Mastering link building tactics for your content is not history. In 2020, with unprecedented competition in eCommerce, quality linking still plays a big part in top ranking. Are you wondering how to use links to improve your positions in SERPs this year? Stop using out-of-date techniques. Here’s a list of the six link building tactics that don’t work in 2020. Check if you still follow any of them… and next time, just skip it.   

Linking to websites that are relevant to the topic is the safest strategy for high-ranking in SERPs. Google does not respond well to links that are not valuable for users. The following methods won’t lead to a true link signal. They will be ignored by Google and therefore are not worth your time and resources. 

Adding New Links to Existing Pages as a Link Building Tactic    

In 2003, Google introduced a patent named Information Retrieval Based on Historical Data. Among other functions, it’s purpose is to detect spam through monitoring link changes on a website. It tracks how many inbound (on a page) and outbound (to a page) links are being added and removed and how often. 

Even though websites tend to change constantly, a certain statistical threshold reveals abnormal activity on domains. Google uses this mechanism to detect link-selling schemes that were a booming business just a decade ago.    

Adding irrelevant links to previously published pages, targeting higher ratings in Google,  can actually backfire. Not only can you achieve nothing but even have your online resource penalized and lose your ranking.  

Paying for Content Marketing or Offering Free Products for Links 

Let’s discern honest content marketing from a scheming type. The former means that you publish valuable information on your website to project it as a reliable source and generate links naturally.

The scheming type of content marketing involves paying writers to put out an article on another website with a link to yours. Since the fact of payment is not revealed, it is technically considered a hidden advertisement. It violates the FTC – Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. 

Offering free products for links is a similar version of link building tactics. It also fits the definition of a paid link and therefore is illegal. It includes cases when writers create reviews in exchange for products, services, samples, or other types of compensation.

Starting Viral Link Campaigns or Other Irrelevant Activities  

Launching a viral link campaign is only a good idea when directed at your target customers, builds awareness, and generates links from relevant websites.

However, if your campaign’s topic is unrelated to your niche, a viral link strategy will hardly bring you many links related to the keywords on your web page. Even if this kind of a viral link campaign turns out to be incredibly successful, all those thousands of off-topic links will be ignored by Google. 

Acquiring links through fake scholarships, awards, and charity programs falls into the same category. In the long run, they will fail to increase your ratings.

Buying or Creating “Donor” Websites for Outbound Links 

In 2020, even less efficient link building tactics would be buying websites that redirect to your domain. 

Google only passed link signals between two online sites if the pages are of close context. 

Adding another website will only require you to multiply your efforts by two. If you want to see any results with this option, you’ll have to create texts, do content marketing, and link building for both domains. 

Link-Spamming in Blog Comments and Forums 

In 2004, blog commenting was a popular link spamming scheme. In response to that, search engines even introduced a “nofollow” link attribute. 

The same applies to bombarding forums with meaningless comments that contain links to your website. Moreover, forums administrators and moderators are consistently monitoring this type of content. Considering it spam, they delete posts with such links. 

Note. These link building tactics are also undermining the reputation of your website and lower its credibility. 

6.Embedding Low-Quality Links in Widgets 

Some widgets add links to a website in a way that a person running it can’t control or remove those links. 

Some years ago, WordPress’s success triggered a widget boom, and users started adding more and more plugins to their websites. Many weather, clock, RSS feeds, news, and other widgets were designed with an embedded link taking you to third-party sites. 

Subsequently, Google responded with a blog post to inform that this strategy is considered a violation of Google Webmaster Guidelines. 

When it comes to Google, your links’ quality speaks about the quality of your content, authority, and popularity of your website. Move away from easily detectable link building schemes. And remember. The best link you can get is from content relevant to your subject. And it directs users to a page on your website that is exactly about that subject. Reach out to other reliable online resources to use link building tactics that bring you long-term rating success.