In this deep-dive conversation, Alejandro Meyerhans shares his journey from Spanish waiter to CEO of a successful link building agency, revealing the mathematical foundations and strategic frameworks that make link building work. We explore the science behind PageRank, the evolving role of links in LLM optimization, Google's HCU updates, and the hard truths about operating within platform ecosystems.

Alejandro Meyerhans is the CEO of GetMeLinks, a strategic link building agency serving agencies and CMOs. Since 2016, Alejandro has built his SEO expertise from the ground up—starting with affiliate sites, becoming a forensic SEO auditor, and eventually leading one of the industry's most respected link building operations. He's known for his data-driven approach, combining mathematics, game theory, and rigorous testing to demystify what actually works in modern link building.

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Key Insight: To rank in ChatGPT, rank on Google first. Then serve robot-readable content and build your online reputation.

Check Your Site: Google Search Console → Settings → Crawl Stats

"SEO changed my life. I didn't want to go back to being a waiter. It played to all my subjects of special interest: math, statistics, game theory, testing, language—that's how you get good SEO done." — Alejandro Meyerhans

"Building a backlink profile is a lot like chess. You don't start a brand new website and run it with 100 digital PR type of backlinks because that just doesn't fly." — Alejandro Meyerhans

"I always equate traffic with trust. If the traffic is real, not some manipulated keywords to inflate the Ahrefs graphs, then it matters." — Alejandro Meyerhans

"SEO is a game of completeness. Link building, same. You only have to be as complete as the guys in the top three, then this much more. Everything else is excess." — Alejandro Meyerhans

"E-E-A-T is not a signal, it's not something. E-E-A-T equals cluster of what? It's an amalgamation of a certain set of signals in particular." — Alejandro Meyerhans

"LLMs are rewriters of the story. Google is a game of who needs to be on this leaderboard. With LLMs, it's 'I'm going to use whatever sources I feel will tell you the most valuable story to solve your problem.'" — Alejandro Meyerhans

"How do we rank in ChatGPT? Rank on Google. Let's nail the job because all the long tail queries related to your industry, that's how it starts getting additional knowledge." — Alejandro Meyerhans

"Helpful content update—helpful for whom? Helpful for Google's finances. We cannot forget that we are making money in their home through the traffic that goes to their website." — Alejandro Meyerhans

"If you're working in somebody else's ecosystem, to quote Lily Ray, it works until it doesn't." — Jeremy Rivera

"We are going to the platform and saying, 'Hey, platform, look, I've done all these changes. Does this please you more according to the math that I know pleases you?'" — Alejandro Meyerhans

Link building is strategic, not tactical. Successful link building requires analyzing what's already winning in your niche and replicating that pattern while understanding the principles behind why it works. The answer is always in the data—competitive backlink analysis reveals the authority, relevance, and velocity needed to rank.

Core link signals extend beyond PageRank. Modern SEO considers anchor text ratios, reasonable surfer signals (link placement on page), passage rank (surrounding text relevance), link velocity proportional to traffic and brand signals, container page authority, and the proper sequencing of link types as a site matures.

SEO is a completion game, not a perfection game. You only need to be as complete as the top three competitors, then slightly better. Focus on filling gaps in your backlink profile rather than building excess links. Strategic difference matters—having what competitors don't can provide massive advantage.

Geographic and vertical relevance matter differently. Local links from institutions provide trust signals and differentiation. Different niches (locksmiths vs. e-commerce vs. YMYL) require completely different link building approaches. Always analyze the specific competitive landscape for your niche.

LLM optimization follows traditional SEO principles with brand emphasis. ChatGPT uses a tier system (seed list → niche authorities → search aggregation) where traditional Google rankings feed tier 2 and 3 placement. Brand mentions with positive sentiment, consensus across sources, and being featured on authoritative sites matter more than exact match optimization for LLM visibility.

Google's HCU targeted cost vs. value. Sites hit by helpful content updates often shared characteristics: expensive to crawl (bloated URLs, slow response times), didn't generate ad revenue for Google, lacked strong backlink profiles and brand signals. The "helpful" assessment considers Google's business model, not just user value.

Operating in platform ecosystems requires acceptance and adaptation. Whether it's Google, Amazon, or any other platform, you're playing in someone else's house. Strategic SEOs plan for algorithm changes and platform pivots rather than expecting static rules. The game is understanding what the platform needs and giving them slightly more value than you extract.

Distance to seed and trust signals form the foundation. Links from .gov, .edu, and tier one authorities (like Healthline in health) provide outsized value because they're manually vetted by search engines. Building towards and from these trust sources should be prioritized, especially early in a site's lifecycle.

Self-Published and Lousy Knowledge Panel by Jeremy Rivera
A practical guide to establishing entity authority even with minimal traditional credentials.

Jeremy Rivera

Alejandro Meyerhans

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