"Just Build Great Content?" - Yup, Still a Myth

[enlytend]

Links are still the lifeblood of the internet - unless you're trying to rank for something like "Sousaphone Lessons for Turnips", "great content" alone won't cut it.

On Moz, Cyrus Shepherd takes a look at the correlation between backlinks and ranking - and finds it's still undeniably a strong factor.
https://moz.com/blog/backlinks-google-study

This doesn't mean get 1000 links from just 2-3 sites, or link all your sites together (unless you've gone to great lengths to obscure the relationship between them), or get spammy links in every free directory you can find - there's still a little finesse involved. Since Penguin and manual "unnatural links" penalties, more than ever.

 

[S-B]

I have found that great content results in backlinks. In other words, one could say that all you need to do is "just building great content."

 

[iAchilles]

I have found that great content results in backlinks. In other words, one could say that all you need to do is "just building great content."

All it takes is one good article to go Viral on social media. It's a much slower process relying on organic backlinks but I don't believe that it's impossible to rank a site without buying/exchanging links. I've done it myself on a few projects. At the beginning you have to target long tails starting out and build from there.

 

[S-B]

All it takes is one good article to go Viral on social media. It's a much slower process relying on organic backlinks but I don't believe that it's impossible to rank a site without buying/exchanging links. I've done it myself on a few projects. At the beginning you have to target long tails starting out and build from there.

In my opinion, it depends on the niche. In small niches it is harder to acquire natural backlinks. Within big niches where material is covered by huge sites, it becomes much easier.

 

[JB Lions]

It's not a myth at all. If I asked anybody what are they more likely to bookmark, share or link to. Great content or crappy content, it's going to be great. Those are those nice, natural, one way links people love to get.

And the article isn't saying anything new. Links in have always been one of the biggest factors since Google came onto the scene. I don't see that changing because it makes sense. If I moved to a new town and asked 10 random people, what's the best pizza joint and 8 said Joe's Pizza, Joe probably makes some damn good pizza. Link in being like a vote. Joe is getting those votes because he makes a quality pizza.

I understand at the beginning, you can have a great site and it's how to get some of those first notices. Many ways to do that. Get links from other sites, press releases, social media, PPC etc. But I'm thinking more long term. All sites can do those types of things, but I think the true quality sites tend to win out in the end and more apt to ride out any SE shifts and updates.

 

[enlytend]

I have found that great content results in backlinks. In other words, one could say that all you need to do is "just building great content."

Great content CAN certainly earn backlinks (so can mediocre and even occasionally crappy content, if marketed right), but you need to get the word out. If you're not ranking for anything to begin with and you're John Doe Nobody it's more difficult than if you have an established site, email list and/or following on social media.

The content itself won't rank you though .

In my opinion, it depends on the niche. In small niches it is harder to acquire natural backlinks. Within big niches where material is covered by huge sites, it becomes much easier.

Small niches - actually if you're content marketing and make the right connections its easier to get the exposure than if you're in a more competitive niche but not yourself a "name."

Another one that's tricky is local business. For one thing, most SMB's are too busy running their SMB's to be interested in developing content or schmoozing in social media. Doctors, carpet cleaning, restaurants, plumbers, builders ... And it's pointless for Tony's Pizza to develop some huge treatise on Everything You Wanted to Know about Pizza when all they want is local rankings to bring in customers in an actionable radius.

All it takes is one good article to go Viral on social media.

Out of all the good content created on every site/blog/forum/etc. in a given day, how much of that "goes viral?" Viral posts are great, but they're the outliers.

I don't believe that it's impossible to rank a site without buying/exchanging links.

I never said (and neither did the post I cited) that you had to buy or exchange them, just that you need them. No links you'll be lucky to come up in brand name searches.

Links in have always been one of the biggest factors since Google came onto the scene. I don't see that changing because it makes sense.

Yep. But there are occasional rumors that they're losing importance. Not the case. And there is more "good content" and more worthwhile businesses than many people realize, all floating around completely unseen because they have no links to it. (I run into that with clients all the time.)

 

[S-B]

Great content CAN certainly earn backlinks (so can mediocre and even occasionally crappy content, if marketed right), but you need to get the word out. If you're not ranking for anything to begin with and you're John Doe Nobody it's more difficult than if you have an established site, email list and/or following on social media.

The content itself won't rank you though .

I ranked a site with 0 backlinks for many competitive terms. I was receiving roughly 1k uniques per day on that niche site. This was more expensive than linkbuilding for sure but it paid off well.

Small niches - actually if you're content marketing and make the right connections its easier to get the exposure than if you're in a more competitive niche but not yourself a "name."

Another one that's tricky is local business. For one thing, most SMB's are too busy running their SMB's to be interested in developing content or schmoozing in social media. Doctors, carpet cleaning, restaurants, plumbers, builders ... And it's pointless for Tony's Pizza to develop some huge treatise on Everything You Wanted to Know about Pizza when all they want is local rankings to bring in customers in an actionable radius.

It might be easier with mediocre names to make connections in a smaller niche. However, with category defining names you tend to be seen as an authority. This also makes connecting with others much easier even within huge niches.

Just my 2 cents. :P

 

[biggie]

one can get ranking on keywords for a brand new domain, with just some basic relevant content

the problems are increasing your ranking and/or maintaining it, against the competition.

that's where the work comes in.

imo...

 

[enlytend]

EMD's? So have I, though the "golden age" of the EMD ended around 2010.

But that's apples/oranges. . EMD is another ranking factor, but it's not content, and it isn't a free pass. More like a foot in the door of opportunity.

However, with category defining names you tend to be seen as an authority. This also makes connecting with others much easier even within huge niches.

However the burden's on you to live up to it. If you had SEO dot com or Neurosurgeon dot com and you were a poser, the respective communities would shun you as a poser.

 

[S-B]

one can get ranking on keywords for a brand new domain, with just some basic relevant content

the problems are increasing your ranking and/or maintaining it, against the competition.

that's where the work comes in.

imo...

I had no issues.

People need to remember relevant backlinks are 1 factor out of hundreds...

 

[enlytend]

the problems are increasing your ranking and/or maintaining it, against the competition.

Having a weak link profile also leaves you very vulnerable - especially if the competition Doesn't Play Nice.

People need to remember relevant backlinks are 1 factor out of hundreds...

But still one of the more important ones.