The practice of SEO has been irreplaceable no matter how proficiently you try to set up an online business. Search Engine Optimization is the best organic way to promote your brand online where your brand gets twice in return and all it needs is some skilled effort. However, SEO professionals around the world will agree to how intricate SEO can be- one wrong step could make or break your business. This brings us to paid links and if they are actually a healthy SEO practice for your brand or not?
The key to being visible online is to ensure that your website has a good rank with major search engines. In the quest to achieve this, one often resorts to various methods to promote one’s website. Among the most popular SEO methods or search engine optimization methods is the use of backlinks, paid links, content that is rich in the right keywords, social media, meta tags and so on. However, there is a lot of debate on the use of ethical SEO techniques with there being a general perception that paid links may not find favor with Google, the most popular search engine world over.
From Google’s viewpoint, paid links with dubious quality can affect its own trustworthiness as an authentic search engine. It, therefore, treats them with suspicion. If a site with an average page rank links with a site that has a good page rank, then the lower ranking site does get some benefit out of it even though it may not be relevant to the subject at hand.
Arguments are put forward that by its objection to paid links Google restricts the right of the webmaster to make his own choices regarding the methods he wants to use. However, it is entirely up to you to ignore Google’s guidelines or follow them. This is Google’s way to control the use of unfair means to get page rank and ensure that its users get the information they want.
As a general rule, though ethical means like genuine links take time, they are the safest bet in the long run. It would be far better to make use of advertisements that are not penalized by Google. Besides this, steps like guest blogging and genuine links leading to quality content may seem too time consuming, but will slowly and steadily build up your brand better than any paid links.