Quality Link Building: The Foundation of Successful SEO

Linkbuilding is an integral part of an SEO strategy, and the question is: Does it still make sense to invest time and money into it? The answer is yes. Despite changes in search algorithms, high-quality backlinks remain a key factor in improving a website's ranking. In this article, we will explain how link building can help you achieve better results and why you should not overlook it.

Link building is one of the main pillars of strengthening domain authority (domain rank). Acquiring quality backlinks significantly improves a website's visibility in search engines, increases organic traffic, and supports brand awareness.What is link building and how does it work? Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks from other websites to your own site. Search engines like Google consider quality backlinks as one of the main "ranking factors." This means that if your website gains enough quality links, its credibility and visibility in search results increase, leading to more traffic and potential conversions. It's important to keep in mind that the quality of links is more important than their quantity.This explanation is still quite general, so we'd like to introduce some specific methodologies for link acquisition. This process is not simple and is not limited to writing PR articles. Common methods may include:

• Content creation and valuable materials:

  infographics, blog articles, e-books

• Research and relationship building:

  barter link exchanges, references

• Digital PR:

  press releases, online lectures, conferences, PR articles

• Off-page competitor analysis:

  scraping competitors using SEO tools (e.g., Ahrefs, Semrush) and identifying new link acquisition opportunities

• Fixing technical off-page errors:

  broken links, follow parameters, 404 error pages, etc.

• Influencer marketing:

  Influencers with authority in the industry can help share your content on their blogs or social media, contributing not only to improving visibility but also to acquiring backlinks.

Why is link building important for SEO? Search engines use backlinks to assess the trustworthiness and relevance of websites. Quality links from trusted sites signal that your content is valuable and relevant, allowing you to better compete in search results. Simply put, backlinks are still a strong ranking factor for Google.Long-term, you should focus on the so-called E-E-A-T concept (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Experience, Trust), which emphasizes expertise, authority, experience, and trustworthiness. If you want to explore this concept further, we recommend external material (PDF, 170 pages) from Google Support.

Link building is not just link building Many people believe that acquiring links is easy – just reach out to a few websites, and the links will come. In reality, it's a much more complex process. Acquiring a quality link requires time, expertise, and a well-thought-out strategy.Without the right approach, there is a risk of penalties from search engines or, at the very least, wasted money and effort. On the other hand, if link building is done correctly, we can show clear shifts and results within six months. Of course, this depends on many factors such as technical SEO, the competitive environment, algorithm changes, and more. However, we know how to predict and work with these factors. Of course, we don't know everything, but the key is to react quickly and make the right decisions.Below we will present the basic process for our paid link building, which brings great results. This process is based on successful case studies of our clients. Yes, there are many different methodologies for optimizing off-page factors, but this approach works best for us and delivers the greatest value for our clients' invested time:

• Off-page audit:

  An introductory analysis that uncovers major mistakes and opportunities for off-page optimization.

• Competitor analysis:

  A crucial step to understand your position in comparison to competitors. It helps to find opportunities – what competitors are doing right and what to avoid.

• Creating a publishing plan and domain research:

  The goal is to select suitable reference domains for publishing and ensure that the content is relevant to the given environment.

• Creating a focus group of keywords:

  This step closely ties with the publishing plan. It’s essential to select keywords that are relevant to your business and have the potential to rank better on Google.

• Creating quality content and publishing it:

  When you have a well-set publishing plan, quality copywriters, editors, and follow a timeline, the result is continuous link building that is appreciated by both Google and readers.

• Continuous evaluation and monitoring of off-page metrics:

  We use regular reports, and every week we have status update meetings. We work in an online environment (Google Sheets), which everyone has access to 24/7, and we use a priority system and tagging responsible people on the project.

If you take a closer look, you'll find that link building requires the collaboration of multiple experts at the same time, but it’s definitely worth it. Who is involved in link building? Project manager, SEO specialist, link builder, copywriter, client (depending on how involved they want to be), publishing houses, and editor.

Case Study 1: Autodíly Vojkov – SEO Techniques for Better Website Ranking

For the client Autodíly Vojkov, we focused on continuous SEO optimization, which included technical website adjustments, the creation of a long-term link building strategy, and changes to on-page elements and user experience (UX). The goal was to increase the website's visibility in search engines and drive relevant traffic. Link building played a key role in strengthening domain authority as we acquired quality backlinks from reputable and industry-relevant websites. As a result, the site's ranking improved, and visibility increased by 238%. We published 37 PR articles and acquired 983 new referring links.

Case Study 2: GrandOptical – Comprehensive Website Optimization

For this significant client, we performed a comprehensive optimization based on initial audits. We focused on competitor data analysis, on-page SEO, UX optimization, and link building. Link building played a crucial role in linking new content on the website (blog and expert articles) and strengthening brand awareness. The result was an increase in brand searches, a 68% rise in organic traffic, and a 28% increase in filled leads (in-store reservations) in a year-over-year comparison.

Case Study 3: Světla24 – Link Building Strategy for an E-Shop

Světla24 is an e-shop that needed to increase organic traffic, but due to limited on-page improvement options, we decided to focus entirely on link building. The goal was to improve Google rankings and simultaneously strengthen the brand in a competitive environment. Before starting the collaboration, the website was ranked between 10th and 12th, but gradually moved to the top 5 players in the market. Competition was strong (specific segment, long-term players, and large fashion domains), so we performed thorough analysis and proposed the next steps. We started by selecting the right keywords, where we tracked metrics such as search volume, competitiveness, seasonality, and potential. Based on that, we created a publishing plan and started publishing PR articles. The impact of our link building activities was reflected across multiple channels – organic traffic increased by 163%, referral traffic by 36%, and direct website traffic by 68%. The number of purchases on the e-shop increased by 65%, and the website's visibility, measured by clicks, rose year-over-year by 47,800.

Conclusion: Does link building still make sense? The answer is undoubtedly yes. Link building is a complex process, but when done correctly, it can significantly contribute to your online visibility. Trust the experts, base your strategy on quality data, design the right approach, and most importantly, continuously track and evaluate the results of these activities. If you want to increase organic traffic and strengthen your position in the market, contact us, and together we will find a way to help you.