We're continuing our link building series this week by tackling head-on the classic catch-22 situation of attracting incoming links. On the one hand, links are an important factor in search algorithms. However, overly active link building can put your website in trouble with Google and Bing. Recall last week's article for the specific site linking policies.

Search engines go to great lengths to determine if the links coming into your site are "natural" and were created by real people who are genuinely interested in your site. So how can you effectively build links without being accused of using underhanded methods? The starting point is to develop your site with VIE-able content. You need a great website with engaging content in order to inspire anyone to link to you. Having great content does not guarantee you will get links, but without it, your odds of success will plummet.

What do we mean by VIE-able content?

• Valuable - Do you have something of genuine value to customer or visitors? This can be unique products, unmatched resources, free apps and tools, or anything else that will keep your core customer base drawn to your site.
• Interesting - Does your content captivate your audience? Having informative and fresh content is crucial, but equally important is presenting that content in a compelling manner by emphasizing great writing, top quality images, and captivating design. These attributes can encourage other site owners to link to this content rather than re-inventing the wheel and writing it themselves.
• Entertaining - You don't need to make the next viral youtube hit, but the basic premise remains: people link to things they enjoy. If your site can find a more lively way to engage your audience than the same old stale formats, you may find other site owners more than willing to link to and talk about that content.

A VIE-able content creation approach is the cornerstone of a strategy that promotes natural linking from other sites. So check out your site with a critical eye and make sure it stands out with VIE-able content.

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