In this guide, I’ll show you how to create simple and advanced web 2.0 backlinks.
This method is a grey hat and can get your website penalized. I’ve had to get penalties removed for using them, so it isn’t a theory. Be careful.
Let’s dive in.
WARNING: I no longer recommend using web 2.0s for link building purposes because the risk vs reward isn’t worth it. I recommend reading about the best link building services, using niche edits, trying a blogger outreach service, or learning how to get backlinks.
What is a “Web 2.0”?
Web 2.0s are free blogging platforms. Most properties allow you to change URLs, images and videos, contact forms, and a ton of other goodies.
What Makes a Web 2.0 a Great backlink?
Web 2.0s are effective because you are piggybacking off their authority and trust. Yes, it is a sub-domain, and your page authority will start out with a goose egg ZERO.
But there’s one important thing to remember about these properties:
They build Page Authority (PA) FAST.
With only a few strong links, any given web 2.0 can go from a PA 0 to PA 30 +.
In addition to the authority, you are also getting super a super-relevant link.
Relevancy is king when it comes to link building. Don’t forget that.
So, the question is: how do you build a quality web 2.0?
Part 1: How to Build Web 2.0 Backlinks (9-Step Process)
Step 1: Prepare to WORK
Since most automated programs can’t post on the best web 2.0s, you will need to do it manually.
You need to remember that your first tier of backlinks MUST BE high-quality.
The days of spamming thousands of links to your site are long gone.
Google wants authoritative, relevant, and trusted links hitting your site. If you fulfill all three of these important goals, then you will see the rankings you desire. It sounds so simple, right?
Step 2: Create an Email Address
You’ll have to make accounts for these web 2.0s, so I recommend making a default email for this purpose.
It doesn’t matter if you use the same email account to create the properties.
Step 3: Sign-Up for 10 (or a million) Web 2.0s
There is no specific reason why I chose “10”, but it’s a good place to start.
Depending on your keyword competition, you might need to make more.
If you’re super paranoid, then use proxies when you create the properties. Hide My Ass will do the job.
Step 4: URL Creation
Now that you’ve created your accounts, you will be prompted to create a URL like this:
“keywordkeyword.blogspot.com”.
If your main site is about “NBA basketball” (sorry just got done watching the Lakers), then your URLs should include a specific keyword you’re trying to rank or related LSI words.
Here are how some of your web 2.0 URLs should look:
- nbabasketballpro.wordpress.com
- basketballblogger.blogspot.com
- sportsman.weebly.com
- nbajunkie.jimdo.com
Do you see how these URLs look natural? If every web 2.0 you make includes “NBA basketball” in the URL, then it may throw up some red flags.
Diversify, diversify, DIVERSIFY.
I can’t say this enough.
Be RANDOM when you make these properties.
Step 5: Ways to Create Content
That content you place on your web 2.0 is the most important part of the process!
There are a few different ways you can approach content creation.
Deciding on which technique to use depends on your resources and time.
1. Write it yourself (BEST)
Writing unique content for all your web 2.0s is the absolute best thing to do. If you can afford to, you should consider outsourcing it. If your budget is tight, then just write it yourself or consider the following option.
2. Advanced Spinning
If your budget is tight and you need to produce a lot of content, then you might want to consider spinning.
I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t use spun content on tier one, EVER. I always use unique content. This isn’t to say spun content doesn’t work. I just sleep better at night, knowing my content on tier one is 100% unique. And the trust is it just plain out works better.
If you decide to take the spinning route, you have to use ADVANCED spinning. Not low-quality one-click spins… An advanced spin will take you at least 2-4 hours to complete.
3. Scraping Content (Not Recommended)
There’s nothing wrong with scraping content for your tier two or three, but I definitely advise against it for your tier one.
I’m not saying it won’t work.
It’s just a risky move if you’re trying to build a long-term authoritative website.
Step 6: Content Guidelines
No matter what type of content creation you decide on, you must make sure your articles are 400 + words.
Try to include your primary keyword throughout the article without keyword stuffing.
We want these properties to look natural. 1-3% keyword density is more than enough.
Step 7: Setting up the Post
Paste your article inside the editor for whatever web 2.0 you choose.
At this point, you will need to gather photos and videos for your post.
You can include one photo and one video, two videos, three videos, and three pictures… Do you see where I am going with this?
Keep it random!
To mix it up, sometimes I won’t even include a picture OR video.
After you have inserted your photos and videos, it’s time for you to insert your links.
One link will be for the page you are targeting, and the other be will for a relevant or authoritative website.
Be random with link placement and use many different types of supporting outbound links.
And after I have a few posts on a single web 2.0, I also like to interlink.
This gives the 2.0 even more credibility because it’s linking just like a normal site would. Don’t worry about securing every last bit of “link juice.”
Worry more about the quality and relevancy of your web 2.0 links.
It will pay off in the long run.
At this point, your post should be completely ready to publish, but STOP right there!
We need to talk about filler content before you publish that post.
Step 8: Filler Content
I thought you could just post your article and be good to go. Well… you actually can, but this is definitely not recommended. You want these links to be permanent. Most important, you don’t want them to get deleted.
Single-page web 2.0s are more likely to get deleted.
Keep in mind:
Google will give more weight to a link that is from a site filled with useful content. That is, compared to a site that has one piece of content.
This is when filler content comes in.
Filler content will give your web 2.0s the appearance of an active site.
For filler content, you can use scraped articles, related video posts, images, and even random posts about your life.
5-10 posts per web 2.0 are stellar, but even 2-3 posts can do the job.
Step 9: Schedule (If Possible) or Publish Your Post
Some web 2.0s allow you to schedule posts, and others don’t.
I recommend scheduling your posts at daily intervals. Do not post all your web 2.0s in one day. Always keep your posting frequency random to make sure things are staying natural.
I recommend posting filler content first on web 2.0. Then follow it up with the article that you are going to place your link in.
Sometimes don’t post your main article until web 2.0 is 4-5 posts deep.
Or, post it first.
Be unpredictable.
Part 2: How to Create Super Web 2.0 Backlinks
What is a “Super” Web 2.0?
A web 2.0 becomes “super” when it becomes more than one page.
Are They Safe?
Creating web 2.0s for the sole purpose of placing a backlink is a gray hat tactic. That means there is a risk using this tactic. With that said, if you mix in other quality backlinks, then you will reduce your risk. As I explain in this article about PBNs, gray hat backlinks should comprise a small portion of your link profile. Think of these backlinks are your “risky” investments.
How to Build a Super Web 2.0 Backlinks
Let me start out by saying that this is a tedious process. But, if you want to reduce risk, then you should have no problem with the amount of work involved. The good news is you don’t need a ton of these properties because of their quality and relevancy.
Think of this process as if you were creating a real website. Your days of playing with single-page web 2.0s are over.
Let’s get started.
Step 1: Sign-Up for 5-10 Different Web 2.0 Platforms
Make sure you verify your email address after creating the accounts, or your property will be deleted or inactive.
Step 2: Create the Blog(s)
Here are some steps I routinely follow when creating a new web 2.0:
Place your target keyword in the URL: some people freak out about doing this. But there is no need to because it’s no different than creating an exact match domain. To make the property more “natural,” consider adding extra words like “keywordexperts.wordpress.com” or “mrtargetkeyword.blogger.com.”
But if the exact match subdomain is available, you should take it.
Example: “targetkeyword.jigsy.com.”
Change the title and site description: the title should obviously be whatever you named your website and should include your target keyword. Create a unique description for each blog with the keyword naturally placed inside. I might write something like, “We are your source for the target keyword,” or “Don’t look anywhere else for a target keyword because we have you covered.”
Step 3: Create About and Contact Pages
Creating these two pages instantly makes your blog much more legitimate. For the “About” page, simply write a few sentences or a paragraph about this blog or about your keyword. This should be easy considering you’re an expert in your field. If you’re an SEO agency, then create a more general about page.
Here is an example from a web 2.0 I created for one of my clients:
Sometimes I take on a unique personality of a “person,” and my voice for the blog is in the first person like you see above. Other times I make it seem like I’m a business by speaking in plurals such as “We blah blah.” Mix it up to keep things natural.
From the About page, you should internally link back to your homepage sometimes because this is what most people do on real blogs. Now, create a “Contact” page and write a simple sentence like “Please contact us today if you have any more questions about the primary keyword.”
Step 4: Create the “Welcome” Post
Your first blog post on the web 2.0s should be a “welcome” post. Don’t overthink this. Just write a paragraph or a couple of sentences about your newly-created blog.
Here is a simple example below:
I recommend scheduling your welcome posts for each web 2.0 on different days when possible. Don’t post them all on the same day. The best way to remedy this if you don’t want to schedule them is to just work on developing one web 2.0 per day.
Step 5: Populate the Blog With Relevant Content (Filler Content)
At this point, you’re going to transform your web 2.0 into a super relevant resource that Google and anyone who stumbles upon it will appreciate. “Filler” content is the relevant content you will be posting the web 2.0 other than the article, which will host the link back to your site. Deciding how much filler content you want to use is completely up to you. I will typically use anywhere between 3-8 relevant posts to avoid any consistencies.
Some ideas for web 2.0 filler content:
- Videos: videos are my go-to because they are the perfect filler post. Simply go to YouTube and search for videos in your industry. Embed the video in a post and write a decent title, and boom, you have a new blog post.
- Pictures: this works in a lot of niches, but in some might not. Simply go to Google and search for images related to your industry. Get 3-5 and create a blog post about them. Write a sentence or two explaining why they are pertinent to your industry.
- Quotes: when possible, quotes are an awesome form of filler content. Many niches won’t be able to utilize this tactic, but if yours can, then take full advantage of it. Search Google for your keyword + quotes. Copy the quote and write a super brief blog post about it.
- * Infographics: Infographics are awesome filler content when available in your particular niche.
- Write Actual Content: if you have a lot of time on your hands or you’re only working on one website, then this is the best route to take. You can either write about relevant topics or speak about them in a natural way using Dictanote, a free speech recognition software. It’s clunky, but it works and can help expedite your filler content process.
* I highly recommend you schedule these posts throughout the month(s). This way, you will have fresh content being published on the web 2.0s, which makes them even more natural. One new post per month on your web 2.0 properties is plenty. If you schedule out your posts for the next 6 months or so, Google will love your web 2.0, and you will never have to worry about it getting deleted or anything like that.
Step 6: Post or Schedule Your Seed Article
Okay, so you have filler content posted and scheduled out, you have a nice about and contact page, and you have created a solid welcome post. Now you’re ready to post your actual article that will host your link.
Guidelines for the web 2.0 article:
- 400 + words minimum (more is better)
- 100% Unique – unless you understand how to properly spin an article, then I recommend writing a 100% unique piece of content.
- Relevancy – this article should be 100% relevant to your target keyword. If your target keyword is MacBook Pro, then it should be about MacBook Pro and not a general article about Mac.
- Keyword density – your KW density should be around 1-3% in the article and in the most important locations: title, first sentence, and last sentence.
Gather 1-2 images for the blog post (Use Google)
- Here’s a trick: when you save the image to your desktop, save it as your keyword. Back to the MacBook Pro example, I would save the image at “MacBook-Pro” so that when I upload the image to web 2.0 it will have the keyword in the URL path. Only do this for the first image you use in the article, and don’t forget to place your primary keyword in the ALT tag. If you decide to use a second image, I recommend using keyword variations for the URL path and ALT tag.
Go out and find a relevant YouTube video for the article
- Avoid using a video you already used on the web 2.0 for filler content
Find one authority resource about your target keyword
- You’re going to link out to an authority in your niche or to an article about your topic written by an authoritative website.
Now you’re ready to put it all together. I don’t need to explain how to create a blog post, but the only thing you need to keep in mind is to never have two web 2.0s that look the same visually or in format.
For example, if you placed two images in your first web 2.0 article, then only place one in the next web 2.0 you create. If you placed an image as the first form of media in the one web 2.0, then place a YouTube video first in the next one. You get the point. Be random and do not look systematic when you create these properties.
Place your link first
- After all your hard work, you deserve to place your link first. Always insert into a different spot in every web 2.0, but try to keep it near the top of the article.
Insert authority and internal links
- It doesn’t matter the order that you do this, just place them somewhere in the article after your primary link. I generally link back to the homepage from the article.
Anchor Text
- Deciding what type of anchor text to use on this web 2.0s is up to you. I generally try to create 10 of these properties so that I can delegate the anchor text appropriately. Exact match anchors 10%, brand name anchors 30%, URL variations 20%, partial match or LSI 20%, and generic 20%.
- Remember, Google can understand the relevancy of a link without needing an exact match anchor. As long as your article is super relevant and you have followed the steps above, Google will recognize the relevancy and reward you for it without having to blast exact match anchors.
There is one little trick I like to use when I’m not using exact match anchors. Let’s say I’m using a generic anchor text like “click here.” I would write a sentence such as “If you’re looking for PRIMARY KEYWORD, click here.” Your primary keyword doesn’t always have to be right next to the anchor, but generally, you should have it very close by.
Increase the Strength of Your Super Web 2.0s
Okay, so you have spent a ton of time creating these super awesome properties, but as you probably know, the blog post that hosts your link will be a Page Authority (PA) of zero. Fortunately, because of the high domain authority that you’re creating these blogs on, it is super easy to increase the Page Authority for your blog post.
Just to make sure we are clear: Domain Authority is the actual strength of the domain like WordPress.com. Page Authority is the calculation of strength for any page that is made on WordPress.com like http://myawesomewebsite.wordpress.com/ or http://myawesomewebsite.wordpress.com/my-really-cool-keyword/.
I focus on increasing the authority of the page where I posted my article, which would look like this: http://myawesomewebsite.wordpress.com/my-really-cool-keyword/. Don’t go crazy with tier two backlinks. Just focus on quality.
Finals Thoughts on Web 2.0 Backlinks
Using web 2.0s is one of many link building strategies you can use to achieve awesome SEO results.
Here’s the truth:
Using 2.0s alone likely will not help you achieve #1 rankings.
You need to diversify your link profile with a blogger outreach service, business citations, etc.
I recommend you use web 2.0s to supplement your link building strategy.
Remember:
Since ANYONE can create a web 2.0 and place a link, the value of the link is lower. That’s why you shouldn’t rely on them as your sole link building tactic!
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Have more questions about manual web 2.0s?
Drop a comment below to join the discussion and thanks for reading!
