In the world of SEO, backlinks are still considered among the most essential ranking factors. A website having strong backlink profile indicates credibility and hence is more likely to rank higher in the search engines. But not all backlinks are equal in value, Quality, Relevance, and Authority Backlink Acquisition.
In this guide, we will briefly look at what you do need to do to build backlinks in the right way and avoid the outdated and black-hat methods that could harm your rankings.
High-quality content which naturally wins you backlinks forms the very basis for any successful link building strategy.
✔ Write comprehensive articles that become the resources of the authority.
✔ Add original data, case studies, research, and make the content your own.
✔ Make infographics and videos and interactive content that others want to share.
✔ Create guest graphics (guest infographics) to get links from blogs.
Guest blogging is still an effective strategy to build backlinks; however, it has to be done right to not be penalized.
Guest Blogging Best Practices:
✔ Target websites with high authority in your niche.
✔ Steer clear of spammy, thinly sliced, etc., blogs that are not editorially controlled.
✔ Provide unique, valuable content, without just promotional material.
✔ Include contextual backlinks in the content organically.
HARO stands for Help a Reporter Out; it helps reporters find sources, and it can be a great way to earn authoritative backlinks.
✔ Register for HARO, and select relevant topics.
✔ Answer promptly with clear, well-researched insights.
✔ Credential yourself to lend authority to your experience.
✔ Appear in high authority websites like Forbes, Entrepreneur, or Business Insider
Broken link building, is a white-hat SEO technique of replacing dead links with your meaningful content.
How to Find & Replace Broken Links:
✔ Find broken links using tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Check My Links.
✔ Get in touch with webmasters (informing them of a broken link).
✔Suggestion: Recommended your high-quality & relevant content as a substitute.
✔ Include value in your outreach email to improve your success rate.
A nickel a day would land you five bucks in a future post, while a (skyscraper) a day would land you two bucks, et cetera.
The Skyscraper Technique is a method developed by Brian Dean which is all about reworking popular content and sharing / promoting that to gain backlinks.
How to Use the Skyscraper Technique:
✔ Look for content with lots of backlinks but that ranks well.
✔ Make a better, more complete and more up to date version.
✔ Promote it to people linking to the original content.
✔ You then reach out to relevant bloggers/journalists and pitch them your improved content.
It is always a good idea to get backlinks from business directories and citations
Submit to Local Online Directories Inclusion in quality online directories enhances local SEO authority and credibility for your website.
Best Practices for Directory Submissions:
✔ High authority directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and BBB.
✔Do not submit to spammy, low-quality directories without moderation.
✔ Make sure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) are consistent.
✔ Capitalize on industry-specific directories for targeted relevancy.
Collaborating with influencers in your field can assist you in obtaining significant backlinks.
How to get links through influencer relationships:
✔ Do expert roundups and include insights from thought leaders.
✔ Have influencers write reviews of your product or service.
✔ Work with me on podcasts, webinars, and interviews.
✔ They want exclusive content to share to their followers
Despite social media links not being direct ranking factors, they are definitely traffic drivers and can lead to backlinks.
Best Practices on Social Media for Link Building:
✔ Post on Topics that Get Shares and Mentions
✔ Solve for Quora & Reddit, providing useful answers.
✔ Join Collective on Facebook and LinkedIn groups relevant to your industry
✔ Viral Infographics and Visual Content Creation & Sharing
One of the most important components of successful link building is outreach. By establishing true relationships, the likelihood to gain backlinks increases.
It’s also a good idea to be sensitive to the fact that you are reaching out to editors and writers who you are not personally connected to.
✔ Avoid using templates and personalize your outreach emails.
✔ Give value, not link requests.
✔ Promote their work before asking for a link.
✔ If you’re not getting a response, follow up politely.
A well-placed CTA (Call-to-Action) can entice visitors to share your content and assist in the link-building process.
Effective CTA Strategies:
✔ If you found this guide useful, please share it with your followers
✔ Reference this resource if you’re writing about backlink strategies.
✔ Need link building assistance? Reach out for a free consultation.
An authoritative and relevant website: High-quality backlinks should come from an experienced and good authority website in your own niche or after having a specific contextual relevance.
Yes, backlinks are one of the key-ranking factors and help to increase domain authority along with organic traffic.
The effect of backlinks can vary, but if you plan to implement this strategy consistently, you can expect to see improvements of your SEO metrics in 3-6 months after the rollout.
Do so, buying backlinks is a risk and violation of Google guidelines. This must be a manual effort, so focus on natural, white-hat link-building strategies.
Monitor backlinks and our our keywords position through Ahrefs, SEMrush and Google Search Console.
The process of earning good links is slow, strategic and continual but is worth every effort. These tried and tested techniques will help you build the authority of your website and show up in the SERPs and increase your sustainable organic traffic.