The Death of a Backlink: Should Webmasters Stop Wasting SEO Efforts on Link Building?

In any industry, a strategy, approach, method, or technology can gain exceptional recognition and stay at the top for a while. However, at some point, another more advanced approach or technology will come to replace it. And the same loop will occur with the advanced method, with a more advanced one, and so on. It is an unstoppable loop that has to happen anyway. So, what does this have to do with SEO? Well, the same happens with SEO, given that it is a significant process. Many strategies come and go with the arrival of advanced ones. One of the strategies that time’s may have come to an end, according to many people, is link building. So, in this article, we will investigate the validity of these claims and explore whether they are still important or not.

Link Building is Dead: What Does This Mean?

“Link Building is Dead.” This is the headline that you may find on many blogs when searching for link building in the last couple of years. But what does this mean? Well, there have been many claims circulating in the SEO world for a while. They have been doubting the relevance of link building, alongside the latest advancements taking place in the SEO world. These claims are usually supported by the fact that Google’s algorithms are always changing, with an emphasis on strategies like answer engine optimization or AEO. This supports the incorporation of AI and voice assistants that all search engines have been using. This is in addition to other factors that we will explore later.

How Long Has Link Building Been a Part of SEO?

Link building history can be traced back to the late 1990s. It emerged with the emergence of the internet and the broad use of websites. Link building as a strategy appeared way before the establishment of Google’s enormous search engine. However, it was Google that was able to turn heads and draw attention to this promising approach. And that is why it became one of the factors that influenced Google’s famous PageRank. PageRank is considered one of the first algorithms and measures of the search engine. Since then, link building has taken off as one of the main SEO strategies that websites heavily rely on.

Alive or Dead? Exploring the Two Opinions Regarding the Relevance of Link Building

Now that we know what the phrase “link building is dead” means and how it poses the fact that link building is not important, this is still not enough. To grasp the claim, we have to understand it thoroughly. And that is why we will explore both sides of the claim, the agreeing and disagreeing ones.

Opinion One: The Old Link Is Dead!

So, let us start with the agreeing opinion that we truly believe that link-building is dead. As we have illustrated before, there are many factors that support these claims. This is like the fact that AEO is gaining power where content is prioritized and backlinks are nowhere to be found. Another thing that supports these claims is the fact that search engines and web crawlers now place more weight on the context and contents of a website than the number of links that refer to it. This also suggests that backlinks won’t be among the ranking factors that Google specifies and most websites follow.

A factor that also supports this claim is the new adjustment made to Google’s algorithms and ranking factors. Improvements in NLP and machine learning have allowed search engines to get a deeper understanding of the context and importance of web content. Search engine results are now affected by factors other than conventional backlinks. This is thanks to the introduction of new ranking factors, including semantic analysis.

Furthermore, over time, Google became opposed to many link types, including reciprocal links and many more. This also supported the claim that sometime after, Google may eradicate the idea of link building and backlinks. And this could make it something that people would reminisce about.

Opinion Two: Long Live The Link!

Long Live the Link is probably what the other side or opinion is calling for. There is a side claiming that link building is dead or that it is only a matter of time, and another side completely disagrees. So, how do they support their claims and is link building truly important? In addition to being a ranking factor, link building has served as one of the most important networking methods. Link building is certainly important, as it helps establish a series of networks between authoritative websites. This later helps establish the credibility and trust of users with not only websites but also the search engine as a whole.

Another thing that completely debunks the fact that link-building is dead is that Google didn’t oppose all types of backlinks but only prohibited the misleading and harmful acts of building links. So, for instance, link farms are now completely prohibited and penalized by Google. However, the act of building high-quality links with trustworthy websites is still encouraged and included in the most important ranking factors.

Three Reasons Why Link Building is Still as Powerful and Relevant

Is link building important? can be on the list of the most asked questions everyone has after reading about “link building is dead” claims. So, is link building truly important? Let us find out!

Authority Diversification and Niche Dominance

You may increase your website’s authority and diversify your traffic by building links to it from other authoritative websites in different niches. Gaining backlinks from a wide variety of sources helps position your website as an authority in your niche and similar or complementary fields, in addition to your main one. Your site’s reputation will be boosted and the risk of dependency on a specific approach or keyword strategy will be reduced through this diversification of authority.

You can establish your website as the primary source for accurate and authoritative information in a given sector or topic area through effective link building, which can lead to niche dominance. Your site’s authority will be solidified as it gains high-quality backlinks from credible sources in your niche. This will make it harder for competitors to overtake you.

Ecosystem of Influence and Collaboration

Creating a network of influence and cooperation in your field is what link building is all about. Obtaining backlinks from relevant websites and influencers is just the beginning of the fruitful relationships and collaborations you can build. Your business’s reach and effect can be enhanced through collaborative projects such as guest blogging, collaborative marketing, partnership deals, and other similar opportunities that can arise from these collaborations.

In addition, by being a part of the larger link-building community, you can have access to industry connections, networking events, and insightful perspectives. These can help drive innovation and expansion. As a result, you will stay informed about industry trends, share best practices, and leverage collective expertise. As a result, you will reach common goals by communicating with other website owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders in your sector.

Enhanced Content Distribution and Amplification

When you put in the time and effort to develop links to your content, you can increase its visibility and exposure far beyond what is possible for your website. Gaining backlinks from reputable sources increases your content’s visibility and spreads it farther and wider on the web.

On top of that, there are a lot of chances for content distribution, reuse, and promotion through digital platforms like social media, industry newsletters, and partner websites when you strategically develop links. You may achieve your marketing goals with the help of this wider distribution, which boosts the exposure and reach of your content while also increasing interaction, traffic, and brand recognition.

How To Keep Link Building Relevant and Useful for Your Website?

So, now that we know that link building is pretty much important and alive. The question is, how can a website keep this approach as useful and relevant as it intends to be? The answer is very easy and applicable, which is to focus on building high-quality links only. Link building is not an approach for momentary results; it is more on the long-term benefits side. So, following black-hat SEO approaches like link farms, automated blog comments, hacking, or other harmful tactics could do more harm than good. Focus more on establishing powerful connections with authoritative websites in hopes of exchanging links.

And as we know that establishing these connections could be challenging, we have just the perfect solution for you! LinkExchange.AI is the first link building hub in the world that makes sure that this timeless approach is always alive and well! Through LinkExchange.AI, you will be able to connect with websites in your industry and niche. You can filter websites based on domain authority, the number of backlinks, traffic, and many more factors. Now is the time to validate the efficiency and relevancy of link building. Try LinkExchange.AI now and enjoy the limitless capabilities of backlinks!