For years we’ve heard the news that SEO is dead, links are dead. Now we hear that Google would magically “figure it all out”. But links are more powerful than ever. With many people shying away, not wanting to take any risks and thereby leaving all the money on the table – for YOU. Learn what’s working and what’s not working in links for SEO in 2018 and beyond. Learn why Link Audits and the Disavow file are still so important, and what kind of links work and where and how you’d better be careful. Key areas covered in this session: 1. Should we still use the disavow tool? 2. Are link audits still important? 3. Are links still important? 4. How can redirects impact my rankings? 5. Should we still build links 6. How do PBN links and work and how to build them so they stick?

1. Links
For SEO in 2018 – and beyond

2. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
привіт, одеся!

3. @cemper #8pua
Hi, I am Christoph C. Cemper
Links & SEO since 2003
Founder & CEO of

4. @cemper #8pua
Orange Jackets and SEO

5. @cemper
#8pua
Author of “Spaghetti Code”
Detangling Life and Work
With Programmer Wisdom
A bridge between Developers
and „Other People“
Because I‘m also
a developer 

6. @cemper
#8pua
7 Chapters in 20 minutes
But we have a break afterwards 

7. @cemper #8pua
ARE
LINKS IMPORTANT?
1

8. @cemper #8pua
YES, the web is
Content
and
Links

9. @cemper #8puaLinks still No#1 Ranking Factor
Andrey Lipattsev – Search Quality Senior Strategist at Google’s March 2016

10. #8pua @cemper
“You do a great job at reminding people about the
importance of links.
And WE (Google) don’t appreciate that.”
~Garry Ilyes to Cemper, Brighton Sep 2017
!

11. @cemper #8pua
HOW TO BUILD
GREAT LINKS
(some ideas that still work)
2

12. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/linkmetrics/8p
BUY Links (but be careful)
•Which? The right ones.
•Look at Link Detox Risk *BEFORE* with LORT
https://lrt.co/lort/8p
•Look at POWER
•Look at TRUST

13. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/linkmetrics/8p
BUY Links (but be careful)
• Don’t buy where everyone buys.
• BUY only the best links, as decided by LORT
• “Buy” from yourself – your web (PBN…)
•Careful - Don’t get caught by Google
• Don’t brag, don’t talk

14. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/lort/8p
LORT?
A quick reminder
A Link is a connection from
Source(A) to Target(B)

15. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/lort/8p
Are you Checking
Link Quality or only Source Page Quality?
A BTHIS is the LINK
I am only the
source page
I am the LINK
you want to
check
I am only the
target page
Don’t check ONLY the Source! (like everyone else)

16. @cemper #8pua
LORT?
• Don’t check ONLY the Source Page
• Check a Link as A to B - before you build it!
• Estimate risk before possible damage is done
• Build the best links only available
• Save Time and Money
• Benefit Long Term

17. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/pbn/8p
Build a Powerful PBN, means
•KNOW the best domain buying strategy
•KNOW how to recover link power
•KNOW the best content strategy
@cemper #8pua

18. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/pbn/8p
Build a Powerful PBN, means
•Clean expired domains
•Cleaned up Spam and Penalties
•No footprints
•P for PRIVATE – not Public
•Link Detox “off-label use” = PBN Building
@cemper #8pua

19. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/pbn/8p
Build a Powerful PBN, how to
1. Find strong, expired domains - https://lrt.co/url/8p
2. Set up in a clean environment
3. DISAVOW all the BAD links ASAP - https://lrt.co/dtox/8p
4. Recover the content and improve it strategy
5. Recover the power + trust from good links – https://lrt.co/ljr/8p
6. Boost those links for faster effect - https://lrt.co/boost/8p
@cemper #8pua

20. @cemper #8puaHow to build a PBN with LinkResearchTools (LRT)
We wrote a book on it…

21. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/pbn/8p
35 page DIY Guide
How to Build a PBN
https://lrt.co/pbn/8p
Use code: 8P for 33%

22. @cemper #8pua
Recent Google PBN penalties?
Overdone money keywords.
Watch your keyword ratios!
• https://lrt.co/pbn/8p

23. #8pua @cemper
Do YOU know YOUR OWN
money anchor text ratios?
https://lrt.co/blp/8p

24. @cemper #8pua
Do YOU know YOUR OWN vs. Competitor
money anchor text ratios?
https://lrt.co/cla/8p

25. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/lort/8p
Build Low Risk Links You Miss
•Simple “link gap” can be dangerous
•Missing links only great with low risk
•Simulate risk before building them
•How? Link Opportunity Review Tool (LORT)
@cemper #8pua

26. @cemper #8pua
Think outside the box.
BUT - Great Links…
…don’t get served on a silver plate.

27. @cemper #8pua
Buy very easy to spot with
Beware of “Fake Links”…
Old, but still working trick

28. FREE: Link Redirect Trace
• Understand redirects as you surf
• Find Fake Links
• Find and fix slow redirects
• Find link juice killing redirects
• See cookies and track links
• Export Screenshot or Excel
https://lrt.co/linkredirecttrace/8p

29. @cemper #8pua
Bulk Check in LinkResearchTools
https://lrt.co/8p

30. @cemper
#8pua
WATCH OUT FOR
TOXIC REDIRECTS
3

31. @cemper #8pua
ALSO THINK ABOUT THE
REDIRECTS WHICH PASS PENALTIES

32. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
And even more…
WATCH OUT FOR
TOXIC REL CANONICALS
Negative SEO Trick we know since 2015 is now out in the public.
Google denies this one of course…
Because it’s tough to spot.

33. IS DISAVOWING
LINKS IMPORTANT?
4

34. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
“Google figures bad links out? Themselves”?
• Communicated Since September 2016 … umm.. 2006.
• “ALL bad links”?
• Or just “bad links”?
• We see recoveries from link cleanups - EVERY WEEK

35. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
Let’s imagine for a moment…
• Google would change the algos and rules in hindsight
• Make all bad links work negative
• Let 100.000 of websites drop over night
• Google would never do that, or?

36. @cemper
#8pua
There’s a thing called
GOOGLE PENGUIN
An automated web spam fighter.

37. @cemper #8pua
GOOGLE “Real Time” PENGUIN
• Automated Link Spam Algo
• Granular
Penalizes pages, subfolders, keywords
• Real-Time
Every crawl affects your rankings!
https://lrt.co/penguin/8p

38. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
And it’s about SITE vs. Granular

39. @cemper #8pua
Watch your rankings
Real Time Penguin runs always
https://lrt.co/penguin/8p

40. @cemper #8pua
a 99% TRAFFIC DROP hurts
https://lrt.co/penguin/8p

41. @cemper #8pua
Maybe because of virus links?
https://lrt.co/penguin/8p

42. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/penguin/8p
The
Google Penguin Book

43. @cemper #8pua
MAKING YOUR EFFORTS WORTHLESS
But Penguin can also
SILENTLY HOLD YOU BACK
Get help before it’s too late

44. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
THERE’S A SIMPLE TRICK TO
LEAVE PENGUIN BEHIND

45. @cemper #8pua
Do you know
that SIMPLE
Trick?

46. @cemper #8pua
Links You Audited
Links You Didn't Audit
https://lrt.co/fullaudit/8p
Don’t just look at a slice of data!

47. @cemper #8pua
IT’S LIKE CHECKING 1 TOOTH ONLY

48. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
LOOK AT ALL THE LINKS
Links You Audited Links You Didn't Audit

49. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
And all the…
• AND ALL the Redirects
• AND ALL the Rel-Canonicals
• AND ALL the so called “DELETED LINKS”
which are just blocked in ROBOTS.
• FYI LinkResearchTools (LRT) goes beyond
the robots.txt

50. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua

51. @cemper #8pua
4
ARE
LINK AUDITS and
LINK MONITORING
IMPORTANT?

52. #8pua @cemper
Let’s remember for a moment…
• That a link brings you real traffic
• That a link can lead to actual conversions
• That a link can help BIG in Google.
• And other search engines.
• Does it makes sense to watch links?

53. @cemper #8pua
So the opposite is possible, too…
• That a link can be worthless
• That a link can drive engaged users the wrong way
• That a link can hurt your rankings in Google
• And other search engines!
• Does it makes sense to watch those links?
Let’s remember for a moment…

54. @cemper #8puahttps://lrt.co/linkaudits/8p
DIY
Link Audit Guide

55. @cemper #8pua
Do you want to leave that up to chance
or goodwill of Google?

56. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
Important TODOs

57. @cemper #8pua
Google Penguin can affect
only just a small but important
part of a website.
MONITOR IMPORTANT FOLDERS
OR PAGES EVERY DAY

58. @cemper #8pua
You will find some great links in there.
DOUBLE-CHECK
YOUR OLD DISAVOW FILE
https://lrt.co/disavowfileaudit/8p

59. @cemper #8pua
It makes your disavow file work faster.
DO NOT FORGET TO RUN
Link Detox Boost
https://lrt.co/disavowfileaudit/8p

60. @cemper #8pua
WHICH
LINKS
MATTER?
5

61. @cemper #8pua
YOU NEED TO GO FOR THE
HIGH-TRUST LINKS

62. @cemper #8pua
AND (VERY) LOW RISK LINKS
https://lrt.co/lort/8p

63. @cemper #8pua
WHICH
LINKS
TO WORK WITH, TO
AUDIT?
6

64. @cemper #8pua
Links You Audited
Links You Didn't Audit
DON’T JUST LOOK AT ONE SLICE
https://lrt.co/fullaudit/8p

65. @cemper #8pua
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
https://lrt.co/fullaudit/8p

66. @cemper #8pua
KEEP THE GOOD ONES
https://lrt.co/fullaudit/8p

67. @cemper #8pua
DISAVOW THE BAD ONES
https://lrt.co/fullaudit/8p

68. @cemper #8pua
REPAIR THE UGLY
https://lrt.co/fullaudit/8p

69. @cemper #8pua
@cemper
#8pua
Links You Audited
Links You Didn't Audit
OFTEN HIDE
IN HERE! 
https://lrt.co/fullaudit/8p
THE BAD & UGLY ONES

70. @cemper #8pua
One last thing
6

71. @cemper #8puaspaghetticodebook.com
Get 1 of 28 Signed Books
FOR FREE. AFTER THIS TALK.
A bridge between
Developers
and
„Other People“

72. @cemper #8pua
LRT Associate Training
• Comprehensive online videos with Christoph C. Cemper
• Lifetime Access to the LRT Associate Community
• Goodie Box now with autographed copy of Spaghetti Code
• Learn all the methods
• Backlink Analysis, Link Audits
• Google Penalty Recovery
• Link Quality Checks
• Competitor Analysis, Backlink Monitoring
• Link Prospecting, SEO Metrics
• LRT Browser Extensions
• and more
http://lrt.co/associate/8p

73. @cemper #8pua
In the LRT Goodie Box 
http://lrt.co/associate/8p

74. @cemper #8pua
Your Certificate
http://lrt.co/associate/8p

75. @cemper #8pua
First 30: EUR 14.90 (297)
(ca. 450 UAH)
http://lrt.co/associate/8p
http://lrt.co/associate/8p
Use Coupon Code 8p

76. @cemper #8puahttp://lrt.co/associate/8p
Your SEO Knowledge Matters

77. @cemper
#8pua
ASK ME ANYTHING…
Slides at https://lrt.co/8p
…even a photo 