Rabu, 22 Juli 2026

The link building mistake tanking your rankings

More links isn't the goal. This is.

Hi Iwan,

Most sites I audit have a backlink profile that looks impressive in volume and does almost nothing for rankings. The problem isn't the number of links. It's relevance.

Here's how to fix your link building approach:

1. Match link sources to your actual topic, not your industry

Google evaluates topical relevance at the page level, not just the domain level.

  • Target sites and articles that cover your exact subtopic, not just your broad industry.

  • A relevant link from a smaller site often outperforms an irrelevant link from a bigger one.

  • Check the linking page's content, not just the domain's overall authority.

2. Prioritize contextual links over directory or profile links

A link buried in a resource list carries far less weight than one placed inside relevant content.

  • Aim for links embedded within a paragraph of related content, with natural anchor text around them.

  • Deprioritize sitewide footer links, badge links, and generic directory listings.

  • Ask yourself if a real reader would actually click the link in context. If not, Google discounts it too.

3. Build links to pages that need authority, not just your homepage

Sending every link to your homepage wastes the ranking power those links could pass to money pages.

  • Identify the specific pages that need a rankings push: commercial pages, cornerstone content, or pages just outside page 1.

  • Pitch content and outreach angles that naturally point to those specific pages.

  • Track which pages are receiving links using Ahrefs Site Explorer, filtered by target URL.

4. Diversify anchor text naturally

A backlink profile with the same exact-match anchor across dozens of links looks manipulated to Google's algorithms.

  • Mix branded anchors, naked URLs, and partial-match phrases across your link profile.

  • Let anchor text vary based on how the linking author would naturally reference your page.

  • Avoid requesting specific anchor text in outreach pitches. Let the linking site choose their own phrasing where possible.

Ten relevant, contextual links will move your rankings further than a hundred generic ones. Stop chasing volume and start chasing relevance.

Click here to get a free backlink audit of your site.

To your continued success,

Matt Diggity
30 N Gould St, Ste #4000, Sheridan WY 82801 USA
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Senin, 20 Juli 2026

How a small site out-ranked big lenders...

In a YMYL niche where authority decides who ranks

Hi Iwan,

If you've ever managed a site up against competitors with 10x the budget and domain authority, here's what actually closes that gap.

We took a client in the short-term loans niche, dominated by massive financial institutions, and grew their organic sessions by 73% YoY while increasing their AI Overview keyword visibility from zero to nearly 90 keywords.

Here's the playbook.

1. Clean up content before adding more

Thin and outdated pages drag down the credibility of your entire site in Google's eyes.

  • Audit every page and consolidate or remove thin, low-performing content

  • Set up 301 redirects on removed pages to preserve link equity

  • Refresh your highest-value articles with current data to hold search relevance

2. Fix the technical foundation first

If search engines and LLMs can't crawl your content efficiently, none of your other work matters.

  • Rewrite meta titles and headers on core landing pages to match search intent

  • Repair broken internal links and remove duplicate subpages

  • Implement schema markup so search engines can surface your content clearly

3. Build authority the slow, steady way

YMYL niches punish sites that try to fake authority with a burst of low-quality links.

  • Run consistent monthly outreach instead of one-off link pushes

  • Target topically relevant sites in finance and adjacent sectors

  • Prioritize link quality over volume in a space where trust standards are strict

4. Connect your blog to your money pages

Informational traffic means nothing if it never reaches your highest-intent landing pages.

  • Build a clear internal linking structure from blog content to state-specific pages

  • Reorganize your blog into distinct categories so related content sits together

  • Create content around informational gaps competitors haven't covered yet

The results:

  • Organic sessions: +73.1% YoY

  • Engaged sessions: +66.05% YoY

  • AI Overview keyword visibility: 0 to 87 keywords

If you're competing against bigger players in a trust-sensitive niche, head over to The Search Initiative, and we'll show you exactly where to start.

To your continued success,

Matt Diggity
30 N Gould St, Ste #4000, Sheridan WY 82801 USA
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Kamis, 16 Juli 2026

Pelajari lebih lanjut Persyaratan Layanan kami yang diperbarui

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Rabu, 15 Juli 2026

Your product pages are losing to AI summaries

Here's the structure that gets you cited instead of skipped

Hi Iwan,

AI Overviews and chatbots increasingly answer product questions before users ever reach a site. If your product pages read like a spec sheet instead of an answer, AI tools skip you and cite a competitor or a review site instead.

Here's how to fix that:

1. Answer the buying question before the features

Users searching product terms usually have a specific decision question in mind, not a request for a features list.

  • Open with a 2-3 sentence answer to the core question: does this work for my use case, and why.

  • Push the full spec table below the fold, after the answer.

  • Use the exact phrasing customers search with, not internal product naming.

2. Add comparison content directly on the page

AI tools cite pages that help users decide between options, not pages that only describe one option.

  • Include a short "how this compares to [alternative]" section addressing the most common competitor.

  • Use a simple comparison table with 3-4 decision factors, not 15.

  • Be honest about tradeoffs. Overselling gets filtered out by both users and AI extraction.

3. Surface real usage proof near the top

Generic marketing claims get ignored by AI systems looking for verifiable signals.

  • Add a specific customer result or use case within the first 200 words, not buried in testimonials at the bottom.

  • Use exact numbers where you have them: "cut setup time from 3 hours to 20 minutes," not "saves time."

  • Link out to a case study or review page that backs the claim.

4. Structure FAQs around real objections, not generic questions

AI tools pull FAQ sections directly into their answers when the questions match real search intent.

  • Pull actual objections from sales calls, support tickets, or reviews.

  • Write direct, one or two sentence answers. No hedging.

  • Skip questions with obvious answers like "is this easy to use."

Most product pages are built to sell once a visitor arrives. Increasingly, they need to sell inside an AI answer before the visitor ever gets there.

Click here to get a free audit of how your product pages perform in AI search.

To your continued success,

Matt Diggity
30 N Gould St, Ste #4000, Sheridan WY 82801 USA
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