The search engine optimization profession relies heavily on big data. Google is constantly developing new artificial intelligence algorithms to improve search engine results. However, Google isn’t the only company using AI and machine learning in search. SEO professionals are turning to these tools as well.
John Giannandrea, the head of Google Search that was appointed in 2016, has stated that AI is the biggest disruptor in online search. He told reporters at Wired that the rest of the web was next.
SEO professionals are using AI as well. One of the biggest uses is with link building.
Machine Learning is Changing the Art of Link building
Link building is an intrinsic part of any successful digital marketing campaign. It’s not surprising that links are among the top Google’s ranking factors for 2019. They help users to discover useful information online. Also, search engine bots rely on them to crawl web pages.
Machine learning is playing an important role in the nature of SEO strategies, including building links. Dave Davies wrote about the use of SEO in a machine learning world in Search Engine Journal last year. He talks specifically about the impact of machine learning on link building:
“One of the easiest examples of an area machine learning can greatly increase Google’s capabilities is in links. Looking at a small example, machine learning can play a role in one of the key aspects of link evaluation: filtering spam. Google is already using machine learning in Gmail, reaching a 99.9 percent success rate and only yielding a false-positive 0.05 percent of the time.”
What does this mean for SEOs? They can reverse engineer Google’s filter and see how to build links that don’t trip the spam filter.
Building SEO Friendly Links in a Machine Learning World
There is nothing to worry about if you take the right approach and rely on a Singapore-based SEO agency with international marketing experience. Your site is bound to have more traffic and rank well once you take the following steps.
1. Internal link building
It’s imperative to start the link building process on your website. Internal links can either direct users to a page on your site or another site. They help Google to discover and understand the content on your website. As long as you use natural looking anchor texts, a machine learning algorithm won’t see this as spam.
This is very easy and you’re in control of how you want the links to be placed.
2. Create evergreen content
You can craft content on any trending topic in your industry. The good thing is that it’s easy to find enough information online. Chances are your target audience has been looking forward to your point of view on the issue.
There is a high possibility that your site will appear on the first page of search results if you create awesome content and adopt SEO best practices. Another thing is that you will attract quality backlinks from reputable sites.
3. Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is a branch of digital marketing that is still relevant and keep growing in leaps and bounds. It’s essential to create a list of experts in your niche and build meaningful relationships with them.
The ones you choose should have a huge social media following and high DA. Create irresistible headlines and be clear about the questions you want them to answer.
4. Link roundup
This type of blog post often contain links to published content from other sources across the web. You can decide to share this every week or month. Search for websites that create link round-ups and pitch your unique content via email. Machine learning spam filters don’t see this as spam.
One thing that can make you stand out is to reach out to them without asking for any favor. Don’t hesitate to present your pitch once they reply.
5. Guest blogging
When done right, guest blogging is one of the most natural ways to build links. It will almost never trip a spam filter, even in the age of machine learning. The importance of building real professional relationships can’t be underscored in any digital marketing strategy. It’s applicable when following the other steps in this guide. You can start by being active in different communities in your industry.
More so, comment and share your prospects’ content. Guest blogging is an effective way to expand your target audience. Look for prospects with a high DA and immense traffic. Endeavor to reply comments and engage their followers on social media once your post is published.
6. Mention link building
A reputable brand will have more mentions even if the web user can’t remember your URL. This is another means to build links. Backlink Profiler will come in handy to find mentions and you can set up Google Alerts.
The best thing is to request that they convert each mention of your site or product into a backlink. Machine learning algorithms will look at this factor and determine whether or not the link is spam.
7. Broken link building
Webmasters have access to different tools to unravel broken links. The truth is that it’s impossible to get rid of broken links once and for all. These links can either be from your site or another site. The former is useful when searching for content to repurpose.
In case you’re planning to maximize broken links from another source, ask whether you can create fresh content based on the topic.
Taking all these steps at once can be overwhelming. It’s advisable to start with the most important ones or the technique that fits into your digital marketing strategy.
Machine Learning is the New Future of Link Building
Machine learning is making it easier for Google to detect spam. Fortunately, you can understand the Google machine learning algorithms to build links that don’t get flagged as spam and improve your SERPs.