Chapter 13 · Link building
Safe link building for moving companies
Earn links from people and organizations that already know your company, and never buy or trade links to move rankings. Google defines link spam as creating links to or from a site primarily to manipulate search rankings, and lists buying links, excessive link swaps, automated link building and keyword-stuffed guest posts as examples (Google spam policies). Google also says links from other websites are part of how prominent a business looks in local results (Google Business Profile Help).
What Google counts as link spam
Examples from Google's link spam policy (Spam policies for Google web search):
- exchanging money, goods or services for links, or for posts that contain links
- sending someone a product or service in exchange for a review with a link
- excessive link exchanges and partner pages built only for cross-linking
- automated programs or services that create links to your site
- advertorials, guest posts or press releases with paid or keyword-stuffed links that pass ranking credit
- low-quality directory or bookmark site links
- links hidden in widgets or spread across many sites' footers and templates
- forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature
Google adds that buying links for advertising and sponsorship is normal and allowed when the link is qualified with rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".
Marking paid and sponsored links
Google's link attributes (Qualify outbound links to Google):
| Attribute | Use it for |
|---|---|
rel="sponsored" | Ads and paid placements. Google prefers it for paid links; nofollow is still accepted. |
rel="ugc" | Links in user-generated content such as comments and forum posts. |
rel="nofollow" | Other links you do not want associated with your site. |
When you sponsor a youth team, a charity run or a community event, the organizer controls its own website. If the sponsorship comes with a link, tell them you expect it to be marked sponsored. The sponsorship still puts your name in front of local families.
Links a mover can earn honestly
| Source | How the link comes about |
|---|---|
| Trade associations and local business groups | Member directories for groups you actually belong to. |
| Partners you actually refer work to | Real estate offices, property managers, senior living communities or storage facilities that recommend you because they send customers your way. Keep it to genuine relationships, not swaps built for links. |
| Community work | Donating truck time for food drives or relocating a charity's office can earn a mention from the charity or local news. |
| Useful local guides on your own site | A clear guide to moving rules in your city, with links to the official permit pages, gives local sites a reason to link to you. |
| Local press | Expert comment on a local story, such as moving in an unusual weather event or a large office relocation you handled, with the customer's permission. |
| Suppliers and customers | A business customer whose office you moved may link to you from a news post about the move. |
When money or favors change hands
If you pay for an article, give a free move in exchange for a write-up, or have any material connection to the person writing about you, the FTC's Endorsement Guides call for that connection to be clearly disclosed (16 CFR Part 255). Google separately expects the link to be marked sponsored. Disclose the relationship and qualify the link.
Offers to avoid
- Packages that promise a number of links for a fee.
- Guest posts on sites that publish anything for payment.
- Networks of sites built to link to each other.
- Requests to link back to an SEO company from your site. Google says you should never have to link to an SEO (Do you need an SEO?).
A link from a business that knows your crews is worth more to customers than a link from a site that exists to sell links.
Work order
Do these in order
- List your real relationshipsAssociations, referral partners, sponsorships, charities, business customers.
- Check what already links to youThe Links report in Search Console lists sites that link to you.
- Ask where it fitsRequest a listing or mention where you genuinely belong.
- Build one useful local guideFor example, your city’s moving and parking rules with official links.
- Mark paid placementsAsk hosts of sponsorships and ads to use rel="sponsored".
- Disclose connectionsPaid or gifted coverage carries a clear disclosure.
Chapter 13 sign-off
Link building
- No links bought, traded or exchanged for services to influence rankings.
- No automated link-building services in use.
- Paid placements and sponsorships use rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow".
- Partner links come from real referral relationships.
- Gifted or paid coverage discloses the connection.
- No obligation to link back to any SEO provider.
- At least one useful local guide exists that others can cite.
Every line true for your company · print this page to keep it with the chapter
Sources
- 01Spam policies for Google web search · Google Search Central
- 02Qualify outbound links to Google · Google Search Central
- 03Tips to improve your local ranking on Google · Google Business Profile Help
- 0416 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising · Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- 05Do you need an SEO? · Google Search Central