In the world of SEO, link building strategies are crucial for achieving high organic rankings. While in the past, generating a large number of links may have sufficed, today it is essential to use effective and targeted link building strategies to obtain high-quality and relevant links.
But where do you begin and how do you secure those valuable links? To help answer these questions, we reached out to over 80 SEO and link building experts to gather their top tips. We asked them one simple question: what is the ONE link building tip you would recommend to others?
Table of Contents
Go for quality rather than quantity.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Focusing on quality over quantity is a crucial tip for successful link building. It is more beneficial to have a few links from high-quality websites than a large number of low-quality ones. Spending time on obtaining low-quality links is not worth the effort.
According to Earl Flormate, who runs an SEO agency, one of his clients in a major metropolitan area has outranked all of their competitors with only 19 links. These links come from other real businesses in a similar niche market and are in close proximity to the client, providing local SEO power. Flormate emphasizes the importance of building clean, relevant, and local links for successful link building.
Anna Korolekh, a marketer, believes that many companies neglect older and proven link building methods due to the buzz in the SEO community. She argues that this buzz is often generated by low-level SEO freelancers and agencies looking for quick solutions. Korolekh’s company focuses on producing content that helps businesses and partners succeed, engaging with them, and reaching out to individual publications and influencers for link building opportunities. This approach not only results in links but also drives traffic and potential customers to their website. Additionally, they work with happy customers to share their success stories on important resources in their industry, ensuring a link back to their website.
“Links with relevance to your topic and are in your geographical area are far more powerful than ones that aren’t. Go for quality rather than quantity.
I run an seo agency and one of my clients in a major metropolitan area outranks all of their competitors with only 19 links.
The links come from other real businesses in a similar niche market (in this case alternative medicine) in close proximity to my client (for local seo power).
We treat the links as a mixture of a guest post, a directory structure, a citation (with proper business name, address and phone number), alongside powering the social side with links to their Facebook business page, twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
Build clean, relevant and local links and they (at least the google spiders) will come.“
Earl Flormata – https://mindofamarketer.net/
“Many older and proven link building methods are neglected by companies just because the buzz of the SEO community saying they are old-fashioned and not effective any more. The truth is that this buzz if often generated by low-level SEO freelancers and agencies. They are looking for boilerplate solutions in link-building. For example, guest blogging was good for them only while mass emailing templated messages worked. But once the inboxes got flooded with similar pitches, the ROI of such an approach started to decline and it even lead to Google issuing a warning against guest blogging for links.
For us it works like this – as a company selling open source software for businesses our main measure of success is happy customers and happy community. So everything we do revolves around that. We produce content that helps businesses and our partners to be successful, they are engaged, they reach out to us, onboard our products, become more successful because of them and share their story. So, link building is just one piece of this big strategy – whenever we build a new content piece, we reach out not in bulk but individually to publications and influencers that will find this piece interesting. Thus we do not only get the link, but also more traffic and potential customers eyeballs to our website. Whenever we have a new happy customer, we would work with him to share his story on important resources in our industry and make sure it”s linking back to us.”
Anna Korolekh – https://www.linkedin.com/in/annakorolekh/
Create online profiles.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Creating online profiles is an important aspect of link building. By signing up for relevant profile websites in their industry, individuals can easily obtain links to their website. This is a simple and effective way to kickstart the link building process.
While the quality of these websites may not always be top-notch, it is still a valuable step to take. It is a common practice among those interested in SEO, and it should not be overlooked. In addition to social media profiles, individuals should also consider adding themselves to niche directories and updating any online citations for local businesses. While this may not immediately boost a website’s ranking, it is a crucial step in the early stages of link building.
“While this one is pretty common (i.e. anyone who is thinking about SEO has likely already done this) you should absolutely create social media and other profiles that link back to your website. These sites almost always have a very high Domain Rank, and it’s so very easy to do. Additionally, if you can add yourself to any niche directories without too much effort, this should be done too. Local businesses should also review and update any of their online citations. This alone won’t get you to page 1 even, but it’s a good early-stage box to check.”
Mike Nelson – https://www.four15digital.com/
Respond to HARO queries.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
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Link building is an essential aspect of SEO, and one effective strategy for this is Digital PR using platforms like HARO (Help A Reporter Out). This approach connects subject matter experts with journalists who are seeking advice on a particular topic. According to Marcus Miller of Bowler Hat, this puts the expert in front of an audience, allowing them to showcase their expertise and build trust with their target audience. This type of link building aligns with the modern SEO environment, which values expertise, authority, and trust (E-A-T).
Not all links are created equal, and it is crucial to focus on building brand awareness and exposure rather than just obtaining links for search engine purposes. As Marcus Miller explains, the goal should be to build links that add value to the linking page and enrich the user experience. This type of link building may take more time and effort, but it can ultimately help achieve various strategic marketing goals, such as increasing awareness, engagement, and conversions, while also improving the authority of the website.
To take advantage of this link building strategy, one simply needs to sign up for a tool like HARO and monitor the daily emails for relevant opportunities to contribute as an expert. Combining this with sharing useful information on one’s own website can lead to organic traffic growth. As Charlotte Ang of Astreem shares, this approach can also be leveraged during seasonal periods, such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day, to promote products and gain backlinks from interested reporters.
According to Cyrus Yung of Ascelade, the biggest return on investment when using HARO for link building is the opportunity to be mentioned on high-authority or news websites, such as Forbes, New York Times, and Entrepreneur. While the link may only be directed to the home page, it can still improve the overall authority of the website.
“There really is no more long term effective link building strategy than Digital PR using platforms like HARO. This strategy connects subject matter experts with journalists that are looking for advice on a given topic.
This puts you, as a trusted expert, in front of an audience where you can demonstrate your expertise. This builds awareness and trust with your target audience – and is link building that aligns with the modern E-A-T (expertise, authority & trust) SEO environment.
Not all links are equal. Not by a country mile. You want to focus on building brand awareness and exposure for your brand with links being a secondary factor. You want to build links that truly enrich and add value to the linking page – not just links for search engines based on tired SEO metrics.
A focus on these kind of links takes time and effort. But, over time, these links will help you move the dial for various strategic marketing goals from awareness, engagement and conversions whilst helping provide the authority needed so you can rank content on your own domain.
All you need to do is sign up to a tool like HARO and monitor the feed for opportunities where you can add some value. Combine this with sharing useful information on your own website and you will see organic traffic grow.”
Marcus Miller – https://www.bowlerhat.co.uk/
“If you sell a product, you may be able to tap on seasonal queries. Furthermore, HARO pitches are relatively easy to craft, which makes it a less time-consuming process as compared to searching for relevant websites to pitch to.
As of today, we have leveraged on the Christmas and Valentine”s Day seasons to promote our product. Of which, 32..6% of the reporters have expressed interest to receive a sample and review our product and 66.7% of those who have received our product so far have featured us on their websites and given us backlinks. “
Charlotte Ang – https://www.astreem.com/
“The biggest ROI when using HARO for link building is that your site gets to be mention on an authority or news site, like Forbes, New York Times, Entrepreneur and many others not that well-known yet have high authority.
The biggest drawback is that the link back is usually back to your home page URL, but it”s ok, you could still improve your overall authority as a site. “
Cyrus Yung – https://www.ascelade.com/
Try guest blogging.
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Time efficiency: ☆
Guest blogging can be a valuable tool for link building, but it requires careful consideration. It is important to add a no-follow link to each article to comply with technical guidelines. However, guest blogging can indirectly provide link juice and help with branding. It is a time-consuming process, so it is crucial to choose guest blogging websites wisely.
Writing for well-respected websites can provide a strong backlink for your own site and increase your authority as an expert in your field. It is important to write high-quality content or hire a professional writer to ensure the article is valuable and helpful to readers. This creates a win-win situation for the publication, your website, yourself, and the reader.
According to Pat Marcello of MagnaSites.com, guest posting is an effective way to build links and gain exposure on various websites. It allows you to showcase your knowledge on a specific subject. However, it is essential to research the target website and ensure their audience aligns with your own. When pitching to different outlets, it is important to have a variety of topics to offer and avoid repeating the same idea. This can be viewed negatively by SEO algorithms and may not be beneficial in the long run. Additionally, it is important to include a preferred link in the guest post to add an anchor link on a specific phrase or keyword that will direct readers to your intended page when clicked on.
Amy Hernandez of Electriq Marketing also emphasizes the importance of carefully selecting guest blogging opportunities. It is crucial to ensure the target website’s audience is similar to your own and to have a variety of potential topics when pitching. This helps to avoid duplicate content, which can be viewed negatively by search engines. Including a preferred link in the guest post allows for the insertion of an anchor link, directing readers to a specific page on your website. This can be a valuable tool for link building and driving traffic to your site.
“Getting your articles into well-respected websites provides a great backlink for your own site. It also helps to increase your authority, as an expert in your field. Write well or hire someone to write for you. Either way, be sure the article is amazing and really helps the reader to solve a problem. It’s a total win-win-win-win situation. The publication wins, your website wins, you win, and the reader wins. Can’t get much better than that.”
Pat Marcello – https://MagnaSites.com
“Guest posting is a great way to link build, as you can generate free exposure from various websites and show off your knowledge of a specific subject. The trick with guest posting is doing your research before you reach out to a specific outlet. Be sure their audience is similar to your own and when pitching to them make sure you have a variety of possible topics for them to choose from. You do not want to just pitch the same idea over and over to different outlets, because if they do pick up that idea and publish it, SEO algorithms will view it negatively as repeat content is frowned upon and will end up not being useful in the long run. Also make sure you insert your preferred link when drafting the guest post, as this gives you the ability to add an anchor link on your preferred phrase or keyword that will direct readers to your intended page when clicked on.”
Amy Hernandez – http://electriqmarketing.com
Link to your own pages (internal linking).
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
One effective strategy for link building is through internal linking, which involves linking to one’s own pages within the website. This not only helps Google understand which pages are important, but it also saves time in the link building process.
Internal linking is a crucial component of link building strategies. By linking from long-tail pages to key pages, a website can signal to Google which pages it wants to rank for. While external links are still necessary, internal linking should not be overlooked.
According to Melanie Diehl, there are two simple tactics for utilizing internal links, particularly on blogs. The first is to link a phrase or word within the blog text to a relevant article or product on the website. The second is to include links to recommended articles at the end of the blog, which are similar in context to the one the reader just finished.
Diehl explains that internal linking is one of the easiest ways to build links for a website. By directing readers to related topics or products, it can also increase the time they spend on the site, which can positively impact search engine algorithms.
“One of the easiest ways to build links for your website is internal linking (aka interlinks). There are two fairly simple and straightforward tactics for using internal links, especially on blogs. First: within the blog text itself, link a phrase/word to a supporting article/product already existing somewhere else on your website. Second: at the end of the blog, link to recommended articles that are similar in context to the article the reader just finished. Sending the reader to related topics or products can keep the visitor on your site longer, which pleases the algorithms.”
Melanie Diehl – https://www.melaniediehl.com/
Create white papers.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
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One effective method for earning backlinks is by creating white papers. This involves conducting surveys and using the data to create informative and original content. According to Matt Zajechowski of Digital Third Coast, this approach has been successful in earning backlinks for both his own site and his clients’ sites.
Zajechowski explains that the key to success with this strategy is to create the most relevant and interesting data on a given subject. Once the white paper is created, it is important to promote it to relevant publications and writers. By sharing the unique and valuable data, these writers and publications are likely to provide attribution and backlinks to the original source. Zajechowski claims to have earned backlinks on thousands of publications using this method.
Similarly, Brian Robben of Robben Media also advocates for creating original research and turning it into an epic blog post. He emphasizes the importance of making the content visually appealing by creating infographics, videos, and SlideShares. Robben also suggests promoting the content through various channels such as social media, newsletters, and cold emails to industry experts and journalists. This comprehensive approach can result in significant backlinks and increased website traffic.
In conclusion, creating white papers and original research can be a highly effective link building strategy. By providing valuable and unique data, websites can earn backlinks from reputable sources and improve their online presence. As Zajechowski and Robben have demonstrated, this approach can lead to thousands of backlinks and increased website traffic.
“Create proprietary from surveys and used the data to earn links!
The best way that we’ve found to earn links for our site and for our clients is by creating proprietary data on a given subject. Think content marketing, but with original data. We do this by creating surveys on a given subject and then create white papers and infographics using that data.
Our goal is to create the most up-to-date and interesting data on a given subject. Once we have the data the next step is to promote it. Good content doesn’t do much for link building if other people don’t see it. Find the publications and writers who are covering this subject area and reach out and share it with them. Writers and publications with engaged audiences won’t need much incentive to share unique and interesting data and they will provide attribution back to your data with a backlink to your website. We’ve earned backlinks on thousands of publications by using this method to earn backlinks.”
Matt Zajechowski – https://www.digitalthirdcoast.com/
“If you want to acquire a major links and traffic to your site, all you need to do is to create original research that”s interesting to people in your industry and then write an epic blog post about it. This is extremely effective because it”s a rare one-of-a-kind piece of content, it”s naturally a case study with data points that are often linked to by other bloggers to support their point, and you”ve done an amazing job on it (which is why it has to be an epic blog post). Then go crazy and make this content into an infographic, video, SlideShare, to create more linking opportunities. If you want to really go for gold, start promoting this content on social media, your newsletter, and send cold emails to the top names in your industry as well as journalists. If you can execute this, you”ll drive serious links to your site.”
Brian Robben – https://robbenmedia.com/
Monitor the competition.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆
Another effective way to enhance link building efforts is by monitoring the competition. By keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing, you can gain valuable insights and ideas for acquiring quality backlinks.
It is important to always consider the competition when implementing link building strategies. Thomas Jaskov, an expert in link building services since 2014, emphasizes the significance of analyzing competitors’ backlinks. This can be done by searching for a specific keyword on Google and examining the top results. By studying their backlinks, you can learn from their successes and apply similar tactics to your own website.
Kevin Dhimitri, a website manager, also stresses the importance of analyzing and replicating top competitors’ backlink sources. He recommends using tools like Ahrefs to obtain a comprehensive list of your competitors’ backlinks. From there, you can identify replicable links, such as local and niche directories, and even sponsorship opportunities. Dhimitri also suggests reaching out to authority sites in your niche and offering valuable content or expert advice in exchange for a mention or backlink.
By monitoring the competition and learning from their link building strategies, you can improve your own website’s link profile and ultimately boost its search engine ranking.
“Always look at the competition.
We have helped our clients with linkbuilding services since 2014. When we get a new client we have seen several times, that one thing which has been overlooked was taking a look at the competition. A simple – but very effective – way to analyze your competitor’s backlinks is by doing a search in Google on the particular keyword you are working on. Next step is to look at the top results for that keyword, and then look at their backlinks. You will often learn a lot by doing this simple exercise.”
Thomas Jaskov – https://jaskovconsult.dk/en/
“My one link building tip is to analyze and replicate your top competitor’s backlink sources. Using software such as Ahrefs, you can pull up a full list of your competitor’s backlinks. From there, you can go through each link and see which ones are replicable. In a lot of cases, there will be easy links to build yourself, such as local and niche-relevant directories. You may also find sponsorship links, which you can also acquire by sponsoring the same cause. The toughest links to build will be mentions in authority sites in your niche. You can have a solid chance at acquiring these high quality mentions by reaching out to the site and asking to collaborate. Offer numerous options, such as providing guest post content and giving unique and insightful expert advice for a new article. This is the exact process I follow for all of the websites that I manage. It works because you follow what the top ranking competitors are doing, so you already know that search engines like what these particular websites are doing with their SEO campaigns. It’s basically reverse engineering your competitor’s strategy and using it for your own growth.”
Kevin Dhimitri – https://kevindhimitri.com
Create content that answers people most popular questions.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
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Then, another link building tip is to create content that answers popular questions that many people are asking online. By publishing helpful and authoritative blog posts that address these questions, a website can attract natural links and improve its overall SEO authority.
Finding popular questions to answer can be done in various ways, but a simple method is to type a keyword into Google and scroll to the bottom to find related searches. This can provide ideas for content that will be relevant and valuable to readers.
For instance, in 2013, a blog post titled “”Should You Separate Your Blog from Your Website?”” was published by the company. This post addressed a common question with limited answers, and as a result, it has received 195 comments and 8 pingbacks (links from articles on other websites) over the past 6 years. These links were given voluntarily and continue to come in regularly, making this post the top source of blog traffic for the company.
It is also important to ensure that the content targets the ideal audience in addition to answering popular questions. This not only helps to earn valuable links and improve website SEO, but also brings in the right type of visitors to the site.
Andrew Percey, founder of Prometheus PPC, emphasizes the importance of publishing helpful content that addresses popular questions in order to attract natural links and improve website visibility. By following this approach, a website can effectively build its link profile and drive organic traffic.
“Publish helpful content that answers popular questions.
In the long run, the most reliable way to build links is to do it the way Google wants you to — by attracting the links naturally. And the best way we’ve found to attract links is to publish helpful and authoritative content, such as blog posts, that answer important questions that many people are asking online.
For example, in 2013 we published a blog post entitled “Should You Separate Your Blog from Your Website”? That blog post, more than any other, filled a niche with many people asking the question but few good answers. In the 6 years since publication that blog post has amassed 195 comments and 8 pingbacks (links from articles on 3rd party sites) that were enthusiastically given. None were requested. More comments and pingbacks continue to come in regularly today. That single blog post still brings in over half of all our blog traffic.
Of course, whenever possible make sure that your content also targets your ideal prospects. In that way, not only are you earning valuable links and website SEO authority, but you’re also getting the right types of visitors to your site.”
Andrew Percey – https://www.prometheusppc.com/
Build relationships.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆
Building links can also be done by developing relationships with active bloggers and websites in the same industry. This approach can save time and effort when reaching out for links, as it is easier to connect with people who are already familiar with your work.
Collaborating with websites that are regularly posting content and acquiring links can provide better SEO benefits compared to those that are not frequently updated. It is important to ensure that these websites are directly or at least semantically related to your own, as links from random websites may not be as beneficial. By exploring these websites in more detail, you can identify potential opportunities to reach out and secure valuable links.
Itamar Blauer, a successful digital marketer, emphasizes the importance of providing value to others in the industry. By attending conferences and industry gatherings, he makes an effort to connect with at least three new people and maintain those relationships over time. This approach has helped him cultivate meaningful connections and secure high-quality links through mutual collaborations.
Jason White, a digital marketing expert, suggests using Twitter to develop relationships with others in the industry. By offering to write a guest post for their website in exchange for a do-follow link, you can establish a valuable partnership. This method is particularly effective with bloggers and has yielded better results compared to mass outreach emails.
“Collaborate with active websites in your industry with a similar level to yours.
Active websites are more likely going to be regularly posting content and acquiring links. You can reach out to them for mutually beneficial collaborations, as getting a link from active websites with provide better SEO benefits than getting a link from a website that isn’t updated much.
Furthermore, you can also explore these websites in more detail to see exactly where their links are coming from, and this can provide more opportunities to reach out to some great websites that have the potential to boost your own site. Make sure that these websites are all directly or at least semantically related to your own – links from random websites won’t do you any good!”
Itamar Blauer – https://www.rockyeti.com/
“Anytime I’ve been to a conference or industry gathering, I go with the mindset to provide value to three people I’ve never met before and to repeat that value over months. I’ll strategize who I sit with at lunch, talk to people online at the bathroom and those sitting around me during a session. When there is some connection and positive vibes, I’ll connect on LinkedIn, follow them on Twitter or signup for whatever newsletter they produce (I’m a sucker for good newsletters). Over the years I’ve been able to meet hundreds of people and cultivate meaningful relationships just by staying engaged with them on social – following up, commenting, liking, sharing, offering a viewpoint or positivity etc. If I find a relevant article, I’ll send it or I’ll connect two people who I think would provide value to each other. I never ask for the link up front but I can associate many high-value links to the “rolodex” I’ve created and the articles or opportunities I’ve passed along. It may seem labor intensive upfront but it wins with the long game.“
Jason White – https://www.pmg.com/
“Develop relationships with other people in your industry through Twitter. Then offer a guest post on their website for a do-follow link.
This method is especially important with bloggers.
I use this method all the time for my own blogs, and recommend it to my clients. They see way better results than just blasting out 100’s of outreach e-mails.”
Scott Bates – https://www.scottjbates.com
“Too many of us think that link building needs to scale, and scale fast. Unfortunately, none of the fast tactics worked for me. Well, not to the extent I expected. Webmasters that get outreach emails are smart and can see scaled link building campaign from a mile. It’s important to change the way we look at it.
Start slow. Identify sites in your niche (or your client’s niche) that have real traffic and readership (SEOquake / SEMrush.com). Find the authors and their contact (Hunter.io). Spark conversations, contribute, ask questions, get to know the authors (read their posts). Once they know you, and you know them, it’s way easier to send a note and tell that you’re writing a cool guide or building a great tool and ask them to look at it.
Over time (6-12 months, depending on the frequency of your interactions) you will start referring these authors to quality pieces of content in your niche (or your client’s niche). Trust will develop. They will reach out to you for expert advice in their new article. It’s hard. It’s time consuming but, as any good thing, good link building takes work.”
Alex Zagoumenov – https://zagoumenov.com/
“Link building is equal parts science and art form. There”s definitely a strategy that”s involved, as well as expert communication and networking skills. While there are numerous strategies that you can implement, including link exchanges, guest posts, HAROs, surveys and more, the most important thing to keep in mind is cultivating the relationships that you make. If you”re able to provide a quote in exchange for a link, the next time, discuss writing a guest post. Keep up with your contacts, and always look for collaborations that can be mutually beneficial.”
Angela Ash – https://www.flow-seo.com/
Scrape the internet for unlinked mentions.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Link building strategies are crucial for improving a website’s search engine ranking and increasing its online visibility. One effective strategy is to scrape the internet for unlinked brand mentions. This involves searching for instances where a brand or product is mentioned but not linked back to the website. This method has received a five-star rating for its benefits and time efficiency.
This tip is especially useful for established brands that already have a presence online and are being talked about by others. Oli Baise, a digital marketing expert, recommends generating a list of brand-specific keywords and using search engines to look for mentions without links. This manual approach can uncover more opportunities compared to using tools like Mention and Google Alerts.
Another expert, Mason Stout, suggests setting up Google Alerts for the business name, products, and leadership to track brand mentions. Whenever a mention is received, the site can be contacted to request a link. This is a simple and effective way to obtain links from existing brand mentions.
“Regular manual scrapes for unlinked mentions and then approach the authors for links.
One of the most overlooked link building opportunities are unbranded mentions. While some people like to use tools like Mention and Google Alerts, these unearth very few opportunities compared to a manual scrape.
To perform such a manual scrape you need to:
1) Generate a list of brand specific keywords (your name, your brand names, any unique products that you have, or any other signifier of your brand)
2) Use Google and any other search engine and type in “[brand keyword] -site:your site
3) Go through the results and see if the link is there, and check if there is an opportunity.
If you are a big company with a lot of mentions you can use Ahrefs content explorer to do this. The scrape will be less thorough as their database is smaller, but you have an option to immediately flag up any pages that do not link to you, so the qualification will be much quicker.
If you can, use Linkedin to find the person most likely to be responsible for publishing the content in question, or if it is from a news site try to find the authors email.
Simply contact them, point out the article, thank them for the coverage, and ask for the link.”
Oli Baise – https://olibaisedigital.com/
“Use Google Alerts to track brand mentions.
Many times your company will get mentioned on blogs or news articles without getting a link. Whenever this happens, you can reach out to those sites and ask them to add a link back to your site. This is a lot easier than traditional link building since the site has already mentioned your company, and adding a link in their article is really easy.
To do this, set Google alerts for your business name, products, leadership, and any other term related to your business. Next, whenever you receive a mention online reach out to that site and ask for a link.”
Mason Stout – https://www.seniorleaf.com/
“The link building tip that I would recommend to others is all about requesting links from brand mentions that already exist.
There are several different ways and tools to use to tackle this, but I prefer to good ol’ manual approach. The first thing you need to do is find where you are mentioned. There are a few different search commands that you can use, but a simple search for your brand name in quote marks with work fine. Example= “Bobs plumbing services”
You then need to manually work through each listing to check if they have linked back to your website. Once you have your list of sites that have mentioned you but not linked to you, you need to find their contact details and reach out to them and request the link.”
Ryan Scollon – https://www.ryanscollon.com/
“The one link building tip I would recommend is to go after unlinked brand mentions. An unlinked brand mention is when your company or product are mentioned, but there”s no link leading back to your site. Unlinked brand mentions are commonly more successful as a link building tactic, because the intent to link, aka the reason the site that has your brand or product on it should link back to you, is already apparent. They”re mentioning your business or product, so why not link back to the source? Frame it for their benefit as well, e.g. “your users may want to find out more my product or brand, so how about you link back to x page?” It removes the typical hurdle of blindly seeking out links and doesn”t require any advanced know-how or fancy tools to find them either, simply go to google, type your brand or product name in ” ” (quotes) and after type -site: and enter your site name after the colon. This tells google to return results that mention your brand or product that aren”t your own site.”
Ben Johnston – https://www.sagefrog.com/
“Link building is a simple, effective strategy to increase your site visitors and to help you rank higher on Google and other search engines. Many companies rely on guest posting in lieu of a link, while others are beginning to look for more out-of-the-box ideas, such as the Skyscraper method. This involves a mostly automated process where you can build a list of prospects, and then send proposals out via an email service, making companies aware of the opportunity to link to a highly-detailed guide that you just prepared, which really fits their niche and could serve as a great resource. But overall, it”s best to utilize several different link-building strategies at a time – just in case one isn”t working as you”d hoped for the month.”
Andrea Loubier
“The one link building tip I”d recommend is the “skyscraper method”. The reason why I”d recommend this link building tip is due to the fact it”s simple in concept, yet it”s extremely effective and scalable. The skyscraper method is when you find high-ranking content from your competitor and take it to the next level in terms of quality (building upon the preexisting content). From there, you”ll focus on finding all of the sites whom are linking to the competitor”s high-ranking piece of content through a tool such as ahrefs, and begin performing outreach. A lot of times, simply reaching out to the sites who have linked to the competitor”s content and saying something along the lines of: “Hi [site], we came across a piece of content you”re linking to and we”ve decided to improve upon said piece of content with further research and development which will help your users better solve [their problem/issue]. Feel free to check it out and if you”d like to switch out the link from the old site you”re linking to with our site, that”d be a great way to provide a better user experience for your visitors. Let me know your thoughts on this and we can go from there. Thanks!”. It”s really easy as that in most cases. This method is also extremely scalable when you choose to use an outreach tool to compound your efforts.”
Christopher Grozdon
https://dash-seo.com/
Reverse Google image search.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆
This technique allows website owners to find instances where their original images have been used without proper credit, and then reach out to those sites to request a link back to their own site.
By conducting a reverse Google image search, website owners can save time and effort in finding potential link opportunities. This method is particularly useful for sites with a large number of images, as it can be time-consuming to manually search for each one. Additionally, by reclaiming links from sites that have used their images without permission, website owners can ensure that they receive proper credit for their work.
To use this strategy, website owners can simply go to Google Images and select the “Search by Image” option. They can then paste the URLs of their images and click search to see all instances where their images have been used on other sites. From there, they can contact the site owners and request a link back to their site in exchange for allowing the image to remain on their site.
Mason Stout, a website owner at Seniorleaf.com, recommends this strategy as a way to not only gain new links, but also to increase exposure for original illustrations and photography. Stacy Caprio, from Acceleratedgrowthmarketing.com, also suggests using reverse image search to reclaim links from sites that have used images without permission. By implementing this link building strategy, website owners can improve their search engine rankings and drive more traffic to their site.
“If your site has a lot of original photography, there’s a good chance that other sites are using it without citing you. To find such cases, go to Google Images and “Search by Image”. Then paste your image URLs and hit search and you will see all instances where another site is using your work.
The next step is to contact them and ask them to give you credit for the image with a link back to your site. Since they are already using some of your content they will likely be willing to credit you for the photo.”
Mason Stout – https://www.seniorleaf.com/
“One link building tip I would recommend, is if you have original illustrations or photography on your site, to search and reclaim links from others who have copied or stolen your images to use on their own sites. You can do this by reverse image searching your photos on Google image search and seeing if they pop up on any other sites.. If they do, you can email the site owner and let them know you own the image and request a link in exchange for keeping the image on their site.. This is a great way to get new links as well as get your art and photos more exposure online at the same time.”
Stacy Caprio – http://www.acceleratedgrowthmarketing.com/
Reach out to the experts.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆
Another effective way to build links is by reaching out to experts in a particular field and asking them to contribute content. This not only saves time in creating new content, but it also helps to establish relationships with industry professionals. As these experts have contributed to the content, they are more likely to promote it and link back to it, further boosting the website’s credibility and authority.
When creating new content, it is beneficial to reach out to well-known professionals who have knowledge and expertise in the topic being written about. This approach can yield surprising results, as many individuals are willing to share their insights and contribute to the content. As stated by Douglas Dedrick of Healing Law, “People love sharing what they know.” By including expert contributions in the content, it becomes more unique and valuable to readers.
Moreover, involving experts in the content creation process can also lead to them promoting the content and linking back to it. This not only helps to increase the reach of the content but also adds to the website’s backlink profile, which is an important factor in search engine ranking. Additionally, having expert sources in the content adds credibility and authority, making it more likely to be referenced and linked to by others.
Reaching out to experts for content is a valuable link building strategy that can benefit a website in multiple ways. It not only saves time and builds relationships but also enhances the quality and reach of the content.
“When writing new content, reach out to well-known professionals who are familiar with the topic you are writing about. You would be shocked how many people are willing to comment on a topic and share their expertise. People love sharing what they know. This not only enhances the article and makes your content more unique, you now have someone else that would like to help you share the content. Best of all, expert sources will add authority to your writing, and your content is more likely to be a source others will refer back to. And more often than not, participants in your content will link to your website or article too.”
Douglas Dedrick – https://www.healinglaw.com/
Follow up twice.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆
With your link building strategy, it’s also important to follow up on link requests, as it can ensure a response from website owners. This is especially important for SEO and affiliate marketing professionals like Kevin Rodrigues, who have successfully used techniques such as guest posting and skyscraper to build links.
Kevin recommends following up twice if there is no initial response to a link request. This can be done for strategies like guest posting or skyscraper, where individuals typically ask for a guest post or link on a page. Instead of giving up after the first attempt, Kevin suggests giving it another shot after a gap of 7 days. This has proven to be a successful approach for him in his link building efforts.
“One link building tip I would recommend is to follow up twice in case we don’t get a response for strategies like guest posting or skyscraper.
Usually, people ask websites whether they can write a guest post or ask for a link on a page. But they stop if there’s no response.
It’s been a successful strategy for me by following up two times if I don’t get a response. It’s important that the follow-ups happen after a gap like 7 days in between.”
Kevin Rodrigues
https://gardeningmentor.com/
Build a free tool.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆
Link building strategies can greatly benefit from the creation of a free tool. While this may require a significant investment of time, the potential for building strong links is immense. A well-designed tool, coupled with a strategic PR plan, can be a powerful asset for generating links.
According to Tony Mastri, a high-quality free tool can appeal to both the target audience and publishers in the industry. For instance, a family lawyer could create a free child support calculator that would not only attract potential customers but also garner coverage from local journalists who cover legal topics. This approach not only builds links but also engages and converts potential customers.
Mastri highly recommends creating a free tool, such as a calculator, and then issuing a press release to announce its availability. However, he emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the tool is well-crafted and genuinely valuable in order to achieve success with this strategy.
“I highly recommend building a free tool (like a calculator), then putting out a press release once it’s available.
I’ve found that high-quality free tools are relevant for both your target audience and publishers that cover news topics in the industry. For example, a free child support calculator is a great tool for a family lawyer, and will warrant coverage by local journalists that cover legal topics. By appealing to both target website visitors and journalists, you build links while also engaging and converting potential customers. The only kicker with this approach is that your tool must be well thought-out and genuinely valuable which is hard to achieve.”
Tony Mastri – https://www.marion.com/
Get listed in online directories.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Link building strategies are crucial for improving a website’s search engine rankings and increasing its online visibility. One effective way to do this is by getting listed in online directories. This not only saves time, but also provides a valuable opportunity to gain backlinks for free.
Getting listed in notable industry directories, such as Angel, Crunchbase, Product Hunt, F6, Gust, and Startup Tracker, can bring attention to a business from potential investors and customers. These directories also provide hundreds of unique backlinks to a website, which can greatly improve its SERP and SEO rankings. This is a cost-effective way to boost a website’s online presence.
For instance, a website focused on hiking may have a resource page featuring links to the best hiking equipment, trails, and tips. If a hiking business has relevant products or content that could be included in this list, they can reach out to the website owner and request a link. To find relevant resource lists, a simple Google search for “your keyword + resource list” can yield helpful results. This is a great way to build links and increase visibility within a specific industry.
“Get listed in notable industry directories.
Sites like Angel, Crunchbase, Product Hunt, F6, Gust and Startup Tracker not only bring your business attention from investors and prospective customers, but builds hundreds of unique backlink to your site. That eventually help increase SERP and SEO rankings. Best of all, this can be done for free.”
Osiris Parikh
http://summitmindfulness.com/
“For example, a website geared towards hiking might have a resource page that includes links to the best hiking equipment, hiking trails, and tips for hikers. If your business is centered around hiking and you have useful products or content that could be included in that list, you can reach out to the website owner and ask them to include a link to you. To find relevant resource lists online, do a Google search for “your keyword + resource list” or something like that.”
Allison Hott
https://www.blogtyrant.com/
Reach out and promote your content.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆
Creating high-quality content is a crucial aspect of link building strategies. However, it is not enough to simply publish your content and hope for links to come pouring in. In order to truly maximize the benefits of your content, it is important to actively reach out and promote it.
By promoting your content, you can attract links from valuable sources within your niche. This not only helps to improve your website’s search engine rankings, but also increases your visibility and credibility within your industry.
Outreach is a highly effective method for promoting your content and gaining valuable backlinks. It involves reaching out to individuals and websites within your niche and introducing them to your content. This can include sharing your blog posts, tools, infographics, videos, and other resources.
Finding the right audience for your outreach efforts can be made easier with tools such as Ahrefs site explorer. This allows you to identify and connect with potential link sources, making your outreach efforts more targeted and efficient. As an SEO expert, outreach is a valuable tip that I highly recommend for successful link building strategies.
“Outreach is one of the best tips I would recommend to other SEO experts.
Outreach is a place where you reach out to people in your niche and introduce them to your content. Most likely this content should be big blog posts, tools, infographics, video etc. Now the question is where you find this resource? Ahrefs site explorer is the best tool to find your targeted audience to connect with them.”
Tarun Gurang
https://www.ifourtechnolab.com/
Become friends with support teams.
Benefit: ☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆
Building relationships with support teams can be a valuable link building strategy for website owners. By establishing a rapport with the support team of digital products used for their website, individuals can potentially secure guest posting opportunities and backlinks on high domain authority sites.
When reaching out to the support team for assistance with digital products, such as SEO software or automation tools, individuals should focus on building a positive relationship and offering suggestions for product improvement. Once the technical issue is resolved, they can then inquire about the possibility of guest posting on the product’s blog to share their user experience or testimonial. Additionally, they can also ask if the support team would be willing to link to a resource they have already created about the product.
The support team will then forward this request to the marketing department, and if they are interested, the individual can continue to build rapport with the marketing team. This approach has proven successful for Jason McCarthy, who has obtained numerous backlinks from high domain authority sites through this method. He believes that a simple outreach to the marketing team for guest posting opportunities would have a lower success rate compared to a request forwarded by a support team member.
“My go-to link building tip is befriending support teams for digital products I use for my website.
When contacting the support team for help with digital products, such as an SEO software or automation tool, I always look to build rapport and recommend ideas to improve the product.
After building this rapport, and once the technical issue is resolved, I ask if there is a chance I can guest post on the blog of the product to share my user experience or testimonial. Sometimes I even ask if they would like to link to a resource I have already created about the product.
The support team forwards this request to the marketing department, and if they contact, I repeat the rapport-building process with the marketing team.
This has landed me many backlinks on many sites with high domain authority. I believe a simple outreach to the marketing team requesting to guest post would have a much higher chance of failure compared to a forwarded request from a support team member.”
Jason McCarthy
https://digino.org/
Follow the hashtags #prrequests and #journorequests on X.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Link building strategies can greatly benefit from following the hashtags #prrequests and #journorequests on Twitter. These hashtags are commonly used by journalists in the UK, making it a valuable resource for pitching and creating backlinks to one’s website. According to Faizan Ali of WPBeginner, this method has proven successful in obtaining backlinks from reputable publications. He advises to ensure that the content being pitched is not commercially driven, with original research pieces having the highest chances of being picked up.
Another advocate of this strategy is Benjamin Houy, who shares his experience of using the #journorequest and #journorequests hashtags to find journalists seeking sources on Twitter. He believes that this approach is a win-win for all parties involved and is particularly beneficial for those who are not well-known in their niche. Houy has written about this method on his website, Grow With Less, highlighting its effectiveness in building backlinks by providing genuine assistance.
“Get backlinks from good publications by following the hashtag #prrequests and #journorequests on Twitter.
This is the best way to pitch journalists and I have managed to grab a lot of backlinks through this from good publications. Once you get these journalists in your inbox you can pitch your stories to them directly. Just make sure that the content you are pitching does not have a commercial intent. In my experience, original research pieces have the most chances of being picked up.”
Faizan Ali – https://www.wpbeginner.com/
“My favorite link building is to use the little-known #journorequest and #journorequests Twitter hashtag to find journalists looking for sources on Twitter. I love this strategy because it doesn”t require any outreach and is a win for everyone involved. It”s similar to HARO but is way less popular which means journalists are much more likely to notice your pitch. Especially if you are not well-known in your niche. This is a great way to build backlinks by being genuinely helpful.
I wrote about it here: https://growwithless.com/journorequest/“
Benjamin Houy
Create outstanding content.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆
Building links through outstanding content is a crucial aspect of successful link building strategies. It may be a time-consuming and long-term approach, but the benefits are worth it in the long run.
Creating exceptional content is the first step towards organic link building. It is a vital component of digital marketing and SEO, which have seen significant growth in recent years. By producing engaging and interactive content, businesses can attract potential customers and encourage them to return to their website. This not only increases activity and leads for sales, but also helps to build relationships with customers.
Alexandra Zamolo, a content marketing specialist, believes that content marketing is a powerful way to build a brand, increase visibility, and attract more clients. She suggests contributing to existing well-trafficked blogs and newsletters in the industry to reach a larger audience and establish credibility. She also stresses the importance of using social media to promote content and maintain connections with potential customers.
Paige Arnof-Fenn, founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, recommends using LinkedIn as a priority for professional service firms, but also suggests finding other platforms where a business can stand out and connect with potential customers. She also highlights the importance of showcasing a business’s personality through their content and social media presence.
“The best link building tip I would recommend to others for SEO is having outstanding content connected with the best backlinks. Online business has had drastic changes over the last few years with the increase of digital marketing and SEO. With plenty of new technology and software that has been created, tested, and studied there is in fact some crucial steps to become successful with SEO. Our best advice is to grow attractive content that is interactive with potential customers so they become curious about what you offer and are more likely to return to your website. This creates more activity for your business and increases leads for sales. Upload videos that are short and creative, highlight why you stand out, include buttons that promote conversation to build relationships. Then maintain this by linking this content with the best backlinks for your business. Use SEO software to provide the best tools, automation, and analyzation so change can be made where it’s needed.”
Sarah Franklin
https://bluetree.ai/
“Content marketing is one of the simplest ways to attract new customers and make a genuine effort to start branding your company.
So, the main thing to keep in mind moving forward into the new year, is that your content marketing strategy must be innovative. No matter how great your marketing campaign is, it won”t retain the interest of the reader if the content inside isn”t informative and of high quality. Include important links and ideas early on, and break up the email with vibrant images and bullet points, which makes it easier to scan than one large block of text.
Additionally, use your content as a path to building links. It”s a great idea to form partnerships so that you can exchange links and write guest posts. When they say it”s all in the networking, it”s absolutely true!”
Alexandra Zamolo
“One of the first link building tips I would recommend to others is content marketing. Why? Because most people can write, at least about their produces/services, or company/business. Content marketing is simple, often overlooked, and very effective. When submitting to the right article directories such as Ezine article, you are allowed to include up to 2 links back to your site.
Another benefit; if your information is highly entertaining, very inspirational or thoroughly educational, other content marketers will backlink to you. Hence, creating even more backlinks. This easy strategy is one that you can start Today!”
Deborah Pretty
https://pytalkbiz.com/
“I am a big fan of Content Marketing because it is a great way to build your brand, increase your visibility more broadly, raise your profile and attract more clients/customers. Activities like speaking at a conference, writing articles, building your following on social media all contribute increasing your awareness with potential customers and building your credibility with a larger community. Instead of trying to start my own blog or newsletter, I have had success contributing regularly to existing well trafficked blogs in my industry or newsletters of likeminded organizations reaching the same target audience as me. I make sure to put my URL or contact info on it so they can find me and follow up if they are interested When your articles or talks become available online, I also send them out via social media to all my friends, followers and contacts. Don”t let social media drive you crazy, you do not need to be everywhere, it does not matter which platform you choose just pick one or 2 that are authentic to you. It should look and sound like you and the brand you have built. Whether yours is polished or more informal, chatty or academic, humorous or snarky, it is a way for your personality to come through. Everyone is not going to like you or hire you but for the ones who would be a great fit for you make sure they feel and keep a connection and give them a reason to remember you so that when they need your help they think of you first. For professional service firms like mine LinkedIn is a priority. If your customers are not looking for you on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram then find the platforms where you can stand out. “
Paige Arnof-Fenn
http://www.mavensandmoguls.com/
Be the expert.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆
Another way to build external links is by allowing clients to showcase their expertise in their industry. This not only positions them as thought leaders but also provides an opportunity for them to receive backlinks from reputable sources.
For example, a food blogger may be seeking insights on beer drinking habits among urban millennials. If a client has recently opened a microbrewery in Queens, they can be put in touch with the blogger to share their expertise on the topic. By providing valuable industry insights and knowledge about their own product, the client can establish themselves as an expert and potentially receive a backlink in return.
This approach not only helps to build external links but also allows clients to showcase their expertise and gain exposure in their industry. It is a great way to leverage PR alongside a strong link-building strategy, as it benefits both parties involved. By being the expert, clients can improve their online presence and increase their website’s credibility, making it a valuable tactic for successful link building.
“Journalists are always looking for industry experts to offer insight on everything from craft beer to cryptocurrency. So if you’re looking to build external links back to your client’s website, allow that client to ‘be the expert’ whenever possible- in exchange for that writer providing them with a link upon reference.
Say a food blogger is looking for insight on beer drinking habits among urban millennials. If your client just opened a microbrewery in Queens, put that client in touch with the reporter to be featured as an expert. If your client can answer these industry-relevant questions while simultaneously sharing knowledge of their own product, AND they’re provided with an external backlink in exchange, you’ll find this is a great way to leverage PR alongside a strong link-building strategy.”
Michelle Ecker
https://www.nyiad.edu/
Create ego-bait articles.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆
One effective way to achieve backlinks this is through ego-bait articles, which involve creating content that highlights the best of an industry and featuring quotes from industry experts. This strategy not only boosts the company’s credibility and authority, but also encourages other websites to link to the article. Colin Ma, a digital marketing expert at Digital Software Products, explains the effectiveness of this approach.
According to Ma, ego-bait articles work by showcasing the top performers in a particular industry, such as the best blogs or trainers. By reaching out to these individuals and requesting a quote for the article, the company is able to stroke their egos and elicit a high response rate. Ma notes that in his experience, approximately one third of those featured will link to the article. Furthermore, other websites in the industry are likely to view the content as valuable and also link to it. Ma shares his success with this strategy, citing a campaign for one company that resulted in 60 backlinks with minimal promotion. Of these, 25 were from the featured brands and 35 were from other brands in the industry, demonstrating the effectiveness of ego-bait articles for link building.
“The ego-bait works by creating a piece of content about the best X of an industry. For example, best … blogs, best …. trainers, etc. Send an email out to people in the industry saying you want to feature them in your piece and to get a quote. Because you are stroking their ego (hence the name) you’ll get a very high response rate, and in my experience about one third of them will link to that article. Additionally, other websites in the space will see that as valuable data and are likely to link to it as well. I’ve done a piece for one company that listed about 40 brands that received 60 links with very little promotion. 25 were from the featured brands and 35 were from other brands in the industry – talk about a successful campaign!”
Colin Ma
https://digitalsoftwareproducts.com/
Create infographics.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆
Creating infographics is a crucial aspect of successful link building strategies. By utilizing this visual tool, businesses can effectively convey information and statistics related to their industry in a visually appealing and easily digestible format. This not only saves time for readers, but also increases the likelihood of acquiring organic links through visitors to the business’s website.
Infographics can be created using simple tools with templates, such as Canva, making the process efficient and accessible for businesses of all sizes. By hosting the infographic alongside a well-written and optimized article on the business’s blog, they can attract organic links from interested readers. Additionally, businesses can reach out to relevant blogs and outlets that cover topics related to their infographic, and ask if they would be willing to share it with a brief blurb.
Nicolas Straut, a link building expert from Fundera, emphasizes the value of infographics in acquiring organic links. He notes that these visual aids are particularly appealing to outlets and blogs when they are well-designed and effectively pitched. By incorporating infographics into their link building strategies, businesses can increase their chances of acquiring valuable backlinks and boosting their online presence.
“By creating infographics, even using a simple tool with templates like Canva, displaying useful information or statistics related to your business, and hosting them alongside a thorough, optimized article on your blog, you can acquire organic links through visitors. You can also do outreach to blogs and outlets that write about topics related to the infographic that publish graphics asking if they”d consider sharing your”s along with a blurb. Infographics are a great source of easily-digestible information for these outlets especially when well designed and pitched.”
Nicolas Straut
https://www.fundera.com/
Search for broken links.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆
Search for broken links on the internet and reach out to the website owner to suggest replacing them with links to your own valuable content is a good way to create backlinks. This not only benefits the website owner by providing a solution to a broken link, but also benefits your own website by potentially gaining a new backlink.
The practice of finding and replacing broken links on other websites involves reaching out to the website owner and suggesting a link to your own content as a replacement. This not only provides value to the website owner by fixing a broken link, but also benefits your own website by potentially gaining a new backlink. This approach has a higher success rate compared to simply requesting a link, as it addresses an immediate need and provides value to the website owner.
Wikipedia is a valuable source for potential backlinks, despite all links being “nofollow.” This is because a significant number of visitors come to websites through Wikipedia backlinks. The good news is that it is relatively easy to obtain these backlinks, as anyone can create an account and suggest updates to existing articles. By searching for relevant Wikipedia articles and suggesting updates with information from your own website, you can potentially gain valuable backlinks.
Broken link building is a strategy that can be used repeatedly, but one of the biggest challenges is outreach. Website owners receive numerous requests to replace broken links, making it difficult to stand out. To improve your chances of success, it is important to contact the right person, build rapport with the website owner, and go the extra mile by learning about them before reaching out. This can help establish a relationship and increase the chances of gaining a backlink.
Another effective link building strategy is the “Already There” method. This involves searching for blogs that mention a relevant keyword and reaching out to the author or content manager to suggest linking to your own page. By identifying unlinked keywords and reaching out to the website owner, you can potentially gain valuable backlinks for your website. It is important to keep track of these outreach efforts and follow up if necessary to increase the chances of success.
“This is the practice of finding links on other people”s content that point to a URL that no longer works. If you create content (or already have content) that would be appropriate for that link based on the context of the original work, you can reach out to the author to link to yours instead. The benefit here is that you”re providing the author with value by pointing out a broken link which they”re motivated to fix to improve their reader”s experience. At the same time, you”re providing them with the replacement link right away, so they don”t need to do much research to fix the link. I find that this type of link building has a much higher chance of working as you”re driving value and solving an immediate need, and not simply requesting a favor.”
Abir Syed
https://upcounting.com/
“Broken link building is a tactic that can be used repeatedly. It works on the premise of helping webmasters find superior alternatives to broken links for them to link to.
However, one of the hardest things about this tactic is outreach.
Webmasters receive requests to replace broken links all the time. As a result, the rate of success might not be great, especially if you”re trying to reach out to a well-known website.
To improve your chances, you can:
– Contact the right individual
A generic email address like contact@website isn”t going to work if you want to earn a link. You should always do your research to identify the proper contact to reach out to.
– Build rapport with the webmaster
When conducting outreach, your focus should be on building a rapport with the webmaster instead of requesting for a link immediately.
This helps to improve your relationship with the webmaster and boost your chances of earning a link.
– Go the extra mile
You can go the extra mile by learning more about the webmasters before contacting them.
The information learned can be used as great conversation starters and get the ball rolling in the right direction.”
Melissa Ong
“Here”s one link building strategy we”ve just started testing out. I don”t know if it”s an existing strategy or if it”s got a name, but I refer to it as the “Already There” method. Here”s how it goes:
Determine the keyword that best relates to the page you are trying to build links for, for example: “Corporate Team Building”
Then search for blogs that mention the term “Corporate Team Building”, and any related synonyms. You can do so by typing the following queries into Google:
“corporate team building” intitle: blog.
“corporate team building” intitle /blog
Look for any blogs where the keyword is unlinked and reach out to them asking if they”d link to your page. We have our VA populate a Smartsheet with the names of the blogs and the contact information of the author/content manager then reach out asking if we could be linked.”
Datis Mohsenipour
https://outbackteambuilding.com/
Get your content in front of bloggers.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆
Getting your content in front of bloggers, particularly those in your niche. This not only increases the chances of getting valuable backlinks, but also helps to build relationships with influential bloggers who can potentially drive traffic to your website.
Regularly commenting on blog posts is one way to catch the attention of bloggers in your niche. This can also attract the interest of other bloggers and potential sales leads. Additionally, sharing your content on platforms such as Share.BizSugar.com, participating in Facebook groups for bloggers in your niche, and joining blogger mastermind chat rooms can also help to expand your network and reach a wider audience. These methods may seem like traditional networking, but they can also provide valuable SEO benefits when done online.
It is important to note that not all “eyeballs” (views) on your content are equal. While social media can generate some traffic, bloggers have their own platforms from which they can link to your content. Therefore, it is beneficial to target bloggers specifically in order to increase the chances of getting quality backlinks.
Of course, in order for these link building strategies to be effective, it is essential to create high-quality content that is worth linking to. Avoid posting mediocre content on your website, as this will not attract the attention of bloggers or drive traffic to your site. By consistently producing valuable and relevant content, you can increase your chances of success with link building strategies.
“It”s well-known that the more eyeballs on your content, the more links you are likely to get that will help boost your SEO efforts.
But not all eyeballs are created equal. Most people don”t have a platform outside of social media from which to link. You want bloggers to see your content, as they have blogs from which to link.
There are many ways to get in front of bloggers, more particularly bloggers in your niche (after all, they are the ones who would most likely link to your content). One way is to regularly comment on their blog posts. That will get their attention, as well as the attention of other bloggers in your niche (and possibly a whole lot of interested sales leads, too!)
Another way is to keep posting your content to platforms like Share.BizSugar.com, or Facebook groups for bloggers in your niche, or blogger mastermind chat rooms. This is old-fashioned networking, but when you do it online, you”ll also get some interesting SEO benefits.
All this presumes that you create content worth linking to, of course, so don”t put anything mediocre on your website.”
David Leonhardt
https://seo-writer.ca/
Be consistent.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
It is crucial to have a consistent approach when implementing link building strategies. Instead of obtaining a large number of links in a short period of time, it is more effective to spread out the acquisition of link juice over a longer period. This ensures that the process appears natural and organic to search engines, rather than raising suspicion of spammy tactics. In order to rank for competitive keywords and maintain a strong position, link building should be an ongoing monthly process. This approach will not only benefit the overall efficiency of the process, but also improve time efficiency in the long run.
“Link building should be done consistently over time. This means that rather than acquiring 120 links in one month it would be better to acquire 10 links every month over the period of a year. This is will be seen by search engines as natural and organic backlink growth. As opposed to raising red flags as being suspicious or spammy. To rank for competitive keywords and to maintain your position link building should be an ongoing monthly process.”
Clare Lankester
https://www.boutiquedigitalmedia.com/
Be active on forums.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Being active on forums is an important aspect of link building strategies. It is a simple and efficient way to obtain backlinks for a website. This tactic is often overlooked, but it remains one of the most effective methods for generating quick backlinks.
For those just starting out with link building, forum participation is a great way to begin. By ensuring that the backlinks are from websites within the same niche, targeted traffic and potential leads can be generated. Additionally, a well-planned forum link building strategy can also aid in remarketing to the traffic from these forums, increasing the chances of higher conversion rates. Muhammad Farasat Khan, an expert in link building, emphasizes the value of forum link building as one of the oldest and most successful tactics for building links.
“Forum link building is still one of the best and the most overlooked ways to generate quick backlinks for your website. This is one of the oldest tactics to build links.
By making sure you are getting links from the same niche as your website is working in, you are in the right direction to generate targeted traffic and better leads. Highly planned forum link building also helps in remarketing to the traffic driven from these forums. Therefore the chances for higher conversion rates are increased.”
Muhammad Farasat Khan
Create content for Youtube.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆
Creating content for YouTube is an essential aspect of successful link building strategies. As the second largest search engine in the world, YouTube offers a vast audience and the potential for personal branding. This can greatly benefit individuals in their link building efforts.
Consistently creating YouTube videos is a key component of David Duford’s personal brand-building strategy. While YouTube may only account for a small percentage of his overall traffic, the quality and conversion rate of those viewers is significantly higher compared to other sources such as Google Search. This is due to the personal connections that quality video content can create with viewers, similar to those felt with celebrities. In a competitive market like insurance sales, having this unique point of differentiation can make a significant impact when engaging with potential clients.
“Creating YouTube videos on a consistent basis is at the heart of my personal brand-building strategy.
While YouTube accounted for only 7.2% of my total traffic volume, the quality and conversion ability of those users is exponentially better than from other sources like Google Search.
Why? Quality video content creates personal connections with viewers, much like those felt with celebrities. And in a competitive market like mine (insurance sales), having this point of differentiation makes all the difference when speaking with my prospects for the first time.”
David Duford
https://www.davidduford.com/
Create animated explainer videos.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆
Another effective link building strategy is creating animated explainer videos, which have been shown to have a high impact on audience engagement and website traffic.
Animated explainer videos, similar to those found on YouTube, can be time-consuming to produce. However, the potential benefits make it a worthwhile investment. According to Jovan Milenkovic, a digital marketing expert at KommandoTech, Google’s algorithm favors websites with video content. This means that offering a high-quality, original video to website editors can make it easier to secure a valuable backlink. It is important to ensure that the video is unique and provides value in order to successfully pitch it to editors.
Milenkovic also notes that people tend to prefer videos over lengthy articles, making them a valuable asset for link building. This is why many marketers dedicate time and resources to creating original video content. By incorporating animated explainer videos into link building strategies, websites can potentially see a boost in their search engine ranking and attract more traffic.
“People have shown to favor videos much more than lengthy articles, which is why a lot of marketers invest time and money into creating original video content. Plus, Google algorithm boosts websites that contain videos. It may be much easier to get a link if you offer a good video to website editors. Remember, it needs to be original and have a certain value if you want to pitch it successfully. “
Jovan Milenkovic
https://kommandotech.com/
Sponsor influencers.
Benefit: ☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆
In today’s digital landscape, link building strategies are crucial for improving a website’s search engine ranking and driving targeted traffic. One effective way to achieve this is by sponsoring influencers. By collaborating with influencers, businesses can not only build valuable backlinks to their website, but also reach a wider and more targeted audience.
To ensure the best results, it is important to carefully select influencers who specialize in the same niche as the product or service being promoted. For instance, a toy company may approach parent influencers, while a makeup brand may target beauty influencers. By following these influencers and getting to know their interests, businesses can personalize their outreach and demonstrate their genuine interest in the influencer’s content.
When reaching out to influencers, it is crucial to offer a unique and refreshing product or service. This will entice influencers to work with the business and potentially do a blog review with a link to the website. By doing so, businesses can not only gain valuable backlinks, but also tap into the influencer’s loyal and engaged audience.
In conclusion, sponsoring influencers is an efficient and effective way to build links and reach a targeted audience. By carefully selecting influencers and personalizing outreach, businesses can maximize the benefits of this link building strategy.
“With the rise of influencers, promoting your content or products to those with blogs would kill two birds with one stone by
– building links to your site while
– easily helping you reach a wide targeted audience.
This can be done by sponsoring a product or offering a service for them to review.
When choosing suitable influencers to approach, ensure that they specialise in the same niche as your product/service. For example, if you”re selling toys, approach parent influencers and if you”re selling makeup, go for beauty influencers.
Follow these influencers for a period of time to get to know them. You can use this information to your advantage when you email them; personalise your outreach to appeal to their interests and to show that you”re an avid follower.
If your outreach is refreshing and your product/service is unique, influencers will be enticed to work with you to do a blog review linking to your website.”
Madeline Ong
Feature other websites in your articles.
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Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Featuring other websites in one’s own content is a crucial aspect of successful link building strategies. This not only helps to establish good relationships with other websites, but it also increases the chances of receiving backlinks in return. Platforms such as WordPress offer a pingback feature, which notifies the website being linked to about the mention. This can be followed up by reaching out to the website and requesting a backlink.
One effective method for featuring multiple companies in an article is by creating listicles. Examples of listicles include “Top 10 Swimming Schools to Learn Swimming in 2020” and “8 Good Deals This Christmas Season.” The key is to identify brands with a “As Featured On” section on their website, which provides backlinks. Once the listicle is published, it is a simple matter of contacting these brands and requesting a backlink. This not only saves time, but also increases the chances of receiving backlinks from reputable websites.
“One method that we have found to be effective is to write listicles that feature many different companies. Some examples of listicles include:
– Top 10 swimming schools to learn swimming in 2020
– 8 good deals this Christmas season
The trick is to look out for brands that have a website with an “As featured on” section and provides backlinks.
After your listicle has been published, all you have to do is to reach out to these brands you have featured to request for a backlink. “
Gary Goh
Be a podcast guest.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆
Link building strategies can greatly benefit from being a guest on a podcast. It is a time-efficient way to gain backlinks as it requires minimal preparation and allows the speaker to showcase their expertise. According to Madeleine Seah of OrbitalFT, one can find podcast opportunities by using search strings on Google, such as “podcast” and their topic of interest. For instance, a nutritionist looking to discuss the keto diet can search for “podcast” keto diet. This can lead to the podcast being transcribed on the host’s website, along with links to the speaker’s page.
“Keep a lookout for opportunities to become a guest speaker on a podcast. This is great as it requires minimal preparation since you”ll be invited to speak about a topic of your expertise. At the end of the podcast, it”ll be transcribed on the podcaster”s website together with links to your page.
To find podcast platforms, use search strings on Google, e.g. “podcast” your topic of interest. So, for example, if you”re a nutritionist looking to discuss the keto diet, you can start with googling “podcast” keto diet.”
Madeleine Seah
https://www.orbitalft.com/
Improve old content.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆
Improving old content is a crucial aspect of successful link building strategies. By constantly updating and enhancing the content on your website, you can improve your organic ranks and potentially attract more organic links. This also provides an opportunity to re-promote your content to a wider audience.
To efficiently scale your link building efforts, it is recommended to regularly update your website’s content with new keywords and cater to the needs of your users. This can include incorporating seasonal trends and relevant news that would interest your target audience. By doing so, you increase the likelihood of receiving “natural” links through social sharing and blog sharing.
In addition, it is beneficial to link to websites with high domain authority, such as those of tools or experts in your industry. This increases the chances of them sharing your content on their own social media channels, further expanding your reach.
Furthermore, when optimizing your content with new keywords, it is important to include question keywords and conversational queries that are essential for voice search. To come up with fresh and engaging content ideas, consider seeking inspiration from forums and social media groups to better understand your audience’s needs and interests. By putting yourself in their shoes, you can create content that resonates with them and encourages them to share it.
“To scale your link building efficiently I recommend you constantly improving the content on your website using new keywords and taking care of your users’ needs. Look into the seasonality trends, news, everything that might interest your audience. Thanks to it, you increase your chances to get more “natural” links through social sharing, blog sharing, etc.
What is more, it is worth to link to websites of different tools or experts” pages with high domain authority. It increases your chances that they will then share your content on their social media channels.
Moreover, while optimizing your content with new key phrases, include question keywords and conversational queries which are essential for voice search. Look for content inspiration across forums, social media groups, to get to know your users better and to understand what they are looking for. Try to put yourself in your audience”s shoes and create engaging content for them.”
Irena Zobniów
http://insightland.org/
Create images of stats.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆
Link building strategies are crucial for improving a website’s search engine ranking and increasing its online visibility. One effective way to attract backlinks is by creating images of statistics and data. This technique can be used even if a website does not have its own unique studies or data to publish.
To further enhance link building efforts, Emma White suggests developing a tool that solves a problem in the website’s niche. This tool can also be used for other purposes besides link building, making it a valuable asset. Additionally, creating a Flickr account and uploading photos that are not easily accessible for free can also attract backlinks. These photos can be used by other websites as long as proper credit is given.
Another important aspect of link building is monitoring the use of images and requesting proper credit when necessary. White recommends running images through a reverse image search every few weeks to identify websites that have used the images without giving proper credit. This can be easily resolved by reaching out to the website and requesting the appropriate link credit. However, it is important to ensure that all images used are original and not taken from other sources on the web. This can be easily achieved by taking photos with a smartphone.
“1. Try developing a tool that solves a problem in your niche. Examples would be:A tool that can calculate the energy and cost savings a household could make by switching to all LED lightsA tool that works out how much fabric you”d need to buy to make a certain item of clothing based on a person”s height and measurements.If your tool can automate a part of your business, however small, it can be really powerful, and be used for more than just link building.Tools are incredibly good at attracting backlinks because they provide obvious value to a user.
2. Create images of stats. If you publish studies or data on your website, turn some of the key findings into images like graphs or pie charts. Outreach these images too websites that talk about the same or very similar topics inviting them to use the images in their content in exchange for linked image credit back to your website.You don”t need to publish your own unique studies or data to use this technique.
3. Create a Flickr account and upload photos that are difficult to get for free. Flickr is key here as it”s a widely used image platform. In every niche there will be types of photos that can only be found through paid platforms like Adobe Stock, but not everyone has the means to pay for these photos to use in their content. One example is photos of people plastering a wall.Stipulate that the photos can be used so long as your website is credited.Every few weeks to a month, run your images through a reverse image search to find websites who have used your images without giving linked credit. Reach out to them to request they add the appropriate link credit. Most people will do so.If you use this tactic, make sure that you are creating your own original photos! They can be easily taken on any smartphone. Don”t steal photos from elsewhere on the web.”
Emma White
https://www.multi-layer-media.co.uk/
Try to earn links, not just build them.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Link building is a crucial aspect of any successful SEO strategy. It involves acquiring backlinks from other websites to your own, which can improve your website’s search engine rankings and increase its visibility. However, it is important to focus on earning links rather than simply building them. This approach not only saves time, but also ensures that the links you acquire are of high quality and add value to your website.
The key to successful link building strategies is to create great content. This not only attracts organic links over time, but also makes it more likely for websites to link to your content without being prompted. As digital PRs, the goal should be to obtain links that are given willingly because your content is valuable and interesting to a website’s user-base. Actively seeking out links, such as through filling out forms, buying banner advertisements, or sponsored content, may not be as beneficial. These types of links often have a nofollow or sponsored attribute, which do not contribute to SEO efforts. Google does not place value on these types of links as they can be easily obtained by anyone. Instead, focus on earning links through the quality of your content.
“By this I mean, digital PRs should aim to get links that are given to them because they add value and have something interesting to share with a website”s user-base. They shouldn”t go about actively taking links. For example, if you can get a link simply by filling out a form, buying a banner-advertisement, or through sponsored content, then it”s probably not a link worth getting. These links should have a nofollow or sponsored attribute, which will not help your SEO efforts. Google doesn”t attribute value to these links because anybody can get them. What you really want to get are links that you”ve earned because you have something awesome to share.”
Helen Wood
https://www.delta-net.com/
Play a long game.
Benefit: ☆☆☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
By focusing on building high-quality links, rather than simply aiming for quantity, a website can establish long-term authority and credibility. This is especially important in today’s digital landscape, where search engines are constantly updating their algorithms and placing a greater emphasis on quality content.
It is essential to have a long-term mindset when it comes to link building. This means implementing strategies and tactics that are future-proof and will not result in penalties or negative consequences down the line. Not only can these penalties be damaging to a website’s reputation and rankings, but they can also be a significant personal and financial blow.
In addition, with the rise of content marketing, it is becoming increasingly important to establish real authority and credibility in a niche. This takes time and effort, and it is crucial to start building this authority now rather than relying on short-term tactics that may eventually be overshadowed by more authoritative websites.
While it may be tempting to resort to spamming and other short-term tactics that promise quick results, it is important to consider the long-term impact of these actions. Ultimately, it is not just about making money, but also about building a lasting legacy and making a positive impact in the digital world. By following ethical and sustainable link building strategies, a website can establish itself as a reputable and trustworthy source, leading to long-term success and growth.
“Every strategy and tactic needs to be future proof.
There are various reasons for this. The pain of an algorithmic or manual penalty, then the choice of whether to try to recover the site, or abandon it is a massive blow personally, even more so when it happens to a client. If you add the stress, fear, time and money, it”s better to be a white hat.
Another factor is that more companies are discovering content marketing. Old, authoritative domains are now getting fresh content, full of keywords found on Ahrefs or SEMRush. It takes years to build real authority, start now, or your niche projects and short term gains will evaporate as actual authority sites, and “authority hackers” push you off page one.
Yes, spamming and short term tactics still work, and people make a lot of money fast. My answer to them is who are you? What are you doing with your life? What do you want your legacy to be in this short time on earth? A get rich quick, money grabber? Follow that path, and even when you make a lot of money, your heart will be too heavy to enjoy it.”
Jason Lavis
https://ootbinnovations.com/
Have a diverse offering of content.
Benefit: ☆☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆
Having a diverse offering of content is crucial for successful link building strategies. This means creating a variety of content formats, such as podcasts, apps, and WordPress plugins, in addition to written content and infographics. These different mediums can be used to generate backlinks, with podcasts and WordPress plugins being particularly effective. For example, a website owner could record an interview with a publication and host it on their site, then distribute the media file to various podcast websites, resulting in a significant number of doFollow links. This approach not only saves time, but also increases the chances of obtaining high-quality backlinks for improved SEO.
“The one specific link building tip that I would recommend to all SEOers (or website owners) is have an extremely diverse offering of content or mediums for content. What I mean by that is, don”t just write content, or design “infographics”. Create podcasts, build a basic app or create a WordPress plugin.. All of these ways can be used to create backlinks, with podcasts and WordPress plugins being one of the most powerful ways. After your podcast is completed, or your WordPress plugin is done, create a way to have it link back to your website. For example: for one of my clients, I actually recorded an interview between a publication and the founders and then hosted the content on their website. Afterwards, I went to two dozen different podcast sites and was able to actually upload my media file (from my client”s site) too the podcasts websites, with more than half of the links being doFollow. “
William Chin
https://www.pickfu.com/
Keep your ideas simple.
Benefit: ☆☆
Time efficiency: ☆☆☆☆☆
Link building strategies are crucial for improving a website’s search engine ranking and increasing its online visibility. In order to achieve a diverse range of links from various sources, it is important to keep content marketing campaigns simple and easy to understand. This not only saves time, but also makes it more appealing to journalists, webmasters, and the target audience. James Watkins, a digital marketing expert at Impression, emphasizes the importance of simplicity in link building strategies. Overcomplicating campaign ideas can often lead to failure and should be avoided.
“Content marketing campaigns, when done well, can be an effective way to achieve a wide array of links simultaneously in a range of media and non-media and other relevant sites. If you do decide to go down this route, make sure your campaign is simple to understand and can be explained in one to two sentences. Overcomplicating campaign ideas can be an instant turn off for journalists, webmasters and your audience and is often cited as a key reason for link building campaigns failing.”
James Watkins
https://www.impression.co.uk/
About link building strategies
Are you looking to increase your website’s visibility and search engine rankings? If so, link building is an essential part of your SEO strategy. Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks from other websites to your own. These backlinks act as a “vote” of confidence from other websites, and can help to boost your website’s rankings in search engine results.
Link building can be a time-consuming process, but it’s worth the effort. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Identify Relevant Websites: Start by researching websites that are related to your industry or niche. Look for websites that have a high domain authority and are likely to link to your website.
- Reach Out to Websites: Once you’ve identified relevant websites, reach out to them and ask if they’d be willing to link to your website. Make sure to provide them with a compelling reason to link to you, such as a unique piece of content or a helpful resource.
- Create Quality Content: Quality content is essential for link building. Create content that is informative, engaging, and relevant to your target audience. This will help to attract more backlinks from other websites.
- Monitor Your Progress: Monitor your link building progress by tracking the number of backlinks you’ve acquired. This will help you to identify which strategies are working and which ones need to be improved.
Link building is an important part of SEO, and it can help to boost your website’s visibility and search engine rankings. Follow these tips to get started with link building and start seeing results.
FAQs about link building
Link building is promoting your website on other websites. The main goal is to get a hyperlink on their website that points to a page on your own website.
Links are one of the ranking factors that Google uses for its search algorithm. Having other websites linking to your website can increase your organic rankings in Google and other search engines.
No. Links from high-quality websites are worth more than links from low-quality websites.
A few tips: create online profiles, build relationships, scrape the internet for unlinked mentions, reach out and promote your content, create infographics. Our article contains 35+ tips to get more high-quality links.