Link building is a important part of any search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. Links act as votes of confidence, signaling to Google the importance and relevance of a webpage.
Implementing effective link building strategies helps pages rank higher in search results. In this article we’ll explore proven link building techniques to boost a website’s authority and search visibility.
Why Link Building Matters for SEO
Google’s algorithm uses links to evaluate the credibility and popularity of pages. More high-quality backlinks from reputable external sites indicate a page offers value worthy of recommendation. This signals relevancy and authority.
Specifically, thoughtful link building strategies help in three key areas:
Increased Domain Authority
Backlinks from authoritative sites get more weight in Google’s algorithm, passing authority to linked pages. This increases a domain’s authority metric, used by Google to evaluate overall site quality. Pages on higher authority domains tend to rank better.
Improved Keyword Relevancy
Contextual backlinks containing target keywords indicate a page’s relevance for those terms. Link anchor text and surrounding content provide keyword relevancy signals.
Higher Rankings & Organic Traffic
Higher authority metrics and relevance signals mean pages can reach higher positions for valuable search terms. This grants access to more of the coveted first page real estate in SERPs, leading to increased organic site traffic.
Best Practices For Quality Link Building
The value links impart depends greatly on the site they come from. As search expert Rand Fishkin puts it, “A single link from the New York Times is worth more than a million links from web directories.”
Keep these best practices in mind:
Prioritize Relevance Over Quantity
A small number of authoritative, semantic links bears more SEO value than a large volume of irrelevant links. Quality over quantity.
Strive For Contextual Link Placement
Links make the most SEO impact when organically placed within topically related and genuinely useful content, rather than forced into irrelevant contexts.
Focus On Sustained Value Exchange
Build relationships with sites through ongoing collaboration, promotion, and value sharing around topics of common interest. This earns links arising naturally.
Monitor Anchor Text Variety
While keyword-rich anchor text provides strong relevancy signals, over-optimization raises flags. Keep anchor text varied across different linking pages.
Evaluate Linking Domain Quality
Prioritize links from reputable domains with high authority scores and domain ratings. Devalued or sketchy sites offer little SEO value.
10 Link Building Strategies and Examples
Now let’s explore tangible techniques to get high-quality backlinks pointing to your site.
1. Produce Remarkable Assets and Resources
Creating truly useful tools and resources earns attention and links. For example:
- Calculators: Build savings calculators, cost estimators, or size requirement tools.
- Data-Rich Lists: Compile authoritative, thoroughly researched lists and guides around popular topics.
- How-To Articles: Publish actionable tutorials helping people accomplish goals.
- Infographics: Design engaging data visualizations around interesting insights.
2. Conduct Influencer Outreach
Relevant influencers with engaged audiences provide tremendous signal. But cold outreach often fails. Instead, study their content and identify ways to help them. Link to their articles where applicable. Share feedback and data. Offer personalized guest post drafts highlighting their insights. Help first, then discuss potential collaborations.
3. Claim and Optimize Online Profiles
Ensure key profiles like Google My Business, Apple Maps, and industry directories are claimed, completed, and optimized with keywords. This strengthens signals around relevance and authority. Proactively requesting profile links can work if done thoughtfully over time.
4. Volunteer Expertise on Relevant Sites
Actively participating in online communities builds goodwill and trust. Platforms like Quora and Reddit enable networking with recognized site personalities. By volunteering expertise around shared interests, helpful contributors organically earn links over time.
5. Sponsor Related Events/Organizations
Associating your brand with respected events and organizations through sponsorship earns brand linkage from their web properties. Target local Chamber of Commerce meetings, university guest lectures/fundraisers, and niche industry conferences. Ensure sponsorships visibly integrate your brand throughout venues and marketing materials. Also negotiate formal backlinks where possible.
6. Guest Post on Authority Sites
Publishing highly relevant articles on external blogs popular among your audience introduces your brand. Stick to reputable, high authority sites closely aligning with your niche. Ensure guest pieces offer genuine value for the site’s readers rather than just linking out. Focus on building relationships with site editors to develop publishing partnerships.
7. Share Expert Insights on External Publications
Respected industry publications often feature quotes from experts in news articles or roundup posts. Monitoring relevant publications and establishing yourself as an approachable thought leader within your niche can lead to earned media links.
8. Promote Content on External Sites
Strategically sharing, syndicating, and promoting your content on various social channels, forums, and aggregators leads to link clicks. For example, promoting articles on LinkedIn to targeted groups or sharing videos on appropriate subreddits may organically lead to site links as engagement grows.
9. Repurpose Content into External Resources
Adapt existing content from various pieces into helpful resources for external sites. For example, aggregating key statistics from different blog posts into an original image for an infographic site. Or reworking content from multiple reports into an industry landscape document for trade organizations.
10. Build Location-Specific Landing Pages/Listings
For local brands especially, ensuring NAP (name, address, phone) consistency across directories is critical for both SEO authority signals and driving location-based search traffic. Actively submit updated business listings to top tier directories like Apple Maps, Google My Business, Yelp, Yahoo Local, and industry-specific platforms.
Summing Up
Succeeding at organic link building requires an investment of time, care, and creativity. Study competitor successes and industry best practices. Brainstorm what types of resources your audience genuinely needs, then craft remarkable assets that offer solutions.
Monitor relevant sites and publications to identify partnership opportunities. Focus on slowly building relationships by adding value within your niche.
The links and authority accumulated through these patient, persistent efforts compound over time. Eventually this earns the search visibility and rankings critical for reaching relevant searchers. To learn more expert link building tips and strategies, explore our detailed guide here/on the site.