Let's take time conversion sites as an example. The popular timeanddate website is well-established and makes sense to be at the top of Google search results. However, other sites like dateful or World Time Buddy have minimal content but still rank highly, likely due to their large number of backlinks (431K) and linking websites (5.1K) according to ahrefs.Is the owner of these sites paying someone for backlinks, or are people simply finding the site on Google and naturally linking to it?
As an SEO beginner, I would appreciate any information on this topic.
Tool sites with no blogs can rank above content-heavy websites due to several factors, including a strong backlink profile, technical SEO optimization, and user experience.
Backlinks:
- Sites like dateful and World Time Buddy have accumulated a large number of backlinks, likely due to their utility and user-friendliness. Many users might find these tools helpful and naturally link to them on their own websites or social media profiles.
- While some sites may employ paid link building strategies, acquiring backlinks organically through providing valuable tools is a common and effective approach.
Technical SEO:
- Tool sites often prioritize technical SEO aspects, ensuring their website loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, and has proper structured data markup. This can significantly improve their search engine rankings.
User Experience:
- User experience is critical for any website’s success, but particularly for tool sites. If a tool is easy to use, provides accurate results, and meets user needs, people are more likely to bookmark it, share it with others, and naturally link to it.
It’s important to remember that search engine algorithms consider a multitude of factors when ranking websites. While content is crucial, it’s not the only factor. By focusing on technical SEO, user experience, and building a strong backlink profile, tool sites can achieve high rankings without relying solely on extensive blog content.