Link building isn’t dead, it’s just dead for those who don’t know how to do it effectively. There are certain tricks, tips, and rules to follow in order to make link building work for you. We’re here with several of them to get you started.
Add your website to directories
There are a lot of great directories out there that list excellent websites. Choose top directories in your niche and post your website name and link to them. If you have a presence in high-quality, niche directories, you have a better chance of being ranked by search engines.
Be a guest blogger
There are a lot of websites out there that love having people write guest blog posts. Some of these will pay you for the post, while others won’t, but just about all of them will let you include a byline and a link back to your website.
When guest blogging, choose a blog that’s active and relevant to your niche and focus the post on something other than you and your brand.
Create content that people want to share
If you want to increase the number of links out there that lead back to your content, create content that people want to share. For some people, this is a basic blog post, but other people may prefer different mediums.
Turn a blog post into a podcast, YouTube video or infographic, for example. Your audience can choose the type of content they like best, share it with their audience and increase backlinks to your website.
If you’re going to stick with straightforward, text-only blog post, consider the type of content people are attracted to, which increases the likelihood they’ll share it. People tend to love lists and how-to articles, so try these layouts to see if your traffic increases.
Don’t be afraid to ask other people for backlinks
When it comes to the people you know well, like your friends, family, business contacts, and colleagues, simply asking for a backlink may be enough to get one. If any of your connections has a popular website, even better – a backlink to your website may get a lot of attention. It’s always best if the backlink is from a site that’s somehow relevant to your niche, though.
Find your dead backlinks
There may be some links out there that once worked but now link to a 404 error page. There are tools you can use to find these links. Then, try to have the link removed or, even better, update it so that it points to an existing page on your website.
Launch a blog
A blog provides an excellent opportunity for a lot of backlinking, but the key is to make sure the blog stays active. One blog post from three months ago that has a link to your website isn’t going to help you out at all.
Regularly post to your blog, focusing on what your audience wants to know. If your content is relevant and valuable, you have a better chance of gaining authority with search engines, which means the backlinks you include will perform better, too.
Seek out mentions and ask for links
If you noticed that someone wrote something positive about you, like in a review or in a blog post, contact the writer or website owner and ask if they would include a link to your website.
If someone mentions a brand or product, it’s good practice to always include a link to whatever they mentioned, and it’s possible they simply forgot to include one. There are a lot of listening tools online that will alert you when your brand or product is mentioned, the most basic of which is Google Alerts.
Start networking
In order to get good backlinks, you need solid connections in your niche, preferably with people who already have a strong web presence. Join forums, regularly read blogs and participate in social groups to meet other people in your niche.
Instead of just asking for a backlink from strangers, though, you’ll have to actually build relationships. Do this by engaging in these communities and writing interesting, valuable comments and posts.
Write a testimonial
If you have something valuable to say about a brand, ask them if you can provide a testimonial for their website. Often, you’ll be able to include a link along with the testimonial. This also benefits the brand you’re partnering with because they’ll build customer trust by having positive reviews from real customers.
Ultimately, link building is a major factor when it comes to how you rank on search engines. Adding link building to your marketing strategy is an integral part of getting your content noticed.
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