SEO Historian - How to Gain Client Trust.

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This week’s drop is all about sounding like an expert, and not just your average SEO.

Because when we provide historical context in our answers to client questions, we build credibility!

For example, let’s say your clients asks:

“Do backlinks still work in 2025?”

Don’t just say “yes.” Add context!

Year / Period	What Happened
Pre-2012 / early 2010s	Backlinks (especially high volume & keyword-rich anchor text) were a major ranking factor. Many “link farms,” poor quality directories, etc.
2012-2016	Penguin algorithm introduced (2012), and over time evolved to ignore/downgrade low-quality/manipulated links. (Ahrefs)
~2016 (“Penguin 4.0”)	Google shifted so that many spammy or manipulative backlinks would be ignored rather than causing heavy penalties — making the effect of bad links less about punishment and more about “not helping.” (Ahrefs)
Post-2016 → 2020s	Increasing focus on quality, relevance, content value, and user experience. Also more emphasis on “E-E-A-T” (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) & how links factor into demonstrating authority and trust.
2023-2025	With AI, changing SERP features (zero-clicks, AI summaries), and more “content abundance,” merely having backlinks is insufficient; what counts is whether they are meaningful. Also more risk in manipulative tactics. Tools and best practices evolve to favor “earned, editorial, relevant” backlinks.

When explaining this to clients or leadership, you’ll want to frame the value clearly and set realistic expectations. Here’s how:

“Backlinks remain one of Google’s strongest trust & relevance signals.” Emphasize: not all links are equal; what matters more than count is quality, relevance & context.
“Our priority is to earn good links, not buy or spam them.” Explain that manipulative or irrelevant backlinks can be ignored or flagged; risk is real.
“It's a long-term play, not a quick win.” Building authority via backlinks takes time: establishing content worthy of being cited, reaching out, PR, producing useful resources, etc.
“We must monitor & maintain the profile.” Backlink loss (rot) happens. Reclaiming / repairing backlinks, ensuring important ones are preserved, disavowing harmful ones are part of ongoing SEO maintenance.
“In the current SEO landscape, link equity is one piece of the puzzle.” It complements content quality, user experience, site speed, mobile optimization, E-E-A-T, etc. If other areas are weak, good links won’t fully compensate.