August 7

0 comments

What is a link scheme

By Jason Khoo

August 7, 2020


Transcript

Hi guys, and welcome to another edition of Zupo SEO Talk & Tea. 

Today's conversation is What is a Link Scheme. This is an important conversation because I think that Link Scheme are very old in the sense that they've been used since the dawn of SEO. But I think that it's important to know what these are, because when you are monitoring your competitors or you get vendors who are trying to sell you on SEO, it is important to know what a Link Scheme is. So one, you don't do it. And two, to know if your competitors are using them.

So before we jump on it, I want to introduce the tea we have today, because this is Zupo SEO Talk and Tea. This is not Kirkland, but this is a very recurring tea on this channel. So you probably already know the deal with this. I just use the Kirkland chocolates as a container, but the actual tea inside is different. It's a Pu'Er Tea. I drink pretty much daily now. It is probably my most popular tea. I drink every day. It is a very dark strong tea. And I always say, it's the equivalent of black coffee I guess. It doesn't taste anything like it, but then the color is so dark and it was definitely a caffeine kick. So I like drinking it. But let's go ahead and get brewing and get talking.

So what is a link scheme? A link scheme pretty much is what exactly what it sounds like. A link scheme is a way where a company or a website is using a method or a scheme that is pulling bunch of links into their website. So common examples of link schemes are buying maybe a thousand URLs and pointing them to a website, or getting a network of websites that all are in cahoots with each other and they'll interlink amongst each other. That's also one of the link scheme. A link scheme is just pretty much any way that you are manipulating in an inorganic way, links to your website.

So an inorganic way though, just to really define this is, for me the best way to define it is based on feel. I hate saying that and Google has his own definition, but I hate saying it that way, because then it's like, "Oh, well, it's not so defined," but the way Google defines it as well is pretty overly strict. They say that link-building should come when you don't have to ask for it and when someone organically wants to link to you. Now, my issue with that is that it's very skewed to the big, hot, big companies. How are you going to link to someone that you're not really aware of? There needs to be some level of networking going out there.

So to back all that up, my opinion of organic link building is pretty much that you just are not buying and selling and in cahoots with people, but only driving lots of link to your website. If you are providing value out there, you're guest posting, or you're being a guest interviewer, you're featured on a podcast, or you are on a resource list. I think of that as organically building. You are going out there trying to build your exposure, trying to give value and trying to build links that way. If your link building methods are much more about, "Ooh, okay, I'm not talking to anybody, but I'm going to buy this stuff, or I'm going to manipulate this source of links and drive into the website." And that one can be considered a link scheme.

Now I would readily admit I don't engage in a lot of negative SEO if at all. So my understanding of the strategies can be a little bit weak. So I'm sure that there's someone else who knows Black Hat SEO much better than me, and that can speak much more to it, but what I would say is when you're doing a link scheme, just the way that you have kind of know the link scheme might be around is if they're asking for you to pay for links. And I'm talking about the different scales of price space on the links, or they can get you thousands of links, or they have a system that they can get you hundreds of links overnight. That's when it seems to be a link schemey to me. Links organically could take some time to build up. And so I go the more White Hat away, but you just want to be on the lookout for link scheme.

One, because Google can penalize you for them. And two, if you are seeing your competitors do it, you can always report them, or you can just be aware that they're doing it. So hopefully that will help you in your own link-building understanding. Link scheme is something that Zupo really avoids and we don't like to mess around with, but there are lots of vendors out there who have come in and tried to offer these kinds of services. So hopefully that will increase your understanding of link building and link schemes. If you guys found the video valuable, please like and subscribe, and I'm going to enjoy my tea now. And I hope to see you guys again soon.

Thanks everybody.

Jason Khoo

About the author

Jason is founder and CEO of Zupo, which is an Orange County based SEO consulting agency helping construct powerful long term SEO strategies for our clients. Jason also enjoys multiple cups of tea a day, hiding away on weekends catching up on reading and rewatching The Simpsons for the 20th time.

{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

Never miss a good story!

 Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest trends!

>