Penguin updates completed by Google forever changed search engine optimization and the way marketers build links for the websites they are looking to improve rankings for. Long gone are the days where buying links, links exchanges and link farms. In the place of previous, black hat tactics remains the importance of content as marketers focus on a site’s search engine optimization post Penguin.

A newer site that a small business owner is attempting to build among the local rankings among major search engines can make link building seem like an overwhelming feat. On the other hand, looking at link building for a small site on a much smaller scale (in contrast with comparing efforts to big companies) can make the task seem much more manageable while yielding results.

Gain Authority Online While Building Links

One of the best ways to highlight a small business while gaining authority online and building links is by using the knowledge and information one has to share those resources with other people and businesses, who may be searching for answers. Answering questions in relevant forums and through specific industry directories is a great way to post information that meets the needs sought by searchers while allowing a small business representative to post a link pointing to where searchers can continue reading on and discovering more about that topic. While this provides powerful links it also helps define a brand or representative as knowledgeable and helpful.

What Not To Do

While there are many directories and listings, social media and sources where information and relevant links can be posted, there are some tactics that are confusing for small business owners. While companies or consultants may push certain tactics, knowing what can be detrimental and what will actually help SEO efforts can be difficult to differentiate.

Buying links is one of the tactics that small businesses and owners should never partake in. Algorithm updates and increasing crack downs on such tactics have provoked negative results for many websites, making it difficult for them to bounce back from updates which were meant to uncover bought and irrelevant links.

Directories and listings represent a great opportunity for small businesses to link to their website, while driving traffic and showing among results searchers are actively looking for. In addition, optimizing these listings shows consumers a website and corresponding business is active and thriving. Claiming major listings and filling them with all the information possible shows potential consumers information that they may be seeking.

The whole point of a website is to meet the needs for searchers looking for information, products or services, offering them a valuable experience. Link buying does nothing to offer the authority of viable, quality sites that are, in a sense, “endorsing” a website. Instead, purchased links and link exchanges are meant to trick the search engines into thinking a site is more relevant and authoritative than it is. Thus, in an effort to actually improve the search experience such linking has experience a major crack down in the form of Penguin and other updates.