Backlinks formed the foundation of Google's original algorithm and they are still used as ranking signals by Google.
This means you need to add high-quality and relevant backlinks to your site if you want to rank higher on the SERPs and become a source for other websites.
All these translate to more opportunities for your business to get more visibility, generate more revenue, and build relationships.
In this article, weβve put together a step-by-step guide that can swing you from your current position to the opportunities weβve mentioned aboveβby creating backlinks.
Letβs dive in.
What Are Effective Backlinks
Simply put; backlinks to site are links on your site from other sites. Theyβre more like votes of confidence from a backlinking blog site to your site.
High-quality backlinks are therefore relevant backlinks naturally generated to your website from other backlink blogβwithout using methods that go against Google's webmaster guidelines.
Having such links on your website can increase your organic traffic and improve your search engine ranking, showcasing your relevance and authority in the industry.
This signals to Google that your website is worthy and in return, it increases organic traffic and ranks your website higher on SERPs.
The quality of backlinks is determined by:
- Level of domain authority.
- Relevance of the subject in discussion.
- Authority of the website linking to it.
- Source of the backlink.
- The method used to acquire the backlink.
That goes to show that there is a lot of work put into building backlinks on a website.
So, how do you do it?
How to Get Backlinks: 10 Strategies That Work?
The goal of Google's existence is to provide its users with high-quality content that will make them come back for more.
To do that they set up strict guidelines and rules to help filter out high-quality backlinks from low-quality backlinks.
With the aid of web crawlers, they go through each content, determine its popularity, and reward it with a higher ranking to help users find it quickly.
One of the indicators that help Google determine whether a website is worthy or not is backlinks.
If you have some quality backlinks on your website Google sees it as a valuable website and rewards you.
It's no wonder why some website owners go above and beyond to get them. But how do you get these coveted links without violating Google's guidelines?
Here are some ways of how to add a backlink.
#1 Publish Skyscraper Content
Skyscraper content is the type of content created by enhancing the quality of pre-existing content. It can be longer than the original and include additional up-to-date information.
For example, a website can contain a 1,000-word blog post about content marketing tools but if another blog post is made on the same topic and it includes more advanced tools and other helpful information, that makes it the skyscraper content.
As you create the skyscraper content ensure you make it more informative, helpful, up-to-date, and relevant.
Skyscraper content can be a great strategy to add effective backlinks to your website.
To do this you'll need to research pages and websites within your niche that have the most backlinks and the best content.
Reach out to the website owners of the backlinks and request them in the most persuasive and personalized way to link to your website instead.
Prove to them that your website has better and updated content that will be of value to their website.
If they agree to it you will have quality backlinks on your website.
#2 Write Evergreen Content
Any content that is never out of season or that stays relevant is considered evergreen content. Creating such content consistently for your website will generate quality backlinks in the long run.
Most of the time, they are informative and helpful. They provide readers with detailed answers to their questions while adhering to Google's guidelines like the helpful content update (EEAT).
Some examples of evergreen content include:
- Ultimate guides
- Tutorials
- Case Studies
- Checklists
- Resources and tools
- Answers to frequently asked questions
Such content is considered a long-term investment in the growth of your business as it still generates backlinks and other benefits years after the publishing date.
#3 Spy on your Competitors
Competitors are necessary in any field of business and life. They keep us on our toes striving to do and become better.
Looking at what your competitors are up to isn't such a bad idea as long as you use it to your advantage.
In fact, it's a great way of building backlinks to your websites. Think of it as borrowing notes.
Since you're both in the same niche doing the same thing it will be easier to get suitable backlinks.
Copy their website link to a tool such as SEMrush which you'll use to check their backlink history. The goal is to find other websites that have linked back to them.
After you've identified the backlinks on their website, filter out the ones from quality websites and note them down. Next, reach out to them and request them to link back to you.
If you have the advantage of creating better content on your website you'll have increased chances of getting backlinks from them.
All the same, if they linked to your competitors they are likely to show interest in your work.
#4 Internal Backlinks
Internal backlinks are links that point back to different pages within your website. These types of backlinks are favorable for SEO as they contribute to showing the relevance of a website.
They also make it easy for readers to navigate through your website and distribute some link juice across all the pages.
For example, if your website has a testimonial section that would provide solid proof of your exemplary work but can't fit in the home page then adding an internal link on it that leads to another page will help users navigate your site easily.
Also, having a series of related topics that complement each other is another way you can practice internal link building.
However, you should keep this to a minimum as too many internal backlinks can be interpreted by search engines as toxic links meant to manipulate their algorithm.
#5 Sign Up For HARO
Help a Reporter Out is a free online service used for generating backlinks on authoritative news sites.
To maximize the benefits they offer, you need to sign up as a source.
You will then receive emails containing a list of articles to work on for journalists.
What this means is you will have to provide information on the articles assigned.
There are hundreds if not thousands of journalists, bloggers, and reporters looking for expert insights on different subjects.
So don't worry about missing an opportunity. The good thing is that you're not working as a ghostwriter.
If the reporters decide to use your insights or quote what you said, you will get a backlink from whatever website they publish their work. Most of the time they are authoritative publishing sites like MSN.
What you need to do is provide them with precise insights, respond quickly to the emails before they become outdated news, and deliver quality insights that command expertise.
As you reach out to them with your contact information you can add a link to your website for easier backlinking.
#6 Reach Out to Other Websites
After spending time, money, and energy in growing your website you deserve to enjoy the benefits.
The right thing to do is to find websites within your niche with high domain authority and reach out to them.
You can check this using tools such as SEMrush. After that make a list of them and their contact details.
Reach out with samples of your best work or desired potential backlinks and request them to link back to your website.
Customize your pitch specific to them and make it short and straight to the point.
If they are convinced your website has what it takes to get a backlink, they will link back to you.
Just be patient and if they take a long time to respond, a follow-up will do. If they don't at all, search for others. There's plenty of fish in the sea.
#7 Create Quality Content
You can never go wrong with quality content.
Regardless of your website goals, quality content will always bring you great results.
Quality content, means content that answers the reader's questions, is up-to-date, relevant, and is written with expertise.
To create such content you need to:
i. Know your target audience. Understand their pain points and interests so you can craft content that speaks to them.
ii. Pick a niche. Ever heard of jack of all trades master of none? Well, choosing a niche that you're good at ensures you create detailed and informative content that answers your reader's questions.
iii. Perform a keyword research. The right keyword will help you reach the right audience and rank for relevant content.
Your readers are assets to your website. They are the ones that contribute to the growth of it. If they love the content on your website they're likely to link to it as a reference or a source.
Just stay consistent and provide valuable, high-quality content.
#8 Build Free Digital Tools
You can get backlinks to your website by building a free tool that solves a problem.
You don't even need to be a Tech genius to use this technique. Just hire an expert in the field to get the job done for you but if you are one, you might consider building a digital tool for your website.
There is no limit to what you create. If you have no clue of what tool would be effective you can do some research using keywords within your niche.
This will help you identify in-demand tools that would generate backlinks and even leads to your website.
Killing two birds with one stoneβ¦
Another method you can use is to search for tools with the most backlinks on them and build a better version of them.
Make sure it's helpful and easy to use. No one will link to you if they can't figure out how to use your tool.
If done well you can get backlinks from resource or referral sites that are known to be authoritative.
#9 Broken Link Building
Broken links are links to deleted pages found on websites. Upon clicking they usually show a "404 page not found" error.
Such pages are great sources for backlinks. You can do this in simple steps.
Step 1: Find the broken links within your niche using tools such as Check My Links. If you know one already you can proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Find the websites that are linked to it. You can do this using tools such as Ahrefs.
Step 3: Make a list of all the backlinks on the website. Be careful with this step because one of the reasons a website might delete its page might be due to an infestation of toxic backlinks. So as you create that list, filter out good backlinks from bad ones.
Step 4: Reach out to the owners of the websites that are linked to the broken link. Inform them about the missing page and offer your links to replace them.
Step 5: Follow up if they take longer to respond.
#10 Leverage Competitor's Mentions
Any business that does what you do within your industry and niche is considered a competitor.
As a new website with no money, your competitor's success puns out as a stepping stone to yours.
Checking their brand mentions (whether linked or unlinked) is a great opportunity to gain a backlink of your own. Because if they can mention and link to your competitors they are likely to take an interest in your website. After all, you're in the same field.
Such mentions occur when a blog or a website mentions you in their posts acknowledging your expertise in the topic in discussion. This is often a sign of respect for your brand and the authority it emulates.
To check for mentions, use tools such as buzzsumo or Google Alerts to help you in the process.
Pick out mentions from quality websites and prepare a pitch to request them to link back to your website as well.
It might be long and tedious but it's worth it.
Final Thoughts
Whether you're a new website owner or an established one, link building is important for your website.
Trying different link building methods will help you find the ones most compatible and suitable for your website. The key is to have patience and stay consistent.
Besides, there's no limit to the strategies you can use to generate backlinks for your website.
As long as you follow Google's guidelines to the letter and you put in the effort, your website will grow and give you the ROI you deserve.