Karma SEO: Give Links to the People Who Help You
SEO is often discussed in terms of keywords, rankings, backlinks and algorithms. But there is another way of thinking about the web: Karma SEO.
The idea is simple:
If somebody helps you, provides a good service or contributes positively to your business, consider giving them recognition and a link from your website.
The web was built around links. Websites recommend other websites, businesses reference suppliers, customers talk about companies they trust, and publishers point readers towards useful resources.
Reward Good Service With a Link
Imagine you’ve worked with a photographer who produced excellent photographs for your business. Instead of simply paying the invoice and forgetting about them, you could mention the photographer in a relevant article or case study and link to their website.
The same principle could apply to:
- Web designers
- Graphic designers
- Photographers
- Printers
- Hosting companies
- Marketing agencies
- Freelancers
- Recruitment companies
- Local businesses
- Suppliers and professional services
You’re effectively saying:
“This business helped me, they did a good job, and I’m happy to send people their way.”
That’s Karma SEO.
Links Are Recommendations
Google itself says links can help it understand the relevance of pages and discover new pages. It also says that linking to external websites can help establish trustworthiness when you’re citing useful sources. (Google for Developers)
That doesn’t mean every outbound link automatically improves your rankings.
The important part of Karma SEO is that the recommendation is genuine.
If somebody has provided a genuinely good service, write about your experience and give readers a useful link where they can learn more about that business.
Build a Better Local Business Network
Karma SEO could be particularly useful between businesses operating in the same community.
A web designer might recommend a photographer. A photographer might recommend a printer. A marketing agency might recommend a hosting company. A recruitment company might recommend a training provider.
Over time, businesses create a network of genuine recommendations.
Rather than thinking:
“What am I getting for giving them this link?”
Think:
“They helped my business, so I’ll help people discover theirs.”
Sometimes that goodwill may come back around. Sometimes it won’t. The recommendation still has value if it genuinely helps your visitors.
Don’t Turn Karma SEO Into a Link Scheme
There is an important distinction.
Karma SEO shouldn’t become:
“I’ll link to you if you promise to link to me.”
Google specifically identifies excessive link exchanges and buying or selling links for ranking purposes as forms of link spam. (Google for Developers)
The philosophy should therefore be earned links rather than manufactured links.
Give somebody a link because you believe they deserve the recommendation—not because you’ve negotiated an SEO trade.
If money or another commercial arrangement specifically pays for a link, Google recommends qualifying it with rel=”sponsored”; nofollow can also be appropriate in certain circumstances. (Google for Developers)
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
Businesses don’t operate alone.
Behind a successful website, product or company there can be dozens of people who have contributed something along the way.
When appropriate, acknowledge them.
Write a supplier spotlight. Mention them in a case study. Credit the photographer who created your images. Recommend the company that delivered exceptional service. Link to the specialist who solved a difficult problem.
Those links make the web more useful because they’re based on real relationships, real experiences and real recommendations.
Good Business Creates Good Karma
Karma SEO isn’t about trying to trick Google.
It’s a simple philosophy:
Help the people who help you.
When somebody delivers excellent work, don’t be afraid to tell people about them. Give credit, provide a link and send some potential business their way.
Build your website around genuine relationships rather than manufactured backlinks.
Good service deserves recognition. Good businesses deserve recommendations. And good karma deserves a link.
