There is a misconception regarding Google’s penalties which has made link removal synonymous with recovery from a penalty imposed due to penguin update. Removing as many negative links as possible will definitely help in the recovery process but this is not the only thing which will help your site to fully recover.
So then, what will help achieve the recovery from penalty imposed due to Penguin update? It is imperative to build high quality links to your site. Some of them can be built due the presence of certain resources on the website and other from high quality blogs. Google wants the sites to be built and promoted to give a valuable and high quality user experience and not for search engines.
Here are some content marketing tactics which could help in recovery from a penalty imposed by Penguin.
Build Linkable Resources On Your Site
A linkable resource or asset is something that people would want to link to naturally without any prompting. What properties does a linkable asset have?
1. It should be useful: Its usefulness goes beyond being just a blog post. It is something which could be used as a reference more than once.
2. It should be interactive: It should give the user something to do.
3. It should be able to make an impact: When content is able to evoke a response from the reader, it is most likely to get shared and linked to.
4. It should be relatable: People can relate to something with which they share their own beliefs and values.
Examples of linkable resources are:
• PDFs
• Slide Presentations
• Whitepapers
• Video Marketing
• Info-graphics
• Press Releases
• Case Studies
• Helpful Content Guides
• Tools
Blogs
Contents
An SEO focussed blogging strategy should be in place to acquire customers. A blog should not be meant to sell. It should be a genuine information source and not a platform to advertise. It is also important that a blog caters to a wide range of audience both core as well as mainstream.
For the core audience, it is important to understand their needs, provide them with relevant information and interact with them on an ongoing basis. For the mainstream audience, it is important to produce content which appeals to a broader audience. It is important that advanced subjects are presented to them in a simplified and easy to understand manner.
It is important to understand what is a bad blog and how it can drive away traffic. A good blog on the other hand can help you have an email list of regular followers. An email list can help get referral traffic, puts your call to action and offer something of value in exchange for the email address.
Focus On Link Acquisition From Influential Platforms
Link building or link acquisition should be able to send referral traffic, build trust with potential/ future visitors and in future outreach emails and lead to email subscriptions. If the links are not followed or are not doing any of the above mentioned then neither do they offer any immediate business value nor do they provide value as a long term source.
With regards to guest blogging, it is important to evaluate your SEO strategy. Guest blogging should be done with focus on your interactions and drive the right audience to your site.
The following should be kept in mind.
• The choice of content should unique and comprehensive. It should be well researched and should be supported with examples. Use of anecdotes, case studies and insights about the subject would make it more appealing to the target audience.
• Previous successes in your outreach should be mentioned
• Credentials should used to show authority
• It is important to promote the guest post after it goes live for it to reach the influencers. It could be placed in your email signature, as reference in later posts and as mentions in forums and discussions. This helps to build credibility and increases the SEO value of the post.
You could build links from other influential platforms and it is possible, if you have a linkable asset that can be promoted. It is important to find people who have a stance on a particular subject and engage them by writing a post on the same subject with some fresh evidence. The key is to find unique and credible data.
Your content should mention people by name. They should be aware of this and you could ask them if they wish to see the post. When you work with someone on something say an interview, you should contact the people they know and make them aware on what you worked together on. They should be asked if they wanted to have a look at it. By doing these, you not only offer something of value to the recipient and by asking them politely first, you would actually see whether they are interested.
While doing outreach activities, it is important to keep the principles of influence by Robert Cialdini in mind:
1. Reciprocity: They should be based on “give” and “take”
2. Commitments & consistency: Cialdini says that we have a deep desire to be consistent. Once we’ve committed to something, we’re more inclined to go through with it.
3. Social Proof: This principle relies on people’s sense of “safety of numbers”. We are more likely to take action if many others have already taken it or if we get feedback from them.
4. Liking: We are most likely to be influenced by people we like.
5. Authority: We put more trust in people who have relevant credentials and experience.
6. Scarcity: As per this principle, things are more attractive when their availability is limited or when opportunities are rare.
Use of Giveaways
Before we discuss the use of giveaways as a tactic for link building, it is important to understand that as per Google exchange of free product for a link is considered a link scheme. Facebook also has a set of guidelines on how contests can be used. Hence, giveaways should be used with caution for link building.
Running online giveaways can attract links from authoritative sites and a variety of domains. Giveaways can not only help build links but also help to generate social engagement and buzz. They help to create organic links as they naturally lead to social shares, helps to increase exposure and makes it possible to get a variety of links. This eventually leads to expanding your reach. Here is how successful social media getaways can be created and promoted to build SEO links.
Public Relations
It is very important for a PR stunt to be newsworthy. This is what determines the value of PR sharing sites. A PR site can be used to promote a linkable asset, such as a tool on your site. However, it is important to provide the journalists a press friendly page which has images and all the information that they would require so that it becomes easy to talk about you.
Press Releases should not be used as a medium to gain links to help search rankings. If you have already been hit by Penguin, it is all the more important to understand that Google would treat them as advertisements.
Avoid Anchor Text Match
An exact or partial match anchor text should be avoided, especially if you’ve been hit by Penguin. When you build a link, you could use your brand name or highlight the part of the sentence from which the users can get the most context or post a bare URL.
Is the content helpful to you? Comment below with your valuable feedback..!!
