| This article covers the basics of why webmasters | | | | buy backlinks and thus manipulate their results in your |
| need to build links to their websites, why google | | | | search engine and there is a danger that this will mean |
| penalizes people for buying links, and the best way to | | | | less relevant results being displayed for your |
| build links whilst staying on the right side of Google! | | | | searchers... This may eventually lead to you loosing the |
| The old Approach to getting listed in Google - (Still | | | | market majority to the likes of Yahoo... Now imagine |
| practiced by some out of date SEO companies!) | | | | that you are making billions of days per year and this is |
| It used to be recommended that to get your website | | | | what is at stake! - Would you not act? |
| lists in Googles search engine you should submit your | | | | Well, like it or not Google recently did! |
| website to Google, and as many other search engines | | | | These days if a website gets caught buying links for |
| as possible. | | | | the purpose of manipulating their search rankings they |
| Whilst this (cough) May work, it is an incredibly time | | | | may be penalized by Google and loose rankings in a |
| consuming process. Even Google themselves admit | | | | big way! |
| that because of the sheer number of sites submitted it | | | | So, is this the end of link building services and Off |
| can take weeks for any kind of results... and that's if | | | | Page SEO? |
| anything happens at all! | | | | Absolutely not! No way! |
| Search Engine Submission Companies? | | | | Backlinks are still a HUGE part of the Google |
| Well yes, there are companies that for a fee will | | | | Algorithm. |
| submit your website to 100's or 1000's of search | | | | The effect of having lots of backlinks (quality ones!) |
| engines. The thing is that even this can have very little | | | | can still be amazing for your search engine positions. |
| effect. Some of the search engine submission | | | | The difference is that these days you cannot simply |
| companies may even suggest you pay them a | | | | buy backlinks and expect to sit back and watch your |
| monthly fee to submit your website every month. This | | | | site soar through the Google results pages... maybe it |
| is also pretty useless really! | | | | will at first, but if you get found out you may suffer in |
| So how do I get my website listed and ranked in | | | | the long term! |
| search engines then??? | | | | So how can a webmaster build backlinks these days |
| Okay, so we have told you how not to do it, and who | | | | and in the future? That's the million dollar question (or |
| not to throw your money at! - But what about how to | | | | the $800 per month question in some cases!) |
| get listed fast, and get good rankings? | | | | To effectively build backlinks and raise your website in |
| First, forget any SEO company that guarantee's you a | | | | Googles search results you have to go about your link |
| number one or first page position in Google. Forget any | | | | building without aiming to raise your website in Googles |
| companies that tell you it better to rank high in 'lesser' | | | | search results... What? - That sounds crazy! |
| search engines! Forget anyone that say's they can get | | | | Well, what we mean is... if you want to raise your |
| you instant results! | | | | website in Google, stop trying so hard! - Google wants |
| The truth is that the inner working of the Google | | | | to fetch its searchers the most relevant websites... so |
| search algorithm is a closely guarded secret! - Google | | | | firstly make sure that your website IS relevant. Next |
| are not about to tell ANYONE how their formula | | | | you need to let people know your website exists! |
| works - even if they did, it is constantly being updated | | | | Google doesn't seem to have a problem with link |
| to bring better results, keep up with the general | | | | building, so long as it's done for the right reasons. Link |
| changes in the cyber world, and combat search engine | | | | building services be done to raise awareness of your |
| spam and black hat SEO. | | | | site, not to manipulate any algorithms. If done correctly |
| That said, we do know that a BIG part of the Google | | | | then people will discover your website through your |
| search algo covers Off Page SEO (aka backlinks!). | | | | links, and then they will love your content so much, or |
| The basic rule is that the more backlinks you have the | | | | find it so useful that they will start to tell others online |
| better. Simple eh?! (If only!) | | | | about it. This is the whole idea that Google is based on. |
| There is more to this of course! - The best links to | | | | Relevant sites should be talked about lots by people in |
| have are ones from relevant sites (ones that are on a | | | | that niche... its natural! |
| similar theme or topic) and from sites that have some | | | | Easy eh? - Hmmm... It can be, but you do have to be |
| PageRank (PR is just one small aspect of the Google | | | | careful not to trigger any alarms whilst link building. The |
| Algo... We will have an article coming up on PR soon, | | | | best way to link build these days??? - Hire a |
| don't worry!) | | | | professional! - In the current online marketing climate it |
| So... to get listed, all you need to do is buy decent, | | | | is possible to get your website penalised by Google by |
| quality backlinks from websites that are on the same | | | | doing something that makes the mighty G think you |
| topic as yours and that have some PageRank yes? | | | | are up to no good. |
| Well... sort of! - BUT... | | | | Examples of this are: 'sponsored links', some forms of |
| Because of the huge effect backlinks like this can | | | | link exchange of swapping, link farms, linking out to 'bad |
| have on your search positions, people obviously | | | | neighbourhood' sites, spam etc... this list is very long! |
| started to buy links to their sites... | | | | Each link you get should really be assessed for its |
| Google didn't like this and decided to try to penalise | | | | quality and its pro's and con's. |
| people that bought links for the purpose of raising their | | | | If I hire someone to do this for me all is okay, I can't be |
| websites rankings. -But Why? | | | | banned right? - WRONG! |
| Some people really hated Google for doing this! - But if | | | | There is a ridiculous amount of link building and SEO |
| you look at it from Google's point of view, the whole | | | | (search engine optimisation) companies out there these |
| reason that getting backlinks helps your website get | | | | days, all desperate to take your money! - Some of |
| higher in the Google search engine is because each | | | | them are good, some are excellent and some are |
| backlinks is seen as a 'vote' for your website. | | | | terrible! |
| Using this system enabled Google to return very | | | | I have even seen a terms and conditions page that |
| relevant searches for its users, because what people | | | | states that the SEO Company are not liable if they get |
| were talking about online was taken into account... For | | | | your website banned from Google!!! - Crazy or what! |
| example: | | | | If you want to find a good SEO / link building company, |
| If someone searched Google for 'motorbike training' | | | | search Google for something like 'ethical seo expert' |
| then Google would return whatever websites were | | | | and maybe check the first one to three results (make |
| most relevant to this term. Of course if lots of people | | | | sure you are checking the natural listings, and not the |
| were linking to a specific site from pages that talked | | | | 'sponsored links' bit that appears at the right hand side |
| about 'motorbike training' then that would be an | | | | of the results page, and sometimes at the top - if an |
| indication that the site they are linking to is about | | | | SEO company is any good, why would they have to |
| motorbike training! | | | | pay to advertise - can they not get their own website |
| The problem for Google is that if people are allowed | | | | to rank!?!) |
| to merely buy links to their websites, it means that their | | | | When you look at the site, try to find out what sort of |
| search results are open to manipulation by the highest | | | | link building they offer (email them if needed). It would |
| bidder! | | | | be wise to choose a company that offers quality |
| Now think for a moment if you were Google... Your | | | | articles, and blog posts and other online PR work (as in |
| search engine was popular because it delivered | | | | Public Relations, not Page Rank!) |
| relevant results. One of the big reasons for this is the | | | | I hope this article has cleared things up a little! |
| whole backlink checking system. People are starting to | | | | |