The process of acquiring inbound links to your website is known as link building, and it is a time consuming and technical process that takes experience to perfect. Despite this, link building done right can be a very productive and beneficial way for you to build an audience, increase rankings, and boost revenue for your business.
A key aspect of link building is making sure you are employing a worthwhile strategy that will work in the long run. So, whether you are a beginner in the field or an SEO veteran, here are five tips to help you make sure your link building strategy is effective and brings you the desired results.
Tip 1: Have A High Quality Website
- First, it will make every backlink you set up more successful in the long run, as users that come to your site will want to stay and return.
- It doesn’t matter if I have all the backlinks in the world recommending people to visit my website, if users do not stay after clicking on it, Google and other search engines like Bing and DuckDuckGo will derank your site at a rapid pace.
- So, to ensure your link building strategy is effective, first make sure that your website is putting your best foot forward.
- The second is it will make operators and owners of other websites want to link to you. As you develop your link building strategy, this will increase your chances of collecting organic backlinks from relevant sources which are often the best backlinks to accrue.
Expectations and needs are different for both operators and site visitors, and that can be a difficult balance to identify and keep. Fortunately, our team at Sinopia offers a free website audit and analysis, so that you can better understand what you need to stand out in your industry.
Tip 2: Research Relevant Websites
Create a list of these websites, being very specific and in-depth with each one. Here are some ways to find relevant websites:
- Industry publications and blogs: Search for websites that publish articles on similar topics as you.
- Competitor analysis: See who your competitors are linking to and try to get backlinks from the same websites (but with even better content!).
- Online directories: Look for directories relevant to your industry and submit your website to be listed.
Tip 3: Build Links By Building Relationships
Once you have these relevant websites on your radar, it is time to start targeting them to help get your content noticed. The best way to do this is by building relationships with the operators of those websites, whether it be friendship, mentorship, or a strictly professional acquaintance.
Some ways to do this are:
- Guest blogging
- Write high-quality guest posts for relevant websites. This is a great way to showcase your expertise and get a backlink in the process.
- Engage in online communities
- Participate in forums and social media groups related to your niche. This is a great way to connect with other website owners and build trust.
- Offer other valuable resources
- Do you have an infographic or an ebook that would be helpful to other websites?
- Offer it for free in exchange for a certain number of backlinks.
- Cold Calling
- If you have found relevant websites and can do so, call their numbers and try to connect with them directly over the phone. Make sure you have a value proposition ready that will entice them to work with you.
- Cold Emailing
- If calling is not an option, an email or repeated emails can help you get your foot in the door, though there is never any guarantee.
Building relationships can be one of the toughest parts of the link building journey, so do not get discouraged and be persistent. People want to work with and do business with the people they like. Building mutual and genuine relationships with others will tap you into a group that would otherwise be inaccessible.
In addition, these relationships can be leveraged to meet and connect with more people. Thus, one relationship can become two, which can become four, which can continue to grow your network and help you have a wide array of connections that are of great utility for you both to learn from and teach each other.
Tip 4: Monitor Your Backlinks
As you grow it is vital that you make sure the backlinks connecting internet users to your website
Not all backlinks are good for your SEO. You want to avoid spammy backlinks and links with the “rel=nofollow” attribute. These types of links won’t help your rankings and could even hurt them.
Here are some things to keep an eye on:
- The quality of the website linking to you
- Ask yourself: Is it a reputable website with relevant content?
- The anchor text
- This is the text that users click on when they follow the link. It should be relevant to your content and include your target keyword (but not in a spammy way).
- The “rel” attribute
- Some links have a “rel=nofollow” attribute, which tells search engines not to follow the link.
- These links won’t help your SEO, but they’re not necessarily harmful either.
- You want to spend your time acquiring links that you know will help your authority.
Tip 5: Be Strategic With Keywords and Anchor Text
When building backlinks, use relevant keywords in your anchor text (the text that users click on to follow the link). This helps search engines understand what your website is about and can improve your rankings for those keywords. However, avoid keyword stuffing – it can look unnatural and even get you penalized by search engines.
In general, a critical component of SEO is finding that balance between utilizing keywords and still sticking to language that sounds human and is easy to understand.
Search engines use Natural Language Processing (NLP) which is a very capable technology that identifies just how well you are keeping with this balance. When you do use keywords, if they have relevant and helpful links to follow, this will enhance your customer’s user experience (UX) and improve your authority and trustworthiness, two key components for ranking within search engines.
To Conclude: Link Building
Building high-quality backlinks takes time and effort. But by following these tips, you can start to build a strong backlink profile that will help your website climb the search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic. Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, keep creating great content, and focus on building relationships with other website owners.
At Sinopia, our team has decades of experience with link building and other technical forms of digital marketing. We understand you want to spend your time building your business and providing value within the world, and for this reason our mission is to help business owners like you reach their target audience, gain traction, and change the world. To find out more about how we can help you and your business make an impact that matters and lasts, sign up for a free consultation and website analysis here.
For those simply looking to learn more about digital marketing, we’re happy to have you and always happy to help.