Key Takeaways
- Link building scams are prevalent and can harm your search engine rankings.
- Avoid link building services that use PBNs, link farms, low-quality directory or comment links, fake guest posts, or unproven link builders.
- Always check the service’s reviews and ratings before hiring them.
Link building is an essential part of search engine optimization (SEO). It involves acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. However, not all link building services are created equal. Some use unethical practices that can harm your website’s ranking on search engines like Google. In this article, we’ll show you how to spot link building scams and avoid them.
How to Spot Link Building Scams
Use of PBNs
Private Blog Networks (PBNs) are networks of websites used as a quick way to build a large number of links to another site. PBNs can be an effective way to increase your ranking, but only until Google discovers the network. When it does, it will reduce any effect generated by the links and give a manual penalty to linked sites. PBNs are often used by website owners to boost their own sites. But link builders love PBNs too because they allow them to rapidly build links to a client’s page while putting in almost zero effort.
How to Spot Link Building Services That Use PBNs
There are several tell-tale signs that suggest a service is using a PBN. Look out for promises like:
- Links from a high number of sites.
- Guaranteed placement on high DR sites.
- A specific number of links.
- Links going live in a short time frame.
- Low prices.
- No ability to approve or reject sites.
Be very wary if the service you are considering shows any of these red flags.
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Link Farms
Link farms are groups of websites created solely for the purpose of linking to other sites. They offer no value to users and exist only to manipulate search engine rankings. Google considers link farms as spam and penalizes sites that use them.
How to Spot Link Building Services That Use Link Farms
Link farms are easy to spot because they usually have:
- A very basic template design.
- A lack of contact information or information about the person/people running the site.
- Articles with no author or “guest author” labels.
Low Quality Directory or Comment Links
Directory links are links from web directories that categorize websites by topic. Comment links are links from comments on blog posts or forums. Both types of links can be valuable if they come from reputable sources. However, many link building services use low-quality directories or comment sections filled with spammy links.
How to Spot Link Building Services That Use Low Quality Directory or Comment Links
To spot link building services that use low-quality directory submissions, blog comments, and forum submissions, be mindful of the following red flags:
- Unrealistic Promises.
- Lack of Transparency.
- Cheap Pricing.
- Negative Reviews.
Link building is an essential part of SEO, but it’s important to choose the right service provider. Avoid services that use unethical practices like PBNs, link farms, and low-quality directory or comment links. Instead, look for providers with good reviews and ratings who use ethical practices like guest posting and broken link building.
Remember that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to link building. Focus on getting high-quality backlinks from reputable sources rather than trying to get as many links as possible.
By following these tips, you can avoid link building scams and improve your website’s ranking on search engines like Google.
I am Kirill, the CEO of KeyRealSeo. I’m an SEO aficionado, always riding the wave of the latest technologies and integrating them seamlessly into my processes.
