Backlinks are an essential component in improving your website’s search engine ranking. As one of the top search ranking factors for Google, the number and quality of backlinks to your website directly affects your visibility and searchability. Increasing the number of high-quality backlinks can significantly enhance your chances of ranking higher on search engine results pages. We will provide practical strategies for obtaining backlinks, which can be easily implemented by anyone looking to boost their website’s search engine ranking.
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What Are Backlinks?
Backlinks, also known as external or inbound links, link from other websites that direct to your site. For example, if site XYZ includes a link to your website in one of its articles, it would be considered a backlink.
Backlinks validate your website and content. They are crucial for SEO (search engine optimization). Studies have shown that websites with many backlinks rank higher on search engines like Google.
The presence of backlinks from other websites to yours signals to search engines that your content is valuable and worthy of links. In return, search engines will improve your website’s ranking and visibility in search results.
Link building is an essential aspect of SEO but acquiring backlinks for your website can be challenging. We will provide practical strategies for obtaining backlinks which can be easily implemented by anyone looking to boost their website’s search engine ranking.
Now that you know about backlinks, here are a few techniques to get them for your website.
Look for Reporters and Bloggers
If you want to rank on the first page of Google, you will want to have backlinks from authority news sites and blogs. Generally, Google uses backlinks as a way to determine the credibility and quality of a website. The more high-quality, authoritative backlinks on a website, the more likely it is to rank well in search results.
Fortunately, building backlinks from authoritative news sites and blogs do not have to be complicated. One effective way to do this is using a free service called Help a Reporter Out (HARO).
Think of HARO as a matchmaking service for public relations. It connects journalists and bloggers who need sources for their stories with experts and professionals who want to build backlinks and increase their exposure. By registering as a source on HARO, you can be matched with relevant journalists and bloggers looking for sources on topics you know.
To get started with HARO, you will first need to register as a source. Depending on your needs, you can choose from a free or paid plan. Once registered, you will receive daily emails with requests from journalists and bloggers looking for sources on various topics. You can look for topics you know as you scroll through the requests.
When you find a request, you will need to send a brief and valuable pitch to the journalist or blogger. Your pitch should be concise and directly address the topic they have requested. You should also include any relevant information or credentials that make you a credible source.
Following these steps can increase your chances of getting featured in articles and news stories on authoritative sites, helping you build high-quality backlinks and improve your search engine rankings.
Create “Skyscraper” Content
The skyscraper technique is a content marketing strategy that involves creating highly informative and in-depth content on a specific topic. Afterward, you will want to reach out to other websites linked to similar content and ask them to link to your new content. The idea is that your content is “bigger and better” than the existing content; that is why it has the name “skyscraper.”
To implement this strategy, you first need to identify a topic with a lot of potential for creating in-depth and valuable content. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find keywords that are related to your topic and have a high search volume. Next, you will need to research the existing content on the subject and identify the most popular and authoritative articles.
Once you have identified the existing content, create your own content that is better and more informative than the current blog or article. With that, you can make a longer and more detailed article by adding more research, data, or statistics or use more visuals like infographics and videos.
After creating your content, reach out to the websites that have linked to the existing content and ask them to link to your new content. This can be done through email outreach, social media, or commenting on their website. Keep in mind that the outreach should be personalized and not automated, and the website you are reaching out should have relevance to the topic of your content.
Related: 5 Best Link Building Strategies
Get Links from Older Sources
Building backlinks from outdated sources can be a tricky and potentially risky strategy, as it may provide a different level of value or authority than links from more current and reputable sources. An outdated source could be a website or page that has not been updated in a long time or a page with low traffic.
To build backlinks from outdated sources, you can try the following strategies:
- Rejuvenate old content: If you find an outdated page with many backlinks, you can update the content, making it more relevant and valuable for users. This can help attract new backlinks from other websites.
- Broken link building: Look for broken links on outdated websites. After that, contact the website owner to inform them of the broken link and offer a replacement link to your website.
- Archive.org: You can use the Wayback Machine to find old versions of websites and pages and then reach out to the website owner to ask for a link back to your website.
Create Content Formats That Are Ideal for Links
Not all content can use backlinks. Several types of content formats are better at generating these links. Research-based content like articles, whitepapers, and case studies based on original research or data generates a lot of backlinks. This is because they provide valuable and unique insights that other websites may want to reference or link to your site. Content that includes a list of resources or a step-by-step guide on a specific topic can be highly informative and helpful for users. As a result, these types of content are often linked to other websites.
Additionally, infographics, videos, and images can be very effective in generating backlinks because they are easy to share and can convey complex information in an engaging and visual way. Even quizzes and polls can be great at generating backlinks because they are interactive and interesting, and they can help users learn more about a specific topic in a fun and interactive way.
Publish a Complete or Ultimate Guide
Publishing an ultimate guide is a great way to generate backlinks for your website. An ultimate guide is a comprehensive and in-depth resource that covers all aspects of a specific topic. They are often much longer than a traditional blog post and are designed to be a one-stop shop for information on a specific topic. When creating an ultimate guide, focus on providing value to your audience and making the guide as comprehensive and informative as possible.
Additionally, you will want to ensure that the guide is well-designed and easy to navigate. This will make it more likely that other websites will link to it. To create an ultimate guide that generates backlinks, choose a relevant and in-demand topic, conduct research, make it visually appealing, promote it and reach out to other websites that have linked to similar content. After that, you want to ask them to link to your guide instead of the competition.
Related: Tempted to Buy Backlinks for Your SEO? Read This First
Use Branded Strategies and Techniques
Branded strategies and techniques focus on building awareness and credibility for your brand, which can help attract backlinks from other websites. One method is consistently creating valuable and relevant content, which increases the chances of other websites mentioning your brand. These mentions can be turned into backlinks by reaching out to the website and asking for a link.
Another strategy is influencer marketing. Partnering with influencers in your industry can expose your brand to a wider audience and attract backlinks from other websites. Guest blogging is another strategy whereby contributing high-quality content to other websites. You can increase your brand’s visibility and attract backlinks. Consistently creating valuable and shareable content on social media can help improve your brand’s visibility and attract backlinks from other websites. Winning awards and getting accredited by reputable organizations can help build your brand’s reputation as well.
The success of these strategies depends heavily on the quality and relevance of your content and the reputation of the websites you want to swap links. You also want to remain consistent and persistent in your efforts. Building backlinks can take time, but with a little effort, it can be a great way to drive traffic and boost your website’s search engine rankings.
Authority Resource Pages
Authority resource pages are pages on a website that are considered to be a go-to source for information on a specific topic. By creating high-quality and informative content that is relevant to the topic of the authority resource page, you can increase the chances of your website being included as a resource on that page, which can lead to backlinks. To use authority resource pages to generate backlinks, research the authority resource pages in your niche, create high-quality content, reach out to the website owner or editor, and ask if they would be willing to include your website as a resource on their page.
Once you have been added to the authority page, keep your resource page updated with new and relevant information. You will also want to monitor the resource pages to make sure the links are still active and in place.
Create and Send “Feeler” Emails
A “feeler” email is a polite and low-pressure email that you send to potential link partners to gauge their interest in linking to your website. By sending these emails, you can identify websites that are open to the idea of linking to your website and then follow up with a more formal request for a link. Keep your email polite and low-pressure, as you are simply gauging their interest and not making a formal request for a link. You should be selective in your emails since not all websites will be interested in linking to you.
Use Brand Mentions for Quality Backlinks
Brand mentions occur when other websites mention your brand, products, or services without linking to your website. By identifying and reaching out to these websites, you can ask them to turn these mentions into backlinks. To do this, use tools such as Google Alerts, Brand24, or Mention to monitor mentions of your brand across the web and look for opportunities to turn mentions into backlinks.
Follow up if a website does not respond to your initial outreach, and regularly monitor the backlinks you have acquired to ensure they are live and valuable. Not all brand mentions are a good fit for backlinks, so be selective in the opportunities you pursue. Ensure that the websites you are reaching out to have relevance to your brand and that the link you acquire is valuable and relevant to your audience.
Related: Finding and Building Link Roundups
Build Your Backlinks for Your Website
Generating backlinks for your website is a crucial aspect of improving your website’s search engine rankings and driving traffic to your site. Several strategies can be used to generate backlinks. Building backlinks can take time and effort, but by targeting the right opportunities, you can increase the visibility and authority of your website.
Want to improve your website’s backlinks but don’t have the time? Hire a professional SEO team for the task! At Content Dog, we will create high-quality content that will attract natural backlinks, helping to improve your website’s visibility and search engine rankings while also building trust and credibility with your audience. Find out how we can help your website!
Last Updated on February 10, 2023 by Hilda Wong