Building a decent profile of high quality incoming links to your website is the single most crucial element of any SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) campaign. It’s about giving Google and other search engines the data they need to gauge your content’s relevance and authority in relation to their users’ search queries.

And guess what… Google trusts what other people are saying about you a lot more than it trusts what you’re telling it about yourself. That’s why links are so important.

This graphic of the “Link Building” popularity game illustrates things pretty well (thanks to Aaron Wall of SEOBook via Twitter for the link).

Link building: it's a popularity game

So links are more important than your own content in telling search engines how to rank your site, but I firmly believe that content is still king (well, I’m a web content writer… what else would I say?). Here’s why:

The key to generating sustainable, high quality incoming links is to create exceptional content… on your website, your blog, white papers, e-books, videos, widgets… whatever you decide to create. Delivering compelling, relevant and engaging content that people want to share and… you guessed it… link to… is the number one way of attracting those crucial inbound links.

So what are you waiting for… get out there and create great content… share it through social media, and the links will follow.

Need help with your web content creation… grab one of my Web Content Synergy packages!

Image representing Search Engine Land as depic...

Image via CrunchBase

Not my words… Search Engine Land’s :-) .

Here’s what Search Engine Land author Debra Mastaler had to say in number 7 of her “Seven Deadly Link Sins” list on the iconic Search Engine news and views site.

7.  You were too cheap to pay for a good copywriter.

Good copywriters are worth their weight in gold, without them we’d have no content to promote or linkbait to push. You can fill out profiles, buy directory submissions and drop comment links all day and still never obtain the algorithmic and business authority you achieve from a well written piece of promoted content. Skip the $10 an article services and find a copywriter who understands your market and marketing goals. You’ll see the benefits  in rankings and bottom line.

Here, here.

Of course, hiring a great copywriter to deliver exceptional, targeted web content for your business will do much more than boost your ability to promote incoming links and improve your authority and relevance in the eyes of the search engines… it will also help target the right sort of search traffic, and crucially, convert that traffic into subscribers, firm sales leads or even paying customers when they arrive.

Don’t underestimate the value of good content… and don’t be afraid to invest in it. It’s crucial to the success of your online business.

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