What are discounted links anyway?

There are three basic ways to look at it:

1. A discounted link would be one that comes from dubious sources, i. e., obscure pages that don’t have a strong reputation among Internet users.

2. Links from pages that contain duplicate content are discounted for sure.

3. All links coming from sites that don’t relate to yours might be classified as discounted, even when those link sources are reputable ones.

Who uses discounted links for link building?

They are mainly used by Internet marketers, webmasters, bloggers and SEOs who believe that quantity is as important as quality when you want to build backlinks. Some of these professionals will spend more time building links than working on on-page optimisation. Others try to find a balance among discounted backlink hunting, content creation, on-site optimisation, title writing etc.

But do you know what? All of us use discounted links in some way, even if we don’t like them and/or don’t realise we are doing it. This happens because we don’t have total control over the sites and blogs who link back to ours. When people want to link to our pages for any reason, they obviously won’t stop and ponder about how much link juice they will pass (or not). This is our problem, not theirs. So, among all these spontaneous backlinks that our sites get, there will certainly be several discounted ones.

Should discounted links be part of your link building campaign?

The only person who can answer this question is… you. It depends on what you think and want, really.

Personally, I still prefer a few strong links over a thousand discounted ones. But this is just my opinion. You may not agree with me. You may think that a thousand discounted backlinks are much better than no links at all — which makes sense, by the way.

If you do choose the “quantity over quality” route, at least try to get as many relevant links as possible. Avoid sites that have nothing to do with your pages’ topics. Unless said sites enjoy a very good reputation, of course. A strong backlink, even when come from an unrelated site, will always be precious in Google’s eyes.

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Why you could use a beautiful design for link building

People just love beauty. It’s a fact. Not that you should feel miserable if your site doesn’t look that good. Content still matters and always will. However, when you have a truly good-looking site or blog, many people will want to share its link with others regardless of the content’s quality. Besides, there are many sites which specialise in linking to beautiful pieces of web design.

A beautiful design will certainly create backlink opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise.

How to build links for a well-designed site

• CSS galleries should be your first stop if your design contains strong CSS elements. Their links usually are do-follow.
• Many design-related blogs link to well-designed sites, because those are seen as sources of inspiration for other designers. You could become a regular commenter on such blogs, hoping that the bloggers eventually will visit your site and link to it afterwards. For more tips on this technique, read my article on link building via comments on no-follow blogs. Alternatively, you may contact the bloggers by email and politely suggest the inclusion of your site on their design galleries.
• Leave comments on personal blogs. Try to build a relationship with their owners. Diarists are often looking for something to write about; if they get impressed by your site or blog’s design, there’s a good possibility that they’ll write about it — and of course they’ll include your URL on their posts. A person who doesn’t specialise in web design and webmaster-related topics is more prone to admire a fancy design. A tech-savvy type, on the other hand, may not be so easy to impress. So you must never ignore the average Joes and Janes out there.
• Rewrite your forum signatures to make them look more intriguing. Instead of describing your site’s topic, ask people what they think about your site’s design. This may make them curious, thus causing them to click on your link. If you’re a member of a forum that allows images in signatures, enhance yours with a screenshot of your site.

If you have other ideas on how to build links by investing in an eye-catching design, leave a comment and share them.

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