What Are Unnatural Links?
This blog was first published on clickintelligence.co.uk.
What’s Classed as an Unnatural Link According to Google
Natural links can be easy to spot, but have you ever stopped to think “What actually classes as an unnatural link?” By not knowing what constitutes as an unnatural link, you are leaving yourself not only vulnerable but also unable to make the most out of your link building strategy.
Before we dive into what makes an unnatural link, though, it’s vital that everyone understand what makes a good (or bad) link.
What makes a good link?
A High DA
- A link’s quality is determined by the domain’s authority, otherwise known as a site’s DA ranking. High authority sites such as The Independent and The Guardian, for example, with have a much bigger impact than a link from one of many bloggers. While these high-quality links are difficult to get, they are worth the effort, time and money.
Relevancy
- It’s vital to recognise that although you may have an authoritative site linking to you if the link is not relevant to your website or content, this link will not be counted by Google.
Link Placement
- Is your link embedded in the bulk of your content or hidden within the footnotes? Links stowed away in footers are not worth as much as links placed in the middle of your page’s text.
Anchor Text
- Google uses anchor texts (the clickable text section of a link) as ranking signal. The search engine giant will look at the links within your content and see whether the link matches with the text used.
You want to avoid unnatural and insincere links when link building.
But what makes a link unnatural?
Typically, unnatural links are paid for or are being monetised through influencers, CPC campaigns or affiliate programs, and while there is nothing wrong with guest posting, it should not be done so at a large scale.
Exact match anchor texts
Quite simply, exact match anchor texts do not look natural because you are trying to manipulate the surrounding sentence around a pre-made text; they are a signal of link building. If readers are distrusting of a link that doesn’t sit right (especially when compared to a natural anchor text), then they won’t feel compelled to click-through.
Avoid posting links in forums and comment sections
Links should not be placed in comment sections and forums; doing so can make it incredibly easy to destroy your brand’s image as they’re viewed as ‘spammy.’
Do not engage with Private Blog Networks (PBNs)
For starters, it is easy for Google to identify PBNs, which can lead to penalties and scrutiny. More significantly, though, PBNs are a costly way to produce low-quality content that may be duplicated. You want all your content to be unique, entertaining and informative. The time and money you put into PBNs will serve you better when invested in content creation.
The myths of unnatural links, debunked
Links from non-English languages
John Mueller from Google recently debunked the myth of non-English language links being unnatural after someone asked whether they should disavow links from their website if the language was anything other than English. This means that if you write in English, but you have a site in Italian linking to you, it doesn’t make the link a bad link.
Asking for a link is bad link building practice
Reaching out to a relevant site should not be placed in the same category as paying for links or link exchanges. You can reach out to relevant businesses and build a business relationship whereby both of you collaborate.
The world of link building is a vast and sometimes confusing one. With many myths out there, such as a link from non-English language, it can be easy to distrust which information is correct. To stop the myths from ruling your digital marketing campaigns, though, reaching out to experts in the field of link building can solve any issues you may be facing. For more information, be sure to contact us.
