A solid link-building strategy can earn you a spot on that coveted first page of the search engine results pages (SERPs). We will show you several ways to build high-quality links so you can improve your rankings on Google, Bing, and other search engines.
Why Is Link-building Important For SEO?
Linkibuilding is a critical part of search engine optimization (SEO). The top search engines use it as one of the main factors in their algorithms for determining rankings. If you have many quality – and relevant – links leading to your site, you could end up on the first page of the results. And, once you get on that first page, the sky becomes the limit for your brand’s visibility and reach.
In the past, link-building strategies stressed quantity over quality. Nowadays, the opposite is true, as you must build links to pages with relevancy, quality, and authority to move up those search engine rankings. As you can imagine, this can take some time, so use the following link-building strategies to get on the quickest path to that first page so you can start getting more eyes on your content.
Read: Best SEO Software and Tools (Paid and Free)
SEO Link Building Strategies
Now that you know the importance of getting high-quality links from other sites, here are the actionable link-building strategies for SEO that can make it happen.
Use The Broken Link Method
If you are busy running your business, you may not have time to write engaging content for your site. A simple hack to get around this obstacle is the broken link method, which begins with finding pages on sites with dead links that no longer work. Once you find such a link, you can suggest replacing it with a link to content resembling it on your own site.
If you think a webmaster would scoff at this request, that is probably not true, since you are doing them a service. Not only are you pointing out a broken link that can negatively impact their user experience and SEO, but you are also offering to replace it with something of value.
You can make their life easier, and if they accept your offer, you both win.
You can use a tool like the Check My Links Chrome extension to find broken links.
Do Some Guest Blogging
One of the most effective link-building strategies for SEO is guest blogging, provided it is selective and done correctly. Instead of mass guest blogging for non-authority sites that are not even in your niche, create unique content pieces for sites that have a similar audience, are authoritative in your industry, and are relevant. In doing so, you can boost your traffic, get qualified leads, and move up the SERPs.
Read: Tips for SEO Competitor Analysis
Look At Your Competitors’ Backlinks
If a competitor has a higher ranking in the search engines, that probably means that they are doing something right. Instead of reinventing the wheel, take a closer look at what they are doing so you can see similar success.
The goal here is to uncover where your competitors’ links are coming from. To check their backlinks, use a tool like Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker. Enter your competitors’ domain names so you can see their backlinks, then focus on those sites with the highest domain and page authority to build your own links.
Is your competitor getting links from blogs within their niche? Then guest blogging is probably their go-to link-building strategy. Are they getting links from sites like CNN, Forbes, or Huffington Post? Then that may be a paid placement. Are their links coming from corporate sites? Networking and outreach may be involved.
See what works for them, then see how you can implement it into your SEO link-building strategy.
Track Your Backlinks
Getting new links is great, but if you do not track them, it will be hard to figure out if what you are doing is working and whether you should keep building more or put this strategy on pause.
Many links can disappear for various reasons, such as site owners removing them. You may think you have 450 links pointing at your pages now, but unless you check, you will not know for sure. Monitor your backlinks with the tool of your choice so you can see if your link-building strategies are on target or need tweaking.
Use Social Media
If your brand does not have a presence on social media, now is the time to change that if you want your SEO link building to be up to snuff. Even if you are new to social media, simply becoming active can trigger engagement with your fans.
Create new posts and updates about your brand. Share images that are informative and eye-catching. In doing so, you can expand your brand’s reach and get it in front of new people who will share that content with your target audience so you can enhance your link profile.
Read: Common Social Media Mistakes
Focus On Infographics
Visitors love infographics because they effectively communicate ideas and concepts and are easy to digest. Although they can be expensive to create if you hire a third party, aiming for infographics as part of your brand’s content can pay off as an SEO link-building strategy.
They can work wonders for generating organic traffic on autopilot, which can help you gain quality links with ease. Inject an informative and eye-catching infographic into one of your articles, and you should earn a lot more links than a plain piece.
Improve On Existing Resource Articles
Think of a resource as a compiled guide that helps your target audience get a ton of bang for their buck when visiting your site. An example would be “10 Freelancing Blogs That Will Increase Your Income.” If you found that resource on a trusted site, such as Huffington Post, or something similar, you could expand on it to make it even better. What is the goal here? To get more backlinks.
So, suppose you use that article example above as the basis for your new content. To make it better and provide more value to readers, you come up with “30 Freelancing Sites To Explode Your Earnings.” Once that resource article is complete and posted, you can get backlinks by emailing the sites you included. Not only did you succeed in building links, but you also sparked a relationship with others in your industry who can link to you in the future.
Develop Pillar Content
If you want to build links, you have to provide value through your content. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is to create pillar content, which is usually over 500 words, and shares tons of actionable tips or advice that your audience can use. Tutorials work well in this sense, so think of different ways to teach your audience something. Then create your new content around that.
Pillar content has been proven to attract organic and referral traffic, boost conversion rates, and increase search engine rankings. As such, it should be one of your SEO link-building strategies. Create a how-to article or a top list sharing tips or strategies helpful to your audience, and you should be good to go.
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