SaaS model – what is it?

SaaS stands for software as a service. Users can access it via the cloud, they don’t need to install anything on their computers. This is due to the lack of the need for configuration or servicing. SaaS is a turnkey solution. To use it, all you need to do is pay the subscription fee. In this model, the obligations related to updating, technical support and management are transferred to the service provider. He, not the user of the software, has control over everything and it is his responsibility to ensure that it runs reliably.

There are many examples of SaaS, each of us uses such a solution. This includes e mail. You log into your account to gain access to the box, but the software is in the cloud, all messages and attachments are saved on an external server. The SaaS model is also used by popular streaming services, but it is most often referred to in the context of business. Through it, various types of applications are made available, including financial, accounting, analytical and human resource management. On this model, you can host video files, manage projects, run podcasts or build your own online store. SaaS is an important element of running a business for many people.

Advantages of SaaS – is it worth choosing such software?

One of the most important advantages of the SaaS model is the comfort of use. It does not require the purchase of a license, installation of the program on computers, remembering about updates or regular servicing. The service provider is responsible for managing the application. SaaS is associated with rapid deployment. There is no need to waste time not only installing software, but also waiting for the delivery, construction and configuration of the entire system and server infrastructure. The very process of implementing a new solution is not only shorter, but usually also cheaper. The user does not bear the license fee, which can be risky when checking new software (only after some time it may turn out that it does not fully work). It should also be remembered that if the application is installed on several computers, a separate license must be purchased for each one. In the Software as a Service model, a monthly, quarterly or annual subscription is most often profitable, which is not very burdensome.

It is also important to have access to all software data from anywhere. Information is stored in the cloud and you only need a device with Internet access to view, modify or share it. In addition, SaaS is a model that ensures a high level of security. There is no risk of data loss in the event of a hardware failure of the user. IT systems secured in such a way as to provide customers with the highest possible level of protection are responsible for the provision of services. It is not without significance that access to SaaS must be guaranteed at all times, without any interruptions. It is the suppliers’ responsibility to ensure reliable operation, even in the event of a major breakdown or natural disaster.

The other advantages of SaaS include:
– Simplicity and comfort of work – software as a service is a model that ensures easy and comfortable use. Anyone can concentrate on the tasks they need to get done without having to think about how to handle the software. The problem of a temporary drop in its performance or jamming also disappears.
– Access to the current version ensured – users always use the current version of the application, even though they do not have to install it themselves. The service provider is responsible for everything.
– Access for everyone – there is no need for time-consuming training before implementing the software. It is also not necessary to employ people with specialist knowledge, incl. on data security. Each employee of the company can freely use the application, also via smartphones and similar devices, which has a positive effect on their mobilization.
– Customization – SaaS is a flexible solution that can be easily adapted to individual needs. When the need arises, the number of access points or necessary resources can be increased.

Many entrepreneurs choose the SaaS model to automate their business. Thanks to it, it becomes possible to create customer databases, issue invoices and perform many other activities in the CRM system. Is it a completely flawless solution? Not completely. While SaaS can be used anywhere and anytime, an Internet connection is required. However, for most companies, this is not a problem, because constant access to the network is already a standard. You should also be aware that when a supplier breaks down, working in the enterprise can be very difficult. However, the risk of this happening is small. The owners of this type of service ensure the security and reliability of the entire infrastructure. Another obstacle for some is that the number of features available depends on the platform. Not all of them can fully suit the user in this respect.

SaaS in e-commerce

There are many platform solutions available for online stores on the e-commerce market. People starting their adventure in this area of ​​activity are very often recommended SaaS. This is due both to the high potential of this model and the relatively low cost. Software as a service can be easily integrated with marketing automation, couriers, mailing platform and similar options. There is a settlement in the form of a subscription, and the monthly fee is sometimes only a few dozen dollars, so it is not a big burden for the business. This encourages you to give SaaS a try and see if it’s a good choice in the long run. It is an almost ready-to-run online store, just enter the most important elements needed for its functioning, including products, prices, regulations, etc. Software as a Service does not require very large investments at the very beginning, which distinguishes it from creating your own website from scratch . Using it has several other benefits, such as:

– Automation of activities – in SaaS you can automate, among others mailing. Employees do not have to write and send messages on their own regarding the change of order status, shipment of products or new products in the offer. This not only saves valuable time, but also minimizes the risk of mistakes. Automation to some extent also affects customer satisfaction, as they do not have to ask for important information about their orders themselves.
– Acceleration of processes – software as a service is a model that allows integration with various programs necessary to run an online store, including accounting and warehouse. This speeds up the course of all important processes, and thus improves the functioning of the business.
– Flexibility – even if the simplest and cheapest subscription was chosen at the beginning, nothing prevents you from changing it to a more extensive option at the right moment. This is conducive to the free development of business, every entrepreneur will easily adapt SaaS to his needs and requirements.
– Support for marketing activities – in order to be successful, the online store must not forget about marketing. SaaS provides support also in this area, an example is the possibility of starting a blog, which works very well as an additional channel of communication with customers. If necessary, other solutions can also be implemented, such as discount coupons or integration with a price comparison engine.
– Access to updates and technical support – the SaaS user always has access to the current version of the software and new functions. In addition, he does not need to hire someone to solve problems related to the operation of the system. Technical support is provided by the service provider.

Which SaaS online store to choose?

In order not to regret choosing a specific software, it is worth first preparing a list of what it should contain. It is necessary to pay attention not only to the ease of use, but also to all available functions, integration options, template modification and similar issues that are important. The next steps are to read the opinions about the systems and check which one is most tailored to your individual requirements.

When deciding which SaaS to choose, it is worth paying special attention to the most popular solutions. These include:
– Shoper – the system can be tested for free for 14 days. There are two options to choose from, i.e. an online store integrated with Shoper Premium with options such as handling high traffic or migrations.
– IdoSell – the service provider currently supports over 6500 online stores, provides unlimited technical support and a modern engine. IdoSell also means many integrations, any design of the sales platform and thousands of ready-made functions.
– Shopify – here you can also try the software for 14 days for free. It is an efficient English-language platform that gives access to many different website designs and all the
The inscription SaaS surrounded by technology necessary options such as shipping, secure payments and marketing activities.
– Shoplo – offers three tools to choose from: an online store, a platform for contacts with customers and multi-channel sales. It is a comprehensive software with built-in payments, ready-made templates and over a hundred integrations and add-ons.

Especially when you don’t have a large start-up budget, SaaS is a good choice. Often, it is also chosen by those who want to find out if their idea will turn out to be a thriving budget. Software as a service is a model that works well for both one-person and much larger companies. Nevertheless, before making a binding decision, it is worth considering all the advantages and disadvantages of this solution in order to be sure that it will facilitate your business.

Performance Max – what is it?

Performance Max is a new type of Google Ads campaign that is based on the operation of self-learning algorithms. This is not a complete novelty in the Google Ads environment. Users of this system are familiar with other types of campaigns in which ads are optimized automatically, and the tool itself adjusts bids or mixes uploaded advertising elements, such as banners, texts and logos, to find the most effective combinations. We know this model of operation from such formats as intelligent product campaigns or flexible advertising in the search network. Performance Max, however, goes a step further – it ensures optimization of ads in many channels within one campaign. Designed to complement your keyword search campaign, this new feature gives you access to all of your Google inventory from one place.

What does this mean in practice? Using Performance Max, we create one campaign and use it to display ads in all places provided by Google Ads, i.e. the search network, advertising network, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps or Discover cards. The selection of the best resources for our advertising is done automatically in real time, based on the data collected 24/7 by the algorithm.

How does the Performance Max campaign work?

Peformance Max campaigns are based on marketing goals, which we define in the first steps of creating advertisements. So we can determine at the very beginning whether the goal of the campaign is, for example, target cost-per-action (CPA) or we prefer to focus on target ROAS. The wizard will also ask you to add the appropriate materials and define basic settings. At this stage, you should provide the preferred duration of the campaign (minimum 4 weeks) and specify the budget, geographic coverage of the ads and the group of recipients. In addition, we also need to provide the system with:
– headers and descriptions for text and display ads,
– graphics for Discover and Display ads and on YouTube,
– company logo,
– video for YouTube InStream ads,
– product feed from Google Merchant Center.

When we launch a Performance Max campaign, the system takes into account the data from all advertising inventory, analyzes user behavior at a specific moment and on this basis optimizes bids and buys spots for our company’s ads. It works in real time, so it gives us the best results in all channels at any given time.

Audience Signals – a new method of selecting the target group

With the entry of Performance Max, a new method of searching for the most valuable recipients for given advertising creations has also appeared – Audience Signals. This method of determining the target group is a combination of Google’s automatic targeting with our knowledge of the brand’s customers. As part of Audience Signals, we can identify the group that is the most important for our business and, in our opinion, gives the best chance for conversion. The system may, however, extend the reach beyond this specific group if it foresees that this may increase the profits of the campaign. This solution is to shorten the learning time of the algorithms, and thus improve the campaign results.

Performance Max and other types of campaigns

But why did Performance Max appear at all, when it was possible to run all these formats as part of separate campaigns? This is Google Ads’ response to the constant changes in customer behavior and shopping paths. Today, 70% of consumers buy online more than in the pre-pandemic era. At the same time, however, their path to conversion is changing faster and faster and it is difficult to predict on an ongoing basis what it will look like in the future. In addition, the conversion path often becomes significantly longer – Google reports that in some cases it reaches up to 500 points of contact between the user and the ads before the conversion takes place. In such a changing reality, only a well-developed algorithm that learns consumer behavior can help in data analysis and campaign optimization. If, within one campaign, he can analyze the effectiveness of all channels in which the ads are displayed, he has enough data to better predict what rates, places of emission, etc. will be the best choice at the moment.

Will it be so in reality? Time will tell. Currently, this format is still little used and some river water has to pass before something can be said about the novelty of Google. Certainly, this type of campaign has potential for companies that have a large advertising budget and run many different formats at the same time. Currently, we can read on the Google website that the beta tests for Performance Max have turned out promising, and advertisers who use this campaign are seeing an average increase in the number of conversions of 13% with a similar budget as in the case of separate campaigns for each format. That is why Performance Max is a novelty that is worth keeping an eye on and which in the future may well settle among the most popular solutions for companies with large budgets.

Medic Update and its SEO-echo

Let’s go back to August 2018 for a moment … then it once again shook the search results. The SEO community was in a panic – websites related to certain industries were changing their positions rapidly. The victims were not only smaller sites, but also big players who had been occupying the tops for years. These changes were due to an algorithm update that quickly became known as the “Medic Update”.

Why “Medic”? The spikes in visibility were most severe on health-related websites. Losses were also noticed on portals related to finance, law, politics, e-commerce and others. Soon, Google confirmed that the update was mostly about YMYL sites – “Your Money, Your Health”.

The update coincided with the refreshed of the guide for Google testers, responsible for assessing the quality and credibility of the content on websites. The guide is available on the search engine pages, and its last update took place in October 2020. The document contains detailed guidelines on how to evaluate websites and their classification.

YMYL websites – Your Health, Your Money

The acronym YMYL appeared for the first time in 2013, but the buzz around it only got on the occasion of “Medic”. This category includes websites that have the potential to affect your well-being, safety, health and financial stability.

According to information from official Google sources, the following sites fall into the “YMYL” drawer:
– news – sites presenting information on current world events, politics, business, science, technology and so on … Interestingly, not every type of news fits into this category – entertainment and generally understood lifestyle are not taken into account here, similarly as well as sports news;
– law and politics – sources of information on state policy, voting systems, public institutions, etc. and portals dealing with law and publishing articles with legal advice on issues related to, for example, family law, property law and others;
– finance – market analysis services reporting the latest changes in the global stock markets and pages containing information on loans, pension plans, insurance and other types of websites related to the circulation of money. Sites that allow money transfer, such as online exchange offices, are given special attention;
– shopping – online stores and websites containing information on e-commerce; health and safety – portals with health articles, information on disease symptoms and drug descriptions – composition, action and adverse reactions. This collection also includes websites that focus on diets and ways to lose weight;
– groups of people – websites dealing with topics related to race, origin and religion as well as other sensitive topics, such as sexual orientations, nationality and disability.

The list is not exhaustive – there are many topics that can be considered in terms of YMYL, and the final evaluation in this regard belongs to the testers.

Google assumes that the information contained on YMYL websites may have a potential impact on the well-being of users. Hence the need to maintain high standards in terms of the method of providing information, as well as its content. Verification of pages and information control is also one of the ways to eliminate “fake news” from the search engine space.

E-A-T – the quality of information on your website

E-A-T was created to evaluate the quality of the website content. In English, this acronym is unambiguously associated with the word “eat” and all metaphorical connections are perfectly appropriate here. In this case, the data transmitted within the website will be consumed.

E-A-T is:
E – Expertise
A – Authoritativeness
T – Trustworthiness

Let’s decode what is behind the three passwords listed above:

Expertise – relates to the person responsible for the text on the site. The content is assessed on the basis of the writer’s competence – his education, knowledge of the subject, experience. Placing this type of information and the exact selection of authors of texts is important especially in the context of YMYL websites.

Sites that deal with less sensitive topics are rated lightly and Google allows for “less formal expertise” based on the user’s daily experience. As a result, it positively receives, for example, extensive product reviews in online stores, which – although not signed by a specialist with an academic title – constitute a valuable source of information for potential buyers of the assessed equipment. It is similar with restaurants or service premises – here all you need is “common sense” and a desire to describe the place visited in detail.

Google does not penalize websites created by people without formal education in the subject they are discussing, but “only” with life experience that allows them to obtain the status of an “expert”. As an example, he gives thematic forums, bringing together people interested in a given topic and sharing their own observations. In the case of websites touching, for example, medical topics, these places are treated as a space for the exchange of experiences and are not assessed through the prism of specialist knowledge.

Authoritativeness – relates to the author of the content, the content itself, and the page on which it was posted. Website evaluators are encouraged to look for external sources that can testify to high-quality content and its creator. Interestingly, as a source of information about companies, organizations and authors, Google points to … Wikipedia. Assumes that wikipedia.org is a neutral source that publishes proven information and deals with topics that organizations want to show off on an equal footing with information about an individual’s controversies and problems.

Building the authority of an organization or an employee should not, however, be based on a single source. Google points out that in order to form an opinion about the reviewed website, it is also worth checking the reviews and opinions related to it, posted on independent portals.

It should be noted here that while reviews on independent portals will be issued by users who are not necessarily related to the industry and do not have specialist knowledge, while building the website’s reputation, Google will follow the opinion of experts dealing with a given topic.

Trustworthiness – , i.e. the assessment of the legality and transparency of information. In this context, the level of data accuracy is also assessed and applies not only to the content, but also to the entire website.

The basis for the assessment of credibility is primarily information about the person who is the author of the information on the website. This is especially important in the case of websites dealing with sensitive topics, falling under the YMYL categories. In the case of e-commerce websites, the element proving the authenticity of the store will be the address of the office or warehouse, as well as other information allowing direct contact with employees. Other solutions enabling obtaining help during transactions, e.g. chat, are also positively assessed. On the other hand, problems with the functioning of the website and omissions on the part of webmasters, e.g. lack of a secure connection during the transaction, indicate low credibility.

When it comes to the credibility of the website / article content itself, the consistency of the facts on the topic is taken into account. The greater the compatibility with external sources, the better.

E-A-T or … “it depends”

It has been established that when it comes to SEO, most of the problems can be summed up with the phrase “it depends”, changed in all possible ways. It is no different and in the case of E-A-T:
– the analysis is based on general guidelines which, however, may not be applicable in all cases. The specificity and level of formalization of industries or topics covered on the Internet differs to a considerable extent;
– the evaluation belongs to a Google employee who is responsible for the final interpretation of the site.

It also has its advantages. The Google algorithm, despite the high level of complexity, still works in zero-one. The assessment is based on guidelines, but in the real world, “all shades of gray” are not taken into account. The solution to this potential problem are testers who analyze the search results and check how the program coped with building the SERP. The evaluators not only check the credibility of the sites, but also take into account the local color of the results.

E-A-T analysis and quality testers are another way for Google to make sure that the results posted on the search engine best respond to the user’s queries and provide them with reliable information.

E-A-T and website quality in practice

The concept of E-A-T covers only part of the guidelines for awarding high quality “medals” to websites. Suffice it to say that the guide itself has over 170 pages …

There is no simple formula for improving the quality of your website, but you can extract guidelines from the content that should support your website. So let’s start:

1. Goal – the overriding goal of Google is to provide the user with reliable information. The search engine also imposes it on our websites and indicates the need to create pages with the user’s needs in mind. This idea applies to both the technical and textual layer of the website.

The most popular purposes include:
– providing information on the topic in question,
– providing information about persons,
– sharing photos, videos,
– expressing opinions,
– entertainment,
– sales,
– Questions and Answers,
– sharing documents and software.

Of course, this is only a fraction of the list of ideals behind the creation of websites. The task of the Google algorithm and employee is to determine how well the website meets its goal. The better the presentation and value of the information, the higher the site’s quality rating will be.

For purely damaging sites (phishing, misleading), the rating will be downgraded accordingly.

2. Who are you? Sites that provide information about your business are more reliable. The same is true for content creators. A few words about the authors should be included in the bio placed next to the article or on a dedicated page.

It is worth mentioning the company, its origins and mission in the About us tab or similar. Another subpage can be used to present individual teams and employees. Activity content should be supplemented with information about successes – publications, exhibitions, awards and more.

3. Take care of your image! Reputation is built not only on the basis of information contained on our website, but also thanks to data from external sources.

Bearing in mind not only Google’s recommendations, it is worth taking care of your social media, not only those focused strictly on communication with customers (Instagram, Facebook), but those that will allow you to appear as part of the industry (LinkedIn and others). Building an expert position is also helped by publications in thematic magazines, participation in conferences, trainings, fairs and other forms of presenting your own brand or yourself. Independent publications are also excellent sources of links.

When cooperating with external specialists and influencers, it is worth choosing people related to the industry, recognizable in the community. Cooperation does not always have to mean advertising, sometimes an interview or an article dealing with issues of interest to both parties is enough.

4. Opinions and reviews… the number of websites where the user can express his opinion about the services and products is constantly growing. This situation is favorable primarily for the perspective of the consumer, who can not only share his impressions, but also do appropriate research before making a decision.

A large number of positive reviews and opinions helps to strengthen the brand and convince new customers to choose our company. Good grades make the company’s activities more credible and facilitate building authority. In the guide, Google points out the special value of longer statements by reviewers, which describe in detail the pros and cons of a good or service.

Note – a large number of ratings does not always confirm the high credibility of the company or website. Google, testers and potential customers are more and more effective in “catching” sponsored comments, especially if they are added on a large scale.

Negative reviews arise from strong emotions that perfectly motivate you to throw out frustration in a larger forum. For more neutral and positive impressions, the user may not always need to share them publicly. It is worth encouraging him to do so by, for example, e-mail requests, sent a few days after the transaction or visiting the facility.

5. Update – not only the CMS, but also the content. Its reliability proves the high quality of information. Ditching older blog posts or articles is not in a good mood. Supplementing the content or directing the user to a subpage with more recent data is good for the reputation of our website and increases trust in our business.

By the way … it is also worth remembering to check the information provided by our domain and in the case of external data – to put links to the websites from which they were downloaded.

6. Contact! As I mentioned earlier, one of the key ways to authenticate your online activity is to provide users with the data necessary to make contact – e-mail address, telephone numbers and physical address.

More contact details are necessary primarily for websites falling under the YMYL category.

Another ranking factor?

Discussions about whether E-A-T is a ranking factor or not have been ongoing since the publication of the tester guidelines. He referred to it, inter alia, Danny Sullivan.

Contrary to the technical aspects of the site, which can mostly be assessed in a very specific way, E-A-T standards are more fluid. It is impossible to describe them by awarding points.

A website is a type of business card that allows you to present our business. Its appropriate appearance, adaptation to the needs of users and the reliability of the information provided on it represent the approach to the client and can influence his decisions. Providing high-value information, provided in an accessible way, causes natural interest of users and the willingness to share, i.e. link to our website.

Summary. High quality = more interest = natural links = longer time on the website = higher position in the ranking.

Why is it worth putting an FAQ on the website?

– Provides the customer with immediate help – the user can quickly find an answer to his question, which shortens the shopping path. You can read more about customer path mapping in e-commerce in the article on our website.
– It saves time – both for you and the client. Regardless of whether the questions are answered exclusively by you or the company is handled by an extensive customer service and technical support department, each interaction takes time and involves an employee. The FAQ allows you to skip direct contact for the most common questions, but do not leave them unanswered.
 – It proves that you care about consumers – the FAQ in a clear, friendly form presents various procedures on the company-client line. Transparent presentation of opportunities in future cooperation (whatever form it may take) is a great value for the user, as well as a great way to show your experience, customer-friendly approach and build trust.
– It has a positive effect on SEO – the FAQ is a full-fledged subpage that, like others, affects the positioning of the entire website. This creates a great potential for improving SEO, including thanks to internal linking. In addition, it is a subpage with a lot of content, willingly “clicked”, with opportunities for systematic expansion of the content – web robots like it!
– Allows Google Featured Snippets to appear – a properly constructed question-answer scheme may be considered by Google as valuable enough to appear as a highlighted fragment above the search results.
– Provides data – thanks to analytical modules, you can check which issues (and how) are most often checked by users, which allows you to refine procedures and implement the necessary changes. The FAQ is a great source of knowledge about customer needs.

In many places – from large online stores to small service business sites – the FAQ, despite being published by poor execution, is on the verge of uselessness. A poorly made list of frequently asked questions is not only of little value to the user, but can even irritate him and lead him to redirect his internet steps elsewhere.

FAQ – selection of questions

The first step, of course, will be to refer to your and customer service experience. You perfectly know the needs of customers and the topics that are most often discussed in communication. It is also worth taking a look at the websites of the closest competitors operating in the same industry – many issues will probably be similar. In the case of online stores, must-have is, for example, a clear presentation of payment mechanisms, returns policy or warranty procedures.

FAQ – structure

A typical FAQ list has a rolling question-answer structure. It is very important to properly group the questions into specific categories – asking about the features of a product or a selected service package is a slightly different matter than a loyalty program, login data or the account deletion process. Categorizing topics greatly facilitates navigation and accelerates the user reaching the issue of interest.

The questions should be presented in first-person form – just as the client would type them. You should also use friendly language and avoid industry jargon.

The answers in the FAQ are usually short and as specific as possible – the user came to the page in order to obtain a concise, factual answer. This is no place for grass-talk. If the explanation requires more than a few paragraphs of text to be accurate, it is probably worth considering creating a separate subpage, and providing basic information in the FAQ, followed by a link to a more comprehensive article. If you decide to publish an extensive answer in the FAQ, be sure to take care of the appropriate structure of the text – take care of the right headings, legible text and division into paragraphs.

It is worth paying attention to the right choice of keywords – the question must be easy to find. An appropriate structure based on structured data also means that in the search results the elements of a given FAQ will be presented in an extended form, the so-called rich snippets.

At the end of the list, it is worth placing a contact form or at least a link to it in case the user does not find an answer to his question or needs clarification of some issues with the consultant.

Video and FAQ

Sometimes short films appear as part of the FAQ, most often simple animations (so-called explaining). This may be a good solution in some situations (e.g. when an issue requires specific steps that are easier to present graphically than text), but it has many disadvantages. First of all, a large part of people “scans” the text with their eyes faster, ergo assimilates the necessary information more efficiently than it would be in the case of even a few dozen seconds long film. The video itself will not affect SEO as much as the traditional text form, and it will also slightly extend the loading time of the subpage.

The answer in the form of a video makes sense especially in the case of typical technical support issues, e.g. assembly instructions for a given product or presentation of its specific function. Of course, you can always use a mixed form – text and video, which will complement each other.

FAQ – update

First of all, the FAQ cannot be treated as a complete whole. It is an important element of the website and should be a constantly evolving organism – in most companies, new questions arise every day, some of which perhaps should be on your website.

Quantity over quality – linking in the first decade of the 21st century

Before SEO became a sophisticated art, SEOs didn’t play around with conventions. Optimization for the search engine guidelines was simplified, and the keywords just poured out of every line of code. Nobody cared too much about the user’s needs, which was due not only to the lack of technical capabilities (these have developed with the growing popularity of HTML5 and CSS3), but also to a smaller number of network users.

How did we link these several years ago? I think the term “without moderation” will be the most accurate here. Initially, it was mainly the quantity that mattered, hence the spammer websites popped up like mushrooms and immediately became a base for various types of websites. Sites of this type were called “presell pages.” These types of sites were the perfect answer to the question “where to link the page?”. Some of them were not moderated or thematic – it was enough to find access to the site, set up an account, sometimes pay a few dollars and prepare a text suitable for use in a blender. These types of programs allowed for the creation of synonymized texts that could be used on a larger scale. The texts were similar, but the use of synonyms gave the illusion of uniqueness. Unfortunately, reading them was not recommended – the written texts did not contain valuable information, and were only carriers of links to positioned pages.

Over time, the weight of the links has changed – high positions were provided by links from educational (edu) and government (gov) sites, and the role of blogs piled up with junk articles began to decline.

Penguin – the Google update that turned the SEO world upside down

In 2012, an update was added to the search engine’s algorithm that ended the golden years of carefree linking. An update called “The Penguin” has reduced the importance of links from spammy sites and significantly reduced the possibility of black hat link building practices.

The “Penguin” analyzed the links coming to the website and assessed their naturalness. Links from cluttered pretzels, low-quality internet forums and other sources with dubious reputation received very low marks, which for the website usually resulted in a drop in the Google ranking. It also performed the detection of duplicate linking patterns, suggesting the operation of linking scripts on a massive scale.

Initially, the Penguin update was “fired” from time to time – its operation was most often manifested by a rapid change in the visibility of the site and a decrease in traffic. The penguin filter forced the SEOs to rapidly “clean” the profile of incoming links. Resignation from low-quality links allowed for a stable increase in position, but the return to its former glory was not always possible. In some cases, the banned page returned to the Google search engine only after a few months, when a new version of Penguin was added to the algorithm.

The update that wreaks havoc on links on Google debuted at the end of March 2012, and the effects of its subsequent hits could also be seen in October 2012, May and October 2013 and October 2014. In September 2016, Penguin joined the basic elements of the search engine algorithm and since then works in real time. Its constant activity allows you to react faster to the negative effects of ineffective linking, without having to wait for the next update. Additionally, the version of the update, which has become a permanent fixture in the search engine’s repertoire, seems to be milder for reckless linkers – controversial links are usually simply ignored. However, this does not mean that you are allowed to link from everywhere – sites that practice spammy tricks can still be punished with elimination from search results.

Link anatomy – how to link?

Linking, while different from Google’s early days, still matters a lot. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at the correct link structure.

A link, also known as a link to a page, is one of the basic elements of HTML – a markup language commonly used to describe web pages. Link – hyperlink – is an element referring from one document to another, which is displayed most often after clicking on the indicated tag. The structure of the global internet is based on links.

What does the link look like?
– <a> – tag
– href – attribute containing the address of the link’s landing page,
– anchor – link text visible on the website,
– the link can point to documents within the same document (href = “#”), within the same domain (href = “/ about us /”), or to any document on the Internet,
– In the <a> tag, there may also be a title that will be displayed when you hover the cursor over the link, and a target that will determine whether the document will open, for example, in a new browser tab. In the hyperlink tag, you can also add guidelines for web robots, e.g. prohibiting them from going to the specified URL.

In the context of positioning, the importance of the link anchor element is often emphasized – this is where you can place a keyword that will be the “title” of the link pointing to our website. In the case of planning a link-building strategy, selecting the right anchor will be one of the key elements that will make our activities look natural. The most important thing here is diversification, i.e. the use of various methods of link labeling:
– URL address – the anchor is the website address pasted into the content of the article or post. It looks the most natural – after all, who of us want to describe a link sent in forum posts or comments? Hyperlinks with an anchor containing a URL are often created automatically, such as by pasting the address into text in Google Docs;
– brand – name of the company or website to which we link. It is a safe form of link naming that allows you to promote your brand;
– keyword – a more risky form of linking, which too careless use may be punished by the search engine. An anchor link containing a keyword looks the least natural. Keyword linking helps in website positioning, but it should be used in moderation as one of many solutions;
– graphics – a link to the page can also be placed within a photo or file with the company’s logo. It is then necessary to describe it in accordance with the requirements of the <img> tag.

Links can be placed in any section of the website – in the menu (top, side), in the text, in comments, in the footer. They can be located on one subpage of the website or repeat within a category or the entire domain – then they are called site-wide.

Link quality – where to find high-quality links?

With the advent of the Penguin era, collecting links to a site has become a more demanding activity. Finding a good source of links requires more selection and rejection of pages of questionable quality – for example, which are dominated by texts consisting of chaotic texts with a high concentration of keywords.

So where to link the page? It is worth looking for sources of links with high authority, i.e. a good Google rating. The search engine does not officially inform about the scores obtained by the site, but there are external tools that allow you to determine their level. One of them is Ahrefs, which uses the Domain Rating indicator, which evaluates the number and quality of links.

When looking for the perfect place to throw your link, we should also look at the number of users visiting the site. High organic traffic is associated with a high level of visibility of the domain, and this in itself tells a lot about the assessment of it by Google. This type of information can be obtained with the help of SEO Surfer programs.

Another element worth our attention is the link profile of the website, which is to be the carrier of our hyperlink. The number of outbound links is also important – too many links weaken the “link juice” directed towards our website. What is “link juice”? This is how the power (authority) is transferred from one domain to another. Too many links to external websites “watered down the juice” and reduces the value of the obtained link.

In addition to these techniques, the seeker of links should direct their attention to websites thematically related to the content of the linked page. It will also be helpful to get links from local websites promoting activities in our country. Links that are to direct to the domain in English should be placed on native websites and similar – other language versions on the corresponding portals.

Where to link the page?

Gaining links is a tedious process that requires attention as long as the idea of good online visibility is important to our business. Activities in this area should be wisely planned and take into account other aspects of marketing activities undertaken under our brand.

So let’s discuss the most popular link sources:

NATURAL
Natural links are created without the participation of interested parties – Internet users spontaneously share interesting links in comments, on forums or within their blogs. These types of links testify to good quality content on our subpages, and sharing it by users can bring a lot of traffic within our website.

Gaining links in this way will require a lot of involvement in the preparation of website content. Elements that are willingly recommended by users are, among others tips, rankings, summaries and attractively presented smaller doses of knowledge, e.g. in the form of infographics. In some industries, it is also possible to prepare witty material that will have a chance to become a “viral”, which will quickly reach many potential recipients. After this type of online fame, there will probably be links that will complement the profile of the domain that we want to position.

FORUMS
Internet forums in recent years have lost their popularity in favor of thematic groups on Facebook, but those that have remained in the Internet reality are a source of high-quality links. Adding links in these places, however, must be consistent with the topic of the forum and its rules, mostly limiting the possibility of spamming. Links placed in response to a question asked by another person have the best chance to escape the harsh judgment of admins and support the site for a long time. It is worth linking in places where we already have an account and were previously participants in the discussion.

COMMENTS
Some websites and blogs allow you to comment on articles and even supplement them with active links. Links left here should be thematically related to the entry. Adding a link in a comment does not constitute its approval by the webmaster. In addition, this type of link will often have the rel = “nofollow” parameter, which will not allow web robots to go to our site, but users can still click the link.

CATALOGS
This is one of the older forms of getting links, which allows for a large increase in the number of links in a relatively short time. However, modern catalogs boast much higher quality and oblige the link provider to be more involved. A good catalog will require supplementing the entry with basic information about the company’s activity, a unique description, and sometimes also graphics. Catalogs allow for additional promotion of activities, e.g. by higher positions of our entry in the search engine for services of a given website or by placing a link to the entry on the main page of the catalog.

GUEST ARTICLES
A fairly popular method of getting links and new readers is publishing articles outside your website, e.g. on a blog. A guest article allows the blog owner to get new, valuable content. It is assumed that these types of publications are not advertising in nature, but rather focus on providing information and sharing knowledge. Adding an active link to the content depends on the goodwill of the portal owner.

SPONSORED ARTICLES
Sponsored articles are aimed at promoting the site, although the texts published in this way do not have to be typically advertising texts. Articles usually contain 1 to 2 links, most often with an anchor of your choice. This type of service is payable, and the cost depends on the reputation of the portal – the greater the traffic and size of the website, the higher the price.

Cooperation in the field of sponsored articles can be established in person, through the site administrator and the marketing department. Websites specializing in mediation between publishers and those looking for space for content marketing activities are also very popular.

BACKGROUND
A good source of links is your own backend – websites, mostly thematic, where links to the promoted pages will be placed. The back office requires the purchase of a domain, space on the server and a CMS system or other solution that will allow you to conveniently add articles. Additionally, content creation should be added to the costs – especially if we do not plan to do it on our own.

For building your backend, it’s a good idea to choose legacy domains that can be captured when they expire. Those with a good story are especially valuable – the content previously posted on it coincides with the topic of our website, the website has not been penalized by Google, and the incoming links come from trusted sources.

High-quality facilities can also be the subject of other marketing efforts – well-written, widely read articles can become an additional source of traffic and an element of building the position of an expert.

PARTNER SITES
The cooperation of two companies can be expressed in many ways, including by mentioning partners or contractors within the website. The partner’s logo is usually placed on the website, entered in the <a> tag. When analyzing your marketing activities, it is worthwhile to review the list of places where the name of our business is mentioned and ask for a link next to it pointing to our website.

It is also worth approaching other places in a similar way – e.g. lists of companies offering certain services in a given area, prepared by an independent unit. It is worth finding those that have been operating for a long time and complete the data about your company.

OFFLINE ACTIVITY
One of the effective ways to get high-quality links is to increase the reach of impact also outside the Internet. These types of treatments are very effective, especially in the case of local positioning – social activity, participation in meetings or financial support for events, usually results in the mention of our brand on the event pages. These “few words about us” can always be supplemented with a link to the website (usually with an anchor with the name), which will perfectly complement link-building activities. Among other places, it is also worth mentioning biographical notes, e.g. on the website of the university or conferences in which we participate.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Links from social media do not allow us to accelerate the climbing of our site in SERPs, but they do help to increase traffic on the site. Profiles in SM are an excellent channel of communication with customers and it is here that the links to attractive content are usually transferred the fastest.

Other linking ideas

Getting valuable links is not an easy task and in many cases requires creativity. Some approaches will be effective in one industry and may not be feasible in another. An example is an attempt to get a link from Wikipedia. In the case of promoting the website of famous people, sportsmen, politicians, etc., the publication of an entry with a short biography and description of activities will not be hindered by the editors of the online encyclopedia. Attempting to get a link to the website of a company specializing in screw production will require a lot of effort, e.g. creating a source complementing Wikipedia content, and will probably be rejected anyway.

It is also worth looking for inspiration from the competition – thanks to tools such as Ahrefs, Majestic or Seo Surfer, we have the opportunity to see links directed to their websites. Note, they will certainly not contain information about all links! Some sources may block bots collecting this type of data. “Parroting” the linking sites allows you to get a good link to your site and weaken the link to your competitor – on the principle of the aforementioned “lens” dilution.

When looking for places where you can link your website, it is worth paying attention to the quality of links and emphasizing their naturalness. Brazen, rapid building of the link profile usually does not improve the health of the website … As in the case of some on-site activities, off-site also pays off thanks to systematic work, control and analysis of effects.