Google claims that backlinks are one of its top three ranking factors. Unfortunately, over 66% of pages don’t have backlinks. Without SEO backlinks, you could struggle to improve your ranking on Google search results pages.
A higher ranking can position you in front of more consumers online. Then, you can boost brand awareness, gain credibility, and generate more leads.
What are backlinks, exactly? Backlinks send readers on other sites to your site.
Learning how to get backlinks could prove crucial to your search engine optimization strategy. The more backlinks a page has, the more organic traffic it gains from Google.
Not sure where to start? Here are 10 tips to get backlinks to your site.
With these tips, you can boost your SEO rankings and set your business up for success. Get started with these 10 easy tips today!
1. Add Links Where You Can
First, take the time to “add” your own links across the website. Adding links involves going to websites that don’t belong to you and creating links there. This tactic includes:
- Creating job search listings
- Posting comments on other blogs
- Posting on forums, communities, and Q&A sites
- Creating social profiles
- Submitting your company on business directories
It’s important to note that since these links are easy to create, they usually have a low value in Google’s eyes. They won’t give you a competitive advantage, since your competitors can create the same links with ease.
However, you shouldn’t neglect this link-building tactic entirely. When learning how to get backlinks, it’s important to diversify your strategy. Diversifying your SEO backlinks can maximize your online reach.
Beyond that, these link-building tactics can help you gain online visibility. People will have an easier time finding your website and blog content.
They might decide to create a backlink to your content as a result.
Make sure to claim your Google My Business listing while you’re at it. This listing will help consumers find your name, address, and phone number (NAP). It can also help more people find your website.
Claim your website on other business directories, too. Focus on directories that are well known. These sites gain traffic, which can help you generate more visitors to your own sites.
Don’t forget to optimize your social media profiles, too. As you update your profiles, make sure your website appears on each one.
Otherwise, post comments on other blogs directing people to relevant content on your website. Blog comments are considered “nofollow” links. While they might not quote as part of your link-building strategy, remember, you want to diversify your links.
Again, these low-quality links can still help you gather traffic, which could earn you a backlink in the future.
2. Improve Your Content Marketing Strategy
About 99% of the websites ranking in the top results of Google have at least one external link along with a number of internal links. If you want to learn how to get backlinks this year, you need to improve your overall content marketing strategy.
Otherwise, people won’t want to link to your website.
In fact, developing high-quality content can encourage other companies to link to your content without you asking. You could save yourself valuable time while boosting your SEO ranking without additional effort.
About 70% of all activities online begin with a search engine. Creating content to cover a range of search terms can help you appear for more queries. Consumers and other companies will have an easier time finding your content online.
Unfortunately, 75% of searchers never look beyond the first page of results. If your blog content isn’t ranking on the first page, people might never see your content.
Improving your content marketing strategy can help you generate more traffic. People will see your experience and expertise and want to link to your posts. You’ll start generating more website backlinks as a result.
Here are a few ways you can improve your content marketing strategy to generate more backlinks.
Case Studies
Case studies can allow you to showcase the great work you’ve done for your clients. Your insight into a specific process could become valuable to others. Other businesses within your industry might decide to link to your case study as a result.
Make sure your case study includes data-driven, insightful details.
Expert Roundups
If you find the opportunity to, participate in an expert roundup. This is a cost-effective way to gain links from other bloggers.
You can encourage other experts within your industry to add their own tips to your roundup. They’ll likely want to link to the post on their own blog.
Otherwise, look for opportunities to participate in someone else’s roundup. Make sure the roundup is focused on businesses within your industry.
Interviews
Interviews give you the chance to showcase your experience and expertise. You’ll get the chance to demonstrate that expertise to a wider audience.
Offer helpful tips and guidance to boost your credibility.
Ask the publication that interviews you to link to your website.
Local PR
Local newspapers and online publications can help you gain news coverage, too. Consider contributing expert advice in a regular column. Otherwise, share your success stories and boost your credibility.
Publish Ultimate Guides
As you start sharing more high-quality content on your own website, consider gathering your content into an ultimate guide. You can learn how to get backlinks by offering people a comprehensive reference tool. Journalists and other bloggers will want to reference your guide within their own content.
For example, let’s say you’ve written multiple blog posts about search engine optimization. You can gather those blog posts into a guide and create a dedicated landing page on your website.
People can link to the main landing page or the individual posts. Either way, you’re gaining multiple SEO backlinks to your site!
3. Ask for Links
Consider developing an outreach program and start asking for links. Before you do, make sure to give people a compelling reason to link to your website. Remember, people won’t link to your content unless it’s worthwhile.
For example, you might want to consider guest blogging. With guest blogging, you’ll create a unique post to share on someone else’s blog. Then, you can add a link to your website within the quote.
In this case, focus on the fact that you’re creating fresh, engaging content for someone else’s website.
You can also use the skyscraper technique.
With the skyscraper technique, you’ll find a piece of content relevant to your interests that already has a lot of backlinks. Then, you’ll create a fresh post that’s even better.
Visit the websites that are already linking to the original post. Then, show them your superior piece of content. They’ll want to link to your website instead.
In this case, you’re offering websites a great piece of content they can share with their audience.
Other great ways to ask for links include:
- Sending an exclusive press release to industry-specific publications
- Giving journalists an expert quote for their article
- Asking people to give you credit for using your unique image
- Helping people fix broken links on their websites
- Mentioning other businesses or their work within your own content (encouraging them to do the same)
- Offering link exchanges
- Posting positive feedback about someone’s product or service in a testimonial
Find legitimate ways to ask for links. Using these tips to get backlinks can boost your ranking through white hat SEO tactics.
4. Update Old Content
If you find an older piece of content online, take a look at the backlinks the piece is already using. Look for backlinks that are old and outdated. If the piece is referencing old content, make a fresh post on the same subject.
Then, encourage the website to use your content (which includes fresh, more relevant data and information) instead.
As you create new posts, make sure to share your content on social media or through an email campaign. Sharing your content can expand your reach, helping more people find your fresh post.
Take a look at your own blog archives, too. Do some of your old posts have outdated information?
Update it! Otherwise, consider reformatting an old post into something new and fresh.
For example, maybe you have a lengthy blog post that’s full of statistics and data. Reformat that post into an infographic. Then, share your brand new post online!
Either way, updating old content could help you generate new backlinks to a website.
5. Contact Journalists
Remember, you don’t have to gain website backlinks alone. Consider working with journalists to gain more SEO backlinks, too.
Most journalists receive email pitches that are overly promotional. Journalists are looking for content that will benefit their readers. You can earn high-quality backlinks by offering content journalists want.
First, look at each publication. Determine the publication’s target audience. Then, consider what content would interest that audience.
Consider current topics that are timely and newsworthy, too.
Then, pitch content the journalist might find newsworthy. Focus on the benefit you’re offering them, such as an exclusive story.
6. Reclaim Unlinked Mentions
Make sure to reclaim unlinked brand mentions you gain, too.
You might not realize that people are mentioning your business unless you’re tracking mentions. You can use Google Alerts to keep track. As you gain mentions, consider contacting the businesses that are discussing your brand.
Then, ask them to add a link to your website. Make sure the link you provide them is relevant to the context. For example, maybe they mentioned a specific product.
Encourage them to link to that specific product page. The company that mentioned your brand can provide their readers with a better user experience.
Meanwhile, you’ve learned how to get backlinks and new customers. It’s a win-win.
Keep a lookout for online brand mentions to gain fresh website backlinks.
In the meantime, make sure to avoid these mistakes with your link-building strategy.
7. Use Images
You can also use your branded images as a means of gaining new website backlinks. For example, you can create:
- Charts and graphs (make sure to use original data)
- One-page templates (like checklists)
- Photo galleries other brands can use
- Diagrams to explain complex concepts
- Infographics
Make sure to maintain brand consistency as you develop these graphics. Brand consistency can help you generate awareness and recognition.
As people start using your images, ask them to link to your website. You’ll gain more SEO backlinks while demonstrating your experience and expertise.
Keep creating fresh images and graphics throughout the year to gain more opportunities for backlinks.
8. Study the External Links Report
Companies with active blogs produce 67% more leads than those without blogs. Meanwhile, companies with blogs generate 97% more links than others, too.
These companies also generate five times more conversions than those without active blogs.
As people start linking to your fresh, high-quality website traffic, keep track of who mentions your business. You can use the Google Search Console Reports’ External Links report to keep track. You can determine who has linked to your content in the past.
Then, you can see which posts they thought were worth linking to.
Use that data to make more informed decisions with your content marketing. Create similar content to gain another backlink!
9. Utilize Forums
Take the time to participate in different forums that are relevant to your industry. Then, show people that you’re an industry expert. You can start driving traffic to your website as a result.
People will start seeing your high-quality content and begin linking to your posts.
10. Work With Influencers
About 90% of marketers believe influencer marketing is effective. In fact, over 40% say influencer marketing is their top ROI-generating marketing strategy. You can work with influencers within your industry to gain website backlinks.
For example, you can ask an influencer to review your products. They can share a link to your product page within their post.
Then, you’ll generate a backlink and start generating more referral traffic.
At the same time, you can leverage the influencer’s existing reach and brand trust to boost your own!
How to Get Backlinks: 10 Link-Building Strategies for Online Success
Don’t miss a chance to boost your SEO rankings to start reaching more customers. Instead, use these tips and learn how to get backlinks with ease. With these tips, you can boost your domain authority, improve your rankings, and reach more customers.
You don’t have to use these tips to get backlinks on your own. Instead, consider working with an experienced SEO agency. Our services can help boost your SEO ranking.
Start with a free consultation today!
