Off-page SEO and link building: General strategies and authority transfer in the digital news media

Authors

Keywords:

Digital news media, Online journalism, Digital journalism, SEO, Off-page SEO, Web positioning, Link building, Native advertising, Journalism ethics.

Abstract

In recent years, a number of digital news media outlets have begun to include paid links in their content. This study seeks to identify and analyse this content whose sole purpose is to improve the website authority of the advertisers and their search engine rankings. To do so, it employs two basic methodologies: first, it undertakes a systematic review of off-page SEO practices, the digital press and native advertising; and, second, it reports a case study based on the identification and analysis of 150 news items that contain specially commissioned links resulting from a commercial transaction. The study provides evidence of a new revenue stream for the digital news media, one that is not clearly disclosed and which is based on the sale of links. The article includes a discussion of the case study findings, and presents future guidelines for the use of paid links based on the emerging concept of "˜native advertising´.

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Author Biographies

Carlos Lopezosa, Universidad Pompeu Fabra

Carlos Lopezosa  es investigador del Programa de Doctorado del Departamento de Comunicación de la Universitat Pompeu Fabra y colaborador del Grupo de Investigación DigiDoc. Su tesis doctoral está centrada en el estudio de los factores de posicionamiento de sitios intensivos en contenidos y cibermedios, así­ como en la evaluación de herramientas SEO. Es especialista en sistemas de monetización basados en estrategias de contenidos de calidad. Profesor del Máster Online en Buscadores de la Barcelona School of Management de la UPF. 

Lluí­s Codina, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Lluí­s Codinaes doctor por la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Imparte docencia en la Facultad de Comunicación de la Universitat Pompeu Fabra.  Forma parte del staff académico e imparte docencia también en los Másteres Universitarios Online en Documentación Digital y en Buscadores, de la Barcelona School  of Management UPF. Es miembro promotor del Grupo de Investigación en Documentación Digital y Comunicación Interactiva (DigiDoc), y coordinador de su Seminario de Investigación.

Carlos Gonzalo-Penela, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Carlos Gonzalo es Doctor en Comunicación Social por la Universidad Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona y Diplomado en Estudios Avanzados en "˜Información y Documentación en la Era Digital´ por la Universitat de Barcelona. Es profesor del Máster Online en Buscadores y director académico del posgrado "˜SEO y Social Media para comunicadores´ de la Barcelona School of Management UPF. Sus lí­neas de investigación se centran en visibilidad de contenidos en resultados de Google y análisis de patrones de búsqueda aplicables a sectores económicos. 

Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Roc Boronat, 138
08018 Barcelona
carlos.lopezosa@upf.edu
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3380-6823 - Directorio Exit: https://www.directorioexit.info/ficha1961

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Published

2019-01-08

How to Cite

Lopezosa, C., Codina, L., & Gonzalo-Penela, C. (2019). Off-page SEO and link building: General strategies and authority transfer in the digital news media. Profesional De La información, 28(1). Retrieved from https://revista.profesionaldelainformacion.com/index.php/EPI/article/view/66177