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SerpLogic Reviews the Current State of Link Outreach

The internet is littered with misinformation and pure fluff, written by talkers, no doers. Here's how and why you should be vigilant when partnering with link outreach providers.

SerpLogic Reviews the Current State of Link Outreach

This is a sponsored post written by SerpLogic. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own.

When I first launched my SEO blog, SerpLogic, which later pivoted into the full-blown agency it is today, I created the tag-line “Real Talk Marketing,” because I felt there was a severe lack of experience-backed content.

I started my blog several years ago, after my previous SEO agency was acquired, as an outlet to provide real-world advice and tips related to search engine optimization and online marketing in general.

The internet is littered with misinformation and pure fluff, written by talkers, no doers. Think about this for a minute: a larger percentage of the SEO-themed content published is written by people that are regurgitating other articles, and not actually basing their content on knowledge gained by being knee-deep in SEO.

Say-No-to-Gurus

The articles I was publishing started to receive a lot of traction, and I started to receive emails from CMOs and in-house SEO managers at large corporations. They all had the same need and desire: niche-relevant links from real websites.

At this moment I knew there was a huge opportunity, so I immediately went back into agency mode, and built a large internal team of outreach specialists, and within a couple years SerpLogic was doing seven-figures annually. I say this not to brag, but rather make the point that I speak from experience.

The current state of link outreach is a disaster, and I think the end-consumer deserves to know the what the difference is between spammy outreach and genuine outreach. Sadly, many businesses are being sold pure garbage.

Let’s All Agree That Outreach Is Effective & Well Worth the Time and Monetary Investment

There is no denying that real outreach can net real results when it comes to experiencing gains in the SERPs.

It’s worth investing your own time and resources, if available, or hiring an agency to handle this, provided they are actually doing authentic outreach, and not just putting a shiny bow on a bunch of fakes placements and calling them outreach posts.

The Highest Authority Links, Secured the Way Google Loves It – Naturally

While Google’s algorithm has taken several twists and turns over the years, combined with several updates and rollouts, authority links from real sites have never once stopped working.

Sure, there was talk a while ago about Google devaluing editorial links, and I’ve got one thing to say (in my best Trump voice): FAKE NEWS! They work, they have always worked, and they will continue to work.

Fake-News

SEO Boost Along with Branding & Referral Traffic Benefits

The majority of outreach campaigns have one main goal, and that is securing high-quality niche relevant links, but not all value SEO benefits as the main reason for outreach.

Many companies, especially large national brands, value the branding aspect the most, along with the referral traffic gained from well-placed links.

As crazy as it might sound, the SEO benefits of outreach are in the number three spot in terms of the “why,” for some companies.

Sadly, Most Outreach Providers Are Snake Oil Salesmen

The average business owner doesn’t know how to sniff out a low-quality blog that exists solely for link dropping. They see the metrics like Domain Authority (DA), which is easily inflated, and receive a report showing the blog post.

They assume the agency did a knock-out job when in reality they received a Fiverr quality link that delivers absolutely zero value.

Now, not all outreach posts are going to appear on top authority sites, but selling placements obtained (I use that term loosely) on websites that receive no real traffic is dirty.

They Are ‘Securing’ Placements on Websites That Receive Zero Traffic

Want to know how to quickly determine whether a blog placement is on a quality website?

Look at the engagement of the most recent dozen posts. Are there social shares? Comments? If not, a red flag should go up.

Timeline in terms of securing placements is also a key indicator. Real quality outreach takes time, yet there are agencies delivering outreach posts in a matter of 24 hours.

It takes several pitches and multiple back-and-forth conversations to secure a single post. There are no shortcuts when performing real outreach.

Smoking-Mirrors

You Are at Risk Belonging to Such a Massive Footprint

Not only do poor quality posts suck up your outreach budget and deliver zero value, but they also put your website in danger of being penalized and slapped right out of the SERPs.

You see, these low-quality blogs typically feature very general and generic themes, which allows the owners to drop links to any and all niches.

If one of these sites is identified, Google has no problem identifying every website link from the blog and handing out penalties like candy.

Metrics Are Inflated & Referral Traffic Is Non-Existent

If you come across a claimed outreach post that appears to have no signs of life, dive into the metrics. I know a lot of SEO industry people love DA, but it’s easily gamed and can be inflated using Fiverr spam gigs.

If the link profile had foreign spam, thousands of blog comments and an anchor profile that isn’t diverse then you can be certain you were sold a crap sandwich and told it was prime rib.

No-Traffic2

What to Demand in Your Outreach Provider

If you are purchasing outreach posts, demand the best. This includes placements on not only high authority websites but also niche-relevant ones that have strong traffic numbers.

Also, make sure you are being placed into content that is well written. If you are featured in a $5 outsourced article, it’s a bad look for your company and also makes the post much easier for Google to spot and penalize.

Final Thoughts

Link building isn’t going away anytime soon because links are still the number one factor when trying to rank organically in the SERPs. This makes securing high-quality niche-relevant links a top priority of every SEO strategy.

You can either do the outreach on your own, spending countless hours every day making new contacts, following up on pending pitches, and coordinating content, or you can hire an agency to handle the outreach.

Hopefully, this post has made you aware of the pure garbage that’s being presented as outreach, when in reality it’s low-level blog posts.

If you are tight on time, consider my agency’s link-building outreach service, which secures your website placements on real websites through authentic human-to-human outreach.


Image Credits

Featured Image: Image by SerpLogic. Used with permission.
In-Post Photos: Image by SerpLogic. Used with permission.

Tommy McDonald Owner & Founder at SerpLogic

Originally from Ireland.. currently chasing the sun in Spain. I’ve been involved in the SEO industry in one form or ...

SerpLogic Reviews the Current State of Link Outreach

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