SEO Expert Insights: Purpose-Driven Link Building

An Interview with Experience Inbound Speaker, Dale Bertrand of Fire&Spark

Search engine optimization (SEO), like the technology used to implement it, is always evolving. With Google’s early algorithms, link building was a major component of getting the right traction for your website. Now that AI is the prominent driving force behind Google serving up content that meets the searcher’s intent, there’s a greater emphasis on original, relevant, and informative content that will point searchers to the best websites for their query.

But has link building fallen totally by the wayside? Short answer: No! Link building remains a vital piece of the SEO puzzle.

Ahead of his breakout sessions at Experience Inbound on June 6 and June 7, I sat down with Dale Bertrand to gain insights on link building from a true SEO expert — a taste of what he has in store for conference attendees. Dale backs up his presentations with expertise gained from years of experience in SEO for Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed startups.

Watch the full video above and read below for a summary of what Dale had to say about the importance of link building in today’s SEO landscape. Then register for Experience Inbound 2022 to hear him provide even more details on the subject and learn how to implement this approach for your own company growth.

Modern SEO: More Than Just Technical

While the original days of SEO were spent focusing on technical aspects of getting Google to properly crawl a website, such as HTML tags and making sure links weren’t broken, today’s SEO techniques rely more on relating to the customer and building up authority.

“Google’s switched their algorithm to be AI (artificial intelligence) based. So, it used to be that we, when we’re doing SEO, were focused on the rules that Google’s applying — to crawling and indexing and, you know, what do I need to do in order to beat my competition,” Dale explains. “And nowadays, because Google’s based on AI, what’s more important is how Google’s training its AI.”

According to Dale, this AI is adept at matching the intent of the searcher with what they’re looking for online, making content that matters to the searcher a primary concern in SEO. 

RELATED: 8 Must-Do Activities for Ongoing SEO Success

What New SEO Trends are Emerging?

With the advancements in Google’s web-crawling capabilities, it isn’t as necessary to emphasize some of those older, more technical components. Now, businesses can put the focus back on what the customer needs and how to best offer it to them.

“Instead what we’re focused on, we call it ‘customer intimacy,’ which is getting back to Marketing 101, which is understanding, ‘what questions do your customers ask when they’re making a purchase decision,’ and making sure that you have the right information, the best information to answer those questions that your customers are asking.”

Continued Importance of Link Building Today

Link building can now work in tandem with relevant content to help bring a site toward the top of the search results. While Google may have updated its algorithm to factor in more intuitive SEO components, relevant backlinks still matter. Dale explains that those links are seen as “endorsements” to the content, which then helps build authority.

“Even if you have the answers to your customers’ questions, why does Google think you’re (authoritative) on these topics,” Dale says. “Link building … is one of the main ways, still, nowadays, 20 years later, that Google is determining, you know, how much authority your website has relative to your competitors.”

The bottom line: Even though other aspects of SEO have taken the spotlight after Google’s updates over the last two decades, relevant, purpose-driven link building remains essential. Google looks for the right content from trustworthy sources, and link building helps earn that trustworthy status.

Learn More from Dale Bertrand at Experience Inbound 2022

This is just the tip of the SEO iceberg. Watch the video above for our full interview with Dale to hear him go into greater detail on purpose-driven link building and other important SEO considerations in 2022. But that’s not your only chance to learn from him! You can gain more expert insights from Dale at Wisconsin’s premier marketing and sales conference, Experience Inbound!

The event is taking place June 6 in Milwaukee at American Family Field and June 7, 2022 in Green Bay at Lambeau Field. Dale’s session is ideal for anyone creating online content or managing their company’s website content who’s looking to boost their SEO strategy — and attract more qualified traffic — now and in the future.

Don’t miss your chance to network with other sales and marketing professionals and industry experts while learning new tactics you can implement right away. Click to access your tickets today!