You’ve probably had some marketing agency try to sell you on the value of backlinks. Or you may have read that link-building and backlinks make your site rank higher in search results, so they must be worth paying for.
Unfortunately, most backlinks provided by a marketing agency are complete BS. So it is time to stop paying someone to produce them for you.
Understanding Backlinks
A backlink is a website link from a third party site to your website. You probably give out backlinks all the time. If you put a note on your website telling people they can find a certain form on the website of the local court and you include a link to the court’s website, you’ve just given the court a backlink.
Why are backlinks important? They function as a vote supporting the significance of your website. They signal search engines to say that others find your content valuable and relevant. In fact, one of the reasons Google became so successful over other search engines in the early days is that they used backlinks instead of just keywords when evaluating websites.
If Backlinks are Important, How Can They Be BS?
With backlinks, it is quality rather than quantity that matters. Most of the backlinks marketing agencies provide are completely worthless for search engine purposes.
Backlinks from publications have substantial value. If you can get backlinks from a major publication like the Wall Street Journal or Forbes, it can really improve your search engine rankings. Even links from local newspapers and magazines can provide a big boost. But a random backlink from a random site will have no impact on Google’s view of your website. It may be nice to have the link, but the value is negligible.
Your marketing agency may be spending a lot of your money on link-building exercises and tell you they have earned a certain number of backlinks. Link building can be a time-consuming and expensive process. Pointing to a number of new backlinks, while it may seem to indicate progress, actually does not. If you’ve been paying your marketing agency for backlinks, it is time to stop. Your money can be much better spent elsewhere.
Find Out What Works Better Than Backlinks
Backlinks are BS in most cases, but there are numerous strategies that do work to improve your rankings in search engine results. Remember, too, that ultimately your goal is not just to rank high but also to achieve results through your website. Your marketing efforts fall short if lots of people see your website but don’t stay on it long enough to learn what you do and why they need you.
At LaGrande Marketing, we know the marketing strategies that work when it comes to growing your practice. To find out more about how we can help you move to the next level, contact us now.
This content was originally published here.