Tier 2 Link Building: Should You Be Doing It?

I’m not really sure what’s going on, but my email inbox looks a bit like I time traveled back to like 2015 or 2016. But it’s not my entire inbox – just the various SEO mailing lists that I’m on.

I know this is a crazy year, but c’mon! Hell, your inbox probably looks the same.

Though, if you’re relatively new to SEO and link building, then you might not have the time travel mind fuck that I do. And you might be wondering wtf I’m going on about.

Listen, I don’t know what’s going on, but suddenly tier 2 links are in vogue and I’m quite baffled about this development. Honestly, I thought we were done with that.

WTF Are Tier 2 Links?

This is one of those things that I’ve just never been able to get onboard with. You get a good link (Tier 1) pointed at your site, so you then point a lower quality link (Tier 2) at that link.

Makes perfect sense, no? No.

Just no.

Here’s what I’ve never understood about this – why would you spend time and money on a link just to send it to a site other than your own site? And if you’re going to do this at all, then why send a lower quality link to it?

This isn’t like linking to a previous guest post from a current guest post. This is sending straight up garbage to the site that is linking to you. wtf?

And here’s the thing, like most shit in SEO this isn’t a new practice like all these emails in my inbox are making it seem. This is some old ass shit that’s been around for a while.

So you can see why I feel like I traveled back in time a bit.

Are Tier 2 Links Worth It?

If I told you that I could give you the gift of either:

• • a guest post link directly to your site, or
  • a low level PBN link to one of the existing guest posts pointed at your site

which of those is the better choice for you? You’d rather have the guest post link directly pointed at your site, right?

So why the fuck would you even think about tier 2 links? Like at all, literally, why would you even consider it.

Oh wait.

I know why. You’re getting those same emails from the gurus that I’m getting.

Those emails are telling you that you just don’t understand the value of tier 2 links because they’re “often misunderstood.”

Those emails are telling you that you really need those tier 2 links to boost your rankings, especially in competitive niches.

Those emails are telling you that tier two links are so much cheaper than tier 1 links.

Those emails are telling you that you’re basically an idiot for not using tier 2 links because they’re “virtually risk-free.”

What those emails aren’t telling you is that no backlink is really “virtually risk-free.” Probably the closest you can get are social media profile links and maybe something like Wikipedia.

I have a 100% white hat site that got hit by a recent algo update using “virtually risk-free” links.

Honestly, if I can give you one piece of advice in regards to SEO and your sites, then it is this – always be skeptical when the information is coming from someone who may gain financially.

Even if they sold their link service. Even if they’re just friendly with someone who happens to run a link service.

Or even if I tell you something, like how awesome Cloudways is for fast hosting, then I hope the fuck that you don’t just take me at my word but do some follow up research.

But I’m not selling you links. I’m telling you as a fellow link buyer and site owner – please don’t feel the need to fall for this bullshit.

Tier 2 links are not the tightly held secrets that have been holding you back from reaching your potential. They’re just more shiny objects to distract you while the people selling you these lies get further ahead.

The reality is, though many high profile people rail against this truth, that in some niches (and with a fuck ton of content) you can make a fuckload of money with zero link building.

People like Anne at yeys.com and Morten at Passive Income Geek (this crazy dude even reveals his real sites) are making a fucking killing on content sites with no active link building. And people like Anne and Morten are certainly not falling for this tier 2 links hype.

Honestly, of the people I know who are crushing it with their sites, none of them are doing tier two links. Not a single one.

So, save your money and spend it on content instead of shitty links that aren’t even pointed at your site.

Shawna Newman

Hey, I’m Shawna. I make a living working from my laptop in places like London, Sydney, Dubai, Rome, Oslo, Bangkok, Las Vegas, Barcelona, and Amsterdam. I share how I do some of that on this website.