There’s no doubt about it, link building is one of the most difficult things to do for your site’s search engine optimisation. It’s hard not to feel like a beggar as you crawl around the web, asking reputable-looking sites if they can spare a link. There is no easy avenue to link building, and the hard road is full of potholes. Not all links are equal in worth, but take comfort from the fact that no link is ever absolutely worthless.

Some SEO pros talk about ‘worthless links.’ This is a symptom of being too deeply involved in search engine optimisation. While some links won’t do a lot directly for your site’s ranking, every link is another place on the net where your site is known. Every link is of value to your site in some way.

How do non-juicy links help?

The main difference between types of links are those that will provide you with some link juice, or help build your link profile, and those that don’t count towards your link profile. In the eyes of some SEO experts, you might as well not bother with these kinds of links.

Not everyone looks at such links this way. A more far-sighted view takes these links into account when developing an online presence. Take Twitter, for example. Providing a link in your bio for Twitter won’t get you any link juice. However, if one of your followers is interested enough to look at your bio, they are likely to be interested enough to visit your site. If they’re impressed by what they find, they are likely to feature your link on their own site. The result of the non direct link in your Twitter profile is link juice.

It’s not about the links, but how you get them

The main thing to remember about inbound links is their importance diminishes in connection to how you get them. The link itself doesn’t have real potential to harm your site. The way in which you get a link, however, does.

The search engines have changed the game when it comes to links over the last few years. Google and its competitors have rooted out all of the ways SEO pros used to forge links non-organically, and, having uncovered the techniques, have banned them. Paid links are now generally a no-no. Reciprocal linking schemes are similarly out. Of course, both of these are only bad for your site if Google detects how the links were formed, which is why link buying and reciprocity continues to happen.

Getting links through directories, article sites, forums and paid links can all work. At the same time, you need to ensure you have some quality, reliable links in your profile as well if you want to ensure your site’s long-term health. You can talk to our experts at SEO Consult when you’re looking for ways to form some high-quality links. These links might include a reference from an influential blogger, links provided by a high-profile competitor, or other links from people similarly relevant and influential in your industry.

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