The Internet is nicknamed “The Web” for a reason. It’s nothing but a giant slew of links leading to other sites in a humongous ever-connected net. Through a lot of time and effort—and we mean a lot of time—we bet you could find a connection between every page on the web.
These connections, (which we SEOs call backlinks) help your site gain authority that can lead to better Google rankings. But, as with everything else web presence-related, there’s a right and wrong way to do things. Here’s how to build backlinks the right way:
Why Are Backlinks So Important?
So, what is the importance of backlinks and why do we keep talking about them? Backlinks are external links that lead to your website from another page on the web. Basically, another content creator used your page as a resource in their content, or felt the need to lead their readers to you for more information.
Link building is working to acquire backlinks that lead to your site. Wondering why you need backlinks? Having high-quality backlinks is one of Google’s most important ranking factors for sites to show high up in search results. These links show authority. It’s almost as if the other site’s link is a vote for you that tells Google your site is trustworthy, credible, and valuable.
Of course, the Google Bots look at the content that’s on your page, but they also look at the amount of external links from high-quality websites leading to pages on your site. However, you don’t want just any links leading to your site just for the sake of having links.
Instead, you want quality backlinks from sites that are related to your industry. If you are a palm tree distributor, for example, you’d gain more benefits after earning a backlink from a landscape company as opposed to a link from a pet store.
How to Build Backlinks—the Post Launch Way
Many different types of backlinks (and varying levels of effectiveness) depend on how you achieve them. Check out some tips on how to get backlinks the White Hat SEO way.
Try your hand at guest blogging
One of the first steps in learning how to build backlinks is to understand the value of guest blogging. With guest blogging, you write content to be published on another website, with the hopes that the external site will include a link to your site when they publish.
Guest blogging for building backlinks requires efficient communication and relationship-building. Start by finding high quality websites that have a blog, are in your industry, but not your direct competition. Engage with this blog and contributor to spark a relationship. When the time is right, offer your partnership in guest blogging or submit a content piece if they accept them freely.
The best way to make this work for your site, your readers, and Google is to create high-quality content that is valuable to readers looking for an answer or solution. Avoid keyword stuffing. Google still prioritizes content that offers value to readers, so it’s best to avoid automating something like this. If you do guest blogging right, you can gain exposure and reach a new, different audience—in addition to gaining a backlink!
Be helpful by reporting broken links
Broken links are all over the Internet. You can use this to your backlinking advantage. The idea is to find those broken links on influencers’ sites and offer them new, updated content to link instead—your content, that is.
First, research broken links and influencers to target. Then, create high-quality content on your site that would be a great replacement for their existing broken link. Next, contact the webmaster to notify them of the broken link. This is where you can suggest your newly written blog as a great source they can use in its place.
Through this tactic, you’re helping out the webmaster. And if they choose to use your link, you’ve just organically achieved a backlink from a high-quality site!
Create an engaging, shareable infographic
People love visual content. It’s easier to consume than text-heavy pieces; thus, people are more likely to share it. Because of this, infographics are great pieces of content to utilize for acquiring backlinks.
Research topics for an infographic that people are looking for but hasn’t been created yet. You want your infographic to be unique enough to prompt people to want to share it. Then, create it through fun, free tools like Piktochart or Canva, or outsource a talented graphic artist (like the content creators at a digital marketing agency) to create it for you.
Once you’re ready to publish the infographic, you can create a convenient embed code that allows people to share your infographic and link back to your site more easily.
With this embed code, other content creators can post your infographic on their own website, and the backlink will be built in!
Bait influencers to share your stuff
This next tactic is known as “ego bait.” This tactic has you strategically mention or feature influencers in your blogs and link to their website. “Top 10” lists are great at getting the attention of influencers on the web. Create content that features a list of quality websites with a link to their site, of course. People love kudos and being complimented. Play that to your advantage.
Hopefully, they’ll take your bait when they see your content. Their excitement about being featured may make them more inclined to share your post on their own site or social media profiles. To do this backlink tactic, research engaging topics and successful influencers to target. Then, write your content that features them, and do some outreach letting them know about their mention. Then, follow up to see if they featured your content on their site.
All Your SEO Needs in One Place
At Post Launch, we encourage and implement White Hat SEO tactics every day. We write quality content, syndicate that content, and work to acquire those juicy backlinks for you. Contact us for Las Vegas SEO to build your company’s web presence.
