Are you Link Building?
The link building potential for Dental Practice websites is something we are passionate about 
implementing, supporting and encouraging. Arguably, link building is the cornerstone of the world-wide web and how it influences indexing of the content of the web for users.
This blog will address all things link building including what it is exactly, the differing types, and finally providing some ideas of how to generate high quality ones to benefit your practice website.
What is a link?
Definition of ‘Link’ = noun – a relationship between two things, or situations, especially where one affects the other.
- Outbound Links
These are hyperlinks that you have on your site that direct away from your site i.e to another site or area on the web.
- Inbound Links
The link gained from providing your website address as a hyperlink on an external site.
What we actually want for SEO is high quality, inbound links and authoritative, useful, but not spammy outbound links.
What is ‘link building?’ – A little history
This is the practice of building your outbound and inbound link portfolio.
Since the very early days of the web, any type of indexing of the numerous sites online– be it through a search engine or directory – is affected by the links you have to and from your site.
The techniques and best practice methods of link building have changed a great deal over the time of the webs existence. Back in the day, linking to anyone and everyone was just about the best thing you could do to tell the search engines that your site was popular and should be ranked accordingly.
Updates from Google to the PageRank algorithm have meant that for sites to rank well, it is the quality, relevance and uniqueness of the link that counts.
What does an inbound link profile look like?
Best SEO practice is to maintain the focus on inbound links over outbound links, as you want more quality sites pointing to you than your site points to. Having said that in order to get the really high quality link, sometimes it is necessary to share a link and this is part of creating a unique, varied and realistic link. So for instance, you may do a talk at a local GP surgery who in turn for placing your site on their website would like theirs on your website.
The types of inbound link opportunities available to our team of SEO professionals are illustrated below:
Linking Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t
1) Be shy – if you have recently done a talk for a dental body, a local GP’s or any other organisation or relevant business in your local or professional community, ask them if they be happy to place your web address on their site. Often they may prefer some brief bio of yourself, the talk you did and the practice you can
2) Pay for links – are you getting countless emails suggesting that you can “Build Up Your Link Today with 2000 Links At A Small Fee”? Don’t accept this or any other advert to do this. Buying links instantly tells the search engines that you are spammy your link building and will negatively affect your rankings at best and at worst can get you penalised where you site will be dropped from the indexing.
Do
1) Get Creative – think about your local community and how they can be involved in the practice. Local newspapers are increasingly having an online presence and an event your run at the practice, be it for charity, or promotional, will have the bonus effect of possibly getting your website linked. Don’t wait for the Editor to automatically add this – Ask them to do it!
2) Get Social – think about your online marketing as whole and if social media is something that you think would work in your practice with the ethos and resources, then these types of links are increasingly having more clout in.
Link building is one of the strongest tools we have as online marketeers. Your site is greatly influenced by the quality of its link profile. To have a review of your site profile, call Dental Design on 01202 677277 and talk to one of our team.
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