Introduction

Table of contents

• Introduction
• What I Learned from a Costly Backlinking Mistake
  • 1. Engaging a Freelancer: A Budget-Friendly Approach
    • Finding Freelancers
    • Initial Questionnaire and Information
    • Site Selection
  • 2. Obtaining the Backlink
  • 3. Evaluating the Quality of the Site
  • 4. Analyzing Traffic and Bot Issues
  • 5. Costs and Lessons Learned
  • 6. Considerations for Future Backlinking
  • Conclusion

What I Learned from a Costly Backlinking Mistake

Welcome to our blog! Today, I’m sharing a learning experience from a recent backlinking venture that didn’t go as planned. Our goal is to help fellow SEO enthusiasts and website owners avoid similar pitfalls by walking you through this experience, step by step.

We’re not here to promote or discourage using freelancers for backlinking. Instead, this article will guide you on the precautions you should take when engaging freelancers. Freelancers have their pros and cons, and our aim is to help you navigate this process more effectively.

1. Engaging a Freelancer: A Budget-Friendly Approach

When it comes to building backlinks, hiring a freelancer can be a cost-effective option. Platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and LinkedIn are popular places to find freelancers who specialize in backlinking. Here’s a brief rundown of how it typically works:

Finding Freelancers

You can search for SEO experts or link-building specialists on these platforms. These platforms offer a wide range of professionals, so you can choose someone who fits your needs and budget.

Initial Questionnaire and Information

Once you’ve found a freelancer, you’ll need to provide some initial details. This typically includes sharing your website URL, budget, target page URL (such as a blog post or product page), and preferred anchor text (the clickable text for your link).

Site Selection

The freelancer will then present a list of potential sites where your backlink could be placed. They will also provide the cost for each site. While paying for backlinks is against Google’s guidelines, many sites charge for guest posts or similar placements. It’s common in the industry, but be cautious. Both spammy and legitimate sites might charge maintenance fees, so careful review is crucial.

2. Obtaining the Backlink

Once you’ve approved the list of sites, you’ll proceed with confirming the transaction. The freelancer will coordinate with site admins to insert your link or publish a guest post. After completion, you’ll receive a notification to verify that the backlink is correctly placed.

For our example, we pre-approved a site called dogsvets.com**. It’s important to note that while we did not work directly with dogsvets.com, this site was part of the list of potential sites provided by the freelancer.

3. Evaluating the Quality of the Site

Before confirming the transaction, it’s essential to evaluate the site’s quality thoroughly. Here’s what to check:

• Site’s Organic Traffic: The site should have meaningful organic traffic. Dogsvets.com, unfortunately, had minimal traffic, which should have been a red flag.
• Keyword Ranking: Check if the site ranks for competitive keywords. A site that’s not ranking well or has low traffic cost might not offer much value.
• Key Pages: Look for detailed pages like “About Us” or author bios. Dogsvets.com lacked relevant author information and was vague about its purpose.
• Content Quality: Assess the content quality. On dogsvets.com, the content was poorly written, with random link insertions and some links still in square brackets, indicating a lack of professionalism.
• Design and Usability: Evaluate the site’s design and user experience. Dogsvets.com had an unattractive design and was cluttered with ads, which affected user experience negatively.

All the above are red flags which we did not catch. Rookie mistake - but better late than never. Please note the above, and ensure you guys avoid the same mistake.

For more details, checkout our 6-Step Link Building Checklist to ensure you only get high-quality backlinks.

4. Analyzing Traffic and Bot Issues

After placing the backlink, we observed unusual traffic patterns from dogsvets.com to our site. Here’s what we found:

• Link Analysis: The backlink was placed on this page, which only linked back to our separation anxiety guide.
• Google Analytics Data: We saw discrepancies in our Google Analytics data, such as:
  • 2 Users and 17 Sessions
  • 224 Views

Explanation: In Google Analytics, a “user” represents an individual who visits your site, while a “session” is a visit that can include multiple pages. “Views” refer to the total number of pages viewed. High views with very few users and sessions are unusual because it suggests that a small number of visitors are generating a lot of page views, which could be a sign of automated or bot traffic.

• Pages other than /dog-separation-anxiety-training-guide/ are also reaching traffic

This is a red flag! Because users cannot reach other Pet Coach SG web pages as there is only one link in the dogsvets site!

We can almost confirm that this is bot traffic based on this information

• Bot Traffic Characteristics: We suspected bot traffic because bots can simulate visits and spoof referrer domains. Here’s a bit more detail:
  • Bots: Bots are automated scripts that visit websites without human interaction. They can generate traffic that looks real but isn’t.
  • Spoofing Referrer Domains: Bots can mask their origin, making it look like traffic is coming from a legitimate site when it’s not. This can inflate traffic numbers and make the data seem misleading.

If your site is receiving multiple bot traffic, google might infer that you are trying to manipulate SEO results and penalise your website. This makes it difficult for you to rank.

5. Costs and Lessons Learned

The cost of obtaining the backlink was USD 100, and this experience taught us valuable lessons:

• Thorough Vetting: Always thoroughly vet the sites before confirming the transaction. A site that seems questionable can lead to wasted money and, in the worst case, Google penalties that can be difficult to resolve.
• Quality Check: Ensure that the sites you choose for backlinks are reputable and high-quality. Freelancers can be a helpful resource, but the sites they suggest should be carefully evaluated.

6. Considerations for Future Backlinking

To avoid similar issues in the future, use this checklist when reviewing potential backlink sites:

• Verify Organic Traffic and Keyword Rankings: Ensure the site has meaningful traffic and ranks well for relevant keywords.
• Check for Author Details and Site Purpose: Look for clear, detailed information about the site’s purpose and authors.
• Assess Content Quality: Confirm that the content is well-written and professionally managed, avoiding sites with random or placeholder links.
• Evaluate Design and Usability: The site should have a clean, user-friendly design without excessive ads.
• Ensure Credibility and Reputation: Choose sites with a good reputation and clear, trustworthy content.

Refer to our 6-Step Backlink Vetting Checklist when reviewing and pre-approving sites for backlink!

Conclusion

By sharing this experience, we hope to help you make more informed decisions when it comes to backlinking. The key is to thoroughly vet potential sites, focus on quality, and be cautious with your investment.

If you have your own backlinking stories or questions, feel free to share them! Let’s learn from each other’s experiences and continue to improve our SEO strategies together!

For more insights on backlinking and SEO, check out our related articles and resources. Don’t forget to subscribe or follow us for more tips and updates. Let’s keep learning and growing together!

Peace and Love
Shafik Walakaka