Stop Linking Citation Vault to Your Money Site 🚫

Why Not Build Citation Vault Links Directly to Your Money Site?

It’s tempting to point all your links to your money site, but Citation Vault links come with some problems:

• They’re buggy: Citation Vault often has broken images, wrong location pulls, and errors like “404” or “database connection errors.”
• They make a clear footprint: If all your Citation Vault links point to the same site, it’s easy for search engines to spot a pattern, which can look spammy.
• Many don’t index: Even after multiple submissions to Google, only a small fraction of these links get indexed, meaning they don’t show up in search results or pass much value.

Because of these issues, it’s risky to have these links go straight to your money site. Instead, the ID page acts as a shield, absorbing the risks and keeping your main site safe.

What Does a Local Link Building Strategy Look Like?

Here’s how we approach local link building using an ID page:

• Build Citation Vault and other similar links to the ID page (hosted on Amazon S3 or a high authority domain).
• The ID page links out to all your important URLs, including your money site, location pages, Google Business Profile, social media, and other relevant assets.
• At the same time, build some high-quality links directly to your money site, but with careful anchor text that focuses on your brand name or URL (brand anchors), not keywords.
• Use the ID page to handle more aggressive keyword anchor text links, since it’s safer to do so there without risking penalties to your money site.

This setup lets us be creative and aggressive with anchor text and link velocity on the ID page while keeping the money site’s backlink profile natural and safe.

Anchor Text Strategy: Brand Anchors vs. Keyword Anchors

Anchor text is the clickable text in a link, and how you use it matters a lot in SEO. Here’s what we do:

• Money site links: Almost always use brand anchors (your business name or URL). Google prefers this because it looks natural and safe.
• ID page links: Use keyword anchors (target keywords, sometimes with location modifiers). This helps the ID page rank for relevant terms and pass some keyword relevance to your money site.

This split keeps your money site’s backlink profile balanced and avoids over-optimization penalties.

How Well Do Citation Vault Links Index?

One big question is whether Citation Vault links get indexed by Google. The answer is: not very well. Even after submitting hundreds of Citation Vault URLs multiple times for crawling, only a small number actually get indexed.

For example, in one campaign, we submitted 300 Citation Vault links to the ID page three times each. Out of those 900 submission attempts, only about 28 links got indexed—and most of those were not Citation Vault links but other higher-quality links we built.

This shows that Citation Vault links have a low quality score in Google’s eyes, which is why we don’t rely on them directly for your money site. Instead, we use them to support the ID page’s backlink profile, focusing on brand/URL anchors to build trust.

What About Press Releases?

If Citation Vault isn’t perfect, what else can we do? Press releases are another option. While they are more expensive, press releases tend to have higher quality and better indexing rates than Citation Vault links.

We use press releases to build brand anchor links to the ID page, adding diversity and strength to the backlink profile. This approach keeps the link-building effort balanced and effective.

Why Is the ID Page So Important?

The ID page is more than just a link hub. It:

• Serves as a trusted resource for search engines to verify your business information.
• Allows us to be aggressive with link building without risking the money site’s health.
• Helps organize and consolidate all your online business assets, making SEO easier to manage.
• Improves topical relevance by linking out to related pages and services.

Because it’s hosted on a high-authority domain, we can build lots of links to it, including keyword-rich anchor texts, without worrying about penalties. This makes the ID page a powerful tool in local SEO.

Summary: Why You Should Stop Linking Citation Vault Directly to Your Money Site

To recap, here’s why linking Citation Vault links directly to your money site is a bad idea:

• Citation Vault links are buggy and often broken.
• They create a clear and spammy footprint.
• Most Citation Vault links don’t get indexed.
• Direct links can over-optimize your money site and raise red flags with Google.

Instead, build Citation Vault links to an ID page that acts as a strong, centralized resource. Then, link from the ID page to your money site and other important assets. This keeps your money site safe, allows for more aggressive link-building tactics, and improves your local SEO results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is an ID page and why do I need one?

An ID page is a centralized page that gathers all your business’s online URLs in one place. It helps search engines verify your business information and acts as a safe target for link-building campaigns, protecting your main website from spammy links.

Why shouldn’t I build Citation Vault links directly to my main website?

Citation Vault links are often buggy, broken, and many don’t index. Linking them directly to your main site can create a spammy footprint and risk penalties from Google. Using an ID page as a buffer is safer and more effective.

How does link equity work when using an ID page?

Link equity flows through all the links on the ID page. So, when you build links to the ID page, the equity is split across all linked URLs, including your money site. While this means less direct link juice to your money site, it keeps your site safer and helps build overall authority.

What kind of anchor text should I use for links to my money site?

Use mostly brand anchors (your business name or URL) for links pointing directly to your money site. This looks natural to Google and reduces the risk of over-optimization.

Can press releases replace Citation Vault links?

Press releases are a good alternative because they tend to be higher quality and index better. However, they are more expensive. Using a mix of press releases and Citation Vault links to the ID page can give a balanced and effective link profile.

How do I know if my Citation Vault links are indexed?

You can use tools like link crawlers or Google Search Console to check if your links are indexed. Keep in mind that many Citation Vault links won’t index, so don’t rely on them alone for SEO success.

Final Thoughts

Using an ID page for your local SEO link-building strategy is a smart move. It protects your main website from risky Citation Vault links, lets you be more aggressive with anchor text, and helps organize your business’s online presence. If you want to keep your money site strong and healthy, stop pointing buggy Citation Vault links directly to it. Instead, focus your efforts on building a powerful ID page that supports and boosts your primary website safely.