Case in point: Rap Genius. This is a popular site for those in search of rap lyrics, songs, albums, etc. It’s also a website that was penalized by Google at Christmastime this year because of allegedly unethical link building practices. Talk about being on the naughty list!
Now, Rap Genius has slipped in rankings and the company could be subject to further disciplinary action. To the business’s credit, Rap Genius has admitted to making mistakes and has publicly stated its intent to clear up the mess. But there are important lessons all bloggers and webmasters can learn from this example.
Ethics matter, especially when link-building
The moral of this story? Don’t try to work against Google. Instead, work with the system that Google has in place by using ethical link building practices.
Below, I’ve taken the time to list out the most reliable and ethical ways to build a stronger backlink profile. By following strategies such as these, you can increase your brand’s authority and possibly rank higher in Google without risking penalization.
• Be a guest blogger or request guest bloggers. This is a terrific way to spread your message without having to worry about getting flagged by Google. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to mix and mingle with new audiences, which is always helpful to spreading brand awareness and earning organic links.
• Include social buttons. Whenever you write a post, offer your readers the chance to link to that post via their Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram and other social media accounts. These links have been shown to be increasingly important in getting better rankings and higher authority in Google’s eyes – especially if you use Google+. They’ll also expose you to more people who may be interested in your products or services.
• Add some videos to your website. Videos offer an opportunity to get higher SERPs rankings, especially if you can get a lot of followers. Because Google has taken to displaying mixed media results, your video may stand a higher chance of ranking than a normal webpage featuring written content on a similar subject. And don’t forget, while it’s okay to ask friends and family to Like your videos, strive to get organic clicks and Likes on them too.
• Offer to be interviewed as an expert in your field. This is another extremely effective method for getting the word out about your website through natural links. There are sites like HARO that actively search for interviewees in every industry from the educational system to the banking sector, and it takes very little time for you to offer your services in this way.
For example, if you worked for an organization like Montessori schools you could offer to be interviewed for another website and simply request that a link to your organization be included in the resulting post or article. The other website gets fresh content and you get to build up your backlink profile. Both parties win and everybody is happy.
• Start commenting on popular blog and article posts. If you have something to say that’s within your field of expertise, why not share it with the world? Many sites allow you to include a link to your website when you use their commenting features so add your comment and include a related link from your site.
Many of these sites apply the Nofollow tag to prevent link juice from being transmitted to your site. However, including such links can attract more people to your website, who may, in turn, provide you with an organic link or two in the future. Just be certain that you stay on topic with your comments, otherwise you could be flagged as a spammer.
Honestly, there isn’t any reason to subject your website to the possibility of negative consequences because of poor link building practices. Sure, organic and ethical link building takes time but the results of ethical link building are much more long lasting and beneficial in the end.