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Link-Building Mistakes That Sink SEO Plans | Movers Development

Link-building mistakes that sink SEO plans

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Finding the perfect SEO strategy is close to impossible – Google and other search engines make sure of that. With the constant updates and algorithm tweaks, companies that wish to persist in the race for online dominance have to monitor and adapt. The same plan of action goes for moving businesses. The factors that definitely contribute to this process are the foundational steps, such as link-building. Starting from a well-designed system of internal links and expanding on the importance of backlinks and external links. However, even this process demands focus and adjustments. And so, we come to a point where we need to examine common link-building mistakes and learn from them.

11 link-building mistakes that can flush your SEO plans down the drain

If your aim is to get links to your website, it is compulsory to create high-authority, relevant, and link-worthy content. Otherwise, people will have no interest to link to your site. In addition, your Google rankings will have scarce chances to be satisfying.

Making mistakes is a natural occurrence. However, when it comes to link creation, mistakes can carry a toll. Whether you are new to SEO for moving companies or a veteran, there are those wrong turns that you can avoid. All it takes is to be open to new knowledge and old experience. Of course, it’s always smart to avoid unnecessary mistakes that can lead to devaluation. Consider the following guidelines to ensure that you avoid any unwanted missteps in link building:

1. More is not always better

Most marketers assume that the more content and links you have, the better off you will be. That is not always the truth. People that search for answers online are always looking for the quickest way to get them. If they have to sift through a 3000-word article to get them, you’ve already lost the majority.

Hand writing Quality.
You have to consider quality over quantity to avoid link-building mistakes.

Instead, consider the essential parts of your content that will meet the expectations of both readers and search engines. You have to find that balance without losing the original point. That can often prove difficult and challenging, but most professional SEO copywriters can be helpful here.

2. Write blogs instead of dissertations

Remember who your target audience is. The digital world of today does not have the time or patience to analyze a 300-word paragraph. Instead, what they want is a user-friendly article that will pour into their minds. How can you achieve this?

  • Through responsive web design and SEO for starters.
  • Short paragraphs and semi-expert sentence structures.
  • Providing realistic examples of more complex processes.
  • A page layout that is easy to navigate through.
  • Use of video content and infographics.

3. Neglecting the impact of internal linking is a bad approach

When you eventually earn a backlink from a reputable website in your business field, try your best to make the most of it. Pay attention to both the content you provide and the internal link structure of your website. By providing you with a backlink, an authority site gives you a vote of confidence. That increases the credibility of that page on your website.

Furthermore, if there are any internal links from this page, the authority and credibility will transfer to those pages as well. On the other hand, if your internal structure is inconsistent, it is a considerable obstacle to distributing the value to all the important pages on your website. Eventually, your rankings are affected.

4. Link building mistakes include building links to the homepage only

We have already mentioned the evident importance of the internal link structure of your website. Consequently, building links to your homepage only is nothing but a wrong and pointless strategy. Although it is useful to a certain extent because it can help in raising your brand awareness, overusing it will trigger Google algorithms by all means. Hence, make your backlinks natural by pointing them to other pages that are relevant and in accordance with the content. For those who are in the moving industry, this is the smartest strategy that will intrigue the viewers and provide free moving leads for moving companies.

Using the exact match anchor text is not beneficial

Using over-optimized anchor text is what inevitably triggers the Penguin Google algorithm and gets you penalized. Instead of always using the exact keyword you strive to rank for, use a mixture of branded, partial, naked, and generic anchor text. Understandably, the more branded links, the better.

5. Third-party metrics such as domain authority are not obsolete

Yes, these metrics are important in avoiding link-building mistakes that often occur. However, you should never follow them to the letter. Instead, you need to absorb them with restraint. Otherwise, you risk missing out on some potentially great linking opportunities.

Pursuing strong links is all nice and well, but it’s not your only course of action. Instead, you need to plan long-term, smaller companies with fewer resources in particular. A good link will always be a good link, and shouldn’t be ignored. However, since your link profile does invite organic visits, you need to plant seeds to help it grow. That means investing resources into links that can grow into something more with time. You need to find a balance between high-quality links and low-quality ones.

6. Not following current content trends

With so many people looking for links and trying to push their websites to the top, uniqueness is something to strive for. You need to make your content stand out from the rest and surprise the readers. That one distinctive trait of your content in comparison to the rest is something that can define your business. Think of it as something to help you get brand development for your moving company.

So, the solution here is to stay creative and test new ideas. Infographics and other visual aids are nice and all, but not as exciting as they used to be. Short videos are currently trending, for example. So, find out what else is trending and use it to your advantage. Who knows, you might be able to start a content marketing trend of your own.

7. Avoid link-building mistakes such as neglecting seasonality

We just went over the importance of trending in your link-building strategy. Timing plays a big part in all that. You need to act on that first impulse and use the current happenings around you. So, take advantage of the seasonality offered through:

  • Moving industry trends.
  • Holidays and festivities.
  • Election year.
  • Weather conditions.
  • Sports events and manifestations etc.

8. Failing to personalize your outreach efforts

You really can’t rely on template outreach efforts to win over website owners. It’s already become outdated and has limited juice for expanding your link profile. Site owners have gotten used to the appeal and receive dozens of emails daily. So, you need to mix it up.

Like with the unique content we spoke about; you want your template to have that extra flare. Have it stand out from the other templates, give it something to turn heads.

You need to take the time to investigate stronger websites before reaching out to them. Comprise an email proposal tailored specifically for them. Show them that you took the time to look at their website and what they expect. And then make the pitch on how you can contribute and offer them value for an opportunity to link.

9. Badly planned and disorganized guest blogging

It is a mere fact that guest blogging is a cost-effective, legitimate, and, undoubtedly, useful means for getting links to your website. However, to be able to use it to its full potential, you need to provide premium quality content. Only then will top blogs accept to publish it. This way, you will be able to get brand development for your business and also influence a broad audience.

The most frequent guest blogging-related mistakes that influence link building are the following:

  • Writing guest posts of insufficient quality to get backlinks.
  • Focusing only on top-tier websites which have very high editorial standards. – Although a backlink at one of these sites will prove your reputation and authority in the field, it will take months for your post to go live. Thus, if you want guest blogging to help your business grow, wasting a few months is a luxury you cannot afford.
  • Hiring the services of only one guest blogger for link building. – As impossible as it may seem, Google easily recognizes these practices. Then, it penalizes your website. Hence, hire multiple bloggers or simply concentrate on a few target websites and contact the writers who already write for them.

10. Forgetting to segment your outreach list

Just like with moving company marketing efforts, you need to segment your target audiences. The same approach applies to outreach lists. You want to divide them in accordance with:

  • Geo-location;
  • Industry type;
  • Interests;
  • Type of content etc.

Failing to segment your outreach lists is among link-building mistakes that can cost you a lot of high-quality links.

11. Not using an elevator pitch

Using an elevator pitch is the simplest method to convey your uniquely crafted content. Failing to do that usually results in a massive loss of interest from your peers. The selling points that a good elevator pitch should answer three essential questions:

  1. How does my content help others reach their audiences?
  2. What makes my content unique and different from others?
  3. How are the insights I provide better than the rest out there?

12. Don’t give up too early

The difference between a successful campaign and a failed one is the lack of willpower. One of the more challenging link-building mistakes is to give up on your campaign too soon. You just need to follow the natural course of every marketing campaign: idea -> execution -> success/failure -> repeat.

Link-Building
Proper link-building requires devotion.

So, instead of giving up after the first sign of failure, you need to remain persistent. Be stubborn – analyze why your efforts failed and how to change that next time around. And you don’t stop until you have a solid action plan.

13. Copying your competitor offers limited results

Hunting the same links as your competitors is not a guarantee of success. Chasing after their linking plan, by all means, is a highway to failure. Sure enough, there are certain authoritative industry links that you have to chase after. However, there are also those that can prove more beneficial for your competitors than for you.

Rather than copying them, you might want to use them as an example. Use it to learn what type of links work best for your niche. So, put that plan as your secondary goal, while focusing the main force of your link-building on developing a proper content strategy.

14. Failing to diversify your strategy can often result in link-building mistakes

Link-building is a challenging and exhausting strategy. And the moment you think that you’ve mastered it, something new comes and changes everything. With the dynamic environment that the web presents, you need to have contingency plans instead of blindly relying on a strategy that works currently.

Plan B
You need to diversify your link-building strategy and have a plan B.

Staying prepared is what keeps you from failing in building an active backlink profile. Work on perfecting your outreach strategies, the content you create, and how you promote it all. Never be satisfied with standing still and waiting for things to happen. Be the mover you are – always in motion.

15. Not providing your website with enough social signals prevents further improvement

If you are brainstorming ideas on how to increase traffic for your blog, providing shares across social media is the most intelligent decision. Google has recently started considering the number of social signs as an important factor when determining its rank position. Thus, it is high time you started promoting your content to increase your social signal strength. Some of the most helpful strategies include:

  • Making social site buttons always visible on your page
  • Inviting your readers to share the content
  • Interacting with social influencers since they may want to share your content
  • Creating content of outstanding quality

16. Participating in unvetted link exchange programs

We cannot but admit the fact that this has been a common SEO practice for quite a long time. Exchanging links with other websites can be beneficial for all the parties involved but only on one condition. If you exaggerate with reciprocal linking and get involved in mass link exchange programs, you will activate Google algorithms. This strategy is not allowed, so it is yet another among the many link building mistakes you need to steer clear from.

Never lose sight of the endgame

The moment you create a website is the moment when your ever-lasting struggle to reach top positions in Google rankings starts. Not only is it necessary to reach the top, but it is also of utter importance to keep this position as long as possible. Undoubtedly, achieving this goal is very challenging. It can become manageable only if you pay close attention to your website value at all times. One of the highly helpful strategies which provide website owners with satisfying website value and top rankings is effective and well-planned link building. Unfortunately, those inexperienced or impatient ones are prone to make link building mistakes very often. That causes severe damage to the website’s reputation.

The fact is that we all make mistakes in SEO – it’s just a matter of whether you care to admit it or not. It’s all like trying to find a way out of a maze where the walls keep moving. So, the best you can do is follow the breadcrumbs, improvise, and hope that you are close to the exit. Hopefully, the link-building mistakes we laid out here will help you along that path. And if you are looking for an ally to help you find a way out, Movers Development is always available.