Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 28 seconds. Contains 494 words.

The more authoritative your website (the higher quality of content you provide), the more likely others will want to link to you. Google values sites like these because of the value that they add to the online community and to people who are searching for relevant, useful information.

On the other hand, some online marketers engage in black hat SEO tactics that include building tons of links quickly, often from non-authoritative, spammy sites. In the past, they have gotten away with tactics like this. However, as Google’s algorithm becomes increasingly complex and Google has become more strict about linking practices, many SEOs find themselves faced with penalties and lost rankings.

In fact, the key to better link building begins with building a website that people want to link to in the first place.

“Genuine links provided by satisfied users and consumers serve as reliable endorsements of quality content. That’s why Google and other search engines value them highly.” – Trond Lyngbø, SEL

6 Tips for Building Better Links

So, what is the answer to building better links and increasing Search Engine Optimization success? Below, we review 6 quick tips to get you started.

Be Newsworthy.

Give other websites and businesses a reason to link to your site in the first place. Find something newsworthy to talk about, and relate it back to your company. Get involved in press release writing. Take a look at PRWeb.com for examples of press release formats. Press release sites can provide added benefit due to the size of the distribution network.

Be Knowledgeable.

KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS. This is a crucial step to success in any business. Without this knowledge, how else will you know where to start? Knowing your customers means knowing their wants and desires. It means being able to identify the problem that they are facing and being able to provide a solution to that problem. Think of your business as a problem solver.

Be Content-Driven.

Figure out your content strategy. Put it in writing, and organize it by putting content into a content calendar. Include information on items such as: meta keywords, meta titles, meta descriptions, links to resources, and topics to cover each week, etc.

Be Valuable.

Determine real value to your target audience. This goes back to the notion of being able to identify real problems that your target audience is facing, and then determine how you plan to offer value to them by providing some form of useful, relevant information.

Be Engaged.

Engage readers by hosting contests, polls, giveaways, etc. Consider, for instance, offering something of value to your target audience for free, such as whitepapers, ebooks, videos or reports. Think of other ways to engage your audience by giving them a soapbox to stand on to talk about their interaction with your business/brand.

Be Trustworthy.

Increase your credibility by positioning yourself as trustworthy, honest and professional. Gain the trust of your target audience through quality content, and become known as the go-company whenever people need the product or service you sell.