Link building remains one of the top go-to ranking signals for Google. In fact, Google said that backlinks are among their top three signals for ranking. In 2016, Backlinko, an SEO training business, analyzed 1 million Google search results and found that links impact rankings more than any other factor.

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Thanks to updates like Google Penguin, link building in itself isn’t enough.

Today, Google focuses more on the quality of links, not just the quantity.

How then do you score in link building?

The answer: a good link builder.

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Link building is a science, but there’s a large amount of creativity that goes into identifying and soliciting potential opportunities for link building.

1. CURIOSITY

Nothing guarantees a good search performance in the world of SEO.

Consequently, a good link builder is one who is curious enough to explore what works, and what doesn’t, instead of working with standard best practices alone.

2. ORGANIZATION

Huge amounts of data are involved in link building.

A good link builder stays organized enough to keep track of link requests, links built, and other follow ups necessary to deliver great results.

3. PERSISTENCE

A good link builder isn’t always in a hurry to create valuable connections with prospective link partners, yet they are careful not to burn bridges and follows up at necessary intervals during the process of link building.

4. DETAIL-ORIENTED

Several variables like the PageRank of the linking site, its traffic, and how many existing links are on the page help determine the suitability and fit of a link prospect for your company’s marketing aims.

Link builders who don’t pay attention to details tend to waste time in the pursuit of links that would ordinarily be disqualified upon thorough evaluation of the data.

5. SELF-DRIVEN

Sometimes, link building can get monotonous.

A good link builder is self-motivated and gets his work done, even though the actions he takes don’t deliver measurable SERPs gains immediately.

6. PASSION

Without passion for SEO, digital marketing, and link building, the link builder has nothing to keep him going.

Consequently, SEO campaigns are affected when a link builder isn’t passionate about his role, as the daily tasks begin to seem monotonous.

7. CONFIDENCE

Good link builders know the backlinks they build are worthwhile, given the sheer number of links they have to create to be successful on the web.

A good link builder is confident and understands what constitutes good links, plus, he will do what is needed to keep projects moving forward.

8. CREATIVE

A good link builder, as we’ve already seen, is not just analytical, but also creative.

He can think outside the box to identify, and seize opportunities across the web to procure the most beneficial backlinks for your company.

9. FLEXIBLE

Link building has no ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Therefore, a good link builder is flexible as he needs to keep adjusting the course based on the constant updates on algorithms.

10. UNDERSTANDS WEB GEEK CULTURE

This doesn’t mean that link builders have to be really geeky, but the fact that they understand the web’s geek culture helps them identify link building opportunities, and be successful in building backlinks.

11. PERSUASION

Link building often requires that members of the SEO team persuade their sources to add referral links to their websites.

A good link builder understands negotiation practices, and is persuasive.

12. ANALYTICAL SKILLS AND OCD

Besides creative skills, a good link builder also has to have analytical skills that help in measuring the impact of his efforts.

These skills also help in drawing conclusions regarding the efficacy of the SEO strategies, overall, so as to improve performance on the web.

A good link builder also displays a slightly neurotic approach to the evaluation and solicitation of inbound links so as to complete and deliver work in an orderly and accurate fashion.

13. SKILLED WITH HTML & OTHER TOOLS

Links connect two websites to each other, thus it is important that a link builder have a working knowledge of HTML.

In most cases, the referring website hosts the link, but link builders may have to assess the value of links placed previously by identifying coded elements like no-follow tags, among others.

Knowledge of SEO tools and site analytics software is an added advantage that they have over others.

14. SEO KNOWLEDGE AND EAGERNESS TO LEARN

Link building is an SEO function, so obviously, a good link builder has to be knowledgeable on SEO and understand how his work fits into the overall strategy.

Therefore, link builders need to have an ongoing education on SEO as this empowers them to participate more actively in tactical planning for SEO.

A good link builder must also have an innate desire to improve his skills and learn more, over and above what he already knows.

15. DERIVES SATISFACTION FROM THE INTERNET

A good link builder is so fascinated by the internet that he derives work satisfaction from his work, which others may see as a chore.

He sees it as a way of learning more about the inner workings of the web.

16. WILLING TO HUSTLE

Link builders, who understand the quality of inbound backlinks and the role these play in the success of a website, are willing to hustle to deliver good results for your company.

17. SOCIABLE

Links aren’t just between websites; they’re also between people.

A good link builder is willing to get out and connect with other people thus clinch some great link building opportunities.

18. TEAM PLAYER

SEO strategy as a whole is done and decided on by a team.

A good link builder knows that he has to work closely with content creators, and SEO analysts among other team members, for a digital campaign to meet its objectives.

Conclusion

All these traits may not exist in a single person in the real world.

Understanding how each one plays a role in creating a good link builder can help you identify the employee or consultant that will propel your team and company to bring exposure to your brand, generate traffic to your site and most importantly, drive sales and revenue.

This in turn would ensure your success online for most of your business lifetime.