Google has long been striving to offer users the most user-friendly experience possible. It takes great care to ensure that its search results show only those pages that are useful and most likely to help users solve their immediate problem.
Conversely, it penalises marketers’ tricks designed to push websites through at any cost. It consistently conveys the same message: “focus on the user in your marketing, and nothing else”.
How does Google determine that a link is spam?
The quality of articles and links is determined by an algorithm that is not easy to outsmart. In doing so, Google is constantly striving to emphasise the ethical aspect of marketing, which is not often discussed.
If Google classifies any of your links as spam, it may reassess the quality of your website and thus lower your ranking in organic search results. So what will cause you problems:
- Articles crammed with keyword-stuffed links.
- A large number of articles on various sites, or conversely, just a few articles on major portals
- Hiring editors who know nothing about the product
- Using the same or very similar articles, or having duplicate content on your own website.
Does this seem daunting? Are you thinking of giving up on link building? There’s no need.
7 rules for writing articles that will please both Google and users
Google tries to penalise cheats, websites that are ‘about nothing’ and just keep adding meaningless articles and other tricks that we could classify as ‘black hat SEO’ (i.e. unethical practices).
Stick to a few simple principles and build your backlink portfolio sensibly. One high-quality link is worth 100 rubbish directories.
1. Use the “nofollow” tag
This tag tells Google to ignore the link. It’s worth using, for example, when placing advertising or sponsored links, typically within a partner website’s template. Such links then appear on every page of that site, which is, of course, unnatural.
If you have duplicate content on your website, use the rel=”canonical” tag for the page that Google should consider the main one.
The „nofollow“ tag for links is also useful in discussion forums and in articles you wish to publish on other websites. You can read the full details, including infographics, in the article Linkbuilding Made Easy.
2. Only write when you have something to say
Content is important, but on the other hand, we’re all inundated with it. Try to ensure your content is useful. Backlinks will then arise naturally. Whether you’re writing for your blog, describing a product or penning a PR article, if the text isn’t useful to your customers, don’t write it.
It’s best if your content is written by someone who knows the products (and has tried them) and understands the needs of your target audience. Avoid anonymous copywriters who’ve never met you. It’s not a bad idea to hire a writer, but get to know them, let them try out your products and, most importantly: work with them long-term.
3. Never repeat yourself
The worst thing you can do is publish the same text on three different pages or websites. If your users aren’t worth you preparing original content for a specific magazine, then you aren’t worth them buying from you.
4. Choose suitable websites
Choose the website where you want to publish your articles carefully. Ensure the website is relevant to your industry. For example, AITOM occasionally publishes on business portals or on Tyinternety. These are relevant links for us, targeting a relevant audience.
The most effective approach is to select several websites that have sufficient traffic and reach your target audience. Collaborate with such websites on a long-term basis and build a relationship with their editors. You’ll know your links are in good hands, and they’ll know they can rely on you for all the content.
You can check the quality of websites using the Ahrefs tool.
5. On PlaCla, read twice and buy once
PlaCla – a service for purchasing articles – can be useful if used wisely. The service allows you to contact the owners of portals, online magazines and similar platforms directly and pay for an article. This is written by a magazine or website editor based on your provided materials.
It is important to be selective; never accept the cheapest offer. Also, provide as much detail as possible for your article and insist on proofreading. On PlaCla, you will find portals such as iDnes and Podnikatel.cz, but also nameless websites that are clearly just link and profit generators for their owners.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to give an editor the opportunity to try out a product via PlaCla. Consider whether an influencer might provide a better service.
6. Build links naturally
A golden and very practical rule. Create a great blog that others will want to share and quote. Create a love brand or a viral campaign that will spread across social media on its own.
Write a single informative article that addresses an urgent problem, and include 1–2 relevant links. For example, if you run a travel agency, you could write an article with tips on unusual tourist destinations, what documents are required to travel to a popular destination, or how to keep children entertained during a long journey. These are all the kinds of articles that have the potential to spread organically among people.
Choose your anchor text carefully – that is, the text containing the link. It should fit naturally into the sentence. Choose the landing page carefully too. Link directly to the topic the article is discussing within the context. Don’t be afraid to link to a blog post or a case study. Articles are meant to raise awareness of your company, not directly generate profit.
7. Check: do you enjoy reading it?
Use common sense. Do you enjoy the website where you want to publish the article? And would you enjoy reading it regularly? Have you read an article by the editor and found it interesting? Then it’s very likely your potential customers will enjoy it too, and you’ll receive virtual applause from Google.
Believe me, it’s not that easy to upset Google. One mistake certainly won’t send you plummeting into the depths of the internet. Google’s main aim is to eliminate content-empty PR websites with an excess of articles containing all sorts of content. If you follow the 7th rule, you’re in the clear.
Google also encourages webmasters to report suspicious sites. You can report serious violations via Search Console.