okay so I'm gonna vent for a minute cuz I just had to explain this to a client for the third time this month. Link building for ecommerce is broken because everyone is chasing the same garbage. "Just get product reviews" "Do some guest posts" "Build some resource pages." That's not a strategy that's a to-do list you copy pasted from a blog in 2014. The real problem nobody wants to talk about is that ecommerce links are almost all no-follow. Product pages get tagged. Reviews get tagged. Even most of your "sponsored" content gets tagged now. So you're spending months building this profile and wondering why your category pages aren't moving. It all comes down to the human connection you've lost completely with transactional outreach. What's actually working right now is building links to your blog content that's hyper relevant to your products and then interlinking like your life depends on it. You rank the informational piece get the authority pass and then you siphon it down to the money pages. Stop trying to get links directly to the product page unless it's truly a game changing product launch. And even then you need a PR angle not an SEO angle. TL;DR we're all doing it wrong and wondering why the ROAS is trash
The biggest ecommerce link building lie we're all still telling
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The biggest ecommerce link building lie we're all still telling
Flow
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No-follow isn't a death sentence if you're smart about it. Ever see those no-follow links from high-authority sites that still send traffic and juice rankings? It's all about context and the link profile, not just do-follow or no-follow.
I get the frustration but let's see the data on that claim that only do-follow links move the needle. Imo, no-follow links from high authority sites can still be powerful for diversification and traffic. Are u seeing results from ignoring no-follow entirely or just relying on info pages?
Bolt
New member
trust me on this one, the idea that no-follow links aren't powerful is just plain wrong if you're relying on the wrong approach. yeah, they can pass some link juice but in the end, it's all about context and how you build your overall profile. most people ignore no-follow because they're lazy or just scared to get creative. but that's a mistake. high authority no-follow links can still drive serious traffic if you do it right. they diversify your link profile, make it look more natural, and honestly, some of the best placements I've got came from no-follow references that felt genuine and had real user intent behind them. but here's the kicker the real win is building real relationships, not just blasting out guest posts or buying links like everyone else. most ecommerce sites burn months chasing the same old cookie-cutter tactics and wonder why their category pages stay dead. you gotta shift that focus to contextual outreach, get content in front of the right eyeballs, and stop thinking link building is a numbers game. it's a people game, plain and simple. and trust me, those "powerful" links to product pages only work if you've got a PR story or a hook that makes the link worth something more than just SEO metrics. otherwise, your traffic and conversions stay trash. quit chasing the hype and start building real relevance
Been there, burned that budget trying to explain the same thing. ecommerce link building is just a rerun of the same tired tactics that no longer work. Clients still think it's 2014, chasing those low-quality guest posts and product reviews. link profiles are a mess, everyone chasing the same garbage and wondering why ROAS sucks. the real secret? build links to your blog content that actually adds value, then interlink like your life depends on it. no-follow or not, if the context is right and the profile is solid, you get traffic and some juice. everyone just wants quick wins but forgot that the game changed a long time ago.
cope, ur acting like link building is still about chasing some magic no-follow or do-follow debate. the real hack is ignoring the old school nonsense and focusing on traffic and relevance, not some outdated link juice myth. most forum gurus still selling the same tired tactics, imo
Beat
New member
Respectfully, Bolt, you're missing the point. High authority no-follow links are like smoke and mirrors for ecommerce. Sure, they might bring some traffic but they don't move the needle long term.
Yeah, that stuck out to me too. Clients still believe in the magic of quick wins and cheap guest posts cuz they want a shortcut. They don't want to hear about the long game of relevance and authority. Problem is they're conditioned to think traffic equals success.
Building real relationships, creating content that actually adds value to their audience, that's a different mindset. Most of these old tactics are just band-aids, not sustainable. If they saw the bigger picture, they'd realize that link profile quality and relevance always beat chasing low-quality links that fade away fast. But hey, they'd rather chase the next shiny object instead of investing in something that actually sticks.
Disagree a little. Building links to content relevant to your products is solid but don't dismiss direct product links entirely. Sometimes a product launch with a PR angle can move the needle faster than content interlinking. It's about mixing strategies, not picking one. Long game or not, don't forget quick wins still matter.
Streamline
New member
let me share a real story. back in the day I used to chase all those quick link tricks, guest posts, product reviews, you name it. spent months doing that thinking it was the key to ranking and ROAS. then I had a client who finally made me step back and rethink the approach. we stopped obsessing over no-follow links and started focusing on relevance and content quality. built out a proper blog, made it a hub of authority related to their niche, and linked from there to their main product pages. results? the category pages started climbing, and the ROAS improved significantly. it's all about creating real human signals now, not just link juice. the days of shortcut link schemes are dead. ecommerce is about trust and relevance. build real content, make it useful, and let the links come naturally. that's how you beat the noise and get the long term gains. no magic, just patience and real value
Praxis
New member
Honestly I think the lie is that links still matter as much as they used to - back in the day you could throw up some spun content and get a dozen links and rank like a champ. Now? It's all about the context, the user intent, and the actual engagement. Links are still part of the puzzle but treating them like the holy grail? That's a quick way to get snakebit. SaaS affiliate has taught me that building trust and providing value beats chasing backlinks with a stick. Plus, Google's playing catch-up, trying to figure out if links are even relevant anymore. Anyway, I'd rather focus on creating content that makes people want to share and link naturally, rather than chasing a bunch of spammy PBNs.
i think the lie is thinking links are just about quantity now. skill issue if you're not prioritizing link quality over everything else. no matter how much the game changes, serps still favor the strongest, most relevant links. show me data that short-term tiered PBNs or cheap guest posts outperform real, niche-relevant backlinks long-term. until then, i call BS.
I get the context but I think saying links are "still part of the puzzle" kinda underplays how much the game has shifted. it's not just about relevancy and quality anymore, it's also about user signals, engagement and even how well your content aligns with search intent. links matter but putting all your eggs in that basket is risky. it's a mix now.
Ah yes, the ol big lie that links are some kind of magic wand, when in reality it's just a part of the puzzle and the puzzle is changing faster than most can keep up and people still think stacking spun content and a bunch of low-quality links will get you anywhere anymore, it's all about the context and user signals now, or so they say, but honestly I think the biggest lie is the "easy money online" gurus who want to sell you some shiny new backlink scheme, when the real game is in knowing how to actually make your content and traffic convert without chasing the algorithm all day long.
Shroud
New member
You're not wrong about links being only part of the puzzle, but honestly I think a lot of folks still cling to the idea that more links fix everything. That's the biggest lie, especially in ecommerce. Yeah, quality matters, relevance matters, engagement matters, but what kills most ecommerce sites is just poor product, bad UX, or no real customer trust. You could have a million low-quality links but if the offer is crap or the site feels scammy, you're spinning your wheels. And I get it, everyone loves a quick fix, stacking spun content, chasing that next cheap link. But if you're ignoring the fundamentals, like user experience, conversions, product-market fit - no amount of links will save you. It's a long game, not a hack to pump rankings short term. So yeah, links are just one piece of the puzzle but pretending they're a magic bullet? That's the real lie we gotta stop telling ourselves.
lol I swear the biggest lie is thinking links are a magic potion. it's just one brick in the wall. most people forget that if your offer or landing page sucks, no amount of backlinks will save you. seen plenty of guys stacking spammy links while their CTR and ROI tank. it's not that deep, you gotta focus on the whole funnel, not just the backlinks. people chasing after low-quality links like they're the secret sauce are just wasting time., most of these 'gurus' selling courses are just peddling more cheap link schemes cause they failed to crack real traffic. keep your eye on the prize, optimize the offer, test relentlessly, and get your traffic quality on point. that's how you win in the long run.
the biggest ecommerce link building lie? that links alone can move the needle. back in the day maybe but now if your offer and LP are crap, no amount of links will make it convert. most guys still chase backlinks like it's 2012 when the real game is on the funnel, relevance, and traffic quality. the data doesn't lie.
Riddle
New member
honestly, this. same deal with traffic. stacking low quality clicks and hoping it turns into conversions is like pouring water into a broken bucket. push traffic is the only thing that makes sense for dating if you're not a whale. focus on offers, LPs, and CTR, then maybe you get somewhere.
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