SEO has reached a pivotal point. Never before has there been a meaningful update followed by one of the most significant document leaks in SEO history. The SEO industry has been turned on its head.
This change has brought both challenges and opportunities for SEO professionals. Despite the turbulent times, there is a clear direction for developing effective SEO strategies. It’s becoming increasingly evident that a successful approach requires a balance of link building, technical SEO, and conversion rate optimization (CRO).
This multifaceted strategy aims to incorporate the value of backlinks, the importance of technical SEO as a foundation and the essential nature of user experience (UX). These elements provide a roadmap for adapting and thriving in the evolving SEO environment.
Why link building is still important
When done right (hint: don’t buy backlinks; Google will come for you), link building can help drive more traffic from audiences you otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach.
According to Mike King’s analysis of the leaked Google documents, websites are indexed into three tiers. The first contains websites that attract a lot of traffic; the second tier contains websites that could use some optimization but are still getting moderate amounts of traffic. And the third tier is basically a website graveyard (King’s words).
These tiers show that links have value, depending on where they index. King suggests that five links from the first tier are more valuable than 100 links from the second or third.
But how do technical SEO and CRO fit in with link building?
How does technical SEO affect link building?
Technical SEO benefits link building because you are optimizing your website for search engines. This can enhance the effectiveness of your link building efforts. Here’s how:
- Improved crawlability and indexability: Proper technical SEO ensures that search engines can easily crawl and index your pages. This is crucial because links pointing to those pages will be less effective if search engines can’t find or understand your content.
- Faster loading speeds: A well-optimized site with fast loading times provides a better user experience, which helps attract links from other websites because it benefits their audience. Additionally, search engines favor faster sites, boosting your rankings and making your site more attractive to potential link partners.
- Enhanced mobile friendliness: With mobile-first indexing, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. If your site performs well on mobile devices, it’s more likely to be linked to by other mobile-friendly sites, and it improves the overall user experience.
- Structured data and rich snippets: Implementing structured data can enhance how your content appears in search results, increasing your content’s visibility and attractiveness and encouraging more backlinks.
- SSL certificates and HTTPS: A secure site (HTTPS) builds trust with users and other websites. Safe sites are more likely to be linked to as they are perceived as more credible and trustworthy.
- Optimized URL structure: Clean and descriptive URLs are more user-friendly and can enhance the likelihood of being shared and linked to. They also make it easier for search engines to understand the content of your pages.
By addressing these technical SEO aspects, you can create a solid foundation that supports and amplifies your link building strategies, ultimately leading to better search engine rankings and increased organic traffic.
How does CRO affect link building?
The Google document leak shed light on signals that Google might use to rank websites. Much to the surprise of many, it seems that Google (in some way) measures click data. This data type coincides with the overall user experience, which naturally flows into conversion rate optimization, a way to test the user experience of a webpage.
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) can significantly benefit link building in several ways:
- Higher engagement metrics: Optimized conversion paths lead to higher engagement metrics, such as lower bounce rates and longer session durations. We know from the Google document leak that the search engine interprets these signals as indicators of quality content, which can indirectly improve your site’s ranking and attractiveness for link opportunities.
- Increased trust and credibility: By optimizing for conversions, your site appears more professional and trustworthy. Other websites are more likely to link to a site that looks credible and offers a seamless user experience.
- Better content targeting: CRO often involves creating high-quality, targeted content that addresses specific user needs. Well-crafted, valuable content is more likely to be linked to by other sites, mainly if it provides unique insights or solutions.
- Higher social shares: Content that converts well is often more engaging and shareable. Increased social shares can lead to more visibility and, consequently, more opportunities for backlinks from diverse sources.
- Improved analytics and data insights: CRO involves analyzing user behavior and conversion data, which can provide insights into the most effective content and link strategies. This data can help refine your link building campaigns to focus on the most impactful areas.
- Increased repeat visits and loyalty: Optimized conversion paths encourage users to repeatedly return and engage with your site. Loyal visitors are likely to link to your content from their websites or blogs, creating natural and valuable backlinks.
- Higher conversions from referral traffic: When your site is optimized for conversions, any referral traffic generated from backlinks is more likely to convert. This makes your site more attractive to potential link partners, as they see the value in directing their audience to your site.
By focusing on CRO, you create a more appealing and functional website that naturally attracts more backlinks, enhances user satisfaction and supports your overall SEO and link building efforts.
Best practices and strategy examples
All of this sounds good in theory, but what does it look like in action? Here are some specific examples of strategies that integrate all three elements:
1. Content upgrade campaign
Upgrading your content can help it perform better in the SERPs. With this strategy, focus on the user intent of each piece. The more relevant the content, the more likely it will appear in search. Create valuable content with lead magnets, such as downloadable e-books or checklists.
Optimize your website by fixing broken links, improving site speed, and ensuring your site is mobile-friendly. Use compelling CTAs to encourage users to download the resource in exchange for their email addresses.
Promote your content upgrade by contacting industry influencers and bloggers and asking them to link to your resource. Share the content on social media and forums to attract organic backlinks.
2. Guest blogging and collaboration
Guest blogging can still have long-term value, even in this new world of no spam results. To see success with this star, ensure your website has a solid technical foundation with optimized meta tags, structured data, and a secure HTTPS connection.
Optimize landing pages to capture leads from guest blog traffic. Use clear CTAs, A/B testing for forms, and trust signals to improve conversions.
Write high-quality guest posts for authoritative blogs in your industry. Include backlinks to your optimized landing pages to drive traffic and conversions.
3. Linkable assets
Linkable assets can acquire valuable links for your website. Optimize your site structure and internal linking so search engines can quickly discover your pages.
Design pages that focus on user engagement and conversions. Include well-placed CTAs, easy navigation and valuable content to keep users on the page and encourage actions.
Promote your pages through outreach campaigns targeting relevant websites, offering your page as a valuable addition to their own resource sections. Share the resource on social media and industry forums to attract links.
Other best practices include:
- A/B testing.
- Using social media to discover content trends and topics.
- Using analytic tools to understand what is and isn’t working.
By implementing these strategies and best practices, you can create a powerful synergy between CRO, technical SEO, and link building.
Bottom line
Even though SEO is changing, it’s important to remember that there is no “one size fits all” strategy for success. This adage has been true for years.
All businesses are different, as are their goals.hat works for one may not work for another.
However, by creating a more holistic SEO strategy, you can start to measure the success of certain SEO strategies and determine which is right for you.
We know UX is a cornerstone of ranking websites. Use this as your proverbial North Star, and you can find success more easily in the new SEO age.