It’s a deal to die for: 10,000 keyword-enriched backlinks, delivered within two days, and for only $5. Or how about 500 blog comments on 500 unique domains?
Think we’re making this up? Think again:
Both screenshots come from Fiverr.com, a recently launched online portal that allows individuals to post and search for five-dollar “gigs”.
From a search engine perspective, it’s hard to overstate the importance of quality inbound links. Independent tests have shown that backlink popularity is the most important website ranking factor, by some estimates constituting roughly 70 percent of Google’s algorithm.
500 links for $5 sounds like some serious link-lovin’, but are “verdox” and “rippa911” promising something that’s too good to be true? At Webhead, we have a common saying, “If it looks like a spammer, smells like a spammer, and quacks like a spammer, it’s a spammer.”
How exactly does automatic link building work, and is it worth your time and money?
In most cases, it’s all about downloading the right software. Programs like ScapeBox and SE Nuke X make it easy to compile a list of websites and blogs that are relevant to specified keywords and which accept comments. From there, it’s just a matter of loading the desired keyword-enriched link, which the program will auto-submit to the list of specified websites.
The whole process sounds like a link builder’s dream come true, so what are the drawbacks?
First, it’s very unlikely that your auto-submitted comment will ever actually make it onto the website. Most popular blogging platforms like WordPress have built-in spam protection and the comments section on quality blogs is almost always moderated by a living human being.
Second, platforms like WordPress automatically “no-follow” links submitted via comments. What does that mean? As Google’s Matt Cutts explains very explicitly on his blog, “nofollow links don’t help sites rank higher in Google’s search results.”
Third, Google employs a group of PhD statisticians who are trained to look for unnatural link building patterns. If you think that auto-submitted links blasted to thousands of blogs won’t stick out like a sore thumb, you’re wrong. In the best case scenario, your website will receive a temporary boost in search engine rankings. In the worst case, you’ll be penalized and your site’s ranking will drop.
The key takeaway is pretty clear here, folks: link building done via automation tools is a waste of time and money. When hiring an SEO consultant, always demand to get a clear explanation of the company’s tactics and strategies. And remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
