One-way backlinks are the way to get high search engine rankings. For the longest time Google was extremely secretive about their algorithm and how they value backlinks. So, when they published their patent, a great deal of information was revealed on how to rank in Google. The patent gives some indication of the direction Google is trying to go and what they are planning on looking at in the future.
It is no secret that Google relies heavily on backlinks (as described in ‘backlinks explained’) to help rank websites for a given search term. We have also known for quite a while that the number and quality of the links, as well as the anchor text are factors in the determination of backlink weight. Thanks to the release of the Google patent we now know that historical factors are also part of the equation.
This explains the theory of the “Google sandbox”, where your website may disappear from Google for a short period of time, after which it re-appears. This process goes into effect as soon as backlinks to a brand new site are discovered.
Google apparently records when the link is first discovered, if that link changes over time and the speed at which a site gains links. This is crucial information. Obtaining too many links too fast can cause your site to end up in the ‘sandbox’ and possibly be de-indexed from Google.
In order to stay below the Google radar when you are building backlinks, you must grow your links steadily and slowly. If you go out and obtain thousands of backlinks to a brand new site, you are almost guaranteed to get your site in the ‘sandbox’ and ignored by the search engines. You are much better off, when building backlinks, to make your link growth appear as natural as possible.
Here are 4 aspects of natural backlink building that you should be aware of:
1. At the start of your quest to build links to your website, you should look for at least a few relevant links. Relevant links either mention your keyword or a synonym of that keyword.
2. In order to appear natural you need to ensure you build links using a variety of anchor text. I would recommend you use your top target keywords as anchor text using some variations with other keyword phrases. Also, throw in some “click here” and some “www.mydomain.com” … this will ensure your links look natural.
In fact, you should come up with a list of anchor text variations that you can rotate through for each of your site’s pages. This will ensure your link portfolio looks as natural as possible to the search engines.
3. Spread your backlinks over multiple pages on your site. Build only 50% of your links to the home page and use the remainder for internal pages. First of all, the spiders will have a much easier time finding more pages faster. Secondly, your internal pages will rank faster and better for their target keywords. Thirdly, it is being said that this strategy alone can keep your site away from the “Google sandbox”
4. Link building velocity also plays an important role. In the beginning I recommend that you don’t build more than 10-20 links. After some time you can decide to increase the number of backlinks.
That is it for building backlinks the natural way. So far we have discussed what backlinks are and what to pay attention to when building backlinks. Next week we will look at the best ways to get one-way backlinks.
To your success,
