Google Stacking: Valid Authority Signal or Not?

If you’re on SEO forums, you’ve likely seen people talking about Google stacking. Some claim they’ve got great results. Others say it’s nothing more than a waste of time.

So, which is it? Is there a “proper” way to do it?

Stacking could yield results. However, the link signal generated from the stack is likely weak. There’s also the time investment and spam penalties to worry about.

What Google Stacking Really Means

At its core, Google stacking is a link-building SEO technique. But rather than getting a link from someone else’s website to yours, you’re getting multiple links from Google-owned services (hosted on a free Google Site) back to your site.

Since this optimization tactic requires working solely on Google platforms, some bloggers and marketers call it “Google Drive stacking” and “Google entity stacking.”

You might also see people refer to the network of linked assets as a “Google authority stack” or a “Google cloud stack.”

Top Google Properties for Stacking

Which Google-owned services do you target when you stack? You look for any service linked to Google Drive that allows you to upload or create assets.

Luckily, there are other properties that you can interlink and include in your Google Drive stack. Here are some services to consider:

• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Google Slides
• Google Forms
• Google Photos
• Google Maps

Google Map Stacking at a Glance

Note that some marketers and SEO agencies offer Google map stacking as a standalone service.

They don’t interlink the map with other assets. Instead, they claim to stack map citations and driving directions that link back to you. Some SEO service packages include geo-tagged photos as well.

The SEO strategist typically picks a set radius around the client’s business. Then they place the map pins all over the target search area. Each pin is optimized with relevant keywords with the overarching goal of increasing local website visibility on the search engine results page (SERP).

A map stack with a larger radius and more pins is supposedly more effective in boosting visibility.

For the purposes of this guide, however, we’ll look at map listings as a part of the larger Google Drive stack.

Why SEO Professionals and Site Owners Stack

Before we get to the step-by-step guide, let’s see why people bother creating Google entity stacks.

Reason #1: Link-Building and Topic Relevance

The number one reason people stack Google assets is to increase their site’s link equity. The idea here is that Google will surely favor the content hosted on its own domains and services. So, if you get multiple backlinks from these properties, you’ll have a better shot at ranking.

Is it better than traditional backlink-building strategies? Well, it depends on how you define “better.”

Stacking takes the cake if you’re looking for something that gives you freedom. You’ll build backlinks the way you want without being at the mercy of other site owners, influencers, or bloggers.

How it compares in terms of results, on the other hand, is a topic of debate. And we’ll get to it later in the guide.

Reason #2: Local Search Engine Ranking

From a local SEO perspective, Google stacking can be beneficial.

After all, it creates multiple opportunities for you to display your NAP (name, address, and phone number). And high-quality citations, in general, will get you closer to local search supremacy.

Reason #3: Credibility and Digital Footprint

Having a network of properties mentioning your site will increase your online presence. More brand mentions eventually lead to boosted perceived trustworthiness, especially when you’re getting mentions from already credible, high-authority platforms.

Note that, much like the link-building opportunity, the potential for digital footprint expansion here comes with more freedom than you’re used to.

You won’t have to stick to another site’s strict editorial guidelines just to get your content published.

Google Authority Stacking in 6 Steps

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign Out, Create a New Account, and Sign In

You’ll be using Google platforms throughout this guide. But you don’t want to use your regular Google account (the one associated with your main website).

2. Do Your Keyword Research

Feel free to skip this step if you already have a list of target keywords. If, however, you’re starting from scratch, you’ll have to do a bit of prep work first.

There are a number of tools you can use to get your research started. Think SEMrush Keyword Magic, Moz, Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, and Google Keyword Planner.

Aim for four highly relevant keywords or more. But don’t just use whatever the tool throws your way. You want to think about your target audience and how their needs influence their Google search behavior.

Remember: Your goal in this step is to align your stack topic with your users’ search queries.

3. Assign Keywords to a Google Drive Folder

Create one “main” folder in Drive. Then, create as many subfolders as you have target keywords.

Make sure all your folders are public. Right-click on each folder and open the “Share” settings. From there, you can make it so that anyone with the link can access the content.

Just double-check that the role is set to “Viewer,” not “Editor”. Otherwise, people will be able to change and delete your content.

4. Fill Up the Folders With Google Assets

This is the most time-consuming part. You have to create assets and interlink them, but you can’t cut corners here. There’s no point in doing all this work if your stack will end up with poor-quality content.

Pro Tip: Don’t hesitate to repurpose any high-quality, SEO-friendly content you have ready to go. Simply changing the format rather than creating from scratch will save you a ton of time!

Creating assets on certain platforms will be much easier than on others. Take Photos, for instance. All you need to do is create an album and fill it with your website’s customized media (logos, infographics, etc.). The links can go in the description boxes.

For Google Docs, you can write an evergreen article about your topic with embedded photos and natural links to your site (homepage or other relevant webpages).

Your Google Slides asset can be an in-depth presentation about your niche. On Sheets, you can list your brand’s information. It’s also possible to create a sheet that gathers the links to all your stack assets.

To tackle the Google Maps angle of your stack, embed the listing associated with your Google My Business (GMB) into other assets. You could create a custom My Map with all the relevant business locations and embed it as well.

5. Publish Your Assets

Each asset you create has to be published online. To do that, open the asset, head to the “Share” under the “File” menu, and choose “Publish to web.”

Pro Tip: For a more efficient workflow, consider publishing assets as you go.

6. Send Your Stack to Google Sites

Use the Google Sites webpage builder to create a sort of information hub on your target keyword.

Ideally, you’ll use one Google Site for each stack. But it’s perfectly fine to use a pre-made template to make the task a bit easier.

Pro Tip: Google Sites isn’t the only way to share your stack. You can also link to it on your main website or share it on social media.

Potential Drawbacks of Google Stacking

Unfortunately, stacking isn’t without its downsides. Before you decide to proceed, check out the following drawbacks:

The Link Signal Strength Is Debatable

There’s no guarantee that stacking will be effective for your website. In fact, many of the bloggers who used to stack in the past now doubt the signal strength.

Focusing your SEO efforts on tried-and-tested link-building techniques (like guest posting) can be more fruitful.

It’s Not a One-and-Done Type of Deal

You’d have to maintain and update your stack constantly. And considering that you already have your main website to manage, this could be too much effort for too little return.

It Might Be Considered Spammy

While researching Google stacking, you might come across a result called “Google Drive Stacking.”

Because the URL includes “sites.google,” some people might be under the impression that this is an official support article from Google. It’s not. This is a Google Sites webpage, which anyone with a Google account can create.

So, this doesn’t mean Google itself endorses stacking. For all we know, they might release an algorithm update that marks stacks as spam.

Remember that the value added to the end user is key. In many cases, duplicating content without adding much value to the reader/customer is considered spammy. So, you might be better off investing in white-hat SEO tactics.

The Bottom Line

Whether or not you decide to give stacking a shot is entirely up to you. If you do choose to create a stack, at least make sure you’re adding actual value, not just trying to manipulate the algorithm.

And if you need help with your SEO strategy and link-building efforts, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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