Because there are tons of different jargon when it comes to SEO, it can become so confusing! SEO is one of those fields/topics that is constantly changing and the learning curve is so steep, it can become overwhelming. Quickly.
So I’m doing s series of “WTF is That?” with terms you need to know, but don’t want to read a bunch of boring shit about it. Quick info bites, if you will.
Let’s Go Over the Different Kinds of SEO Links Together
There are so many kinds of SEO terms. It can be hard to keep it simple to remember, but never fear! Hopefully, I can break this down into memorable chunks. Each type of SEO link serves a different, but vital purpose to your SEO success. So sit down, grab a notebook, and start taking some notes.
What Are DoFollow and NoFollow Links?
There are two different kinds of links when it comes to inbound and outbound links. These each offer a unique message to and from websites, telling Google what exactly to do with the link.
Do-Follow Links
These are pretty self-explanatory—it’s essentially commanding the Google bots to follow the link within an article/blog. It helps direct Google to go through and index your website as well, signaling, “This is important.” When it comes to backlinks, whether from you to someone else or vice versa, these are gold as an authority establisher.
DoFollow links are basically vouching for the authority of the linked site by leveraging the authority of the current site. It’s why they’re so important for backlinks! You have a website saying, “These guys know what they’re talking about!” If the website doing the “vouching” has higher authority overall, even better! It’s like getting a business colleague to introduce you to the CEO. The CEO may or may not care, but the introduction definitely helps.
NoFollow Links
These are the more popular link “labels,” and signals that the link isn’t as important. Don’t fret, though—Google expects to see some of these and appreciates seeing them, simply because it shows people still value your website as some form of a source. They just aren’t able or willing to metaphorically scream their support.
It just tells Google to not worry too much about going through to check out the other link. Google notices them regardless because that’s its job. No matter what, a link is a link, so long as it doesn’t come from a shitty spam/porn/link farm site.
When it comes to your own website used as a resource and responding to backlink requests, it’s important to consider the kind of link you’ll offer. This choice comes down to deciding how well you’ll vouch for each resource linked. When you tag something as DoFollow, you’re telling Google, “These guys are with me.”
What Are Backlinks?
The Importance of Backlinks
Out of the different kinds of SEO links, backlinks are the literal veins that pump life into websites. Without them, your rankings will drop (a little black and white, but relatively true). With them, your rankings will grow. But what are they?
Backlinks are from other websites linking to yours. That’s it. Then, of course, it breaks down to DoFollow and NoFollow (see above). But no matter the kind of link, they’re all important. It signals to Google that you’re an authority on the matter. You’re going to hear me hound on the word Authority time and time again, but mainly because it’s the overall thing you should be aiming for.
Backlinks are also amazing for boosting traffic. I’m sure you can think of a time or two where you’ve clicked on a hyperlinked text in an article, to learn more about a topic, right? For that website, the backlink worked perfectly!
What Are Internal Links?
I like to explain internal links like the connections of a spider web. No matter where you start, you can always get to anywhere else within a few steps. That’s how your website should be built: a spider web. Ironically, the coding Google uses to find websites are called Crawlers. So you just need to build a site structure perfect for Google codey crawlies.
When you insert an internal link to a blog/article, you want to make sure it’s relevant to the topic and/or the linked text. It always has to make sense to the user and Google.
Another benefit to internal links is keeping those readers on your site! When you help lead them from article to article, it decreases the Bounce Rate, which is essentially how quickly users say, “Peace out!”
All Links Are Good Links
No matter which kind of link we’ve just gone over, they’re all good ones. And they’re all completely, absolutely, and totally necessary for your company brand. Backlink building, especially, can be the most time-consuming of it all, but they’re always worth it.
So get crackin’ on planning those links and make sure to contact me if you have any questions.
