My experience testing Tier-2 Backlinks for an affiliate site

[seosparkpro]

Hey BHW,

Recently, I tested building Tier-2 backlinks (web 2.0s and niche comments) pointing to my existing Tier-1 guest posts instead of building more direct links to my money site.

Here is what I noticed after 4 weeks:



Indexing rate of Tier-1 links improved significantly.

Small jump in rankings for medium-competition keywords.

Has anyone else seen good results with Tier-2 link building recently, or do you prefer sticking purely to direct high-tier links?

 

[nicenic]

Tier-2 works better as an indexing push than a direct ranking weapon. If the guest post is good but not getting much attention, some relevant links behind it can help.

I'd just watch if the rankings hold after a few more weeks.

 

[HenryObi]

Hey BHW,

Recently, I tested building Tier-2 backlinks (web 2.0s and niche comments) pointing to my existing Tier-1 guest posts instead of building more direct links to my money site.

Here is what I noticed after 4 weeks:



Indexing rate of Tier-1 links improved significantly.

Small jump in rankings for medium-competition keywords.

Has anyone else seen good results with Tier-2 link building recently, or do you prefer sticking purely to direct high-tier links?

I don't even do them as there's no real benefit from Tier-2 links as before. Maybe the quality of link might the differentiating factor.

 

[alwaysrank]

Hey BHW,

Recently, I tested building Tier-2 backlinks (web 2.0s and niche comments) pointing to my existing Tier-1 guest posts instead of building more direct links to my money site.

Here is what I noticed after 4 weeks:



Indexing rate of Tier-1 links improved significantly.

Small jump in rankings for medium-competition keywords.

Has anyone else seen good results with Tier-2 link building recently, or do you prefer sticking purely to direct high-tier links?

I've seen something similar on a few projects. Tier 2 links can help if the Tier 1 links are already strong and relevant. I just try to keep the Tier 2 links natural and don't build too many at once, otherwise the results don't seem as good.

 

[ayufun]

Tier 2 links were not as good as before, but I think it still works, it just depends on the quality of both the tier 1 & 2

 

[elfox14]

Tier 2 work best when its used to strengthen already indexed high quality Tier 1 links rather than as a substitute for earning more strong editorial backlinks The gains are usually incremental while the biggest long term ranking improvements still come from adding relevant Tier 1 authority and improving the site itself.

 

[Monsterer]

Of course, the Tier linking method is a more effective strategy. If you build more quality Tier 1 links, it will be more useful for your money site. May I know what your niche is about?

 

[TimDawsone]

For existing ongoing projects I rarely build tier 1 backlinks. I am heavily invested in tier 2 and tier 3 tier 3 linked buildings because they help to pass the signal to tier 1 plus lower tiers are very easy to automate with automated tools like GSA or Rank X. But we have to always make sure that tier 1 is permanent and not a dead link because otherwise it's going to be waste for lower tiers. So I rarely nowadays build tier 1 links because generally it has to build permanent and mostly the only manual work involves by me but if I have decent tier 1 which is still remains to index I only build t2 and t3 till at least 80% of them get indexed works and safe.

 

[Charli3]

that indexing jump is the real finding, and its bigger than it sounds.

an unindexed tier 1 link is worth exactly nothing. so anything that gets those crawled isnt a side effect, its the difference between the guest post counting and not counting at all. people say t2 is "just an indexing push" like thats a downgrade. thats the main job.

the ranking bump lagging makes sense too. crawl first, then the t1 page gets reevaluated, then whatever equity moves. usually a few weeks between each step.

worth tracking your t1 index rate before and after rather than just rankings. thats the number that tells you whether it worked.

 

[Mondu Agency]

Yeah, tier 2 for indexing/juice to your tier 1 makes sense helps those guest posts get crawled faster and pass a bit more strength
But be careful scaling it, since spammy web 2.0/comment tiers pointing at your money site indirectly can still get the tier 1 flagged if the footprint's obvious. What tools were you using to build the tier 2 layer

manual or automated?

 

[SativaBuzz]

No matter what you're building, you need stable, long-lasting tier 1 links to your money site. When I say stable and long-lasting, it doesn't mean you need fancy guest post edits or CNN-level links. Just fully controlled properties to your money sites - like Google Sites, subreddits to Web2.0s, etc. There are some tier 1 suit links on GSA SER and Money Robot too. You can use them wisely because if your tier 1 breaks, then tier 2 is going to be a waste.

Once you create a few tier 1 links, then build tier 2 links to tier 1 continuously. No need to worry about whether it's really ******** or nofollow if you're using a link building tool like GSA or Ranker X. Consistency is a must.

 

[Hetneo]

if your tier 1 breaks, then tier 2 is going to be a waste

This is the half I would nag people about, honestly. I have had guest posts quietly edited or de-indexed months after paying for them, and nothing tells you when it happens. The tier 2 just keeps pumping into a page that no longer carries the link.

So before renewing any t2 spend I re-crawl the tier 1 list. Does the page still resolve? Is my link still in the body, with the anchor I actually bought? Is the page still in the index? Ten minutes with a crawler, and every quarter it retires a few links I would otherwise have kept paying to push.

@seosparkpro you are tracking index rate, which is the right sheet. Worth adding a survival column to it.

 

[SativaBuzz]

This is the half I would nag people about, honestly. I have had guest posts quietly edited or de-indexed months after paying for them, and nothing tells you when it happens. The tier 2 just keeps pumping into a page that no longer carries the link.

So before renewing any t2 spend I re-crawl the tier 1 list. Does the page still resolve? Is my link still in the body, with the anchor I actually bought? Is the page still in the index? Ten minutes with a crawler, and every quarter it retires a few links I would otherwise have kept paying to push.

@seosparkpro you are tracking index rate, which is the right sheet. Worth adding a survival column to it.

True. That's why even though I own a totally automated link building pipeline, I still create tier 1 myself. I've never been a big fan of niche edits, at least not for the niches I work in. They're very compatible with self-hosted para sites and tiered link building using automation tools.

 

[IM Dude]

Hey BHW,

Recently, I tested building Tier-2 backlinks (web 2.0s and niche comments) pointing to my existing Tier-1 guest posts instead of building more direct links to my money site.

Here is what I noticed after 4 weeks:



Indexing rate of Tier-1 links improved significantly.

Small jump in rankings for medium-competition keywords.

Has anyone else seen good results with Tier-2 link building recently, or do you prefer sticking purely to direct high-tier links?

Which tool are you using to build tier 2 links? Interesting results.

 

[Gaming Chairs]

That is interesting I've seen mixed opinions on Tier 2 links so it is useful to hear a real test I'd be curious to know if those ranking gains stayed stable after a few more weeks

 

[Hetneo]

even though I own a totally automated link building pipeline, I still create tier 1 myself

That is the stronger reason to do it, and worth naming out loud -> a property you hold the keys to cannot be quietly edited or sold out from under you. Different failure mode from the one I was describing, not the same one.

The trade is that control and authority pull against each other. What you fully control carries little trust of its own, and the platform-hosted stuff gets purged in waves whatever you did. What has real authority is exactly what somebody else can edit. So own what you can, rent what you cannot, and run the survival check on the rented half only.

@SativaBuzz do you re-check the self-hosted tier 1 at all, or is it set and forget once the box is yours?