Linkarati Roundup #2

This week was a typical week in the life of SEO and link building - which is to say busy and action-packed.

At Linkarati we want to feature the best link building articles of the week. If you have an article you'd like us to consider for these roundups, head over to our Link Builders Community on Google+ and share it!

1. First up is an Interview with Julie Joyce about Link Building as a Business in 2014

Julie has a unique perspective and insight as the head of a link building company - and she's not afraid to share! If you're looking to better understand the struggle of running a link building agency, this post is definitely for you.

2. Matt Cutts answers the question "Is there a version of Google that excludes backlinks as a ranking factor?"

http://youtu.be/NCY30WhI2og

There's a few very interesting facts about this:

• Google's gone to the effort of stripping links as a ranking signal in a private test
• Google found removing backlinks greatly reduced the quality of their search results
• Matt calls backlinks "a really really big win in terms of quality for search results" - indicating they're still a strong ranking signal
• Links aren't dead, and neither is SEO, despite what the uninformed think.

3. Emma Still's article "6 quick win strategies to kick off any link building campaign".

This article's content delivers exactly what the title promises - 6 quick win link building strategies specifically designed to start off a campaign the right way. It's well written, easy to follow, and actionable. Emma Still does a fantastic job, and it's certainly worth the read.

4. Dan Shure's article "Google didn't want us to use the keyword planner this way. But it works nicely."

Despite the Upworthy sounding title, this article is packed full of deviously creative ways to use Google's Keyword Planner to quickly create a keyword list for a new industry you know nothing about. Even if you're an old hand at keyword research, this article just might teach you something new.

5. Brian Dean's Definitive Guide to Keyword Research

Brian Dean brings us another impressive guide, this time tackling everything related to keyword research, including the Google Keyword Planner, longtail keywords, commercial intent, keyword competition, keyword research tools, and SEO content. If you're a beginner, or just looking to learn more, this should be your first stop for learning about keyword research.

6. Mark Traphagen's "Why Your Brand Shouldn't Fear Assigning Authorship".

If you're a future thinking SEO there's no doubt that Authorship has been on your mind at one time or another. Mark has done much thought leadership in the space, and this article is one of his best yet. He tackles the confusing issue of tying individual authors to company blogs, and the implications for the brand. It's an incredibly compelling read if you've at all struggled with how to articulate why such a process might be advisable. Instead of struggling, just go read the article - Mark does a fantastic job of explaining the issue in clear terms and easy-to-follow logic.