So, you’ve covered nearly all the requirements of technical SEO for your website but still can’t seem to drive traffic. Link building can be the missing piece.
Links became a ranking factor in the late 1990s and allowed Google to dominate the search engine market. By incorporating links into their algorithm, Google was able to find more relevant and useful search results than its competitors.
When search engines crawl web pages for indexing, they don’t just look at the content of the page but also at the number of links pointing to that website from external websites. To better understand this SEO strategy, take a look at this guide:
What is Link Building
Link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. Think of backlinks as votes of confidence that tell search engines your website is somehow important. The purpose is to build the authority of your site and drive organic search engine traffic.
Here’s what backlinks can do for your website:
- Ensure better search engine optimization
- More organic traffic
- Enhanced credibility
- Broader audience reach
- Better visibility
- Connection building and growth opportunities
How to Gain Backlinks
Now that you know link building is important, let’s explore some ways you can gain backlinks.
Create Link-worthy Content
Creating premium content for your website is a time-consuming but rewarding way to gain backlinks. You need to create content that is both informational and shareable. Start by conducting in-depth research and keyword analysis to find compelling and valuable topics.
Offer industry-specific insights and guides so bloggers and other website owners might want to link to your content. Depending on your niche, incorporate case studies and personal experiences to make your content more relatable.
SEO experts also recommend adding visuals, such as charts, pictures, and videos, to break up chunks of text and make an article easy to read. Make sure what you write is precise and free of AI and plagiarism. All of these practices will make your content link-worthy, helping you earn free backlinks.
Publish Skyscraper Content
Along the same lines, you can publish skyscraper content, which involves finding top-ranking content and creating a superior version of it. The aim is to write an article that covers every single aspect of a topic. These comprehensive guides compel readers and bloggers who might link to you.
Skyscraper content is also more likely to gain better visibility from the search engines. After creating content, you need a way to promote it, also known as the Skyscraper Technique. It involves reaching out to websites that link to the original content and offering your article as a replacement.
Avail Guest Posting Opportunities
Guest blogging is one of the most popular link-building strategies, and for the right reasons. Numerous websites have a “write for us” section or offer a guest contributor account. Start by reaching out to them and inquire about their content requirements. The host website will publish your content, and you typically have the option to include a link back to your website.
Make sure the website has a high Domain Authority (DA), a score that predicts a website’s potential to rank high in search engine results. Avoid mass guest blogging for backlinks, as search engines might consider it spammy.
Finding relevant websites, creating content, and communicating with publishers is an exhausting process. Consider working with a top link outreach company that will take care of everything. Guest blogging is a long-term SEO strategy, and working with an outreach company will ensure the process runs smoothly in the background, allowing you to focus on more pressing matters of your business.
Mend Broken Backlinks
Every website has links that no longer work. Broken backlinks occur due to a variety of reasons, such as the source website removing the links or the links having incorrect URLs. Whatever the reasons, these broken backlinks can become a part of your link building strategy.
Mending broken backlinks involves finding broken backlinks (via tools or manual search), reaching out to the website owner, and offering your content as a replacement. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.
Use Infographics
Infographics, such as images, graphs, and charts, can streamline complex content into scannable visuals, attracting the user’s attention. Create clear and concise infographics with an engaging design.
Reach out to bloggers and influencers who have written on similar topics and pitch your infographics. They will provide you with backlinks in exchange.
What Makes a Good Link?
Different kinds of backlinks have different impacts on your webpage’s ranking. However, there are five factors that evaluate the quality of an SEO link:
Authority
Getting a link from Forbes and a link from your friend’s home improvement website isn’t the same. Forbes has great authority in the search engine ranking, which means their link can offer you greater visibility. This is how authority determines the quality of a backlink.
Relevance
If you run a tech-based blog, linking to other websites and pages on the same topic will have more weight in the eyes of Google compared to links from a website about fitness. If you’re availing guest posting opportunities, relevance is even more critical.
Anchor Text
Anchor text is a clickable snippet of text that links to another page. Search engines like Google use the anchor text to understand what the linked page is about. Use a natural and organic anchor text. Avoid trying to fit in all the right words in the anchor text, as Google might suspect manipulation and penalize you for that.
Placement
The placement of the target link is another factor that affects the authority of the page. Readers are more likely to click an anchor text placed at the beginning or middle of the content.
Destination
In link building, there are three possible destinations where you can point the readers. This includes:
- Your homepage
- Your linkable assets
- The actual pages you need to rank well in search engines
Most website owners prefer to rank informational pages rather than commercial ones to give readers value, increasing their chances of gaining a lead. Depending on your SEO strategy, you can choose a page to rank.