Links have always played a crucial role on the internet. Initially, they were not considered as “ranking signals” but rather as meaningful connections and collaborations between websites. As links became a significant component of search ranking algorithms, many started focusing on acquiring numerous links.
However, link building goes beyond merely accumulating as many links as possible. It’s about establishing the right connections that benefit both websites and their users. Before you begin link building without a strategy, consider some tips on how to evaluate your link prospects effectively.
Today, various tools are available for finding link opportunities. While these tools are beneficial for starting, it’s risky to blindly follow the lists they generate to build links. To increase the likelihood of acquiring the best links and ensuring their relevance to your site, it’s important to evaluate them carefully.
Link qualification occurs in two stages. The first phase is a quick review aimed at filtering the list of prospects based on high-level criteria. The second phase involves a deeper manual investigation of the remaining links to identify those that are most suitable.
Link Qualification: Quick Review
Start by taking the list of links you’ve gathered (either manually or through tools like Link Prospector or Link Assistant) and load them into a spreadsheet application like Excel or Google Sheets. Include any relevant data you have for each link, as you’ll use those metrics to decide which links to keep or discard.
Once your links are organized in a spreadsheet, begin narrowing the list to a more manageable size by considering the following metrics:
- Keyword Occurrences in URL: A straightforward method to assess link relevance is by checking for the presence of your target keywords in the URL. Search the document for the keywords you plan to rank for and highlight the prospects containing them.
- Authority of URL: The prospecting tools often provide domain and URL data. Utilize metrics like PageRank (PR), Page Authority (PA), Domain Authority (DA), or other quality measures to rank your prospects from strongest to weakest. This helps identify the most authoritative sites.
- Inbound Link Count: Examining the number of inbound links to a potential outreach partner is also useful. While top-ranked sites typically have many links, some may have fewer than expected. Though not a sole decision factor, link quantity is helpful when refining your qualification list.
- Competitors: It’s crucial to recognize your competitors as potential link partners. Remove these from your prospects list, as competitors are unlikely to provide links.
Link Qualification: Manual Deep Dive
After refining your list of prospects, it’s time for a deeper examination. While this stage demands more effort, it’s highly valuable. During this phase, you might discover innovative ideas for link acquisition.
For each link, visit the site for a quick review. Evaluate the site’s visual appeal, check for grammatical errors, and assess its user-friendliness. Additionally, consider their social media presence by examining RSS subscribers or Twitter followers. Ensure they’re active and engaging with up-to-date content.
If the site appears credible, user-friendly, and active, and if the domain/URL metrics meet your standards, the final step is to identify a linkable asset you can offer to these pages. Remember, you need something valuable to provide webmasters when requesting a link.
Final Thoughts
Link building is both a science and an art. By taking time to evaluate and, perhaps more importantly, disqualify link prospects, you can ensure your link campaigns are more targeted and successful.
