Google guidelines on building links are formulated to provide the best possible search outcomes for the internet surfer. Their advice to website owners reflects this:

“The best way to get other sites to create high quality, relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can naturally gain popularity with the internet community. Creating good content pays off: links are usually editorial votes given by choice, and the more useful content you have, the greater the chances someone else will find that content valuable to their readers and link to it.”

Paul Bruemmer goes through some useful advice on successful link building, such as conducting in-depth on-site product and service reviews, producing extensive articles and weekly round-ups and offering free tools.  The potential of social media is also examined with specific reference to establishing links from journalists who find the site to be a useful source of information.

It all comes down to content and relevance in the end and a further searchengineland.com blog post by Eric Ward describes the way that the Hummingbird algorithm could influence link strategies.  He points out that Hummingbird is a complete replacement algorithm into which Penguin and Panda have been incorporated.  PageRank is one of over 200 signals Hummingbird uses to determine web page ranking, so credible inbound links still have a major part to play.

• “Hummingbirds are madly in love with natural and relevant link profiles”
• Trust and authority remain king”
• Provide content that helps people solve problems, or better yet, teaches them something”

Good advice, to which he adds the strategy of configuring blogs into question and answer format to emphasise the problem solving, informative aspect of a website and the powerful positive effect that video content can have.

There is however more that can be done to add value to link building and develop an SEO tactic into a partnership building strategy.  The TED video “Mapping Ideas Worth Spreading” shows how a diverse range of lectures worldwide had common elements that could be linked and presented visually:

 

 

The innovators of this concept performed a massive task involving some 10,000 presentations on widely different subjects. However, this theme of visual mapping also could work well in a simplified form. We could, for instance, see great potential in it for attractively demonstrating common ideas and values between organisations with web links. Well designed and presented, it could enhance a business website’s informative value and potentially act as a powerful element in an optimisation programme.

The BBI Brandboost team includes web designers, writers, content creators and SEO specialists, giving us the ability to take a comprehensive approach to the all-important subject of web page ranking. Contact us on 01494 452600 or by email to see how Hummingbird might be persuaded to fall in love with your website.