How to Build Links in This Google Panda Environment

When Google rolled out its new algorithm update earlier this year (dubbed the Panda update), people immediately began speculating how it would affect SEO and link building. To give you a brief overview of Google Panda, its basic purpose was to put low quality content farms (like article directories and press releases directories) in their place. No longer would links from these websites carry a lot of weight, so if that's how you got all of your links in the past, your rankings probably went down as a result.

The logical question to ask is: How should you approach link building in this Google Panda environment?

Quality will always trump quantity

The most important thing to always remember is that the quality of your links matters. That’s what the Panda update is all about. If you’re only getting backlinks from low quality websites, you’re not going to see your rankings soar. In fact, having tons of low quality links could actually hurt you. After all, you are who you hang out with, right?

I’ll take 10 links from trusted websites over 100 from low grade sites any day of the week. You need to shift your focus from the old methods of getting easy links from places like article directories to trying to acquire links from relevant, reputable websites.

Are the old methods of link building really dead?

Does the Google Panda update mean that you should completely stop with article marketing and press release distribution? I’m not saying that you should completely abandon these tactics, but the facts are the facts. Google is heavily focused on decreasing the pull of content farms. Even if those links still carry some weight, who’s to say they still will a few months from now.

Having said that, not all “content farms” are the same. There are some reputable article directories and press release directories out there. If you want to publish content on those, go for it. Just focus on quality, as always.

Guest blogging—The hottest way to build quality links

One of my favorite current methods of getting quality backlinks from other websites is guest blogging. Guest blogging is exactly what it sounds like. You act as a guest author on other blogs. Most bloggers are willing to accept posts from guest authors. In return for your contribution, it's standard to include a link or two back to your website in your byline. Just make sure you pitch 100% original content, and always put your best foot forward with your guest post because your name is attached to it.

Create link-worthy content

Rather than going out there and chasing backlinks, why not have them come to you? If you really want to get high quality, natural links, the best thing you can do is create content that’s worth linking to. Start a blog and publish great posts on a regular basis. If you really promote it and have content that people respond to, you’ll start to see the links come in from other sites.

Another thing you can do is to release a whitepaper or ebook on your website. People love freebies. That is, if the freebie is something with value. You can't cut corners on your whitepaper or ebook and automatically expect people to download and share it. You have to come up with a compelling topic and create useful, insightful content that your readers can’t get anywhere else.

Infographics (visual representations of information or data, like this one) are another hot content marketing tool. Take a look at the front page of ReddIt or Digg. Chances are, you’ll see at least one link to an infographic about some particular topic. People love infographics because they provide a lot of information in a clear, visually pleasing manner.

No matter what type of content you’re creating, just ask yourself this simple question: Will other people want to share it? If the answer is no, you're content isn't link-worthy.

What are your thoughts on link building after Google Panda? Share them by leaving a comment.

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