Why links are just as important as content for SEO
When it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO), writing compelling content is essential. Not only is content important for building a good ranking on Google and other search engines, but it also helps to build a relationship with your target customers and encourage their repeated return to your website.
However, although content is king, it is insufficient by itself to generate organic traffic.
The value of links
You could write the most incredible quality, relevant and useful content for your target audience, but if you fail to include relevant links, it may not be as impactful as it deserves to be.
In the world of SEO, content is all the more powerful when it also incorporates links. When content lacks relevant links, Google may assume that it lacks authority, which may manifest in a poorer performance in the search engine rankings.
The best links for SEO are external links, which come from other sites linking back to your content. These links show Google that you have authority, while helping to drive traffic from other sites back to your own.
However, securing quality backlinks can take time and effort, not least because of the frequent need to build up a rapport with other webmasters if they are to be convinced to reference your work.
While you work on the development of external links, internal links can also be used for SEO purposes. Internal links are links on your site to other pages on your site – think linking your blog post to a newsletter signup page – and can improve the natural hierarchy of your site, at the same time as boosting rankings.
Content is still important
Despite some critics’ cries that content marketing is dying out, great original content is still an essential part of the SEO mix. Your site should have a content strategy as part of its ongoing digital marketing campaign, whether that involves updates to the company blog every week or the addition of new tutorials to give customers a reason to keep coming back to your site.
In recent years, Google has changed its search algorithms to give quality, detailed content more prominence – the days of writing content purely for SEO purposes are long gone! This also means that there’s no need to stuff too many keywords into your blog posts, or make content SEO-centric without considering the requirements of your users.
Write great content for your demographic, throw in a couple of well-considered links, work in the magic of certain other SEO techniques and watch your rankings climb!
