Discussing this subject can be challenging since no figures are absolute.
SEO relies on numerous factors, such as content velocity, technical enhancements, content optimization, and more.
For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume no other actions are taken apart from link building.
Before we delve into specific examples, let’s have a general discussion about backlinks.
Analyzing your backlinks
Every website, regardless of its size, naturally attracts a considerable number of links.
As a site grows larger, it tends to attract more links due to its images ranking in Google, which in turn attracts scraper links.
Conversely, a site that doesn’t rank for anything will not attract much spam either, as it remains undiscovered.
It’s essential to understand that the majority of your backlinks have little to no positive impact on your rankings and may even harm them.
This includes both the scraper links that you naturally draw and the majority of the links you’ve actively built.
For instance, relying solely on citations and press releases (unless the release goes viral) is unlikely to result in a site ranking well.
Let’s categorize these links as rather ineffective, which includes:
- Press releases
- Local citations
- Social bookmarks
- Standalone web2.0’s
- Forum profile links
- Blog comments
- Audio/video sharing sites
- Doc/PDF sharing sites
- Social media links
- Scraper sites
- Other random spam
While combining some of these links may lead to slight improvements, it’s important to be cautious. Excessive use of self-generated links can trigger spam filters and negatively impact your website’s ranking, so it’s best not to go overboard with these methods.
Certain ‘public’ links can indeed be effective, which is precisely why Google has cautioned against them:
- Web directory links: These links can work remarkably well in specific countries or regions.
- Forum links (not to be confused with profiles): Forum links can be beneficial but may require significant time and effort to manage effectively.
- PAD submission links: While they used to be highly effective in the past, their impact has diminished over the years.
- Resource page links: Google has warned against relying solely on resource page links for SEO purposes.
- Guestbook links: These are another form of commenting but have a relatively minor impact.
- However, it’s essential to exercise caution, especially when dealing with web directory links in English-speaking markets. Additionally, forum posts can be time-consuming.
Despite the potential effectiveness of the links mentioned above, they are unlikely to contribute significantly to your rankings. They generally make up a considerable portion (around 90-95%) of your backlink profile, whether they are self-built or naturally acquired. As such, it’s important to diversify your backlink strategy and not solely rely on these link types for SEO success.
Let’s explore the links that indeed prove to be effective.
Some of the best links you can obtain are those directly from within your industry. Here are a few examples:
- Chamber of commerce: Being affiliated with your local chamber of commerce can lead to valuable links.
- Dealerships: If you’re associated with dealerships of reputable brands, they can provide relevant and authoritative links.
- Manufacturers: Getting links from manufacturers whose products or services you offer can be highly beneficial.
- Local sites: Links from other reputable local websites within your area can boost your local SEO efforts.
- Partners: Collaborating with partners in your industry can lead to mutually beneficial links.
- Colleagues: Professional connections and colleagues may link to your website, particularly if you collaborate or have shared interests.
- Clients: Satisfied clients may link to your site as a form of testimonial or recognition.
- The challenge with these links is that they may not be easily scalable. The number of dealerships or manufacturers you can partner with is limited. Similarly, there may be a finite number of local government sites or well-ranking websites in your area that are relevant to your industry.
While these links may not be scalable in the traditional sense, their value lies in their relevance and authenticity. Building strong relationships with key players in your industry can lead to natural, high-quality links that positively impact your SEO. Remember that quality is often more critical than quantity when it comes to backlinks.
The main point here
The main takeaway here is that a significant portion (around 90-95%) of your backlinks are often from low-quality sources with minimal strength and traffic. These links provide little value to your SEO efforts.
On the other hand, approximately 5-10% of your links come from sources where you have limited control over the link-building process. This means you can’t easily manipulate or influence these links to your advantage.
Once you’ve exhausted these limited control sources, your options for further improving your backlink profile are somewhat limited:
- Digital PR/HARO (Help A Reporter Out): This strategy involves attracting links from reputable news sites and other nationwide publications through public relations efforts. It can be highly effective but may require expertise and resources in PR.
- Guest posting: Guest posting involves writing and publishing content on other websites as a guest contributor. It can be either paid or free, and there are many sites that invite contributors. While it requires effort and outreach, it can be a practical and accessible link-building method.
- Content marketing: This approach involves creating high-quality, valuable content to attract organic links. It requires a proactive effort to come up with creative and engaging content that naturally attracts links from other websites.
Out of these three options, guest posting is highlighted as a more feasible and accessible approach for many. While digital PR and content marketing can be costly or unpredictable in terms of results, guest posting allows you to have more control over the process and can be a relatively cost-effective way to build valuable backlinks.
So what is the positive ROI of guest posting?
The positive ROI of guest posting in an SEO context depends on various factors, including the quality of the guest posts, the authority of the websites where they are published, and how well they align with your target audience. Let’s break it down:
- Improved Rankings: Guest posting on reputable websites in your niche can help build high-quality backlinks, which are an important ranking factor for search engines. If these guest posts are well-optimized and provide valuable content, they can positively impact your search engine rankings.
- Increased Website Traffic: Guest posts on popular and relevant sites can drive targeted traffic back to your website. If the content resonates with readers, they are more likely to visit your site to learn more about your products or services.
- Brand Visibility and Authority: Guest posting on authoritative websites can enhance your brand’s reputation and establish you as an expert in your field. This can lead to increased trust and credibility among your target audience.
- Networking and Partnerships: Guest posting can also open doors to new connections and collaborations within your industry. Building relationships with other website owners and influencers can lead to future opportunities for co-marketing or cross-promotion.
- Social Media Exposure: When your guest posts get shared on social media platforms, it can lead to increased exposure and engagement, further amplifying your brand’s reach.
It’s important to note that the ROI of guest posting may not be immediate. SEO efforts, including guest posting, often require time to show tangible results. Additionally, as you rightly pointed out, guest posting should be part of a comprehensive SEO strategy that includes other elements like content production, on-page optimization, and building topical authority. When combined, these efforts can lead to more significant and sustained improvements in rankings and organic traffic.
Let’s look at all your links again
While guest posting can be an effective strategy, it’s crucial to approach it with a focus on quality, relevancy, and long-term goals rather than expecting immediate results. SEO is a continuous process, and successful strategies involve consistent efforts and a multifaceted approach.
When evaluating the role of each link category concerning rankings, here’s how they may contribute to a site’s SEO performance:
- 90% Spam/Public Links: These links, often acquired from low-quality sources, have minimal impact on rankings. They are considered spammy and provide little value to a site’s SEO efforts.
- 5% Natural Acquired Links: These are high-quality, relevant links that are organically obtained from authoritative websites. They have a positive impact on rankings and contribute significantly to a site’s SEO success.
- 5% Guest Posts/Link Insertions: These links are acquired through guest posting outreach or other means, and while they can provide some value, they may not have as substantial an impact as natural, acquired links.
Now, let’s consider an example where a site has 100 links, broken down as follows:
- 90 useless links (e.g., press release links, citations, and other low-quality links).
- 5 non-replicable links (e.g., links from reputable sources such as a chamber of commerce, brands, local sites, and a satisfied client).
- 5 guest posts/link insertions.
In this scenario, the five guest posts are unlikely to make a massive difference in the site’s rankings. The 90+ low-quality links do very little to improve the site’s ranking, except perhaps maintaining its presence in the local pack (Google My Business listing).
The five non-replicable links, which are natural and acquired from reputable sources, are significantly more valuable for rankings compared to the guest posts. These high-quality links play a crucial role in improving a site’s search engine visibility and overall SEO performance.
It’s important to recognize that the impact of guest posts can vary based on factors such as the quality of the sites they are published on, the relevancy of the content, and the authority of those sites. While guest posts can contribute to a diverse link profile, their impact may not be as pronounced as natural, high-authority links obtained through reputable sources. To achieve sustainable and meaningful improvements in rankings, a holistic SEO strategy should focus on building high-quality, relevant, and natural backlinks while avoiding low-quality spammy links.
Now we can talk ROI
The ROI of guest posting and acquiring valuable links can indeed be significant, but it’s essential to approach it with a clear understanding of the costs and potential benefits. Let’s break down the cost and potential ROI based on the example you provided:
Cost breakdown for acquiring 50 valuable links:
- 25 link insertions: $2,000
- 25 guest posts: $3,000
- Total cost: $5,000
The actual ROI will depend on various factors, such as the industry, competition level, the quality of the links, and the effectiveness of the guest posts. A well-executed link building strategy can lead to increased organic traffic, higher search engine rankings, improved brand visibility, and ultimately more business opportunities.
As you mentioned, some businesses see substantial ranking increases (e.g., 300% to 2,000% or even more) when they acquire a significant number of high-quality links. This boost in rankings can lead to a surge in website traffic and potential leads, which can translate into increased revenue and business growth.
For businesses heavily dependent on referrals, investing in SEO and acquiring valuable links can be a game-changer. It opens up new avenues for attracting potential customers online, reducing reliance on traditional referral sources.
Unlike paid ads, SEO provides long-term benefits. Once you’ve gained higher rankings through valuable links, you can enjoy the improved visibility and organic traffic for an extended period, even if you scale down your link building efforts in the future.
However, it’s essential to approach guest posting and link acquisition ethically and responsibly. Engaging in black-hat SEO practices or buying low-quality links can lead to penalties from search engines and have a detrimental impact on a website’s rankings and online reputation.
In conclusion, the ROI of guest posting and acquiring valuable links can be substantial, potentially leading to significant business growth and a competitive edge in your industry. However, it requires careful planning, quality execution, and a focus on long-term sustainability to realize the full potential of this strategy.