Category: SEO

Free images for your blog can instantly make your content more eye-catching, easier to read, and engaging for your audience. But while adding visuals sounds simple, many bloggers and content creators struggle to figure out where to find high-quality images they’re actually allowed to use.

Is it safe to grab images from Google, or could that land you in copyright trouble? Are there reliable places to find professional photos without paying expensive licensing fees? The good news is there are plenty of websites offering beautiful, free-to-use images — sometimes with nothing more than simple attribution required.

We’ve put together a list of trusted sources you can use anytime you need visuals for your content. But first, let’s look at why adding images to your blog posts matters so much.

Why You Need Free Images for Your Blog

Did you know that the average attention span is now 8 seconds? Your attention span is now worse than that of a goldfish.

Part of the reason for this decline in attention is information overload.

People are scrolling through endless content every day and long blocks of text just don’t cut it anymore.

Adding images to your content isn’t just about looks. It directly affects how people read, engage with, and remember your content.

Here’s why visuals matter:

• They grab attention instantly – Images stop the scroll and pull readers into your content
• They break up long text – Making your article easier and less tiring to read
• They improve understanding – Visuals help explain ideas faster than words alone
• They boost memory retention – People remember information better when it’s paired with images
• They increase time on page – Engaged readers stay longer and explore more
• They make your content feel professional – Well-placed visuals build trust and credibility
• They improve shareability – Posts with images are more likely to be shared on social media

Using free images strategically helps your blog compete in a noisy online world while keeping readers engaged from start to finish.

Pro Tip: Always optimize your images for performance and visibility:

• Compress and resize images so they load quickly and don’t slow down your website (page speed affects both user experience and search rankings)
• Optimize images for search engines by using descriptive file names, alt text, and captions so they can appear in image search results

Now, let’s look at the best places to find high-quality free images for your blog.

Where to Find Free Images for Your Website

Before we share the image sources, let’s get a brief understanding of a very key aspect of image use: licensing.

Licensing of Free Images

Most of the images in the sources listed below are free from copyright or licensed under Creative Commons. This means you can copy, modify, and distribute the photos—even for business purposes—without asking the owners for permission.

Even though most of these fall under the Creative Commons, we have done our best to highlight where attribution is required. It also wouldn’t hurt to double-check when you download your images. Remember that images marked CC0 can be used worldwide without restrictions if you’re especially worried about attracting legal fines.

14 Places to Find Free Images for Your Blog

1) Pexels

We love Pexels because you can search for quality photos and videos in different categories.

When you download an image from Pexels, attribution is not required but is appreciated. Moreover, you can use the content you get from Pexels for business purposes, as long as you don’t portray any identifiable people negatively. However, if you’re selling the photo, then you must edit it first. Finally, Pexels doesn’t allow you to share or sell their images on other stock photos or wallpaper sites.

2) Unsplash

When we can’t find something on Pexels, our next stop is usually Unsplash. This site has various categories and is a great place to look for free images for your blog.

As with Pexels, permission isn’t required, but attribution is appreciated. Similarly, you cannot resell or redistribute Unsplash images unless you’ve made significant edits.

3) Canva

At Click Raven, we are huge fans of Canva. While its primary purpose is to help you design your visuals, a free account also gives you access to stock images and videos.

Since Canva offers multiple design templates, this deal is even sweeter because you can incorporate images into any organic design. For example, you can use their pictures in a social media post or flyer for your brand. How awesome is that?

When you use images from Canva, you don’t need to get permission or attribute anyone. You can freely use these images on your blog, website, and any marketing material. However, you can’t resell or redistribute their photos on other sites.

4) Freepik

Freepik is heaven for designers, boasting free vectors, stock photos, PSD files, and presentation templates. For this reason, it works well as a one-stop shop for free images for your blog. While a premium version exists, you can still access many resources on a free account.

As with the three previous sites, you don’t need to ask for permission or attribute your images from Freepik. On the other hand, you can’t sell or redistribute these images.

5) StockSnap.io

StockSnap offers a vast collection of high-resolution images in different categories. You can browse their collections at random or enter a specific search term.

The Creative Commons (CC0) license governs the photos on this site. In other words, as before, they are free to download, edit and use. StockSnap encourages you to attribute the images you download to their owners. At the same time, it’s not illegal to use the photos without attribution.

6) Reshot

Reshot is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for non-stocky, stock-free photos. Here, you can get free images for your blog, and most of their images are unique.

The photos you download from Reshot can be used in both non-commercial and commercial projects. As with the previous sites, attribution is appreciated but not required.

7) Foodiesfeed

As the title suggests, this site is for you if you are a content creator and a foodie. Foodiesfeed will provide plenty of free images for your food, cooking, or dining blog.

All the images on Foodiesfeed are licensed under the CC0 license. This means you can use them for non-commercial and commercial purposes without restriction.

8) Pixabay

Since Pixabay delivers on its promise of stunning free images, it’s an excellent site for your blog.

All the photos on Pixabay are in the public domain, so you can use them freely without worrying about legal issues.

9) Kaboompics

We couldn’t leave Kaboompics off our list of places to get free images for your blog. It hosts a massive collection of photos to meet every need. Go ahead, check it out, and see for yourself.

All the photos on Kaboompics are licensed under the CC0 license, making this a straightforward site.

10) Flickr

Flickr is more well-known than most other sites and with good reason. This site has a vast collection of high-quality images that anyone can use.

Although we’ve added Flickr to this list of places to find free images for your blog, this site requires more attention. Flickr has copyrighted content and content covered by the CC0 license, so you must use these photos carefully.

11) New Old Stock

If you need vintage photos, New Old Stock is the perfect place for free images for your blog. The site is a collection of pictures from the public archives that beautifully recapture history.

These photos are sourced from Flickr and are governed by the Flickr Commons license. While most pictures from this site can be used freely for personal and non-commercial purposes, the site administrator provides a link to each original Flickr photo where you can confirm this.

12) Google Advanced Image Search

Did you know you can use Google’s Advanced Image Search to find free images for your blog under the CC0 license?

You only need to type a description of the image you’re trying to find. Once done, you can narrow the results by choosing details such as file size and image color. As you narrow your search, select the “Creative Commons licenses” option under “usage rights,” you’re all set.

13) WOCinTech

If you need diversity in the free images for your blog about tech, then this is a great site to check out. WOCinTech knows content creators have difficulty finding women of color doing anything tech-related. They aim to solve this problem by building photo albums of women of color in tech for the public.

Since the actual albums are hosted on Flickr, the photos combine copyrighted content and content governed by the CC0 license. Use these wisely.

14. The Value of Company Photos When You’re Looking for Free Images

Yes, your company photos can be a valuable source of free images for your blog.

They might be even more priceless than the photos you could get on any of the above sites.

By displaying the real faces behind your brand name, you give your brand authenticity. In addition, seeing photos of your team members helps your audience feel connected to your brand.

Your coworkers are the ideal models, just waiting to be photographed for free.

If you’re having a brand event or just hanging around at the office, take advantage of these opportunities and build a collection of authentic photos representing your brand.

While you should always ask people for permission first, you shouldn’t let these photo ops pass you by.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many places you can go when you need free images for your website.

The CC0 license covers most of the sites we’ve recommended.

You can use the images freely if you don’t imply that the people in these photos endorse your product, portray them negatively, or use them as part of a logo.

Pro tip: It’s always important to know what kind of license you’re working with before using the photos.

We live in the digital era where having an online presence as a business is a must for the success of a business. Experts suggest that video search engine optimization, or SEO, is an excellent way to boost your online visibility and increase traffic to your website.

Over the past few years, there has been yet another trend in SEO: video SEO. In this piece, we shall know what video SEO is. We will also see how it differs from traditional SEO and how both can be implemented to ensure you get the highest ranking and visitors to high-quality content on your website. The differences and the benefits of each SEO practice will assist you in choosing one that brings more traffic to your business.

How Search Engine Works

Before we delve into the differences between video SEO and traditional SEO, let’s understand what SEO is and how it works. A search engine performs up to 3 fundamental tasks. The search engine identifies and examines various websites and web pages and categorizes the content of individual pages. The search engine then stores those pages with others bearing the same content. Third, it indexes those pages so a user’s search intent can easily find them.

When you type a question into the search engine, it goes back to search and retrieves the most relatable content to your question. While there are many, the search engine picks the ones that make the most sense and displays them on the first page of YouTube search results, the landing or video result page, or the Search Engine Result Page (SERP). The results are shown in order of relevance.

The content is indexed and prioritized depending on the main concepts of each webpage, keywords, backlinks, and many other contributing factors. Hence, you need to consider these factors in your SEO efforts.

What Is Video SEO?

Since SEO boosts the quantity and quality of traffic to your website by optimizing pages for organic search engine results, many factors determine first-page ranking. Ranking factors include video quality and page load speed for video content.

While blog posts and web page content differ significantly from the top video ranking of content, both aim for high-quality videos to increase video searchability. Unlike videos, search engine bots crawl and index your blog post and website content by reading the text. So you might wonder how SEO bot ranks videos if they cannot watch them.

What Video SEO Techniques are Used for Best Results?

1. Video Title Optimization

Video title optimization is an essential aspect of video SEO. Ensure your video title is informative and also keyword-rich. This makes it easy for the search engine to understand where the content is on the video. Ensure the video file’s title is appealing and engaging in video search results. This will attract viewers to click on it and watch.

2. Video Description Optimization

Your video should have a description that provides an in-depth description of the video platform and its content. The description of suggested videos should also have relevant terms and keywords, links to relevant content videos, and a call-to-action so that viewers can interact more with the video.

3. Video Transcription Optimization

Video transcription optimization means adding captions and subtitles to the video to make it accessible to a broader range of viewers, including viewers with hearing problems. Like search engines scan and crawl content, it does the same to video transcripts, which helps YouTube search comprehend and evaluate the contents of the video engagement and other videos in the same video together.

4. Video Thumbnail Optimization

Video thumbnails are images that display the video files on the search result page. Ensure your video below the thumbnail image is high-quality and accurately depicts the video content. It should also be attractive and appealing to entice YouTube users to click on custom thumbnails in the sitemap and watch the entire video. AI image tools can help you generate consistent, eye-catching thumbnails at scale

5. Video Embedding and Backlinks

Embedding videos on websites and creating backlinks to them can significantly enhance the SEO of YouTube Studio or your video hosting platform. It improves the visibility and readability of the videos and increases the chances your YouTube channel will get better search rankings.

Are Videos Important for SEO?

Now that you know video SEO, you might want to know its importance to your digital success. Yes, video optimization and SEO are crucial for your online strategies, and you need to start implementing them to know what you are missing out on.

While you optimize your video, sales may not begin shooting overnight, or your SEO may suffer because you do not implement it. Optimizing videos is essential because probably one or a lot of your competitors are already doing it. Video marketing is advantageous because

• Video helps online buyers make more informed and confident purchasing decisions.
• Users watching online videos stay on a page longer and can purchase easily.
• Besides Google, YouTube is the second-largest and leading video search engine.

What Is Traditional SEO?

When we talk of SEO, we often refer to traditional SEO. As said earlier, this is optimizing a website to increase its visibility and rank high on search engines.

You can use traditional SEO to improve your website’s performance in search engines. Employing different strategies aims to make your webpage more attractive to search engines and improve its ranking on SERPs. Traditional SEO has three main areas: search engine optimization, on-page optimization, and link development.

1. Keyword Research

Keyword research is finding keywords and phrases that users will use to search for relevant information about a business or industry. When you find the keywords and phrases that users will use to find your business and use them in your content, your website will likely rank high on the search engine results page.

You can use many SEO audit tools today to find relevant keywords and phrases. Some are paid, while others are free. Use SEO keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz.

2. On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization can improve the structure and content of your webpage/site. You must optimize the meta tag, meta description, title tag, headers, URLs, and text images for inbound links.

You must optimize your page to ensure the website structure is easily accessible by search engines and your users. On-page optimization also helps search engines comprehend your website’s contents and improves the ranking of your site’s position on other search engines’ results.

3. Link Building

Link building is another SEO strategy involving getting backlinks from other websites to link to your website. These links are relevant to your videos’ website as they inform search engines that other websites view your video to change its title and web content as relevant and valuable. Doing so enhances your site’s trust and credibility, increasing your page rankings. You can build links using broken link building, guest blogging, and skyscraper-sized content.

Differences Between Traditional SEO and Video SEO

1. Ranking

Both SEO strategies seek to boost your website’s rankings on search engines, though they use different methods to achieve this goal. Traditional SEO, for instance, uses keyword phrases, keyword density, on-page optimization, video page name, link building, and more.

On the other hand, video SEO focuses on aspects of ranking videos like video description optimization, video title optimization, video transcript optimization, and more. When you do these the right way or hire an expert company to do this for you, your page rankings will go high.

2. Target Audience

The viewer’s aspect is yet another differentiation factor between these two types of SEO. Traditional SEO, for instance, targets users searching for written information online. On the other hand, video SEO targets users who are searching for online video content on sites such as YouTube videos.

Suppose you are a company targeting a younger market. In that case, you should invest more in video SEO because younger people are often more interested in online videos than older people, who may be inclined to watch time by reading content.

3. Content Creation

Both traditional SEO and video SEO strategies share some similarities regarding content creation. For example, both SEO strategies require top-notch content. Content that is informative, engaging, and pertinent to your audience boosts your page rankings on SERPs.

On the other hand, video SEO also requires top-quality videos. In this case, video quality suggests that both the content inside and video quality are high and that videos rank for long. The difference in video hosting platforms is that creating video content is more expensive than written content.

What Is Good for You?

As an avid SEO expert, you understand that there is no size fits all regarding SEO strategy for your business. To be at par or far ahead, you need to combine a variety of tactics. Many tactics will succeed, while others may not like as you had wished and even threaten to send you back to the drawing board.

Therefore, use the best SEO strategies to catapult your business, constantly monitor the strategy, and make adjustments where possible. However, combine both approaches and emphasize what works best for your business.

Conclusion

You should utilize video SEO and traditional SEO, as they significantly improve your website’s ranking. But again, the type of strategy you implement depends on your target audience and marketing objectives.

For instance, if your target audience responds better to written content than visual content, then traditional SEO is what you should consider over video SEO. Always consider your goals and resources to enable you to employ the strategy and your target audience.

Featured Image Credits: Pexels.com

In SEO, things move more quickly than you can keep up, and landing on the first page of Google seems like hitting the jackpot. If you’ve ever worried about keywords, been frustrated by backlinks, or wondered why your site isn’t ranking despite your best efforts, you’re not alone. SEO can be a difficult and sometimes perplexing job, but it also has a lot of amusing moments that only those in the industry fully understand.

In this post, we’ve compiled 35 SEO memes that shows the ups and downs of the job . Now get a cup of coffee,  settle in, and get ready to chuckle (or groan) as you go through the most hilarious SEO jokes the internet has to offer.

1. The Viral Unicorn vs. The SEO Marathoner

It’s humorous sometimes, despite all the hard work, a bit of luck and timing can catapult someone to the top! It’s like watching someone effortlessly get through a challenging course you’ve been sweating over by using a secret shortcut that no one else is aware of.

2. Cat Listens, No One Else

It seems like only your cat, with its unblinking gaze and full attention, fully comprehends the depths of your SEO existence. Your cat sits there, ears perked up, hanging on every word as if you’re sharing the secrets of the universe, while everyone else is lost in the jargon.

3. The Ultimate Test of Patience

You speak SEO, but they hear “blah, blah, blah.” They don’t care about the complex science involved—they just want to know why their rankings are declining!

4. Seriously, Google?

Just when you thought you could relax and enjoy the holidays, your rankings decide to take a holiday too!”

5. Planning a Coup?

It’s like trying to dethrone a king with an impenetrable fortress—sure, a coup is possible, but it’s going to take a lot more than just good content.

6. Either Way, it’s A Headache!

Is there a Google update that will pass, or have you been penalized? Either way, you’re stuck figuring out how to get back on track!

7. Great Job, Honey!

It’s a little accomplishment, but it feels like winning the lottery of internet validation. Finally your moms comments have a competition!

8. My Morning Brew

Knowing that my content has just received a boost, I’m motivated to plunge into optimizing and ascending the SERPs, driven by coffee and SEO successes!

9. The Polite Threat

I may not know where you are, but I’ll find you and politely ask you to remove those links!

10. Constantly Checking SERP positions? Yep, We All Do It

No matter how many SERP tools come out, we just can’t resist. SEO is thrilling for geeks. Google always keeps us on our toes. So, here we are: checking rankings, checking again in incognito mode.

11. It’s Just Waiting for Google to Get Around to You

SEO may appear hard, but it is more about patience than brain surgery. With a little time and effort, you will notice results!

12. No Content Strategy? Nice Try, But No Entry!

Without a content strategy, you’re not getting through the SEO gatekeepers. You Gotta Have a Plan, Bro! Without one, you’re just wandering aimlessly in the SEO wilderness!

13. Thought I Will Never Find You

I’ve finally done it! It makes you want to shout from the rooftops. That moment is pure, unadulterated joy, and no amount of metrics can ever measure it!

14. Nichmares Again!

You’re tossing and turning, dreaming of keyword opportunities and market segments, as if your subconscious is hosting its own SEO conference. SEO can consume your thoughts, even when you’re supposed to be catching some z’s!

15. How Now?

It’s like asking for a slow-cooked, gourmet meal but demanding it in five minutes. But don’t worry, we’ll turn up the heat as much as we can and get those results cooking faster.

16. You Might Lose Your Leg Next Time😄

It’s like saying “I’m not afraid of spiders” and then realizing you’re in a room full of them.

17. Oh, Really? Dream On!

Sure, good content is important, but don’t forget about all the other factors that come into play!

18. The Never-Ending Battle

Please google let me hold it a little longer.

19. Your Crush Doesn’t Know You Exist

Time to give it a makeover before Google swipes left for good.

20. Backlink Insomnia

“I really need to build more backlinks!” It’s funny how SEO stress can invade your sleep and make you obsess over backlinks.

21. Play By The Rules, Buddy 😉

The goal is to play fair and make Google’s job easier by offering valuable content and a great user experience. Earn those rankings with quality content and honest effort! The goal is to stand out, not to sneak around!

22. A Thousand Reasons To Smile

Could have been worse, LOL! Seeing this graph makes me realize my day isn’t so bad after all. Sometimes, a little perspective on someone else’s SEO struggles can be oddly comforting.

23. The SEO Struggle of Being Almost Famous

You’re so close to the spotlight, but somehow, you’re stuck in the “better luck next time” zone! “Don’t give up your big break could be just one search engine adjustment away!”

24. SEO Goldmine

Time to seize that prime spot on the SERP and enjoy the sweet taste of SEO victory!

25. The Ultimate ‘Déjà Vu’ Moment

When your competitor takes ‘great minds think alike’ to a whole new level.

26. I’m Just A Devotee At The Church of Google

While my friends and family think I’m a tech wizard, I’m only just paying tribute to the Google gods if you see me with my eyes glued to the screen and whispering sweet nothings to the search bar, know that I’m just paying homage to the SEO gods.

27. Google’s Wandering Eye

Did I forget to sprinkle some magic SEO fairy dust? The whole thing just leaves me scratching my head and laughing through my frustration—because, let’s be honest, sometimes the SEO game is just downright confusing!

28. Pure frustration! Lol

I start off with enthusiasm, but end up feeling like I’m reciting the alphabet in a foreign language. They’re nodding and smiling, but I can tell they’re mentally checking out! Meanwhile, I’m left wondering if I should just show them cat videos instead!

29. Just Lost My Appetite

Why does every update feel like Google’s way of saying, “Surprise! Your hard work is now a puzzle with missing pieces”?

30. Seriously, Where Do We Hide?

And just when you think you’ve found a hiding spot, Google’s like, “Found you!”

31. If Pity’s Too Much, How About a Bit of Shame? Lol!

So here I am, laughing through my exasperation, wishing Google would at least feel a twinge of embarrassment for all the chaos they create!

32. Mastering the Art of SEO Self-Sabotage

Hey Google, check me out! I’m so obviously human with all my ‘genuine’ spelling errors and grammar slip-ups, right? No way an AI would mess up like this, so my EEAT score is bound to skyrocket… isn’t it? Guess am in for a shock!

33. Newsflash! You can’t Rank By Adding More Garbage

Exactly! More words don’t equal better rankings. Quality and relevance are key.

34. The Struggle is Real

I stand a chance but its tough though. I need the Lords intervention too!

35. When Your Client Thinks SEO is Instant Magic—Brace for the LOLs

Unfortunately, we don’t have a fairy godmother on speed dial.

The main element of your search engine optimization / SEO strategy is to drive more qualified leads to your site by using keywords in your Content. Excellent keyword research reveals the most common terms, phrases, and questions your users and customers search for.

Read on to learn about keyword optimization, its benefits, and how to use it for long-term website rankings and traffic.

What Is Keyword Optimization?

Keyword optimization effectively uses the best keywords to improve visibility in search engines, drive traffic to your site, and increase its organic ranking.

Good keyword optimization involves researching, analyzing, and selecting the keywords you will use for each page on your Site.

In simpler terms, keyword optimization helps search engines better understand your Site, making your pages more accessible for people searching for those key phrases.

Benefits of Keyword Optimization

Keyword optimization is significant in digital marketing, from content strategy to how your site content is organized. It is among the most critical aspects of search engine optimization and pay-per-click/ PPC.

Here are the specific benefits of keyword optimization:

1. Increases Organic Discovery: Keyword optimization will help deliver your site pages to a relevant audience through pertinent search queries.
2. Measure and drive potential traffic flow to your Site: Optimization helps you measure and understand your potential online market size.
3. Write captivating Content. Optimized keywords in your website’s Content let you instantly connect with potential customers and address their needs.
4. Understand client behavior: By analyzing the best keywords, you get an idea of what your clients need and how to service those needs.
5.  Credibility and Trust: As a result of ranking first for a specific keyword, your credibility is endorsed, helping clients trust you more 

How Do You Optimize Keywords?

1. Find the Right Keywords for Optimization

Keyword optimization begins with finding keywords and phrases associated with your Site, product, or service. 

However, figuring out which words to use is a daunting task. 

Therefore, using the best keyword optimization tools will help you analyze the popularity of the keywords and improve your SEO. 

Several practical keyword optimization and SEO analytics tools will help you choose the right keywords.

Some that offer free trials include Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, Keyword Hero, Jaaxy, and Soovle. 

Ideally, it would be best if you aimed to find keywords with high search volumes but lower competition. This way, your Content will easily rank high on Google’s search result pages.

2. Map The Keywords to Each Page on your Site

Now that you have the relevant keywords you will be working with, the next step is mapping them to your website. This is assigning keywords to specific pages on your Site based on keyword research to avoid duplicating keywords on multiple pages.

It would be best to focus on one primary keyword per page while including at least two or three SEO keyword variations. Each page should focus on a single topic and include the most essential SEO keywords. 

3. Check Your Current On-Page SEO and Do Keyword Optimization

You will audit your current on-page SEO strategy to see if your Site has existing Content.

However, if you are creating new Content, ensure it is optimized.

Here are things to look for during content optimization:

a. Title Tags

 The title tags will show what your page is about. You need to ensure they contain the right length of 56 to 60 characters and are unique.

b. Header Tags

 Your page should have appropriately formatted headings and subheadings in HTML instead of bold headers.

c. Meta Descriptions

This short description is usually below your web page in search results. It should be 100 to 155 characters and clearly describe your page.

d. URL Structure

 The URL should be short and simple and include your primary keyword.

e. Images

You should have more than one image on the page. Ensure the image has the image file names for each keyword and alt text.

f. Content

Ensure that your content is optimized by using the main and a few secondary keywords within the first 100 words on your page. Content should be at least 300 words.

g. Internal Links

If you have links to other Content, ensure those links still work. 

4. Submit your Content to Google Search Console

 Submitting your Content to Google Search Console will help index your pages on the search engine results page (SERPs). It will also potentially speed up the discovery process.

5. Track Your Keyword Rankings

After your Content is indexed and ranked in Google, you need to track and see how those keywords rank. 

You should give it at least 2 months for new Content before making any keyword search optimization changes.

You can track rankings daily for 14 days before changing existing Content.

Featured Image credit: page.one

Investing in backlinks involves paying for a link back to your website from another site. The primary aim is typically to enhance your site’s ranking on search engines, amplify referral traffic, spark meaningful conversations, and fortify your website’s authority.

Paid links manifest in various forms, such as niche edits, paid guest posts facilitated through blogger outreach, paid link insertions, private blog networks, and services distributing press releases. This article is designed to walk you through acquiring high-quality backlinks, address prevalent safety concerns associated with purchasing links, and offer valuable tips for making sound decisions when buying backlinks.

Is It Safe to Buy Backlinks?

Even though buying backlinks is considered a black hat activity, it is an entirely safe and effective SEO practice. However, purchasing the backlinks from an SEO agency that follows industry best practices is necessary.

In addition, it can be unsafe to purchase low-quality links from PBN link sellers with footprint issues who need help understanding how to build links for SEO and from link agents selling link spam to client sites from their networks.

Paid Link Building vs. Natural Link Building

– Natural Link Building

These are backlinks created naturally without the site owner having to buy and generate them either through guest posting or other link-building practices. In simple terms, natural links occur when other web admins, bloggers, or site owners link to your content because they think it is helpful for their audiences and adds value to their sites.

This is the type of link-building that Google wants all site owners to engage in. When you provide high-quality content, you will get your name out there, and sites will link naturally to your business. With natural links, you can be assured that your content is good and that your rankings and traffic will not be affected by a Google algorithmic change.

The main problem with this type of linking is that it rarely happens if you are not already well-established. Therefore, when first growing your business, you may need to invest in paid link-building to maximize your visibility.

– Paid Link Building

On the other hand, paid linking occurs when a site pays another site to place your link in its content. While outsourcing link building is a core component of SEO, search engines prohibit paying for links, which can result in penalties. However, if it’s done strategically, it can be effective. 

The thing is, Google can’t tell the difference between a paid and a natural link as long as you produce high-quality content. So, if you’re starting a business, you may find this practice helpful and necessary to get into the visible radar. In addition, it can kick-start your SEO strategy, even if it is just a few links.

How to Buy Quality Backlinks

1. Identify How Many Backlinks You Need

The first important thing you need to do while buying backlinks is to identify the number of backlinks you need to rank before targeting a keyword. To do this, you must determine which pages to build backlinks to and calculate the gap between you and your competitors.

You can use SEO tools like Ahrefs Keyword Explorer to estimate how big your link-building budget may need to be.

2. Perform a Link Gap Analysis

You need to know more than just the number of link root domains you need; you will need to see the number of authority sites you need. To do this, you need to perform a link gap analysis. This identifies sites and pages linking to your competitor’s sites.

To do this, you must examine at least five of your competitor’s link profiles and enter the number of links at each Domain Rating (DR) level. This will help you pinpoint the strength of backlinks you need from guest posts, niche edits, etc.

To compare your domain’s link profile against your competitors, you could use SEO comparison tools to make the process easier. If there is a gap, you need more site backlinks.

3. Map Out Your Anchor Text

Remember anchor text optimization. If you get it wrong, you will not rank, or Google could penalize you. So, it is best to avoid repeating the exact anchor text. The best approach to do this is via anchor text cycling.

This means using your best anchor text on your best link opportunities, then cycling through variations and seeing how the page performs.

4. Establish Your Drip Dates

Some people prefer to buy quality links in batches, which is usually a huge mistake. It’s better to purchase backlinks frequently than bulk to make them more natural. That’s why you must assign a date for when the placement should be bought. It’s best if you kept it more random. The beauty of organized or scheduled paid links is that you can repeat the process based on the performance.

5. Buy Quality Backlinks

With a content plan in place, you can now purchase quality backlinks and rank on page 1. Then, follow your link gap analysis, stick to the plan, and watch the performance. Also, you must pay attention to your existing backlinks. 

How Much Does It Cost to Buy Quality Backlinks?

Usually, the cost of buying backlinks will vary from one site to the other. On average, robust and quality backlinks cost generally $900-$1500 per link. Nevertheless, the cost depends on the strategies and tactics you are using. It’s important to note that you can get other backlinks from high-authority domains that cost large sums of money; however, they are usually challenging. 

That said, you need to be very careful about who is selling the links since shady agents will give you backlinks they have purchased from PBNs, brokers, webmasters, and forums. Such links will mostly put your site at risk. That’s why you must consider buying backlinks built through manual outreach.

Factors Affecting the Cost of Buying Quality Backlinks

1. Type of Website

The price can vary depending on the status or type of website you want agencies to reach out to. Most site owners wish to link from sites with high organic traffic. Nevertheless, outreach to such sites takes a lot of effort, and the link price will be higher. Most of the time, such links are earned, and your money is spent on the grind put in by the outreach team to build a connection with the site owner.

On the other hand, if you want short-listed links from sites based on SEO metrics, the pricing varies based on the authority metric you pick.

2. Content 

The type of content on your site is most likely to affect the cost of backlinks. High-traffic driving websites are picky when it comes to the quality of content. Mostly, they look for content created by experts. Therefore, the cost will be lower if you have high-quality content.

3. Brand Strength 

Your brand strength matters regarding link building or link buying. This is because other brands will notice you quickly, and you will likely get a response when you reach out to them. Your emails will be answered faster, resulting in quick offers from the valuable partners on your list.

4. Creative Control 

Your brand’s level of creative control affects the link-buying process. This means that your brand’s integrity must be on a desirable level. As the list of standards for acceptable websites increases, which happens when brands know they are at the top of their game, you must ensure that your brand’s integrity is always protected.

5. Industry or Niche

Niche is another factor affecting the cost of buying backlinks. While some industries will draw a lot of site traffic from websites wishing to purchase quality backlinks, operating with some brands is tricky and expensive because they already have many offers. An excellent example of this is the finance industry.

Tips for Buying Quality Backlinks:

1. Check the Link Quality: Good SEO agents provide multiple options, meaning you can decide the link quality from different packages. We recommended opting for links from high-authority sites for quicker results.
2. Avoid Site-wide Links: You should avoid placing backlinks in areas less likely to be noticed, such as the footer, sidebar, and navigation. Good SEO agents will ensure that your link secures a contextual place in the main content of high DA sites.
3. Never Choose Red-Flag Sites to Build Links: Avoid using sites that have previously been penalized, feature low-quality content, or rely heavily on ads. This is because Google is likely to watch these websites with suspension, which means earning links from such sites may lead to looking at your site the same way. Instead, opt for niche-specific and high-authority sites to help build your authority.

Frequently Asked Questions on Buying Quality Backlinks

1. Are paid backlinks worth it?

Paying for backlinks can be worthwhile, provided you don’t get caught. In addition, backlinks help establish a website’s reputation and relevance in Google’s eyes.

However, paying for direct backlinks from shady sites is never worth it. You can improve your website’s rankings without backlinks, traffic, and revenue.

2. How can I get backlinks without paying?

Building linkable content is the most effective way to get free backlinks without having to pay or struggle to look for other sites to link your content. Other sites will link to them if you find prevalent informational subjects and create high-quality content. Some links will occur naturally, and others may be achieved through outreach.

Image Source: 30degreesnorth.com

Many companies heavily rely on data to make decisions. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential for businesses to track growth. Without KPIs, it’s tough to measure the success of campaigns. We’ve listed the top 10 SEO KPIs to help you monitor your website’s traffic growth.

What are SEO KPIs?

SEO Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) allow online marketers to measure a site’s SEO performance in search engines. They show you the success of your optimization strategy. In addition, KPIs provide a learning environment where you can continuously measure and optimize your growth.

Why are KPIs important for SEO?

Like other initiatives where you invest time, money, and resources, measuring your SEO KPIs can help improve your digital marketing efforts.

Apart from growth and providing a means to measure your progress, tracking SEO KPIs can:

• Alert you in case of any problems on your site and show the working strategies so you can apply them throughout the site. This way, you can track and measure your progress against set goals.
• Provide accountability by clearly pointing to the metrics, dimensions, and reports behind your business’s growth.
• It can help you track your return on investment (ROI) for better profits. With a better understanding of ROI, you can also estimate the payback period for your SEO business.
• Help you meet your audience’s needs efficiently.
• Make intelligent decisions that bring more profit.

Top 10 Important SEO KPIs to Track

1. Return on Investment (ROI)

Regardless of your current business challenges or the business model, you want your business to bring in returns.

Return on investment is the ratio between the profits you have made and the money you have spent. A high ROI means higher profits and a low ROI means lower profits in terms of the amount paid.

Measuring and tracking ROI from your SEO activities is critical because it is the best measure of success. Know your ROI target and measure your performance against it, understanding and reporting on how it is improving.

The fantastic thing is that several SEO tools, such as the Google Analytics account, simplify ROI calculation as you track your goals.

That said, it is necessary to remember that it can take time to see your ROI. It often takes 6 to 12 months, so try to set a reasonable ROI goal for your business.

2. Organic Visibility

Seeing that it takes time to see financial returns from SEO, another primary KPI you can measure and track to see your consistency in terms of growth is organic visibility.

Organic visibility is a metric that helps you quickly summarise your organic ranking performance. Typically, it provides the impressions of your content’s growth as the Google Search Console rates it. Based on this, you can identify the searches that increase organic traffic over time.

The good bit is that you can measure and report the visibility in two ways. First, you can showcase growth in impressions from Google Search Console. This is the ideal method to show continued growth, seeing that impressions show your website’s searches even if they were not indicated in clicks.

Another way to measure and report visibility is to look at keyword trends. Using organic research tools like Semrush and Ahrefs, you can track how your visibility changes for essential keywords.

3. Site Speed

Site speed is another important KPI you should track and measure for several reasons. First, the site’s speed affects its usability, as potential clients will likely abandon slow-loading sites.

The site’s page also affects its conversion rate. For instance, if clients want to purchase through the site and it takes long to load, they will likely leave.

Finally, page speed impacts SEO rankings. Slow-loading sites are likely to have low rankings in search engine results, which leads to fewer visits and views and fewer returns.

4. Organic click-through rate

Another crucial metric is the organic search click-through rate (CTR). The CTR is an SEO KPI that shows the percentage of people clicking on your link when searching for a specific term. It will also show how often the number of searchers converts into website visitors.

A high CTR shows that your site is relevant to the searcher’s query and that your search snippets are compelling. It also shows how well your SEO title and metadata attract searchers for a search term. The click-through rate highly depends on the rankings of your content on a search engine. 

So, if your CTR is rising, it’s a great sign that clients enjoy and want to engage with content. It is also a sign that your SEO rankings are improving.

In addition, you can track your CTR using Google Analytics at the search engine query and page levels to have a more accurate scope of effectiveness on money spent.

5. Domain Authority

Domain authority is an important SEO KPI that you can use to gauge the strength of your site’s backlink profile. The backlink profile is the number and quality of the links pointing to your site from other websites.

This metric is one of the many KPIs that can be tracked to measure the health of a site’s SEO. The higher the number and quality of the backlinks, the higher your site’s domain authority.

However, it is essential to know that your domain authority is not just affiliated with the backlinks you buy but can also be based on your website’s age, traffic, and trustworthiness.

6. Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is the number of visitors or clients who leave your website after viewing one page or leave without interacting with it. For example, if a potential client clicks on your site and only views 1 page, it will boost your bounce rate and decrease your visibility. However, if they view more than the first page, it will reduce the bounce rate – a low bounce rate means customers are engaging with your content for longer, boosting your visibility.

Depending on your page’s topic, the average bounce rate can range between 20% and 80%. Any percentage above 80% shows that you need to optimize landing pages, create high-quality content, and improve your site’s page speeds to retain users for a longer time and reduce the bounce rate.

7. Conversion Rates For Sales and Leads

Conversion rates refer to the number of new leads you have obtained on your site compared to the number of visitors. This metric helps by showing the number of visitors converted to customers or leads on your site. The higher the number of visitors who complete a goal (e.g., buy something, fill in a form, contact you), the more profit you are likely to make in the long term.

Nevertheless, not every visitor will convert, so you can not expect to have a 100% conversion rate. Knowing your site’s average conversion rate will help you measure how your site’s landing pages and content are performing.

You can easily calculate your site’s conversion rate percentage by dividing the number of conversions by the number of visitors. The best way to measure and track your site’s conversion rate is by using Google Analytics.

Suppose you notice that your site has a lower conversion rate; try to increase it by optimizing your site for conversions, using effective marketing strategies to drive more traffic, and A/B testing different elements on your site to see what works best.

8. Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Customer lifetime value (CLV) is a metric that measures and tracks how much your business can plan to earn from an average customer throughout the relationship. In addition, it gauges the financial value each customer brings to your site over an extended period.

 By measuring your client’s feedback at all key touchpoints and understanding the customer experience, you will know the key drivers of CLV.

This KPI helps you identify the SEO activities with the most significant positive financial impact. It also redirects SEO efforts toward customer-centered strategies that maximize the value your customer gets from different types of content on your site. It usually focuses on extending beyond current clients to incorporate potential clients for future growth. 

9. Keyword Rankings

Keyword ranking is another valuable SEO KPI that can help you track your growth. Keywords are the words or phrases potential clients use when searching for something online. 

Using the right keywords in your content will help increase your site’s traffic and improve your SEO efforts. Keyword optimization is fundamental for any good SEO strategy for ranking content, as it guarantees increased profits. 

You can track your organic keyword rankings by using the best SEO tools. One such tool is the Google Search Console. This tool is fantastic because it allows marketers to monitor their website performance on Google without asking for money.

Depending on your site’s niche, you can focus on tracking high-volume, product, branded, and your most important keywords (popularly known as money keywords in SEO circles). 

The high-volume keywords usually have a higher potential since they drive more traffic to your site. However, these phrases tend to be more competitive and, as a result, are difficult to rank for.

Product keywords will help you see how well your products or services rank in search engines. Branded keywords will help you see whether your brand is famous in the search engine result pages (SERPs).

Your “money keywords” will show you where you rank in the SERPs on the most essential phrases that make you money. These might not be product or service keywords; sometimes, they are just directly related to your product keywords.

10. Branded and non-branded traffic

Branded traffic is driven by users who have previously visited your site and are specifically searching for your brand using their keywords. For instance, they might search for your company name, product name, service name, or anything else from your brand.

On the other hand, non-branded traffic is driven by unfamiliar visitors who have never heard about your brand before. These users search with keywords that do not directly relate to your company or brand, but they may end up on your site.

Typically, the non-branded traffic you want to keep growing is the organic search traffic, which will eventually increase your branded traffic. You can evaluate which drives more traffic to your site by having branded and non-branded traffic.

 Tips on choosing SEO metrics and KPIs to track

Several SEO KPIs can help you keep your SEO efforts focused and continually measure your marketing campaign performance. You only need to identify and pick the most critical metrics that align with your site.

However, it is tricky to know what to measure and what not. So here are a few tips to help you stay on the right track:

1. Choose quantifiable KPIs that will align with your brand’s goals. These will mostly be sales or leads. 
2. Use leading indicators and industry statistics to show the direction the economy is headed. This will help you focus on the KPI metrics that move the needle.
3. Avoid tracking things that can’t impact your business. If you can not change it, it is unnecessary to measure or track it.
4. Create KPI time frames to see if you reach your set goals against set time.
5. Find a direct connection between the SEO KPIs and your business goal since different niches or businesses require different KPIs.
6. Choose an easily achievable SEO KPI while still finding the right balance between measuring and tracking everything.

Image credit: smartinsights.com

In the sprawling landscape of online business, navigating Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services can feel like traversing a labyrinth. Most online businesses use search engine optimization (SEO) services to optimize the website content to rank better on search engine results pages. However, selecting an SEO agency can be challenging since many choices exist. Each one of them provides a unique justification for choosing them.

Some SEO firms offer SEO guarantees, such as a first-page ranking guarantee or your money back. While an SEO guarantee is a compelling offer, any guarantee is a red flag that you should seek other SEO services. Read on to learn why you should avoid SEO companies that guarantee first-page ranking results and what to look for instead.

What Are Guaranteed SEO Services?

At first glance, guaranteed SEO services seem like a lifeline in the turbulent seas of digital. Who wouldn’t be enticed by the promise of skyrocketing to the top of search engine results? They often promise first-page rankings for particular keywords, an exact timeline for when you will see results and even a money-back guarantee.

Remembering that such first-page SEO guarantees come with several additional risks would be best. For instance, in most cases, any guaranteed SEO services use unethical SEO techniques to improve rankings. These techniques may include black hat strategies instead of acceptable SEO strategies like white hat link building.

In that case, aggressively using black hat SEO techniques to guarantee first-page results will be more detrimental to your company than beneficial.

Why Are First-Page SEO Guarantee Services Unreliable?

As we’ve already discussed, an SEO guarantee is reasonable. Businesses would be tempted to cooperate with SEO firms that guarantee first-page SEO.

However, selecting an SEO firm that advertises guaranteed SEO services carries many risks. It frequently results in subpar results over the long term or even significant harm to your rankings and business permanently.

Let’s talk about why such services are unreliable.

1. The First-Page SEO Guarantee Is Impossible

Simply put, you can’t guarantee what you can’t control. Although aggressive SEO techniques may raise your rankings, it is hard to say how much a specific strategy will boost your rankings and how high. This is mainly because SEO demands producing relevant and quality content and engaging with Google algorithms.

This first-page SEO guarantee is also unattainable because various factors outside the SEO agency’s control affect search engine results. These factors may include your brand’s online reputation, the intense rivalry with other companies, the time factor, and the ever-changing search engines’ ranking algorithms.

2. A First-Page SEO Guarantee Firm Will Use Black-Hat SEO Techniques

Guaranteed SEO services employ black-hat strategies. Black-hat tactics are essentially a set of actions that violate Google’s policies. These unethical SEO techniques deceive Google’s ranking algorithms into giving your website a higher rating.

Because it is intended entirely to target search engines rather than consumers, this SEO technique is against Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Some famous black hat SEO tactics include:

• Engaging in link exchange schemes
• Concealing keywords
• Producing redundant content
• Leaving spammy comments on other blogs

Black-hat tactics are used by agencies that guarantee results because they are quick. They may get away with it for a few weeks, just long enough to meet their SEO KPIs and get paid, but your website will eventually be exposed.

If Google discovers that you are utilizing these SEO techniques, your website may be penalized or banned from Google. Imagine spending all that time and money to have it vanish into thin air.

3. Your Website Will Appear in Search Results for Irrelevant Keywords

If you’re collaborating with an agency that offers outcome assurances, they will likely choose the keywords they want to help you rank for. It doesn’t matter to them whether the keywords they help you rank for are relevant to your business, provided they think it will be an easy win quickly.

Imagine placing on page one for over 10 keywords with zero search volume. Or that they’ve assisted you in ranking for terms unrelated to your industry so the traffic you get results in zero conversions.

4. A First-Page SEO Guarantee Firm Endangers Your Business

Most first-page guaranteed SEO services might cost you a lot of time and money. Not just that, though. They will do more harm than good as well. Even if you choose to work with a different SEO agency later, you will still have to deal with the penalties and poor rankings you accrued while working with the guaranteed SEO services.

Authority is crucial to rank higher in search engine results. It will take some time for your site to recover if you used first-page guaranteed SEO services and they interfered with the authority you had gotten before. The best and only option is to avoid these first-page SEO guarantee companies from the start.

5. Limited Services

The fact that these organizations frequently offer very few services is another factor to consider. They often have contract clauses that allow them to avoid responsibility if they don’t deliver results or if your website rankings decline rather than rise.

Again, these companies frequently emphasize quick rankings and neglect other aspects of the SEO process, like great content, high-quality backlinks and niche edits, and technical SEO factors, among other things.

6. A First-Page SEO Guarantee Service Offers a One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Good SEO is particularly customized and tailored to your company and your niche. Therefore, it would be wise to be cautious of any company offering you an SEO approach employed on numerous other businesses they’ve worked with.

A good SEO agency will take the time to research your brand, dive deep into it, do an SEO audit, and develop a cutting-edge SEO plan to win the game.

7. A First-Page SEO Guarantee Firm Provides Low ROI

Any efficient SEO technique aims to gain more relevant traffic to your website. You have a better chance of generating leads and closing sales when you drive qualified traffic to your website. As a result, you will notice an increase in your SEO return on investment (ROI).

Read Also: Crucial Metrics for Measuring Your Content Marketing ROI

The opposite occurs with guaranteed SEO services. The emphasis moves from quality to quantity.

For instance, if you pay an SEO service $6,000 to grow your traffic by a predetermined number, let’s say 100% in 30 days, even if your traffic doubles, it will only matter once you also experience an increase in leads and sales.

Instead, you’re merely spending money on vanity metrics that don’t affect your financial situation. You get the traffic but not sales or leads of any kind.

How to Choose a Good SEO Agency

Now that we understand why you should avoid first-page SEO guarantees let’s look at the criteria for selecting a reputable SEO agency.

1. Experience

The first and most crucial factor to consider is an agency’s experience. A modest amount of experience will say a lot about the company’s methods of operation and principles. Furthermore, if a company has an established track record in its field, it is easier to trust it.

It would be best if you were alert to whether or not they have experience in your specific field of expertise. This does not, however, indicate that you should not have faith in a newly founded company. Of course, you can, but you must be sure they can deliver results.

2. Approach

Trustworthy agencies also offer a unique content strategy specific to your target market, business objectives, and industry. A competent agency will pay close attention to your demands and want to know exactly what you’re having trouble with. Avoid companies that provide generic solutions to your site’s problems and are cookie-cutter in their approach.

3. White Hat Techniques

Any reliable SEO agency knows that using white hat techniques is the best approach to ranking a website. These include creating unique, high-quality content, adjusting your website’s SEO, and using social networking platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to disseminate material.

Given that they know they can neither control nor circumvent search engine algorithms, white-hat SEO businesses will never provide first-page SEO guarantees. They prefer to adopt natural and legitimate methods to increase your website’s authority; rankings will come from this type of effort.

Google’s E-A-T provides a detailed understanding of this methodology.

4. Transparent

Furthermore, you want an SEO agency that is open and honest about its interactions with previous clients, their achievements, and their statistics. Trustworthy agencies support their promises with facts and previous client experiences. Ensure they can provide evidence to support their claims of expertise that they are willing to share. Avoid the agency if they are unable to do this.

Again, good agencies should also give regular updates on their progress and provide data on the effectiveness of their campaigns. Ensure the agency you select keeps you informed and explains the information it sends you. SEO is a long game, so weekly to monthly updates are good for knowing that the SEO agency is still working on your campaigns.

5. Reviews and References

Reviews and testimonials show a company’s dedication and effort. If you need help deciding between multiple businesses, check out their web reviews and client endorsements first.

Additionally, you can contact previous customers and inquire specifically about their interactions with the agency. Any honor or recognition the agency receives for its work is an extra feather in its cap.

6. Are They Willing to Teach You?

An SEO agency is likely reliable if it is eager to share its expertise and assist you in becoming familiar with SEO tactics. They demonstrate their knowledge and good intentions by being forthright, open-minded, and willing to respond to inquiries regarding their procedure.

Before partnering with any firm, you can ask them questions about SEO in general and how they approach it. It is a scam if they appear distant or unwilling to provide information.

What Can You Expect From a Reliable SEO Company?

What will a professional SEO provider deliver if they don’t guarantee you results?

Any reliable SEO agency should assist you in achieving a few goals as part of your continuing SEO campaigns. Here are a few things to expect:

1. Attract Qualified Leads

A competent SEO agency should raise your page rankings for keywords related to your industry. This results in more qualified traffic visiting your website over time. Additionally, more qualified traffic translates into high-quality leads subscribing to your email and expressing interest in your goods or services.

2. Long-Term Results

Any long-term SEO strategy aims to get you on top and keep you there. While getting page-one rankings within 30 days sounds impressive, it’s a far-fetched dream in most cases. It can take between 3 and 12 months to see benefits from a top-notch SEO campaign.

On the other hand, white-hat SEO strategies increase the likelihood that you’ll remain at the top, where you’ll receive targeted visitors and make money for years to come.

3. Quantify Results

Every step of the SEO process should be data-driven, from creating results to measuring them and leveraging these metrics to produce additional results. The most powerful SEO tools are used to make SEO and content decisions. This allows for setting realistic, reachable goals and real-time progress tracking.

Reputable services often analyze your customers’ site navigation, pinpoint your precise problem areas, and determine how much of your income improvements are directly linked to SEO using a range of indicators, such as rankings, traffic, and average session time.

4. Credibility and Authority

With an excellent, personalized approach, you earn more than just high rankings. You will increase your authority and trustworthiness with your target audience. Consequently, you gain many high-quality backlinks and boost your Google rankings.

If you consistently show up when clients are looking for information about your product or service, eventually, they will come to view you as the authoritative source in your field.

5. Quality Backlinks

Building backlinks is a crucial component of SEO and digital marketing in general. Quality contextual backlinks prevail over quantity.

Using strategies like blogger outreach, a trustworthy service provider will promote links to your website on high-quality, pertinent websites, like media websites or websites with high authority. These types of backlinks benefit your website in two ways:

• They raise your website’s authority and online exposure.
• They also bring in targeted internet visitors relevant to your business.

Conclusion: First Page SEO Guarantee

Guaranteed SEO is something that ought to be avoided at all costs. Even the best SEO companies cannot guarantee traffic growth or results for a specific number of keywords. They will be focused on what is essential: utilizing white hat SEO tactics to assist you in exceeding your business objectives and fostering commercial success.

In the fast-paced digital landscape, it is crucial to remove outdated content from your website regularly. Outdated content can mislead readers, harm your website’s credibility, hinder search engine optimization efforts, and sometimes create compliance risks.

Proactively identifying and eliminating outdated content can ensure accuracy, enhance the reader’s experience, improve search rankings, maintain industry compliance, and present a positive brand image.

In this post, we will explore the importance of removing outdated content and provide insights on how to do it effectively if you want your website to stay fresh and updated.

What Is Outdated Content?

Outdated content refers to any information, media, or resources that have become obsolete, inaccurate, or irrelevant to the current context or audience. It can include various forms of content, including articles, blog posts, images, videos, product descriptions, and more. 

Outdated content on most websites may arise due to changes in industry practices, technological advancements, legislation updates, consumer preference shifts, product/service offerings, products out of stock or no longer available, and more.

It can confuse readers, damage a website’s reputation, and hinder improved search engine rankings. Google has favored websites that continuously update their content and keep it fresh for readers by rewarding them with better search engine rankings.

Identifying and removing outdated content is crucial to maintaining credibility, providing accurate information, and enhancing user experience. We are in the age of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), where content relevance at any particular time is a ranking signal. When your content is irrelevant to the current times, your rankings drop; when it is relevant, your rankings improve.

Why You Need to Remove Outdated Content 

1. Accuracy and Credibility

Outdated content can provide incorrect or misleading information to your audience. Keeping your content up to date ensures that you provide accurate and reliable information, enhancing your credibility and reputation.

With more accurate and credible content, you can also command more clicks to your offers because of the improved trust with your audience.

2. User Experience

Users rely on your content for relevant and valuable information. Outdated content can frustrate and confuse them, leading to a poor user experience. A lousy reader experience makes them leave your website without spending much time on it, increasing your bounce rate. A high bounce rate is recorded by Google: “Even though we send readers to this website, people leave the website very fast, which means they don’t like the website. So we will stop sending people to this website.”

It’s not exactly what Google says, but this is what it will think, and then boom! Your rankings drop.

Removing outdated content improves user satisfaction and engagement, positively impacting your website’s performance, keeping readers on your website longer (hence a lower bounce rate), and a positive signal to Google that the readers it’s sending to your website love it.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engines prioritize fresh and relevant content. Outdated content can negatively impact your search engine rankings, reducing your visibility and organic traffic. Regularly removing and updating obsolete content with current and optimized content can help improve your SEO efforts.

Read Also: SEO Tips to Help You Rank Higher

When people search for things on Google, now Google shows them how long ago the content they’re finding was published or last updated. See this screenshot below:

The one with the most recently published data is ranked higher than the article with a later date. In most cases, Google’s users will prefer to click on the topmost result that’s been recently updated.

Don’t miss out on the clicks or higher SEO rankings because of outdated content. Keep your content updated whenever you can.

4. Industry Compliance

Industries undergo changes in regulations, best practices, and standards over time. Outdated content may no longer align with the latest compliance requirements for your niche, potentially leading to legal or regulatory issues.

Some marketers have lost money in court battles because they didn’t understand the offers they were promoting or were too busy promoting them, and they didn’t realize the policies of those programs had become fraudulent. Think it’s a joke? Read this: Affiliate Marketers to Pay More Than $4 Million to Settle Charges that They Promoted a Fraudulent Business Coaching and Investment Scheme.

By removing outdated content, you ensure that your platform remains compliant and avoids any potential liabilities. If you were promoting a program that became fraudulent, you need to update your content as soon as possible to stay compliant.

5. Resource Optimization

Outdated content takes up storage space, server resources, crawling budget, and maintenance efforts. By removing outdated content, you free up valuable resources that can be allocated to more relevant and helpful content, improving overall website performance and efficiency.

6. Brand Perception

Outdated content reflects poorly on your website.

It may give the impression that you are not actively maintaining and updating your site, potentially diminishing trust with potential visitors.

Removing outdated content demonstrates your commitment to providing current and valuable information, enhancing your website’s perception.

Read Also: Why is Content Marketing Important for Your Brand?

How to Remove Outdated Content Safely 

Removing outdated content safely is necessary to ensure your website’s integrity and user experience and avoid the loss of good content that could still serve your readers.

Here are detailed steps on how to remove outdated content safely:

1. Conduct a Comprehensive Content Audit

Before removing any content, perform a thorough content audit to identify outdated pages, articles, or resources.

This audit should include checking website analytics, feedback or comments from your readers, engagement metrics, and SEO KPIs.

Look for content with outdated information, low user engagement, high bounce rates, or declining traffic.

In some cases, even pages with consistent traffic (not falling or rising) might get better performance after an content update.

2. Establish Clear Criteria for Outdated Content

Define specific criteria for determining whether the content is obsolete.

This could include outdated facts, statistics, references, technologies, or practices. Also, check for links to any broken or 404 pages.

Consider consulting subject matter experts or doing more research to ensure the content’s accuracy and relevance.

3. Prioritize Content for Removal

Once you have identified outdated content, prioritize the removal process.

Focus on pages with the highest negative impact on user experience, search engine rankings, or compliance issues.

Consider the potential consequences of removing content, such as broken internal links or adverse user reactions, and plan accordingly.

4. Archive or Update Relevant Information

For content that still contains valuable information but needs updates, consider archiving or updating it.

Archiving involves moving content to a separate section of your website and preserving it for reference. Updated content can be edited to reflect current information.

5. Implement Proper Redirects

When removing outdated content, implement proper redirects to guide users and search engines to the new addresses where they can find the most relevant and up-to-date version of the content.

To redirect visitors and search engines from old URLs to the new equivalent URLs, utilize 301 redirects.

This prevents users from encountering 404 errors and helps preserve your website’s search engine rankings because Google will direct users to the new page and keep your rankings intact.

6. Update Internal Links and References

After removing or updating content, review and update any internal links or references pointing to the outdated content.

This includes updating links within your website’s content, navigation menus, sidebar widgets, or related post sections.

Broken or incorrect internal links can negatively impact your user experience, which has a ripple effect on your website’s rankings.

7. Communicate Changes to Users and Stakeholders

Inform your readers about the removal or updating of outdated content.

Consider adding a notification on the affected pages that shows the content has been updated or removed. You can also publish a blog post explaining the reasons behind the changes.

This helps manage user expectations, reduces confusion, and demonstrates transparency with your audience.

8. Maintain a Backup of the Removed Content

Before removing any content, create a backup to preserve a copy of the original content.

This ensures that you have a record of the removed content for future reference or in case you need to restore it.

9. Handle 404 Errors Properly

Despite implementing redirects, some users may still encounter 404 errors due to outdated links or cached pages. Customize your 404 error page to provide a helpful message and suggest alternative resources or navigation options. Monitor your website for 404 errors and fix them promptly to enhance the user experience.

10. Update Xml Sitemaps and robots.txt Files

After removing or updating content, update your XML sitemap to reflect the changes.

This allows search engines to locate and index your updated information quickly.

Review your robots.txt file to ensure it doesn’t block search engine crawlers from accessing your updated pages.

11. Conduct Thorough Testing and Quality Assurance (QA)

Before and after removing outdated content, conduct thorough testing and QA checks.

Test your website’s navigation, internal links, redirects, and search functionality to ensure everything functions correctly.

Also, check for any unintended consequences of the removal, such as broken design elements or functionality.

12. Monitor Search Engine Indexation and Traffic

Keep a close eye on search engine indexation to ensure your updated content is properly crawled and indexed.

Monitor your website’s traffic, user behavior, and engagement metrics after removal to gauge the impact and identify any necessary adjustments.

SEO Factors to Remember Before Removing Your Outdated Content

When removing outdated information from your website, it’s critical to consider the possible influence on your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

Here are the key SEO factors to keep in mind before removing outdated content:

1. Traffic and Rankings

Review the organic traffic and search engine rankings of the content you plan to remove.

If the content drives significant traffic or ranks well for relevant keywords, consider the potential impact on your website traffic and visibility.

Look for opportunities to update or repurpose the content instead of removing it to maintain the traffic and rankings.

2. Backlinks

Examine the backlinks pointing to the outdated content pages.

Backlinks are crucial for SEO as they contribute to your website’s authority and search engine rankings.

If the writing has important backlinks, redirect the URLs to relevant pages on your site to maintain link equity and keep the SEO juice.

3. Internal Link Structure

Evaluate the internal links pointing to outdated content.

Internal linking plays a significant role in distributing link equity across your website and helping search engines understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content.

If you remove internally linked content, ensure that you update or remove those internal links to maintain a logical and organized internal link structure.

4. User Experience

Consider the impact on user experience when removing content.

If the outdated content provides valuable information or serves as a reference for users, removing it abruptly can disrupt their experience.

In such cases, it’s better to update the content with current information or redirect users to a relevant alternative rather than remove it entirely.

5. Redirect Strategy

Implement proper redirect strategies when removing content. If the outdated content has valuable traffic or backlinks, use 301 redirects to redirect users and search engines to relevant and updated pages.

This helps preserve link equity, maintain user experience, and prevent organic traffic loss.

6. XML Sitemap and Robots.txt

Update your XML sitemap and robots.txt file after removing the content. Remove the URLs of the outdated content from your XML sitemap to ensure search engines don’t crawl and index them.

Review your robots.txt file to ensure it doesn’t block search engine crawlers from accessing your updated pages.

7. Keyword Considerations

Evaluate the keywords targeted by outdated content. If the content ranks for valuable keywords or contributes to your keyword strategy, consider updating it with fresh information rather than obliterating it.

Ensure the updated content aligns with your keyword strategy and provides relevant and optimized content for target keywords.

Read Also: Keyword Optimization Guide For SEO Beginners

8. User Intent and Search Queries

Analyze the user intent and search queries behind outdated content. If the content no longer aligns with user intent or fails to address users’ queries effectively, it may be appropriate to remove it.

However, consider creating new content or optimizing existing pages to meet user intent and address those search queries, ensuring you don’t leave gaps in your content coverage.

9. Monitor and Adapt

After removing outdated content, monitor your website’s performance, organic traffic, and search engine rankings.

Analyze the impact of the removal and make necessary adjustments based on the data. If you notice significant drops in traffic or rankings, consider revisiting your content strategy and finding alternative ways to address user needs and search engine requirements.

Tools You Can Use to Remove Outdated Content

1. Content Management System (CMS) Tools

If your website is built on a CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, you can leverage the built-in tools and plugins to manage and remove outdated content.

These CMS platforms often offer features to delete or update content in bulk, schedule content removal, and manage redirects.

2. Google Analytics

Google Analytics provides valuable insights into the performance of your website’s content.

Utilize the “Behavior” section to analyze engagement metrics, such as bounce rates, time on page, and exit rates.

Identify pages with low engagement that may be candidates for removal or updating.

3. Screaming Frog

Screaming Frog is a powerful website crawler that can help you identify outdated content and broken links.

It scans your website and provides detailed reports on URL status codes, metadata, and other SEO-related information.

Use it to find pages with outdated timestamps, low word counts, or other indicators of obsolete content.

4. SEMrush

SEMrush is an all-in-one SEO tool that offers various features to assist with content management.

Use the Site Audit feature to identify outdated pages, broken links, or issues affecting SEO performance.

The Content Analyzer tool helps you analyze content quality, relevance, and engagement metrics.

5. Google Search Console

Google Search Console gives information about how your website ranks in Google’s search results.

Use the “Coverage” report to identify any errors or issues with your pages, including outdated content.

The “URL Inspection” tool allows you to check individual URLs and request removal from Google’s index if necessary.

6. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO toolset that offers features to analyze and manage your website’s content.

Searching for specific keywords or subjects may uncover old information with the content explorer tool.

You can also utilize the Site Audit feature to identify pages with low traffic, low backlinks, or other indicators of outdated content.

Final Take 

Removing outdated content from your website is crucial for maintaining relevance, user experience, and SEO performance.

You can safely identify and remove outdated content by following a systematic approach, utilizing tools, and considering SEO factors.

This process helps ensure that your website provides accurate and valuable information to your audience while maintaining its visibility and authority on search engine pages.

Keep your content fresh, up-to-date, and aligned with user needs to impact your website’s performance positively.

If you’re like most people, Google is your go-to search engine due to its unmatched popularity and domination. It might not, however, always provide the greatest experience for everyone. Whether you want new viewpoints, increased privacy, or more customized search results, there are numerous options to consider.

Here are 25 excellent Google search engine alternatives to consider. These search engines each have unique features, privacy benefits, or specialized search capabilities.

AI-Powered Search Engines

AI search engines offer numerous benefits, including the capacity to understand context, quicker and more relevant results, and customized experiences.

They do, however, have drawbacks, including the possibility of bias, privacy issues, and an excessive reliance on technology.

It’s important to exercise caution while using AI search engines, double-check information from several sources, and be mindful of any potential negative effects. In this manner, you may maximize the advantages while lowering the dangers.

1. Bing

Google’s closest rival is Microsoft’s Bing search engine. It offers a variety of search features, such as map, video, and image searches.

According to HawkSEM, about 27% of US search queries are handled by Microsoft’s Bing.

Bing offers a range of customizable search settings, such as location settings, privacy controls to control data collection and usage, and safe search filters.

With the help of Microsoft’s AI technologies, Bing’s search capabilities are improved, outperforming many other search engines in terms of accuracy and contextual relevancy.   

Bing uses its own search algorithms and crawler, making its SERPs different from Google’s. It also offers Microsoft Rewards, earning users points for searches or shopping. These points are redeemable in Microsoft and Windows stores.

Bing has its chatbot, Copilot, which provides customized results to users.

According to Meetanishi Microsoft Bing gets more than 3 billion monthly active users.

3. Perplexity.ai

Perplexity AI is a search engine powered by AI that can be accessed via online and mobile applications. Since its launch in 2022, it has grown to 15 million users and answered 250 million questions by July 2024.

The platform uses AI to provide answers to search queries, providing source links that allow users to explore the original content. While the basic version is free, membership is necessary to access other services like image generation and Copilot, an intelligent assistant that prompts follow-up questions to improve search results.

However, because it relies on large language models (LLMs) to extract answers, Perplexity can occasionally generate false or misleading results.
For example, when asked “What are the seven wonders of the world”, Perplexity delivered a clear and informative response, accompanied by helpful citations for further reading.

4. You.com

You.com was founded in 2020 by Richard Socher, a well-known natural language processing (NLP) expert and former Salesforce chief scientist. Since its launch, they have served 1 billion queries.

You.com’s AI-powered search engine provides summary responses to questions. Additionally, they offer a list of websites with content related to your search.

Even though You.com has its internet crawler, it uses Bing to power its searches. You can select between a private mode, which guarantees that You.com does not gather any of your data, and a personal mode, which provides more customized options. You.com offers both a paid and freemium edition.

Additionally, the company provides an AI writing helper called YouWrite, an image-generating tool driven by AI, and a Chrome extension.

You may select from more than 20 different AI models with it, making it the ideal option for AI enthusiasts.

Mainstream Search EngineschGPT

Mainstream search engines have established themselves as credible competitors to Google and have retained a small but consistent market share over the last few years.

5. Yahoo!

Yahoo! is one of the more popular alternatives to Google, with a decent 2.67% of the market share in 2023.

Yahoo was around before Google. It started as a web portal and in 1995 developed its search engine. Yahoo’s strength lies in its diversification; in addition to search, it offers services like email, news, finance, and more.

Since Yahoo! uses Microsoft Bing as its engine, search results are comparable. It has a simple, text-heavy layout for its search results page.

Yahoo received over 700 million monthly active users and received 3.4 billion monthly visits in 2022 even though their search market share is declining.

6. Ecosia

The primary distinction that sets Ecosia apart is its dedication to using ad income for green initiatives, like planting trees.

Ecosia plants a tree for around every 45 searches you conduct. They give you a customized counter to keep track of the number of searches you’ve done, which demonstrates your direct involvement in reforestation.

Nearly 210 million trees have been planted by Ecosia to date, and the organization has also committed 85 million euros, or roughly $92 million, to climate action.

It doesn’t build a personal profile to customize adverts and search results, nor does it keep your search history indefinitely (it gets erased after a week). Additionally, Ecosia is open about the fact that you can disable cookies.

Additionally, Ecosia asserts that it is carbon-negative, having constructed its solar power plant to power its servers sustainably. Ecosia is free, however, you can gift a tree.  

7. Aol

AOL, previously America Online, is a brand marketed by Yahoo! Inc. You still get a start page with selected hot subjects from the news, entertainment, sports, health, food, and finance categories in the online portal game.

However, it can also be used as a web search engine. In the US, its market share is 0.09%. During the 1990s and 2000s, it was extremely popular.

It is not the most private search engine because location and activity tracking are enabled by default. On the other hand, you can disable these through the Privacy Dashboard. The search results are powered by partnerships with Google and Bing.

Privacy-Focused Search Engines

Protecting your digital privacy might be tough in the present day of targeted ads and tracking. For a more private and safe online search experience, these are the best alternative search engines.

8. Startpage

Startpage, headquartered in the Netherlands, provides Google-like search capabilities without tracking users. It is excellent for people who appreciate privacy.

Instead of searching the entire web, Startpage collects results from numerous search engines such as Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo, highlighting links that are present across all of them. It also includes a URL generator, a proxy service, and HTTPS capability.

Startpage had topped 3 million daily searches by 2023, indicating that it was becoming increasingly popular among privacy-conscious users. It also complies with the General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), which ensures user data privacy.

9. DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is a mainstream search engine, but its main appeal is that it doesn’t collect or store any personal information.

In 20121 it had substantial growth, managing about 98.79 million search queries per day. DuckDuckGo accounted for 2.13% of the US search market as of December 2023.

DuckDuckGo’s search results come from over 400 sources, but no personal information is shared with any of them.

DuckDuckGo is a wonderful solution for those who value their privacy and personal information when exploring the web.

They have DuckDuckGo Lite, a mobile version of the search engine.

10. Swisscows

Swisscows is a privacy-focused search engine headquartered in Switzerland, a country known for its strict privacy rules. It uses semantic information recognition to get rapid and efficient search results without retaining personal information.

Swisscows is also family-friendly, with automatic filtering of violent and inappropriate content. It avoids using tracking cookies and geolocation. While it uses Bing for web searches, it created its index for the German language edition.

With over 20 million searches processed monthly in 2018, Swisscows distinguished itself as a search engine that respects user privacy by not collecting or keeping data.

Swisscows also provides a unique, ad-free music search option that respects user privacy.

11. Brave Search

The private search engine Brave Search is produced by Brave Software, the same company that created the privacy-focused Brave browser.

In 2023, it became completely independent of other search engines such as Bing, relying only on its index to improve user privacy and transparency in search results.

Brave Search, which is integrated with the Brave browser, provides an ad-free browsing experience while also rewarding users with cryptocurrency, resulting in a unique combination of privacy and earnings.

Brave Search has grown rapidly, with 24.57 million daily active users as of January 2024. Additionally, it states that over 65 million people use the Brave browser every month for a faster and safer browsing experience.

12. Gibiru

Gibiru is a search engine that values privacy and does not censor results. It is ideal for people who want to avoid being tracked by the government or companies. Gibiru’s servers remove all search logs within seconds after processing the query. In March, Gibiru received 2.84 million visitors. It uses a modified Google algorithm to provide search results, so you can get what you’re looking for without worrying about Google tracking you.

Gibiru also offers a mobile app for anonymous online browsing. Gibiru earns commission when users make purchases or perform activities based on its search results, rather than using personal data for ads.

Search Engines for Specific Countries or Languages

These search engines are intended to address the special needs of users in various regions by reflecting local languages and cultural backgrounds. They can adjust to both language and cultural differences.

For example, Baidu and Yandex adhere to local censorship laws, which influence the material that users see. Similarly, Naver’s design has been modified to South Korean consumers’ preferences.

Here are some notable examples:

13. Baidu

Baidu is China’s leading search engine, with a 66% market share. Its search results cater specifically to the Chinese market, with content hosted on Chinese servers ranking higher in the SERPs.

Baidu, like Google, provides a variety of services, such as maps, music, movies, and an app store. In addition, Baidu offers a mobile browser and an app.

14. Yandex

Yandex is Russia’s top search engine, with more than 50% of the market share. It is well-known for its powerful algorithm, which accurately interprets Russian-language search requests. Yandex is also widely used in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Apart from its search engine, Yandex offers a range of services like Yandex.Maps, Yandex.Music, and Yandex.Money, all of which contribute to a smooth user experience.

It also has an advertising network that lets businesses and organizations reach their intended audiences.

15. Sogou

Sogou is a rapidly growing Chinese search engine with a 5% market share in China. It provides an interactive search experience and includes features like WeChat integration, article search, English search, and translation services.

Sogou is committed to providing professional, accurate, and convenient search results by utilizing its own artificial intelligence algorithms.

16. Naver

Naver is the second most popular search engine in South Korea, accounting for 34% of the market share. Its interface is only in Korean, with no English version available.

As a local search engine, Naver does not index the entire internet. Instead, it concentrates on offering a variety of services, including blogs, news, music, and shopping.

Furthermore, Naver provides a mobile app for easy searching on the go.

Charitable search engines

17. Goodsearch

Goodsearch is a charitable search engine that donates a portion of its profits to organizations that its users choose. Goodsearch donates $0.01 to the user’s selected charity for each search that is conducted. Yahoo generates the search results.

But there are a few things you should know about the GoodSearch browser extension. It is categorized as a browser hijacker by PCRisk, which implies that it can change browser settings without the permission of the user, possibly compromising their security and privacy.

18. YouCare

YouCare, a charitable search engine founded in France, gives away 80% of its income to various charitable organizations.

YouCare stands out for being transparent; to confirm the contributions made, go to their donation certificates page. YouCare also has a counter that keeps track of how many searches you’ve done.

You can also specify where your money can be allocated among the many charitable deeds.

A Copyright-Free Search Engine

19. Openverse

Openverse is an open-source search engine developed as part of the WordPress initiative to assist users locate free and freely licensed content like as images and audio.

Unlike Google, which provides a broader range of search results, Openverse focuses on a huge, searchable library of open-source media, such as images, audio, and videos.

It’s excellent for anyone who needs music for movies or photos for blog articles without having to worry about copyright issues.

Openverse indexes more than 700 million objects from 45 sources, including Wikimedia Commons and Flickr.

A Revenue-Sharing Search Engine

20. Yep.com

Yep.com, created by Ahrefs, positions itself as a unique search engine that prioritizes user privacy by not tracking or selling user data.

While it monitors the frequency of keyword searches and the click popularity of links, it does not create personal profiles for targeted advertisements. Its business approach encourages direct pay for content providers by offering a 90/10 revenue share.

Additionally, it does not keep search history, IP addresses, or User-Agent strings indefinitely.

Knowledge-Based Search Engines

21. Wiki.com

Wiki.com collects results from thousands of wikis throughout the internet, making it a perfect search engine for people who value community-driven information, such as Wikipedia.

Wiki.com increases the accessibility of varied information sources by focusing on collaborative content, which appeals to individuals who value community-led information.

22. Wayback Machine

The Internet Archive, often known as the Wayback Machine, is a useful tool for researching historical web pages and much more.

It serves as a comprehensive online library, providing access to a wide collection of digitized materials such as millions of free videos, books, music, and software.

23. X (Formerly Twitter)

X stands out as a fantastic real-time search engine, especially useful during situations when immediate updates are critical. While Google may eventually catch up, nothing beats the speed of a tweet in critical situations.

X excels in providing minute-by-minute information, making it the go-to platform for those who need quick updates and insights when every second counts.

Its capacity to supply real-time material ensures that people remain informed and connected during critical events.

Specialized Search Engines

Specialized search engines focus on specialized topics or industries, giving users more relevant and focused results than broad search engines such as Google.

Here are some  examples:

24. WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha is a powerful computational knowledge engine that delivers precise answers in a variety of fields, including mathematics, science, and linguistics.

It is an excellent resource for students, teachers, and professionals.

The Pro version, priced at $5.49 per month, includes advanced computing and data processing features.

25. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is widely known as a business-oriented search engine, with 61 million searches made each week. Its search algorithm promotes the originality of an organization’s LinkedIn Page name; more distinctive names get higher search results. 

However, overusing keywords might backfire, triggering spam filters and lowering visibility.

The system takes into account criteria such as the number of followers, connections to the searcher, page activity, and the relevancy of search terms in the organization’s name, all of which influence search ranks.

Conclusion

While Google is still the preferred search engine for many people, it’s important to know that it may not always be the greatest fit for your requirements and tastes.

Exploring other search engines can have numerous advantages, including increased privacy and a more personalized search experience. Whether you want to share entertaining material or protect your online privacy, these options can help.

From privacy-focused platforms to those with unique features and eco-friendly solutions, there is a search engine for everyone. We encourage you to experiment with these alternatives and share your results.

Which ones did you try, and how did they affect your search habits?

Let’s say you just launched your website. It looks great, it has all your services, maybe even a blog post or two. Now what?

How do people find you on Google?

This is where SEO comes in.

In this guide, I’ll explain what SEO really means, how it works, and how to start using it—in plain, non-technical language. Whether you’re a small business owner, startup founder, or total beginner, this is for you.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.

It simply means making changes to your website and content so that search engines like Google can:

1. Find your pages
2. Understand what your pages are about
3. Decide to show them to people searching for something relevant

In other words: SEO helps your website show up when people search for things on Google.

If you sell handmade soap, and someone types “natural lavender soap for sensitive skin” into Google—you want your page to show up, right?

That’s SEO.

How Does SEO Work?

To understand SEO, you have to know what happens behind the scenes when someone types something into Google.

Here’s a simple version of what Google does:

1. Crawls your site (like a robot scanning all your pages)
2. Indexes your pages (stores them in its giant library)
3. Ranks them (decides which page should show up first for each search)

To help Google do this well, your site needs to be clear, helpful, trustworthy, and easy to navigate.

Let’s break it down further.

Key Concepts to Understand

1. SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)

The SERP is what you see after typing a question or phrase into Google.

It includes:

• Organic results (these are the ones SEO helps with)
• Ads (people pay to show up here)
• Featured snippets, AI overviews, people also ask, and more

Your goal in SEO is to appear in the organic results—ideally near the top, because most people don’t scroll far.

2. Keywords

Keywords are the words or phrases people type into Google.

For example:

• “how to bake banana bread”
• “best hiking shoes for beginners”
• “accounting software for freelancers”

To rank on Google, your content needs to match the intent behind those keywords. That means:

• If someone wants a guide, give them a full tutorial
• If they want to compare products, create a comparison
• If they want to buy, show them pricing and features

Keyword research is the process of figuring out what people search for, how often, and how hard it is to rank.

3. Links (Backlinks and Internal Links)

Backlinks are when other websites link to your site. Think of it like a vote of confidence.

• The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more Google trusts your content.
• That trust helps your pages rank higher.

Internal links are when you link from one page on your site to another.

• This helps users navigate your site
• It helps Google understand how your pages relate to each other

4. Crawling and Indexing

Google uses bots (called spiders or crawlers) to scan the web.

• Crawling is when the bot visits your site and checks out your pages.
• Indexing is when Google stores that information and decides whether your page should be shown in search.

If your site has broken pages, weird code, or missing information, Google might skip it or not understand it well.

That’s why technical SEO—making sure your site loads fast, works on phones, and is structured clearly—is so important.

What SEO Looks Like in Practice

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you run a local dog grooming business in Seattle.

You create a page titled “Professional Dog Grooming Services in Seattle.”

You include:

• A clear description of your services
• Prices
• Photos
• Customer reviews
• Your location and hours

You also:

• Add this page to your website’s menu
• Submit your site to Google using Search Console
• Ask a local pet blogger to mention your service (earning a backlink)

Now when someone nearby searches “dog grooming near me” or “pet grooming Seattle,” Google might show your page—especially if your competitors aren’t doing SEO.

That’s the power of SEO.

Why SEO Matters

• It brings free traffic to your website
• It compounds over time: the longer you invest, the more results you get
• It builds trust and authority with your audience
• It helps you get discovered by people actively searching for what you offer

You don’t need to be an expert to get started.

You just need to:

• Create helpful content
• Make your site easy to use
• Learn a little at a time
• Keep showing up

SEO is like planting seeds. It takes time, but once things start growing, the results keep coming.

What’s Next?

Now that you understand what SEO is, you might want to:

• Learn how long SEO takes to work → [Read our SEO Timeline Guide]
• Discover what search intent is → [What Is Search Intent and Why It Matters?]
• Fix common tech issues on your site → [Beginner’s Guide to Technical SEO]

Let’s take it one step at a time. You’ve already started.

Welcome to SEO.

Backlinks remain one of the most critical factors in improving search engine rankings. This guide highlights 40 free backlink sites that can help you earn high-quality backlinks to your website.

We selected platforms based on their reliability, domain authority, and relevance to different industries.

Whether you’re just starting or refining your SEO strategy, these free resources offer practical opportunities to strengthen your backlink profile and boost your site’s authority in search results.

What is the Role of Backlinks in Improving SEO Rankings?

Backlinks are a key factor in how search engines evaluate and rank websites. When reputable sites link to your content, they signal trust and authority. These links validate your site’s relevance and credibility within a topic or industry.

Google and other search engines rely on backlinks as part of their ranking algorithms. The more high-quality backlinks you earn, especially from authoritative sources, the higher your site will appear in search results. It boosts organic traffic, lead generation, and brand awareness.

However, not all backlinks are equal. A few links from trusted, relevant sites are far more effective than dozens from low-quality or unrelated sources. Prioritizing quality over quantity is essential to building a strong SEO foundation.

In short, backlinks directly impact your site’s authority, visibility, and position in search results.

Read Also: How Many Backlinks Do I Need To Rank On Page 1

Top Free Backlink Sites 

In this section, we will introduce you to the top free backlink sites that can provide valuable backlinks to your website.

These websites have been selected carefully for their domain authority, relevancy, and reputation to ensure quality. As a result, utilizing these sites can improve your website’s SEO rankings and increase your online visibility.

1. Crunchbase

Crunchbase offers a high-authority (DA 81) backlink opportunity. You can list your business for free, include your website link, and optimize your profile with accurate details and relevant keywords to strengthen your backlink profile and boost SEO visibility.

2. HARO 

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) connects journalists with expert sources. Create a free account, select relevant industries, and receive three daily emails with media queries.

Respond to the ones that match your expertise. If a journalist uses your response, you’ll earn a backlink from a reputable publication.

3. MyBlogU

MyBlogU is a content collaboration platform where bloggers, writers, and marketers connect to exchange ideas and co-create content.

Create a profile and participate in interviews or brainstorming projects. Share valuable insights within your niche, and contributors may credit you with a backlink, helping you grow authority and improve SEO.

4. Google Sites 

Google Sites is a free tool that lets anyone with a Gmail account build a simple website and secure a backlink. These sites get indexed quickly, helping improve your brand’s visibility in search results.

Create a Google Site with relevant content about your niche or business. Then, add a link to your main website and optimize the page with niche-specific keywords to boost SEO.

Read Also: Best SEO Practices to Dominate the SERPs

5. Google Drive Assets

Google Drive offers more than just cloud storage. You can use it to build quality backlinks. Create public Docs, Sheets, or Forms that include links to your website.

Share these assets publicly and embed valuable content with niche-relevant links. Boosts your backlink profile, drives referral traffic, and strengthens your authority in search results.

6. SourceBottle 

SourceBottle connects journalists with expert sources. It sends daily emails with media queries from reporters looking for insights and quotes.

To earn backlinks, sign up, create a complete profile showcasing your expertise, and monitor queries related to your niche. Respond with precise, helpful pitches. If selected, your quote may appear in a published article with a backlink to your website, boosting SEO and referral traffic.

7. BizSugar

BizSugar lets business owners and entrepreneurs share tips, trends, and news. You can gain backlinks by posting niche-relevant content others vote on and engage with.

To build backlinks, create an account, publish valuable content, and include a link to your website. As your posts gain traction, other members may share or link back to your content, increasing referral traffic and SEO rankings.

8. GitHub 

GitHub is a platform where developers collaborate and share open-source projects. You can build backlinks by contributing to repositories, creating documentation, or launching your projects.

Add a link to your website in your GitHub profile, project READMEs, or shared resources. Positions you as an active contributor and helps drive traffic while improving your site’s authority.

9. GrowthHackers 

GrowthHackers is a community for digital marketers focused on business growth. You can earn backlinks by sharing original content, syndicating blog posts, and engaging in discussions.

Post valuable insights and link to your website where relevant. Consistent participation increases your visibility, drives referral traffic, and improves SEO.

10. DeviantArt 

DeviantArt is an online community where artists share artwork, photography, and GIFs. Upload your creations, include a backlink in the description or bio, and attract a new audience while improving your SEO.

Create an account, post consistently, and link to your site. Boosts visibility and earns valuable backlinks from an engaged art community.

11. Business 2 Community 

Business 2 Community is a content-sharing platform where professionals publish insights on marketing, SEO, leadership, and tech. As a contributor, you can submit original or repurposed content to build authority and gain backlinks.

Not only boosts your visibility but also drives referral traffic to your content marketing website, helping improve your search rankings.

12. SoundCloud 

SoundCloud is a popular platform for sharing both music and podcasts. Create a free account, upload your audio content, and add your website link to each track, episode description, or show notes. Helps you build backlinks and drive referral traffic from listeners.

13. Blogger

Blogger is a free, Google-owned platform you can use for link building. Set up a branded blog, publish valuable articles related to your niche, and add relevant links to your website. Optimize blog posts with keywords to drive organic traffic and strengthen your backlink profile.

14. Alltop 

Alltop is a content aggregator that collects real-time RSS feeds from top blogs and websites. Submit your blog’s RSS feed to earn a backlink, boost brand visibility, and drive referral traffic. Optimize blog content to ensure relevance and value for the Alltop audience.

Read Also: How to Remove Outdated Content from Your Website

15. Mix 

Mix is a free platform for curating and sharing content. Create an account, build collections of high-quality articles, videos, or images, and include links to your site.

As users engage with your collections, you earn backlinks, boost brand visibility, and improve your backlink profile.

16 Weebly 

Weebly is a free Web 2.0 platform for building backlinks. Use its drag-and-drop builder to create a branded site, add valuable content, and include backlinks to your main website. These links help improve SEO, boost brand visibility, and build credibility.

17. Wix 

Wix is a free platform you can use to build Web 2.0 backlinks. Create a site, add optimized content, and include backlinks to your leading site.

Sign up for a free account, customize your pages with valuable content, images, or videos, and boost your SEO with relevant links.

18. Yola

Yola is a user-friendly site builder that lets you create content and add backlinks to your business. Sign up, build a site with optimized content, and include links to your main website to strengthen your backlink profile and improve SEO rankings.

19. Live Journal

LiveJournal is a blogging platform that lets you share industry-related posts and include backlinks to your website. Create an account, publish content with targeted links, and engage readers to boost traffic and strengthen your backlink profile.

Read Also: Content Marketing Statistics to Drive Your Brand

20. Tumblr

Tumblr is a microblogging platform that still offers link equity, making it helpful in building free backlinks. Create an account, share valuable multimedia content, include backlinks, and optimize posts with relevant keywords to boost traffic and brand visibility.

21. WordPress

WordPress is the world’s leading content management system, powering over 40% of all websites. To build backlinks, start with a self-hosted WordPress site.

Then, publish high-quality content in your niche and embed strategic backlinks. Additionally, engage your audience through comments and social sharing to boost SEO and increase traffic.

22. Yelp

Yelp is a high-authority platform ideal for building local backlinks. To get started, claim your business listing with a verifiable local address. Once approved, Yelp provides a free, high-quality backlink.

Next, optimize your profile with accurate details, images, and services. Finally, respond to customer reviews to build trust and improve local SEO visibility.

23. Google My Business Profile

Google My Business helps your business rank higher in local search results and builds website authority by linking your brand to a trusted Google platform.

Since 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine, claiming your profile can significantly boost local visibility and customer trust

Read Also: SEO Tips to Help Your Rank Higher

24.  TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a high-authority platform ideal for businesses in the travel industry, such as hotels, restaurants, car rentals, or tour services.

You can earn a quality backlink by creating a strong profile, responding to reviews, and highlighting what sets your business apart. Additionally, this builds trust and attracts potential customers searching for reliable travel experiences.

25. Trustpilot

Trustpilot is a customer review website that contains reviews of businesses worldwide. You may sign up, have your company listed, and add a backlink.

Then, encourage your consumers to submit reviews for your site, which can help you increase your brand’s authority in your sector.

26. LinkedIn

LinkedIn helps you connect with industry professionals and share content relevant to your niche. When you post valuable insights, engage in conversations, and link to your website, you build backlinks while increasing your brand’s authority and visibility.

27. Medium

Medium lets you publish for both original and repurposed content with backlinks to your website. Use this platform to boost your reach, build authority, and strengthen your SEO strategy.

28. Quora

Quora is a popular Q&A platform where users seek and share knowledge. While it doesn’t primarily serve for backlink building, providing valuable answers related to your expertise can indirectly drive traffic to your site.

Include links when genuinely relevant. However, be cautious not to overly self-promote, as Quora values informative contributions.

29. Pinterest

Pinterest is a visual discovery platform where you can showcase both contents through engaging pins and boards.

To get started, create eye-catching visuals, optimize descriptions with keywords, and link back to your website. Consistent activity helps you build visibility, drive traffic, and earn valuable backlinks.

30. Facebook

Facebook isn’t a primary backlink source, but you can still earn link equity. Create a business page, add links in the About section, and share content in posts. Join niche-relevant groups, engage with users, and post valuable content to increase visibility and drive traffic.

31. Twitter

Twitter is a popular site for various Internet marketers, and it’s an excellent place to obtain a steady supply of backlinks.

32. YouTube

YouTube is a powerful platform for building both do-follow and nofollow backlinks. Add links in your video descriptions, channel About section, and community posts.

Include more than five links per channel to drive traffic and improve SEO. Create helpful videos that match your niche, and engage with viewers to guide them to your site.

Also Read: How Many Backlinks Per Month Should You Get?

33. Vimeo

Vimeo is a professional video-sharing platform that creators and businesses use to showcase high-quality videos. Additionally, it lets you add links to your website in your profile and video descriptions.

Vimeo doesn’t primarily focus on link building, but supports your SEO strategy if you regularly publish video content. These links can drive traffic, improve visibility, and boost your brand’s authority.

34. Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a widely used online encyclopedia with strict editorial standards. You can earn backlinks by contributing well-sourced, neutral content to relevant articles.

When you cite your website as a credible reference, editors may retain the link if it adds value. While Wikipedia backlinks are usually nofollow, they can improve your site’s visibility and drive traffic from a trusted platform.

35. Industry Blogs

Industry blogs offer opportunities for guest posting, which is an excellent way to earn backlinks. However, to make the most of this strategy, choose reputable blogs relevant to your niche with good domain authority, ensuring that the backlinks gained can positively impact your SEO efforts.

36. Minds

Minds is a blockchain-based social media platform where users earn tokens by posting and engaging with content.

You can include backlinks in your posts and profile to drive traffic to your site. It offers a niche space to build backlinks while participating in a decentralized, crypto-friendly community.

37. Unsplash

Unsplash is a platform where users share and download free, high-quality images. While not designed for link building, photographers and creators can add backlinks to their website in image attributions.

By uploading original photos, you can earn backlinks and drive referral traffic when others use your images and credit your site.

38. Flickr

Flickr is an image-sharing platform where users can upload and showcase their photos. Moreover, you can include your website link in image descriptions or your profile.

While Flickr isn’t primarily a backlink-building tool, popular images can generate referral traffic and improve brand visibility.

39. SlideShare

SlideShare is an online resource that allows you to share presentations and documents. Moreover, it enables users to include backlinks in their slides, making it a valuable platform for sharing content and earning backlinks.

40. Wattpad

Wattpad is a writing and reading community. While it allows authors to showcase their work, including backlinks within the content might be more complex.

However, you can still use it to engage with readers while indirectly promoting your website.

Final Take on Free Backlink Sites

Free backlink sites can help boost your SEO rankings, but they work best when used strategically. Focus on relevant platforms, share high-quality content, and diversify your link sources.

It builds a strong, natural backlink profile that supports long-term SEO growth.
Since the value of these sites can change over time, track their performance and adjust your strategy regularly to maintain lasting results.

Featured Image Source: seochatter.com

If you’ve just started working on your website’s SEO and are wondering when you’ll start seeing results, you’re not alone. Almost every founder, blogger, or marketer has asked this same question: How long does SEO take to work?

And the frustrating answer?

It depends.

But that’s not helpful, right? So in this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what’s going on behind the scenes, what affects how fast (or slow) you rank, and how to know if your SEO is on the right track. Think of this like a map—one that shows you where the slow curves, steep hills, and acceleration lanes are.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Why Does SEO Take So Long to Work?

Imagine planting a seed.

You water it, give it sunlight, and care for it daily. But the next day? It still looks like a pot of dirt. That’s SEO.

SEO works kind of like farming. You’re not buying results like you would with ads. You’re building authority, relevance, and trust with Google—over time.

Here’s why it takes a while:

• Google doesn’t instantly trust your website. Especially if it’s new, Google needs time to figure out who you are and if you’re a reliable source.
  
• There are millions of websites. If you’re writing about something lots of other websites are also covering (like “best laptops” or “how to lose weight”), you’re in a tough race.
  
• Google uses hundreds of factors to rank websites. Things like your content, your website’s speed, how many other websites link to you, and how easy your site is to read and navigate.
  
• Google needs time to find and understand your content. Even if you publish a great blog post, it can take days or weeks before Google fully crawls, indexes, and evaluates it.
  

So SEO isn’t just about writing and waiting. It’s about doing the right things consistently and patiently.

How to Get SEO Results Faster

Now, while SEO takes time, there are things you can do to speed things up a little bit. Think of these like adding fertilizer to your plant—it doesn’t make it grow in one day, but it helps.

1. Choose Easier Keywords to Compete For

Let’s say you’ve just opened a tiny coffee shop in a big city. If you try to compete with Starbucks on day one, you’ll get crushed. But if you focus on your local street or neighborhood—boom, now you have a chance.

That’s what low-competition and long-tail keywords are.

Instead of going for “digital marketing,” try something like “digital marketing for handmade soap businesses.”

Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or even Google’s autocomplete can help you find these gems.

2. Understand What the Searcher Really Wants (Search Intent)

Let’s say someone types “best running shoes.” Do they want a history of shoes? No—they want recommendations.

Google tries really hard to match what people mean when they search—not just the words they type.

So before you write, Google the keyword yourself and look at the top results:

• Are they listicles? (“Top 10 Running Shoes”)
  
• Are they reviews? (“Nike vs. Adidas”)
  
• Are they how-tos? (“How to choose running shoes”)
  

Match the type of content you create with what’s already ranking. That’s what Google thinks people want.

3. Fix the Hidden Tech Problems on Your Site

Even if your writing is great, your website needs to be technically sound.

Think of it like a beautiful house built on a weak foundation—it looks good, but it’s risky.

Technical SEO means:

• Making sure your pages load fast
  
• Making sure your site works well on mobile phones
  
• Fixing broken links
  
• Avoiding duplicate content
  
• Making sure search engines can find your pages (via sitemaps and clean code)
  

You can use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Sitebulb to find and fix problems.

4. Keep Publishing Great Content—and Clean Up the Bad Stuff

Content is your fuel.

You need to publish regularly, but more importantly—you need to publish helpful content. That means:

• Giving real answers
  
• Showing examples
  
• Keeping it updated
  

At the same time, go through your old posts. If something is thin, outdated, or useless—either fix it or delete it.

And if you have 3 articles saying the same thing? Combine them into one powerful guide and redirect the old ones.

5. Get Links—Internally and From Other Sites

Links are like votes.

If other good websites link to your content, Google sees you as trustworthy.

You can get these by:

• Guest posting
  
• Being featured in niche blogs or news sites
  
• Creating content that’s good enough to be cited naturally
  

Also, don’t forget to link between your own pages. It helps Google understand your site structure and keeps people exploring.

5 Things That Determine How Fast You’ll See Results

You can do everything right and still see slow results if these factors aren’t working in your favor:

1. Your Budget and Resources

If you’re doing everything yourself in your spare time, results will come slower. If you have a team creating content, fixing your site, and building links, things move faster.

2. Your Domain’s Age and History

Older websites that have built up a good reputation usually rank faster. New sites? They need to prove themselves.

If your domain has been penalized before (maybe someone used spammy tactics in the past), that can also slow you down.

3. How Search-Engine-Friendly Your Website Is

If your website has poor navigation, no clear structure, or messy code, Google has a hard time figuring it out. Clean things up:

• Use proper headings (H1, H2, etc.)
  
• Make sure your URLs are simple and descriptive
  
• Write good page titles and meta descriptions
  

4. How Fast Google Can Crawl and Index Your Site

Sometimes Google takes a long time to discover your pages. You can help by:

• Submitting new pages to Google Search Console
  
• Having a sitemap
  
• Avoiding pages blocked by robots.txt or “noindex” tags by mistake
  

5. The Competition in Your Industry

Trying to rank for fitness, health, finance, or tech? Expect slower results. These are ultra-competitive.

But if you’re targeting something specific like “SEO for landscaping companies in Phoenix,” you might see traction within weeks.

What a Real SEO Timeline Looks Like (Month by Month)

Let’s say you’ve just started your SEO campaign. Here’s what to expect in the first six months:

Month 1: Research and Audit

You begin by:

• Auditing your website
  
• Researching your keywords
  
• Looking at what your competitors are doing
  
• Making a game plan
  

Not much happens on the surface this month, but this research is your blueprint.

Month 2: Fixing and Preparing

You fix tech issues, set up Google tools, and maybe redesign a few parts of your site.

You’ll also start writing your first pieces of content.

But traffic? Still probably flat. That’s normal.

Month 3: Content Starts Rolling Out

Now the fun begins.

You start publishing helpful blog posts, improving service pages, and setting up internal links. If you’ve done outreach, maybe you get your first backlinks.

A few keywords might creep onto page 2 or 3 of search results.

Month 4: First Signs of Life

Now you start seeing actual growth.

• You get more impressions in Google Search Console
  
• A few posts show up on page 1 (usually for long-tail keywords)
  
• You might start getting a trickle of traffic
  

Keep going. This is where most people give up—but you’re just warming up.

Month 5: Acceleration

You’re in a groove now.

• Content is consistent
  
• You’re building links and getting mentions
  
• You’ve removed bad pages and improved your site structure
  

Traffic starts climbing. Maybe 300–1000 monthly visitors. Leads or sales might start trickling in.

Month 6: Compounding Growth

This is when it gets fun.

Your old posts are ranking higher. Your new posts get indexed faster. Your site starts earning trust.

If you’ve done things right, you might be seeing:

• 2–5x the traffic you had in month 3
  
• Consistent keyword wins
  
• Some page 1 rankings for higher-volume queries
  

So… When Will I Rank #1?

If you’re asking, “When will I be number one on Google?”—pause.

It’s not about ranking #1 for everything. It’s about building a steady stream of traffic that grows month after month.

Realistically:

• In a low-competition niche with great execution? You might see real results in 3–6 months.
  
• In a competitive niche? Expect 9–12 months before you hit serious traction.
  

But the cool part?

Once it works, it works on autopilot. No ads. No chasing trends. Just reliable, compounding organic traffic.

Final Thoughts

SEO is not a quick fix. It’s a long-term investment. But if you stick with it, the rewards are huge.

You’ll build trust, get traffic while you sleep, and eventually—rankings, leads, and authority will come to you.

So be patient. Keep learning. Keep publishing.

Your future self will thank you.