Proven Link Wheel Strategy That Will Protect Your Site

38

What Is Link Wheel?

For those of you that are not familiar with link wheel, it is basically a SEO link building strategy that is very popular and will help your website to rank on front page of Google.  An example of a typical link wheel linking structure is shown below:

Link Wheel

How Link Wheel Works

  1. The link wheel consisting Web 2.0 sites such as blogs, social network and article directories will inter link to each other as shown above and each point back to your money site.
  2. Articles submitted to these web 2.0 sites will contain 2 links, 1 will point back to the money site and the other link will point to the subsequent Web 2.0 site where the article is published.
  3. Subsequently, these web 2.0 sites are promoted via different kind of 2nd tier backlinks such as social bookmarking, RSS, forum profiles, etc…

Due to the structure of link wheel, it is extremely powerful in the eye of Google. However, this also leaves a foot print and Google will know that you are creating link wheel to promote the site purposely. Therefore, this traditional type of link wheel is not as effective as before. Instead of doing the old way, I would like to introduce you a new and safer link wheel strategy that works for me.

Proven Link Wheel Strategy

The link wheel strategy I am about to show you is very similar to the traditional type, but with minor tweaking to mitigate the risk of get caught up by Google. Check out the twisted link wheel strategy below:

Link Wheel StrategyAs you can see above, the basic linking structure is still the same. The only difference is that instead of inter link these web 2.0 sites in a circle, we will terminate at one point before forming a circle. In this example, we terminate at Zimbio. Also, this link wheel will all point the link to a new web 2.0 sites instead of the money site. This is to protect our money site in case being penalized by Google if overdone. Eventually, the nominated web 2.0 site (can be any web 2.0 site that different from your link wheel network) will point to our money site.

So, in short, only 1 link will point to the money site for this link wheel strategy. However, this is a powerful link that has been promoted by the link wheel and hence all the link juice will get passed down to our money site eventually. The benefit of having this type of link wheel structure is to that your money site is safe guard.

This is only 1 network of link wheel that point to our money site. Once you finish it, you can create the second network, the 3rd, etc…to scale up the effort. However, bear in mind that when you create the subsequent network, you will need to pick different Web 2.0 properties to mix it up so that it looks natural.

List of Web 2.0 Sites Suitable For Link Wheel

The following web 2.0 sites are arranged in according to page rank, from PR9 to PR6. These are the sites that are extremely popular and trusted by Google.

  • WordPress
  • LiveJournal
  • Newsvine.com
  • Webs.com
  • Tumblr
  • Wetpaint
  • Atom.com
  • Posterous.com
  • Xanga
  • Wikispaces
  • Squidoo
  • Hubpages
  • Zimbio
  • artslant.com
  • Blog.com
  • socialgo.com
  • Jukeboxalive.com
  • Thoughts.com
  • SosBlog.com
  • InsaneJournal.com

On top of the list of web2.0 sites shown above, you can add in your favorite article directories to mix up the link wheel network.

Content for Link Wheel

Without further to say, unique content is the best, especially after the Google Panda update. However, if you would like to save some time and money for your content, I would suggest you to use a unique article on the nominated Web 2.0 site (where it points to the money site) and spin the content to at least 50% to 60% and submitted to the web 2.0 sites forming the link wheel. You can easily spin the content with The Best Spinner, a product by Jonathan Leger. However, do make sure the spun articles are at least readable.

This way, if you create one link wheel network, you only need 1 unique content + 5 spun articles. This will save you some time and money. However, if you can I would still encourage you to use unique content for all of them since unique content is Google’s baby.

Link Wheel Done – What’s Next?

Backlinks To Link Wheel

Good. After you have completed your first link wheel, you will need to start promoting the link wheel by building some backlinks to the web 2.0 sites forming the link wheel! Just think of any way you prefer to build backlinks to them, such as blog commenting, forum profiles, social bookmarking, RSS, etc…

When I build the backlinks to these web 2.0 sites forming the link wheel, I do not worry too much about the quality of the backlinks since these type backlinks are 3rd tier backlinks to a Web 2.0 sites, which will not hurt your money site. What I usually do is to order a few Fiverr Gigs on blog commenting and forum profiles backlinks to save my time.

Content Update for Link Wheel

One thing to take note is to update the web 2.0 sites forming the link wheel so that there are fresh content comes in from time to time. I will update it like 2 times a month or at least once per month.

That’s a basic overview of a link wheel strategy that works for me.

Your Voice

Do you create link wheel? Feel free to share your experience on link wheel by leaving me a comment below.


To Your Success,
Ming Jong Tey

Filed under SEO by on . Comment#

Comments on Proven Link Wheel Strategy That Will Protect Your Site Leave a Comment

December 9, 2011

Yes, the typical link wheel has fallen out of favour with Google. But the newer version is a lot of work. Creating several unique articles just to get a single link (Yes, you can pay $5 or $10 to have some regurgitated baby food pounded into something that looks like words, but do you really think Google is stupider than the folks who write that crap?) So here is an alternative:

Create a good article on a Web 2.0 site. Submit it to a couple appropriate social bookmarking sites for the niche. Comment on a couple good blog posts in the niche, using the article URL as your “website”.

There you o. You have created great content, engaged with bloggers and given real link juice to your hub.
David @ SEO blog recently posted..2011 Social Media Fail of the Year

December 10, 2011
December 11, 2011

Interesting.

It’s common knowledge that Google ain’t keen on the old link wheel. And protecting the money site makes perfect sense.

I haven’t tried to use any kind of link wheel though, simply I point links from everywhere back to my blog, and sometimes build 3rd tier links too.

Does the link wheel really have that much of an advantage?
Jym | Marketing Your blog recently posted..SEOQuake Review: Free SEO X-Ray Spex?

robert @ 3:37 pm #

Hi there Ming, I so disagree with anything he written and I will tell you why.
For starters all the web 2.0 properties you mention in your list are all no follow so there will be no link juice whatsoever. Number two in your link will if your web 2.0 property gets banned or deleted by the website that it is on then the whole link will collapses. The reason why you think your link wheel is working is probably because you have a few links from do follow websites like Ezine articles.

Link wheels are just plain hard work and more trouble than what they’re worth. You would get better results from just using CommentLuv plug-in
robert recently posted..Sorry But Content Is Not King!

Thanks for the answer Ming, that helps a lot.

I’m inclined to use a somewhat random approach since the more uniform the pattern, the more likely it is that Google will spot and block it.

Definitely agree about interlinking, mutual support of different web properties is a great way to boost authority.

Another question – what do you think about the value of social media links, when they are nofollow, such as in Facebook and Twitter etc?
Jym | Increase Blog Traffic recently posted..Blogging Tools

December 12, 2011

@Ming Jong: My thoughts exactly. And it is this process that lead me to make the comment. You see, this can all be very time-consuming. But it can be outsourced, at which time you have a choice. Pay very little for total cr*p – I have tried several suppliers and if there is one thing I can credit them with is consistency…consistently garbled writing. Or you can pay a modest fee of, say, $20 per article. I run a freelance writer’s agency, and my writers would not work for even this fee. When it comes to writing quality, you do get what you pay for. But to pay $100 for articles pointing to a page that links to your page is a lot of money (at least for my budget).

I am not saying that garbled text linking to a page that links to one’s money page doesn’t work, by the way – at least in the short term. But I have a lot of faith in Google’s and Bing’s capacity to weed out spam, and if lots of people start creating link wheels in this format with clearly garbagy text, it won’t be long before their algorithms weed it out, anyway.

I am just suggesting that putting up good quality comments that one writes oneself and actually make the Web a better place is preferable to using any of the Link Wheel services I have run into, so far.
David @ SEO blog recently posted..2011 Social Media Fail of the Year

This is great way to protect your money site. PErsonally I oint a “few” web 2.0′s at them and then link to THOSE links. and sometimes even link to the outer ring links with things like automated bookmarking etc.

It all depends upon how much time, money and energy you have. The important point is that you do not have too many links pointed directly as the money site and risk any sort of ban that will make ALL of the effort pointless
Steve@Affiliate Marketing Tips recently posted..4 Christmas *Goodies* for ANY Internet Marketer

December 13, 2011

I use a basic backlinking strategy from Pat Flynn’s site (distilled down from Warriors Forum I think) and it’s similar to the link wheel but just as much work. I think a more organic approach works best, rather than outsourcing and getting rubbish writing, write and spin your own content (or outsource to someone who will do this manually) and over time apply the new web2.0 links. I try to do one keyword a month which might not sound much but there’s a cumulative effect and it does build traffic.

I am creating 12-15 backlinks per keyword with proper writing that generates quality traffic that will become loyal readers and buy your stuff too!

All this seo stuff is great if you want quantity, but what if you want quality?
Cassie | womenswaytowealth recently posted..Your Problem Is Not The Economy, It’s Your Marketing

Henry Bolden @ 5:41 pm #

This link wheel strategy looks pretty good. However like many of us, I just don’t have the time to invest in this, nor do I want to pay to outsource. I’d be happy to know of something not as time consuming though.
Henry Bolden recently posted..Cool Free WordPress Plugin

December 14, 2011
January 7, 2012

Zeljko Vasic @ 6:51 pm #

Seems I am laggin behind in the link building strategies. First I read the wheel concept which was exceptionally described and after that in the comments area people actually spitting on it. In my opinion after reading about this wheel concept, I think if you are smart enough you can apply it halfway or find a way around to not spend again either too much money or time and still get enough link juice from the whole method…meaning not just from the web2. site.

January 10, 2012
February 6, 2012

Michael Kharwin @ 10:28 am #

@Ming Jong: First of all thanks for your great article. However, I have few questions and your answers will be highly appreciated.
1. In your Proven Link Wheel Strategy will the Zimbio have a link pointing to Squidoo, creating the circle, or no ? (Because I don’t see this connection on the picture).
2. When you say update your Web 2.0 properties do you mean updating of the profile or the post itself ? I mean I am using this post, http://www.squidoo.com/cell-phone-jammer-will-help-you, for example, to make a link to my money website, and this is my profile with 3 posts – http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/orange777. So my question is should I update the post itself or just add 1-2 article/month to my profile on Squidoo ?

Many thanks in advance!

February 7, 2012
March 31, 2012

I think the flat, 2-D graphics of Link Wheels fail to present a true picture. If you visualize those properties and links in a 3-D space of Authority, PageRank, No/Do-Follow etc. – What you actually end up with is a VERY complex *MESH*.

As soon as you start building any tiered and multiple bookmark efforts to the properties – it all becomes such a convoluted cross-mesh ‘sphere’ that it can no longer truly be discerned as anything but random. And it either passes relevance to your money site or not that has much more to do with the KEYWORDS you’ve chosen and NOT the overall architecture of the resulting mesh-mess.

There’s no need to architect such specific follow the arrows patterns from A, B, C to X & Y, Then Z….. Just post deep, well written content to various properties and point them wherever you want – and mostly to your money site.
Glenn @ Mac SEO Tips recently posted..Google’s SEO Slaughterhouse : Dying Below The Fold

Kacper @ 5:45 pm #

Hi Ming!

Very nice link wheel strategy you’ve got here, I’m planning on using it in my next campaign. I just have this question I’ve been asking myself since I’ve heard about link wheel — how do you link?

First of all, how many links do you have on the 2.0 site? Do you link to your money site in every post, or just in the first one, so Google don’t get suspicious?

Speaking of being suspicious, I’ve stumbled upon an opinion that it is best to link only to money site (ms) from the 2.0, ’cause if you link somewhere else, then ms will get less link juice. But doesn’t Google perceive sites whit considerable amount of links as more trustworthy?

Secondly, do you use 2.0 to target only one kwd or do you target few?

Thirdly, does it matter what kwd you use to target 2.0 from link wheel? And do you link to other sites from link wheel 2.0s or just to the 2.0 which protects ms? Do you link from each and every post you publish there?

Another question I was hoping to get an answer to is this one: when you charge 2.0s with link juice, do you use some service like UAW or something? I’ve heard it’s very powerful to charge link wheel with this kind of juice and have tried it, indeed. But I was wondering: which URL charge with UAW: the URL of the 2.0 or the exact URL to the post?

Oh, that’s quite a lot of questions I’ve asked here, but I believe they are quite easy to answer. Hope you’ll find some time to do that! :)

April 3, 2012
April 4, 2012

Kacper @ 10:41 am #

Hi Ming, thanks for clearing things out for me. :)

I’ve two question still, though. (I like things to be as clear as they can be. :) )

Ad. 1. Did you mean you link to another w2.0 that is a part of the link wheel, or to just some another 2.0 you found in Google?

I’ve to tell you, I’ve been building my links earlier the way Joseph Archibald described in his 40-day challenge (although I did it far more chaotic.) Still, techniques need to be diversified in order to bring results.

So I’ve started building my first link wheel your way. I’ll wait for a month or so and will tell you the results I got. :)

Oh, and thank you so much for this great article. ;)

April 5, 2012
April 12, 2012

Ming

This is a standard that has a number of different applications. For example building web 2.0 sites and pointing to a money site and using directories to point to the 2.0. Basically doing the same as you have suggested above with some variable, for example the our 2.0 is not linked and we are using directories

I have started to wonder and you seem to have mentioned, how many different times do you think you could build this type of link network, and to what benefit would creating more help and when could it cause problems if at all.

Also in your article I am not sure I remember if you mentioned the strategy for linking the 2.0 sites together for your readers though not overly complicated.

Sorry, I did not read the top half it appears you have mentioned the final point in my above comment. I did skim through fairly quickly so I may have missed a few items.

Additionally any comments regarding the strategy of Web2.0 pointed to money site, then making mass submissions to directories pointing back to the web 2.0

Another is the same as our first example, only linking in this submission and we are not mixing up directories, Blogs, Forums.

I have been considering the mixing and is why I was wondering how many of these do you think you could create.

April 13, 2012
April 20, 2012

Anthony Glass @ 3:17 am #

Hi Ming, I like your link wheel concept. Let’s say I have 20 articles, money site, blog and on the money site and a personal blog. Do i need to follow the tier structure below or can I use sites with high pr like facebook in my tier 1 on my link wheel? Do i post 20 articles on my website blog, my personal blog and then spin them? How many times do i need to spin content at a 60% spinning rate? There are hundreds of press release sites, article directories, Where is the limit on link wheel?

This subject is twisted…

This is the strategy below I read somewhere else:
Tier 1: Create five to ten Web 2.0 properties with a 400 – 700 word article containing a link back to your main website.

Tier 2: Create 10 – 20 blog posts with unique articles that link back to your newly created web 2.0 pages. Do not link back to your main site from these blog posts. You may have to create a new blog to make up this tier.

Tier 3: Create 10 – 20 articles and submit them to article directories. Include a link to your blog posts in the author bio box. If you spin your articles, manually spin them so they are completely unique each time.

Tier 4: Create 5 – 10 articles and submit each one individually to ezinearticles. Include a link to your Web2.0 properties in the author bio box.

Tier 5: Comment on relevant blogs and provide a link back to your blog posts in tier 2.

Tier 6: Social Bookmark your Web 2.0 pages in tier 1.

How many sites do i want to include in my link wheel? I
Do you have a skype? Maybe you can help me out?

June 10, 2012

Just Learn more and more from the Masters SEO on the world,about this linkwheel startegy how much article that we must posted in this each site? do they need optimizing too? please help me Mastah…thks regard.

July 20, 2012

Bob C @ 12:35 pm #

I love the comments and the enthusiasm behind them. However I think Ming’s real point is that “if” you are going to use link-wheels, the method he is suggesting is a proven one. I’ve been using link-wheels since they became popular. I’ve built them manually and with software. My success with them, and yes they still work, is due to the fact that I vary my tactics. The Internet is a dynamic medium. Things are constantly changing. There is nothing wrong with using automation software; whether SeNuke or TBS. Most folks expect automated systems to do all the work. They are only tools. The real magic is in the skill of the user, not the software.

July 23, 2012
September 17, 2012

Rocky @ 5:19 pm #

Hello Ming and People Thanks for your ideas. I am a newbie SEO and link builder. Just want to ask about the link wheel strategy. What exactly is the content of the web 2.0 sites that are linking. Is it a same content with spun article/blog or it is entirely different created content (Not spun) but related niche to each other. Hope you get my point. Tnx in advance for your ideas

September 18, 2012
October 24, 2012

Rocky @ 5:10 pm #

@Ming Jong:
Thanks for your advise Ming this will help in configuring my strategy.

Leave a Comment

Fields marked by an asterisk (*) are required.

CommentLuv badge