how to audit and assess links under duress

searchmarketingexpo.com@Sugarrae

#SMX #22A

HOW TO AUDIT & ASSESS LINKS (UNDER DURESS)


#SMX #22A

And you’re all…


#SMX #22A

And your competitors are all…


#SMX #22A

And Google be like…


#SMX #22A


#SMX #22A

Auditing your backlinks

Manual?

Fire sale:•If you created it and can’t honestly justify any value to the link outside of SEO? It must go.•Even if your competitors have the same crappy links? They must go.•Even if they’re crappy links from a once approved tactic? They must go.•If Google cites an example link? All links like it must go.•Even if it’s “not fair?” They must go.•What if is has cherry anchor text? Danger, Will Robinson!•The more you try to do “just enough?” The more pissed off Google is going to get.

Painful? YOU BET

Don’t stress over*:Natural**, yet crappy links***


#SMX #22A


#SMX #22A

Auditing your backlinks

Algorithmic?

Think percentages

• Link types• Link status• Anchors• Link attributes• Link locales• Link strength• Site types• Reclamation

You might need to stress over:Natural, yet crappy links


#SMX #22A

Link Analysis

Always use GWT links* AND an outside database + current disavow file (if any)

Use generalizations (see cliff notes) to identify what is worth reviewing

You should do your best to hand review links that are in the gray area

If you have a lot of links, you’ll need to over rely on generalizations

Manual penalties need to use a “machete”

Algorithmic penalties can take more of a “scalpel” approach

I use linkresearchtools.com for segmentation and statistics,

BUT NOT ANALYSIS


#SMX #22A

(Almost) Universal Decisions (for me)

Link auditing cliff notes

• A good .info is like bigfoot• Links on disallowed pages don’t help (in theory) = Keep or kill*• Links on noindexed pages don’t help (in theory) = Keep or kill*• Nofollowed links don’t help (in theory) = Keep or kill*• Sites that don’t rank for their own title tags have issues

Title rank 30 or above* = KillTitle rank 20-30 = Kill*Title rank 10-20 = Review or killTitle rank 3-10= Review or killTitle rank 1-3= Keep*

• Links from foreign domains if your site doesn’t target those countries = Kill• “PPC” links if you’re not a “PPC” company = Kill• “Page rank directories” = Kill• Severely off theme links = Kill• ROS links = Review or kill*

*Your level of paranoia may vary


#SMX #22A

Random Tidbits

Link auditing cliff notes

•You can use LRT to examine only the links in a current disavow file•You can use LRT to examine only the links that GWT provides•You can use LRT to examine combinations or exclusions of the above•Page rank means nothing•Even if a domain is dead, I still disavow it•LJR report on LRT can help with good link reclamation (can sometimes be a culprit)•Run link audits on well ranking competitors to see their percentage breakdowns•Does it pass the WIIWN test?*•Disavow or remove? I have personally seen disavow work independent of removal•Proactively disavow? Sort of…

*(What If It Were Nofollowed) - no not in a unicorn way - in a realistic way


#SMX #22A

Life After Penalty

So once I remove the penalty / escape the filter, I’ll get “my” rankings back?


#SMX #22A

how to audit and assess links under duress

Marketing

review links

kill ppc links

kill ros links

bigfoot links

theme links

lot of links

theyre crappy links

nofollowed links dont