No site can survive in SEO terms without links. It’s not usually possible to make absolute statements when it comes to search engine optimisation, but this is one that you can. Links are so important to the search engines these days that they are vital to success. Linking has to make up a big part of your SEO plan.
For many businesses, the problem of links is easily solved with money. Inject some money into your linking, and it all becomes remarkably easy. There are millions of sites out there that are willing to trade on their good reputation by providing links to others. A contract is agreed upon, a small sum changes hands, and everyone’s happy.
…Everyone, that is, apart from the search engines, and the linked and linking sites if the search engines uncover the transaction. The problems of paid linking are well known, and don’t need to be rehashed here.
The question is though; can a site survive on natural links? Many SEO experts have predicted the death of natural linking over the years, due to the eternal conflict between natural links and SEO. Aside from the natural disparity between ‘natural’ and search engine optimisation, which is really about manipulation, there is the other issue of supply and demand. The supply of natural links is very, very low, and the demand is extraordinarily high, with every site that wants to appear in Google demanding good links. There are only so many links to go around.
Getting enough natural links for your site can seem to be a nightmare. The way some SEO experts put it, it’s just impossible. If you want the links to add value to your profile, you need to approach high-quality sites, which are in turn approached by thousands of other site owners and only have so many links to give away. The situation seems hopeless.
The trouble with this scenario is that it’s not entirely true. Although you should approach high-quality sites as part of your linking plan, these are not the only sites you should approach. There are links you can achieve for yourself, and things you can do to prompt others to spontaneously link to your site such as social networking. You can also build up your link profile over a long period, and indeed you should if you want the search engines to approve.
Paid linking is an option that many businesses still go for, but it is slowly going out of fashion. No matter what your plans are, it is a good idea to talk to our SEO consultant about plans for natural linking. You can discuss your linking concerns with our experts at SEO Consult Australia. Natural links should always play a part in your link profile, to round it out and guard against penalties.
The key quality of any good SEO plan is time. The key quality of a successful site owner is, therefore, patience. Site owners who don’t rush their linking plans often find that natural links are more than enough.
