There are a lot of different ways to build links, and some people will swear by certain methods while others avoid them like the plague.
In general, though, there are a few link building tactics that you should definitely avoid if you want to stay on Google's good side. Here are 17 of them:
- Buying links
This is a big no-no. Not only will it get you penalized by Google, but it can also result in some pretty hefty fines.
If you're caught buying links, you could be looking at a bill for thousands of dollars, so it's just not worth it.
- Selling links
This is another big no-no. Just like buying links, selling links can get you penalized by Google and result in some pretty hefty fines.
If you're caught selling links, you could be looking at a bill for thousands of dollars, so it's just not worth it.
- Linking to bad neighborhoods
You don't want to link to websites that are known for spamming or engaging in other black hat SEO tactics. If you do, Google could penalize you.
So, make sure you only link to websites that are reputable and that you would actually recommend to people.
- Linking to banned sites
If a website is banned by Google, you don't want to link to it. If you do, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to websites that are not banned by Google.
- Linking to spam sites
Just like you don't want to link to bad neighborhoods, you also don't want to link to spam sites.
If you do, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to websites that are not spammy.
- Linking to cloaked sites
Cloaking is a black hat SEO tactic that is used to trick search engines into thinking a website is something it's not.
If you link to a cloaked site, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to websites that are not using cloaking.
- Linking to doorway pages
Doorway pages are pages that are designed to funnel traffic to a particular website or page.
They are often used by spammers and can be penalized by Google. So, make sure you only link to websites that are not using doorway pages.
- Linking to sites with duplicate content
If you link to a site that has duplicate content, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to websites that have original, unique content.
- Linking to sites with low-quality content
Just like you don't want to link to sites with duplicate content, you also don't want to link to sites with low-quality content.
Google could penalize you for linking to such sites. So, make sure you only link to websites that have high-quality, original content.
- Linking to orphaned pages
An orphaned page is a page that is not linked to from any other pages on the website.
If you link to an orphaned page, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to pages that are linked to from other pages on the website.
- Linking to internal pages with no links
Just like you don't want to link to orphaned pages, you also don't want to link to internal pages that have no links.
If you do, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to pages that have at least one other link pointing to them.
- Linking to broken pages
Broken pages are pages that return an error when you try to access them.
If you link to a broken page, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to pages that are not broken.
- Linking to pages with no content
If you link to a page that has no content, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to pages that have at least some content on them.
- Linking to pages with too much keyword stuffing
Keyword stuffing is a black hat SEO tactic that is used to cram as many keywords into a page as possible.
If you link to a page that is keyword stuffed, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to pages that are not keyword stuffed.
- Linking to pages with hidden text or links
If you link to a page that has hidden text or links, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to pages that do not have hidden text or links.
- Linking to sites that are not mobile friendly
Mobile friendliness is a ranking factor for Google. So, if you link to a site that is not mobile friendly, Google could penalize you.
So, make sure you only link to sites that are mobile friendly.
- Linking to sites that are not accessible
If you link to a site that is not accessible, Google could penalize you. So, make sure you only link to sites that are accessible.
By avoiding such link building tactics, you will definitely see a lot of improvement in your link building efforts and gain higher visibility in search results.
