Link building is never easy, even thought it might appear that way. People often have these misconceptions about acquiring useful, quality links. Some people even believe that by promoting content from other websites, it will make that website reciprocate the good gesture by offering a link in return.

Anyone with first-hand knowledge about link building would likely know that things don’t always work that way. Unfortunately, many such recommendations for easy link acquisition flood the internet with inaccurate information. This definitely doesn’t help the SEO cause.

Pursuing such ideas can be frustrating, as you waste effort and money and eventually deviate from a path that could help you actually realize the goals of your business.

It’s not only beginners that make these mistakes. Even seasoned SEO professionals from any online SEO company get things wrong at times. After all, to err is human, and hardcore professionals are humans too.

But such mistakes can impact organizations considerably as it could result in lost opportunities. Regardless of whether you are a starter or experienced SEO professional, you must be cautious in your link building approach to make sure that you avoid some common mistakes discussed here.

Longer content is better for ranking

Lengthy content is usually good for SEO, assuming the quality is right and it conveys value to readers. Publishing content of decent length at regular intervals is essential, but again, quality is a key factor.

It’s absolutely necessary to include relevant and useful information in the content you’re publishing. You’ll want to maintain a balance with the length of the article. Avoid stretching content and thinning it out just for the sake of long-form content, only include information that adds value or provides context for your core message to the audience.

Focus on relevance and usefulness to determine the right length for your content. That goes for headings and alt text, too. Make sure it’s actually explaining the content, not just standing in for the sake of links or keywords.

Unorganized content

The content must be well-organized and have a logical structure that attractively presents facts and figures so that it generates interest among the audience.

The content layout should consist of small, consumable blocks as large chunks of text can overwhelm readers. This could lead to your audience feeling confused or losing interest and bouncing from the site.

Have a proper structure for content with a focus on the style of presentation; build some custom navigation, and use graphics, videos, and images. Break up the content into small blocks, but maintain a through line to make your content interesting to read.

Too much obsession about third party link metric and Domain Authority

In pursuit of high-quality links, you must pay attention to the Domain Authority/Domain Ranking (DA/DR) wielded by the websites that offer links but should never be obsessed about it.

It is necessary to avoid the creation of a lopsided link profile and could lead to a lack of subjective evaluation as well as constrained opportunities.   Making use of a good link building opportunity is very important, and you must not pass too much time evaluating the prospect by considering too many complex metrics. Although DA is essential, staying obsessed with it will hamper the link building campaign.

Inability to create unique content

Content needs to be unique, but that doesn’t mean the topic needs to be one of a kind. Instead, try creating content that covers a trending topic, but make the views presented unique so that readers get a new perspective.

Even old topics or talked out points can benefit from new angles and evolving conversation. Again, the point is to provide value. Let there be some element of surprise in the content that the audience will appreciate, especially when creating visual content like an infographic.

Ignoring the right time for publishing content

You should know when it’s the right time to publish a particular piece of content. There’s always going to be a right season, festival, or celebration. By lining up with some specific timing, you would be matching the wavelength of other site owners.

Publishing outside of these windows could reduce the effectiveness of your linking because your content would be out of sync with web of interlinking pages. For example, if you’re targeting holiday sales or a seasonal sale, then you’d need to publish at that specific time to keep it relevant.

Timing is crucial. It could be the difference between a successful run or a great run depending on the quality of the content in question.

Failing to convey the value proposition of content

Successful content relies on clarity. It’s not enough to just create the right outreach strategy, you must also convey your value prop in a clear and concise manner or people will lose interest.

To communicate the value of your content, it’s smart to include an elevator pitch in your outreach consisting of the top three selling points. Highlight how the information in your content can help solve a specific problem, or summarize what special insights the audience can expect for their time. Where possible, also identify how your content is different from the rest.

A value pitch should, when possible, essentially tell the reader everything they need to know about the content that follows.

Inability to personalize your outreach

The mark of personalization must be evident in your outreach. However, be careful to avoid stereotypical approaches such as effusive appreciation for the link site’s latest content. It’s not an effective method these days, and to many readers it will appear fake.

Speaking for the sake of speaking is an unhelpful marketing strategy, so either formulate the outreach by considering a suitable personalization for the company’s persona, or try and create personal connections at the individual level.

You need to know about their concerns and pain points, likes and dislikes, and what they find enjoyable versus what annoys them. Use this information as the backbone of your personalization template, and you’ll see a higher chance of resonating with target websites and receiving positive responses to link building and content exchange inquiries.

Another common mistake is to emulate the exact links of your competitor to outrank competition because it will turn into a futile exercise. It would help if you learned from your competitor to understand what might work for you and then work upon your strengths and resources to develop a strategy that works for you.

Finding Your Ideal Balance

Link building relies on interlinking and building on a series of cooperative efforts from many different sites. Even if that cooperative effort is as simple as exchanging a blog, or providing a recognized resource for citation, there’s a degree of shared information that supports link building.

Throughout this guide, we highlight the importance of matching your content to linkable or partner content, while also maintaining a unique and original personal style/brand/persona. Essentially, you want to find a sweet spot that lets you produce unique, valuable content that stands out from the crowd, but doesn’t stand out so much that it can’t be linked to or from.

Remember, value is everything to your audience, so that should be your focus. Maintain value, and your link building strategy will take you so much further.