Search Trends - Search Engine Marketing

Once again, Google has come out against "non-earned" links...meaning link schemes, paid links, etc. The general idea of what they're saying is that if you want to achieve the best possible long-term results in Google, you've got to earn it with good content that is linked to just because it's good content. Of course, that's easier said than done, but it's definitely a strategy that will yield long-term results.

I don't completely agree with Google's stance on this one, but it's Google, so who am I to argue. They do have some valid points and on a philosophical level, it makes sense. Besides, it's always been the case that good content, tools, etc. tend to generate more/higher quality links--and it's a strategy that does a lot more to build credibility than just what you get from the SERPs. So as we come up on the new year, set the goal to add a lot more valuable content to your site. I'm setting that goal for my own sites (and my clients). It won't happen overnight, but stick with it and you'll see results.