Top 5 Link Building Myths Debunked

Does the term “link building” make you think of spammy tactics from the past? That’s understandable, given how some old methods were pretty dodgy. But nowadays, link building is actually a solid and crucial part of SEO.

For many long-time website owners, link building can seem like a big mystery. In the early days of SEO, experts used secretive and often shady methods to boost rankings, without much transparency about where and how they were getting their links. However, as Google’s algorithms have evolved, so have the strategies for building links.

It would be misleading to say that spammy tactics are completely gone. They still exist, but Google has gotten much better at spotting and penalizing them, so their impact on rankings is much less today.

So, if link building isn’t always spammy, what does it actually involve? Why is it still so important? And which links really make a difference?

Top 5 link building myths debunked

Like SEO in general, link development is shrouded in mystery and folklore. Let’s dispel some myths around link building.

Myth 1: Backlinks don’t matter as much anymore.

Here’s a straightforward fact: Even though shady link-building methods have dropped off, link building itself is still super important.

Research from Backlinko and Ahrefs shows a clear link between the number of backlinks and better Google rankings. Backlinko found that “pages with lots of backlinks rank higher than those with fewer.” In fact, the top result on Google has, on average, 3.8 times more backlinks than pages in positions #2 through #10.

You can see this clearly in Ahrefs‘ graph, which shows how more referring domains (or links) are related to higher search traffic.

The lesson is: More traffic equals more links.

A comparable graph, provided by Backlinko, compares search position (rankings) to referring domains (links):

Having more links equates to higher ranks.

Myth 2: It’s just the sheer number of links your site has that matters the most.

Here’s a key fact: While having lots of backlinks is important, the real value comes from links on reputable, high-quality pages.

Let’s go straight to the source for clarity—Google. In their article “Steps to a Google-friendly site” on the Search Console Help Center, Google explains:

“Links can help boost your website’s visibility in our search results and make it easier for our crawlers to find. Google uses sophisticated algorithms to show pages that are relevant and important for each search. A link from page A to page B is seen as a vote in favor of page B from page A. Votes from pages considered ‘important’ carry more weight and enhance the importance of other pages.”

Makes sense, right? The best links come from high-authority pages. But what exactly makes a page “important”?

Also Read: The Importance of Backlinks in SEO

In this context, authority means importance. Here’s a quick rundown on what makes a site authoritative:

• Domain Authority: This is a useful measure of a website’s authority, but remember, it’s not a Google ranking factor. It’s a score created by Moz.
• Expertise and Trust: These are crucial too. According to Google’s E-A-T guidelines (expertise, authority, trust), a link from a well-regarded, knowledgeable site is far more valuable than one from a new, random blog.
• Subject Authority: This is about the expertise of the content’s source. For example, if your SaaS company offers payroll software, a link from sites like Fit Small Business, NerdWallet, or Capterra is highly valuable. Even though ClearVoice isn’t a specialist in payroll software, a link from them would still be beneficial and could help improve your rankings.

Myth 3: Social media links don’t matter and don’t help your rankings.

Here’s a friendly and straightforward take on the importance of social media for your website’s authority:

Fact: Links from social media might not directly boost your rankings, but they still matter.

Google has made it clear that social media interactions like likes and links don’t directly affect search rankings. However, there’s a connection between having an active, engaging social media presence and better search engine results, as suggested by SEO research and speculation.

Backlinko lists some related factors that Google looks at, including:

• A Facebook page with likes
• A Twitter profile with followers
• An official LinkedIn company page
• The legitimacy of your social media accounts

OptinMonster sums it up well:

“Social media might not directly impact Google’s rankings, but it can highlight factors that Google does consider.”

For instance, high-quality links are crucial for SEO. When your content is shared on social media, it gets more exposure. This can lead to more people seeing, sharing, and linking to your content, which Google does take into account.

Social media also helps get your content in front of new audiences who might not have discovered you otherwise. If they like what they see, they might bookmark your site or search for your brand later. Both branded searches and direct visits (like those from bookmarks) are factors in Google’s ranking system.

Myth 4: Links should be built to your most important pages, like service pages.

Fact: Google prefers a natural link profile, which means links that other websites give you voluntarily. Your service pages, which are often the least likely to attract automatic links, should not be the sole focus of your link-building efforts.

Getting a few links to your service pages is fine, but it’s not ideal to put all your energy into a link-building strategy focused only on those pages. Instead, you should aim to boost the authority of your service pages since they are likely to drive revenue.

Here are some better ways to build links to your service pages that fit Google’s natural link profile:

1. Create Valuable Content: Make high-quality content relevant to your industry and include a few smart, contextual links to your service pages. This content can attract visitors and drive them to your service pages.
2. Build Brand Mentions: Work on getting your brand mentioned online and earning organic backlinks to your homepage.
3. Promote on Social Media: Share your services and content on social media to increase visibility.

For more tips on creating natural links, check out Search Engine Journal.

Myth 5: Exact match anchor text is the way to go!

Fact: Using exact match anchor text, like “best locksmith in Minneapolis,” is out of fashion and doesn’t look natural anymore.

In the early days of link building, SEOs would use specific phrases as link text, like “Minneapolis MN HVAC service” for HVAC clients. This approach is now considered keyword stuffing and is no longer acceptable. Google even updated its Panda algorithm to target this kind of spammy practice, and having too many exact match links can hurt your site.

Today, Google prefers varied anchor texts that look natural. For example, in this post, I’ve linked to Backlinko’s list of Google’s 200 ranking factors using different anchor texts:

• “Backlinko”
• “list of Google’s 200 ranking factors”
• “Backlinko’s list”

I’ve used these links in the most relevant places within my content. Google sees this as “natural.”

In short, when you can choose your anchor text, mix it up. And if you’ve created great content, it should get linked in many natural ways, even if you don’t control every link.