Building links to your website the right way is really important for getting better search engine rankings. But it’s also easy to mess up if you’re just starting with SEO.
This guide will help you avoid making common beginner mistakes so you can earn quality backlinks safely. That way, your website will start ranking higher and getting more traffic sooner.
We’ll talk about stuff like buying bad links, using too much automation when reaching out to websites, and not keeping track of your backlinks. If you can avoid these problems from the start, you’ll be on the path to SEO success faster.
Link building takes work, but you can do it right by following this beginner’s advice. Let’s get into the common mistakes to watch out for!
Buying Irrelevant or Spammy Links
When starting with link building, avoid taking shortcuts and buying cheap links. It may be tempting, but it can seriously backfire.
Why Buying Spammy Links is Risky
- Google regularly penalises sites caught buying or building spammy, artificial link profiles. These penalties can lead to drastic drops in rankings and traffic.
- Even if you avoid a penalty, low-quality links are ignored or discounted by Google’s algorithm. They won’t help your rankings.
- Search engines are smart – they can identify patterns of unnatural linking that aim to manipulate results.
Focus on earning links naturally from reputable sites. We’ll cover ethical link building strategies soon. For now, promise to steer clear of buying spammy or shady links. Provide value through outreach and relationship building before ever asking for a link. Patience and persistence pay off.
Prioritising Quantity Over Quality
It’s tempting to focus solely on getting the highest quantity of backlinks possible when you’re new to link building. But in SEO, the quality and relevance of links matter far more than the raw number.
Just a handful of backlinks from authoritative, relevant sites in your industry are better than hundreds of links from spammy or unrelated sites.
Remember, a small number of relevant, trusted links will benefit your SEO more than a big quantity of random links!
Ignoring Google’s Guidelines
Google has clear guidelines on acceptable and unacceptable link building practices. As a beginner, you must read and follow these guidelines to avoid penalties. As a beginner, you must read and follow them to avoid issues.
What Google Forbids
- Link schemes and manipulative tactics
- Buying links without disclosure
- Link spamming
- Other shady practices
Keep current on updates and avoid anything that feels like an underhanded tactic designed to trick search engines versus earning links naturally. Focus on natural link-earning strategies to keep your link building and SEO safe and effective!
Spamming Link Request Outreach
Cold emailing websites asking for a link is fine, but make personalised pitches that offer value for the site. Mass emails from automation tools are easy to identify and ignore. Impersonal, generic outreach demonstrates you don’t know the site well.
Tips for Quality Link Outreach
- Research sites thoroughly before connecting, and reference specifics in your initial messages.
- Build real connections by engaging with site content and providing value for them first before requesting links.
- Craft unique, personalised pitches tailored to how a link from the site benefits your audience and aligns with their content.
- Follow up any link requests with offers to reciprocate through guest posts, resource shares, etc.
Link outreach can build fruitful connections versus annoying site owners with the right personal touch.
Neglecting Link Prospecting
You can’t build links without finding good websites to reach out to. Dedicate time to identifying and researching quality link opportunities.
Why Prospecting Links is Essential
- Competitor link analysis reveals authoritative sites in your space.
- Finding top blogs, hubs and publications in your niche takes legwork.
- Building a target list focuses on your outreach efforts.
Link Prospecting Best Practices
- Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to analyse competitors’ backlink profiles.
- Identify industry influencers, experts and brand mentions to connect with.
- Search niche blogs and directories related to your keywords and content.
- Dig through related articles on sites to find author contacts and pitching guidelines.
- Organise prospects into an outreach spreadsheet or CRM for tracking.
You’ll have a roadmap to earning high-quality backlinks at scale with strategic prospecting.
Not Tracking Your Backlinks
Don’t fly blind without monitoring your backlink profile. Link tracking is crucial for assessing link building efforts and identifying risky links. Knowing your existing links helps avoid spamming sites.
Link Tracking Tips
- Utilise tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to monitor your link profile.
- Set up alerts for new links so you can vet them quickly.
- Log link building outreach so you know what’s been tried.
- Track metrics like link growth over time to spot spikes.
- Disavow low-quality links as needed.
You’ll gain visibility into your link profile crucial for success with consistent tracking.
Over-Relying on Automation
Automation tools can help streamline initial outreach but don’t over-rely on them. Relationships and personalization are crucial for link building.
Impersonal mass emails from bots will likely be ignored or flagged as spam. Automated messaging lacks the personal touch and relationship building required for quality links. We all know tools can’t replicate the nuance of tailored outreach and interactive communication.
How to Use Automation Effectively
- Use automation sparingly for initial prospecting efforts like email finding.
- Craft unique, customised scripts and emails then automate some follow-ups.
- Focus more on one-on-one relationship building through personal outreach and engagement.
- Follow up automated messages with more personal touches and interaction.
Ignoring Link Diversity
Don’t put all your link-earning eggs in one basket. Diversity should be a priority across link types, sources and acquisition tactics.
Risks of Link Homogeneity
- Relying solely on a single link building tactic makes your profile appear manipulative.
- Too many links from the same or similar sources look unnatural.
- Over-optimising anchor text ratios raise flags.
Tips for Building Diverse Links
- Pursue a mix of link strategies including outreach, content marketing, digital PR, etc.
- Vary sources to avoid patterns, including links from blogs, directories, aggregators, news sites.
- Keep anchor text branded, contextual, and as naturally distributed as possible.
Forgetting About Link Building Completely
Some SEOs focus entirely on content creation, forgetting that backlinks remain crucial. Don’t neglect link building in your overall strategy.
Why Links Still Matter
- High-quality links signal trust, authority and credibility to search engines.
- Content alone has less ranking power without external validation through backlinks.
- Competitors are still building links, so you need links to rank competitively.
Tips to Integrate Link Building
- Set aside regular time for outreach and relationship building each week.
- Look for link worthy content ideas that align with prospects.
- Sync your content and link efforts like guest posting on industry blogs.
- Track metrics like new links earned monthly to hold yourself accountable.
- Hire help if you need it, but don’t neglect links building.
Final Words
Links building is challenging but don’t let common beginner mistakes slow your progress. Focus on quality over quantity. Vet shady links sellers making big promises. Monitor your links profile closely. Most importantly, build links through patience and persistence, not shortcuts.
Earning genuine links takes effort but pays off exponentially. The right backlinks attract search visibility and conversions over the long haul. So learn from others’ mistakes and keep your efforts ethical. With the fundamentals covered here, you’re primed for links building success.
Check out my in-depth guide to modern links building strategies next for even more insights. Now avoid these mistakes, roll up your sleeves, and start making the connections that boost authority. The search rankings and traffic gains will fuel your motivation to build links the right way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the risks of buying links?
Buying low-quality or irrelevant links risks Google penalties, damages your site’s credibility, and will not improve rankings even if undetected.
How many links do I need to build to see results?
Focus on earning a handful of strong authoritative backlinks from trusted industry sites versus chasing a high quantity of random links.
What makes a quality links opportunity?
Ideal links come from established sites closely aligned to your niche with relevant content and audiences that overlap with yours.
How do I build links as a beginner?
Start by ensuring your on-page SEO is solid, prospecting target linking sites, then crafting personalised pitches that offer value and alignment.
Should my anchor text vary or use keywords?
Avoid over-optimising anchor text. Use branded, natural language links that avoid repetitive keyword-rich phrases.
