The Internet wouldn’t be what it is today without constant changes and improvements. Google is pretty much the same way, especially when it comes to cultivating and promoting high-quality search engine results. Google’s new Penguin algorithm is swiftly changing the way everyone looks at link building. Like its content-oriented cousin, Google Panda, Penguin focuses on penalizing poor link building techniques, especially those that black hat SEO practitioners rely on. Penguin rewards sites that utilize links with natural profiles, resulting in higher SERP rankings and a bigger draw in website visitors.

So far, Penguin has only hit approximately three percent of all English queries, but that’s still a big number to digest. The next time Google decides to update Penguin, you want to be prepared by practicing future-proof link building. Something to keep in mind is that link quality and link naturality are the new important factors when it comes to link building. Link quality comes from having content that people are highly interested in reading and linking to, while link naturality comes from people linking to your site due to the excellent value it brings and not because you’ve asked or paid others to.

1. Don’t link in a pattern – The last thing you want to do with Penguin around is announce that you’re link building by leaving a pattern behind. That’s a great way to have your site penalized. Instead, you want that link to link out in as much of a natural manner as possible. Avoid linking in a pattern by watching where your links are coming from and where to leave your next links.

2. Carefully watch link host quality – Having a high-quality link host is the key to convincing Penguin your website is on the up and up. When the linking host offers high-quality content, Google sees the link as a quality link that operates naturally and every subsequent link from that particular host is treated as a high-quality natural link.

3. Bring social media links back into balance – Social media is the key when it comes to a natural link building strategy. Without people interested in re-tweeting your content in Twitter or liking your content on Facebook, it becomes difficult to cultivate natural links. Content that show low amounts of social engagement but high amounts of links becomes a red flag for Penguin to home on to.

4. Create solid, high-quality content – The main thing to remember is that content is always king, especially when it comes to link building. Excellent, high-quality content that grabs people’s attention is a breeding ground for natural links, links that will eventually improve your overall standing with Google.

5. Hook people with linkbaiting – Grabbing people’s attention with a juicy bit of linkbait is always a great way of attracting links from others. Best of all, you won’t get penalized for it if it doesn’t pan out in your favor.

Future-proof link building techniques insure your site won’t get smacked around by the dreaded Penguin anytime soon. It’s hard work, but it has an untold number of benefits that’ll make themselves apparent as time goes on.