Link Text: Get the Strategy for SEO Success
What Search Engines Like Google Want Your Links To Say
Specifically, we’re talking about link text. ‘How you say it’ means what keywords you use in the link text when you’re acquiring backlinks to your site.
Often, but now always, you can pick the words used as your link text. That’s something you need to use to your advantage. Here are some things to know:
- You want to hit keywords in your link text. Don’t just use your business name or the URL of your site. It’s okay to, and maybe you should, use your name or URL about 1/2 the time. But using it every time is shooting yourself in the foot.
- Target more than one keyword phrase. You definitely have at least a few keywords that fit your business. If you don’t know what those are, you should. As the saying goes, “Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket”.In your link text, use those different keywords. Mix it up. Not only will that help by ranking you for different keyphrases, it can also prevent a spamming penalty.If Google sees the same keyphrase in every backlink you have, they take that as ‘unnatural’ SEO (ie spamming) and use it against you.
Spare yourself some anger and tears. Find those different keyphrases and use them.
- You still want to use your top, or main, keyphrases more than others. Just as your site’s home page targets that most important keyphrase(s), you’ll want to concentrate on them in your link text as well.Use those keyphrases in a higher percentage of your acquired links.
- Keep in mind that the links should read logically. Stuffing keywords to the point where the link text is pure gibberish is a red flag. If it doesn’t read well, you probably need to revise and rewrite.You never know if a human will come across your link, in addition to the search engine spiders. It’s never a good practice to look unprofessional or like you’re just another spammer.
Remember, these are long-range strategies for search engine success. Short term, quick fix advocates would probably disagree and tell you to stuff, stuff, stuff those keywords.
Ultimately you make the call on your links and your link text. Just remember that the way you conduct yourself online is a reflection of you and it sets patterns in your business behavior. Just a thought.
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Article written by Jonathan Cook
