In HubSpot’s recent inbound marketing booklet 17 SEO Myths You Should Leave Behind in 2014, the one to consider is Myth #4: More Links are Better than More Content.
When asked to choose between link building and content generation, Ron Medlin of 98toGo says to hire someone to write for you.
His argument is that by investing in quality content relevant to what you do, you’re providing customers with useful information and creating opportunities for them to find you. This strategy is generally considered to be more effective than acquiring numerous low-value links.
While we are firm adherents to the cult of content strategy, and content production is at the core of what we do, Medlin’s statement is a bit misleading to the average reader. Content over low-quality links, sure, but a business owner or manager needs to know that links are still critical, and that link building increasingly relies on solid content production. For many SEOs, the sole purpose of content is to build links.
Beyond Content, Links Still Matter
In reality, if you want your business to show up in search engines in the long-term for anything remotely competitive, you’ll need quality content and inbound links.
It’s important to understand that high-value links and online business success begin with quality content, but there’s more involved if it’s Google domination you’re after. A ton of outreach, legwork, engagement, and luck goes into building links to that content, as well. To pretend otherwise can lead to unrealistic expectations.
So if you’re a small business without a $5k/mo online marketing budget to create and market quality content to help you grow your business, what do you do? (other than this, of course)
Fortunately, we’ve got an idea that never fails to generate the local links critical to small business, goodwill for your brand, and new opportunities for growth. Check out our next post: The Local SEO Secret that Never Fails.