Are Links Important for SEO? Google Says No

Search engine optimization (otherwise known as SEO) is one of the most important skills in a marketing professional’s arsenal. The higher you can boost your website’s search ranking, the more traffic you’ll get to your site. The goal of digital marketing is to get your business, product, or brand to show up on the first page of search results.

After all, how can a business gain more customers if no one knows they exist? How can a brand selling handbags sell to their full potential if they’re on the third, fourth, or fifth page of Google results? SEO helps businesses solve a lot of problems, though it takes a lot of time and dedication to secure those first page results.

Links Matter Less Than They Did Before

One of the most well-known SEO tactics is using links to help rank your website. In the past, marketers used both internal and external links to prompt Google to rank their website higher up in the search results. While this tactic was effective, it often got out of hand as marketers would pack a blog post or article so full of links that they would crowd the algorithm.

While this practice has evolved over the years, it wasn’t until recently that it was confirmed that links are no longer that important for SEO. According to Gary Illyes, a Google analyst, Google does not need as many links as previously thought in order to rank a website. By using a minimum number of links, you’ll actually be more likely to rank higher in search results than if you pack your content with them.

What Google Wants to See in SEO

So if links aren’t important for SEO, then what is important? For SEO, the key tactics are things like keywords, titles and descriptions for each page, headers, quality content creation, alt text added to images, and using the correct number of external links.

As with everything in the world of technology and digital marketing, SEO is always shifting and changing. The internet is an ever-evolving frontier, and there are many more regulations and policies in place today than there were 10 years ago.

If your SEO tactics are outdated, or if they are not backed up with concrete data that proves they’re effective, your efforts could fall flat or even ping a Google penalty. Keeping up to date on Google’s policies and procedures is vital to keeping your website relevant and ranking in the top results.

SEO Tactics Are Always Evolving

Keeping up with SEO can feel overwhelming. But with the right tools and knowledge, SEO is an excellent marketing tool that still has the capability to put your business on the map. With the right strategies, you can build your brand’s online presence and grow your business. New Wine Digital can help you stay on top of the latest digital marketing trends and help your site rank higher. Give us a call at 480-516-1819 today to learn more about our digital marketing services.

Photo by Kai Wenzel on Unsplash used with permission under the Creative Commons license for commercial use 5/29/2024.