SEO Strategies: The Best White Hat Link Building Techniques for 2014

Google’s algorithm updates (Penguin, released on May 22, 2013 and Panda, confirmed on July 18, 2013) have compelled many to reconsider their SEO strategies. Both updates have adversely affected search queries in search results.

Matt Cutts, Head of Web Spam for Google confirmed that the search engine giant will be rolling out more updates to prevent web spamming and more importantly, to enhance user experiences.

Of the handful of SEO schemes that actually works, Link Building is something to look out for. It’s ever changing and is always full of surprises forcing many SEO agencies and online marketers to constantly rummage for updates in order to keep up.

You’ll eventually have to realize you cannot outsmart Google so you might as well play by the rules. It’s a fact that none of today’s link building strategies will last forever. What you can do though, is build links of the highest quality and hope they last long enough before the next algorithm updates roll out.

Here are some white-hat link building tactics you should keep in mind to rank better, if not best, in 2014.

Steer Away from Paid Links

The $100 for 1,000 links days are surely over.  Google’s Penguin 2.0 update has made it clear that paid links are now highly discouraged. Google’s adamant take on buying and selling links should be taken seriously. Such practice is considered spam link building and will be seriously penalized.

Go for Quality, not Quantity

Remember, your site visitors will be looking for interesting, fresh, and informative content and how they find you may depend on your link building techniques.

Links from poor quality sites hold no value anymore, no matter how many there are. That has been made clear with Google’s release of the Panda 2.0 update. For you to secure reputable ranking for 2014, it’s imperative to first run serious planning and brainstorming.

It’s normal to vie for links from authority pages. There will be a number of sites with the same niche as you, and to outsmart them would require more than just a link request. You can’t buy your way to a link either, since paying for a link is no longer an option.

It will now come down to the quality of your site’s content. If other pages or websites see how seriously you take clean optimization then they will be the one to approach you. Building links often requires building relationships. Natural links can’t get any more natural when people choose to link to your page or site on their own.

If that’s something out of your expertise, you can always seek help from respectable SEO firms. They will be charging between $100 to $300 an hour for link building consultancy and strategy.

Backlinks Still Carry Weight

The quality parameters for backlinks have gone tighter, stricter. Backlinks are still important but Google clearly disapproves massive and unnatural link building. More tools have been created to screen and evaluate a link’s quality so you have to be very careful who links to your website.

Author Bio: Karrie Morton likes to learn more about SEO and she is always trying to stay on current effective strategies. She is also a really big fan of music and loves to go to local music bars at nights to listen to all great young talents.