longtail keyword phrase as my PKP (Primary Keyword Phrase - the phrase I most want to rank well for) and then variations of that phrase for other anchor text. Like "starting a free online business" and "free online business" and "online business" etc.
Just thought I would mention http://www.dogtraining.com isn't my website, i was just using it as an example.
Hi Lynn,
I have another question...so many questions...:-))))
If you are trying to rank for your main keyword phrase which is the URL you have picked, it's in the meta tags, title...etc,etc of your index page....is it important that your first post on the page is a post title using those keywords and then you stick that post to the front page of your blog?
Do you need to stick that post to the front of your blog so it verifies with google that that's the keywords you have optimized your site for, or doesn't it matter?
So back to the example of Dog Training....if my first post was titled "Dog Training" and then I used the keyword "Dog Training" in the body of the post, is it wise to then stick that post to the index page of your blog so it makes it more obvious to Google that that's what your site is optimized for?
If you don't need to stick that blog post to the front of your blog, is it just enough to have your main keyword phrase in the meta tags, title, H1 tags etc for google to know what your site is optimized for?
Is there an issue to sticking that post to the front of your blog?
Thanks.
Some fascinating comments on this post Lynn 😉
Brian, one thing I would definitely say is to not overcomplicate things, don't try to hard if that makes sense.
There is one thing about the search engines like google, they spot things pretty well, so it could hurt you if you try to do to much.
SEO in a way IS gaming it, that itself is not what google wants, all they care about is you giving them the right content that their searchers look for, that's it.
Do that and you are halfway there anyway.
Hope it helps in some way, test, test, test, that is the only thing you can rely on, not that Lynn gives you wrong advice or anything like that, but Lynn can't know for sure what will work right for YOUR site, only you can by testing it.
One tip Brian, go to google and search for the very thing you are trying to rank for, see what works for them sites and then do it better than them 🙂
Take care,
Rob
Thanks Rob...great advice...:-)
Just one thing...should I put those additional keywords in that main post I am trying to rank for??
Do I need to stick that post to the front page?
Sorry...can't help myself...:-)
No, I would try to make your post only rank for whatever keywords you want it ranking for... so each post is targeted for the one phrase if possible.
This mean google doesn't have to wonder what your keyword phrase is... It knows.
If you target a few, it will just lead to confusion in a way, if that makes sense?
As for the main first post, on the front page stick up your best most relevant post for the main keyword phrase you target, this is what I would do.
Hope it helps.
Above all, test it, track it, refine it. 🙂
Rob
Thanks Mate...much appreciated!
Your'e welcome... the important thing is whatever you do, you learn from it, that is the best way to learn this stuff, try it, test it, refine it. 🙂
Do what makes the most sense for your human visitors - so you can build a readership on the topic. If a sticky post on the main page makes the most sense, then do that.
It's not going to make a huge difference with your Google rankings though. I (or, clicknewz.com) rank in the top 5 for "internet marketing blog" and the posts on my main page change every day...
Thanks Lynn....you are awesome.....what a quick response!
Look at this post for a great example...
Although it IS optimised for what result Lynn wants, it's done mainly for you, the reader, yet the fact it has over 100 comments and readers like it gives it more weight than just targeting a keyword phrase.
Lynn has NOT overdone it.
BIG lesson here.
Gotta look between the lines.
Rob
And I currently rank #11 on Google for "effective link building"... making my way to top 10 😉
That's just bragging.. 😛
Nah - just backing up your comment there, Rob 😀 lol
Ha Ha... well I am glad I got something right! 😀
hi Lynn,
Wow. What a post! I haven't seen a post with this many comments in quite a while.
I think your post is right on. Variety is not only the spice of life, it is the "spice of google".
Hmmm... maybe I should leave the prose to you. 🙂
Steve, purveyor of display booths
Thanks for the tip, I'll start switching my anchor keywords now for my homepage. Thank you.
Great post, I would just add that the link strategy changes dramatically if you are a large brand vs. a small brand. As a larger brand, you have options for building high value links through strategic partnerships with other large brands. These efforts are exponentially more valuable than acquiring many low-value links (or using link-farming efforts). Unfortunately, in my experience I see very few large brands taking advantage of this strategy.
Very informative article, made me realize that my link building needed some updating.
I also started submitting RSS feeds and I hope these links will give me some variety and link juice as well as it allows me to submit 10-15 links at the time.