Incoming Links are good, good links are better, and authority links are excellent!

This has been the familiar mantra all along and it still holds true.

But…this understanding is now changing. With the recent Google update, linking strategy needs to be redefined. Whether you like it or not, there will be some incoming links to your web site that you cannot control.

Can your website be penalized for being linked from a bad neighborhood?

Yes, it can. So, even if you may not be responsible for getting the link, you may get linked to that bad neighborhood anyway!

Before you start stressing about this, remember that in spite of all this there is still an immense amount of benefit that comes from linking. Your linking strategy should continue to be based on the best practices. You cannot do away with links; they are an integral part of how the internet functions.

So, how do we determine which linking strategy would work best for us?

If you have been following the best practices for link building, you are fine and it is okay for you to continue with your links building practices. The basic practices remain the same, which is, your website’s objective should be in alignment with your link building practices. Don’t get obsessive about linking, just link when you have to naturally do so, and ask for links only when you know that those links will benefit you.

Social media is another platform where you can promote your website by providing links, even though they may not be directly related to helping you rank at the top of search results, but the positive outcome of such efforts will certainly increase your website’s visibility.

And isn’t that the objective of every website and what all of us wish to achieve?

The obsessive objective of obtaining links from high Page rank sites in order to rank higher on Google needs to change. Because, if your efforts are so completely tuned to ranking on top of Google’s search results, then, if one fine day Google changes it’s algorithm, your website may be nowhere on the SERPS!

Work on an objective to be visible everywhere, not just Google, but Yahoo! BING, Social networking sites, high ranking portals, complimentary sites, any authority site that will send you relevant visitors. If that means that you get incoming links from these sites, it is okay, these links will help you. Not only will this effort pay off in the long run, the cumulative effect of this promotion which is all encompassing will be extremely beneficial and may find that your website is naturally ranking on Google without having to pay attention on Google Page Rank!

You might be interested in some of the below-mentioned articles on link building best practices. These will provide you an insight into how to build, develop, and gain from link building.

Linking for users
Do links help or hamper?
A web site is known by the links it keeps
Links and our obsession with it!

The objective is to create such a great web site that it is impossible for visitors to stay away! And search engines go where visitors go, so naturally search engines will follow.

I am leaving you with this interesting article on Search Engine Watch on links, that you might like to read: Use the Link Disavow Tool Even if Your Site Hasn’t Been Penalized

Have a great weekend!