10 Ways To Earn High Quality Backlinks To Your Site That You Can Start Right Now
When digging into search engine optimization and Google or Bing rankings, you’re going to come across backlinks.
Backlinks are a way for the search giants to trust your site. Each time your URL appears on another quality site (quality is important) you’re going to get an extra little boost from Google.
Backlinks create a perception of confidence and authority in your website and brand. After all, a high-quality website wouldn’t link to you if you didn’t have something to offer.
Building backlinks is often seen as a job to itself, and in some ways it can be. But I’m going to walk you through a few actionable steps you can take starting right now to begin your backlinks building campaign.
Tested techniques to earn high-quality backlinks, increase site rankings and boost organic traffic to your site:
The Broken-Link Building Method
This is a classic method that’s been used for two decades because it works, and it’s simple.
Essentially, you’re going to contact the site owner or webmaster of a site to report a broken or outdated link (possibly of your competitors). While helping out the site owner, you’re also going to suggest that he or she considers adding a link to your website.
You’ll be surprised how often this works! In fact, it’s so powerful that many of the top tier experts in the field have used it to jump ahead in backlink-building.
These days, you can even automate this process to some degree by using various broken link finders online.
Please remember to stick to related sites. If you’re a startup coach or a lawyer, you’re not going to want backlinks to your site from a toy blog.
The Skyscraper Technique
Undeniably one of the most successful methods for developing backlinks, made popular by SEO expert Neil Patel.
Basically, you’re going to find content on a related website with loads of backlinks pointing to it. You are then going to convince that website to swap your content in its place.
This is done in three steps:
- Find a piece of content that has lots of high-quality links pointing to it. You can use an online backlinks tool or Google Keywords Planner.
- Now here comes the skyscraper portion. You’re going to read over the content and produce one that’s superior. Basically, you’re going to build up a higher skyscraper. Using the original article as an outline you’re going to write an original article that it’s more informative, updated and all around better.
- Now, with your new skyscraper article posted on your own website, it’s time to contact the sites that link to the original article and ask them to consider linking to your superior content instead. After all, your content is up-to-date and more informative. Many of those you contact will happily switch for the betterment of their own site visitors.
Create Strong Shareable Infographics
Infographics have become one of the most popular recent ways to build backlinks quickly. The reason is simple – they’re easy to create and once posted they get shared for months.
Each time the infographic is shared, another backlink is quietly created pointing to your site and telling Google and Bing that your brand has value and authority.
1 Start out by doing a little research to determine what relative information to your site people are interested in or are searching for now. Look at questions that people are posting related to your niche and industry on Amazon, Google, etc. Browse news articles and entertainment blogs as trending topics are always valuable. Gather some data and craft a visually appealing infographic using Canva.
2 Make certain your brand is easily identifiable on the newly created infographic and include your website URL. Try to use your brand colors and fonts throughout the visual to maintain branding consistency. Keep in mind that while you may initially be created infographics to build backlinks they will also identity your brand and drive organic website traffic.
3 Now that your infographic is done it’s time to post it to your social media accounts including Pinterest. Be sure to choose at least three categories when posting to Pinterest to maximize exposure.
Become A Guest Writer or Blogger
Writing articles to place on other websites builds your brand and personal credibility, while your all-powerful bio box includes a backlink right to your site.
You build exposure and increase your reputation (and usually our social media following). To get started, you’ll first want to search for blogs within your niche or industry and contact those blogs and ask if they allow guest posts.
Most do these days, and the most popular ones will charge you for the privilege, but that’s okay because you’ll get exposure and high-quality backlinks.
Others may ask only for a future guest blog on your site in return. That’s even better because Google loves reciprocation.
Spy On Your Competitors
Let me get this out of the way first and foremost. If you’re serious about your building your business and dominating your nice or industry, you should already be doing the following:
- Following all competitors on social media using personal or random accounts.
- Subscribed to all newsletters and email marketing campaigns your competitors send out.
- Visit their websites especially their content areas (blog, resources, white papers, etc.) weekly.
- Have a Google News Alert set for your competitors brands, including their CEO or owner.
If you feel that those tactics are beneath you, there’s nothing I can teach you here. You have competitors, and you have to keep an eye on them, so you can take advantage of their weaknesses and grow. I assure you, they’re all doing those exact bulleted tactics to you right now.
Monitor your competitors content and analyze their backlinks. This will allow you to use the skyscraper method to directly target their content by creating superior versions of it. In doing so, you’ll be able to quickly acquire backlinks from many of the sites linking to your competitors.
Promote Your Content Directly
Oftentimes the best and most efficient approach is to be direct. There’s no harm in contacting webmasters and site owners directly and requesting a backlink. Some will agree if you return the favor. Others may suggest you provide a guest post for a small fee.
Many websites welcome a chance to speak with a site owner directly. You can advertise your content or brand on their site for a fee over a specified period of time. In return, you receive a powerful and high-quality backlink without jumping through hoops.
Please remember to always ensure that the site is providing you with a proper link and not a NOFOLLOW link. This type of link tells search engines not to pay attention to that external source, and so your backlink is ignored.
Roundup Posts or Email Newsletters
Weekly or monthly roundup posts or email newsletters are popular. In fact, some of them have even built brand recognition almost overnight.
Every niche, industry and interest has at least one (often more) source creating regular roundups of the related recent news. You should already be signed up for these newsletters and should already be aware of these sources.
Once you track down the most popular roundup posts and newsletters (that coincide with an article) that relate to your content, send the owner an email. Ask to be included in their next post, and inquire what is required to prove your brand worthy.
Submit your best guides, content or Earth-shattering news or recent recognition. If you receive a negative response, don’t give up, ask politely what you must do to be included in the future. And do it!
Write A Real Testimonial or Take Part In A Case Study
Two different concepts, but the same results. Look over the products and services you’re using right now in your business.
Contact the main marketer of the service or product and offer an exchange. You’ll provide a helpful and informative (and honest) testimonial or case study in return for a backlink to your site.
Be Charitable & Donate To A Nonprofit
Some pessimists would say that this is no different from buying a backlink. Depending on your perspective, that is true, but at least you’re also doing some good in the process.
Most nonprofit and charitable organizations list the businesses who donate to them, including the company domain.
Find a good nonprofit with a good reputation, look over their site and make sure they provide links to business donors and make a small (or large) donation.
Be sure to include your URL.
Get A Little Publicity
Niche podcasts, local stations and related bloggers are always looking for quality content. Contact them and ask if they are looking for interviewees. Include a short (few sentences) explanation of what you bring to the interview. Include your experience and expertise and one quick anecdote that may appeal to their readers or listeners.
Try not to get into a sales pitch, and please don’t mention your product or service that you’re selling. Stay focused on delivering value to their audience.
After you do this a few times, you’ll discover that others are coming to you for an interview.
Every website, podcast or small local affiliate that interviews you will feature your URL on their website, Facebook or Instagram page, giving you another value backlink.
If your interview is posted on social media and is shared, you’ll pull even more reputable backlinks from one quick interview.
Building backlinks can be challenging, particularly if you’re first starting out. Please take the steps above as your actionable guide and get started today.
If you need some assistance, encouragement or would like help setting up your first powerful backlink partnership, please open a ticket if you are a ServerWise client.
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