Is link building safe in 2014? Is it still worth it? Should I be doing it?

There is much confusion over if “SEO is dead”, or what link building strategies are safe.  This 2014 link building strategies guide will present safe and effective link building techniques as well as link building tactics that you should stay away from.

Links have been an important part of the SEO landscape ever since Google began using them as a key ranking factor back in the late 1990s.  Originally, Google used links as “votes of confidence” in a page.  The more “votes” (links) a page received as well as who voted for (linked to) you determined your search engine ranking.  As SEO practitioners began aggressively building links (and trying to game the system), Google began to revise their algorithms.  Other ranking factors were introduced and “illegitimate” link building practices were punished.  Even so, the quality (and to a lesser extent quantity) of links in your link profile has a significant effect on your search rankings. [Read more…]