Here’s an SEO fact: Google will consider a web page with 100 backlinks more authoritative than one with 10.
And, authority almost always translates into higher rankings.
But, of course, those backlinks need to be high-quality and relevant. Plus, they should look natural.
The only question is: How to build a campaign that propels your website to the top of Google? And more importantly, keep it there for the long term.
In this guide, we’ll tell you:
- What is a link building campaign
- How to start a link building campaign the right way
- 4 link building campaign tips that work
Let’s get started.
Link Building Campaign: Boost Your Website’s Visibility
What is a Link Building Campaign
A link building campaign is a strategic plan to get other authority websites to link to yours. The process involves:
- Finding websites you want links from
- Coming up with an outreach strategy
- Follow up
- Tracking and measuring
In other words, it means actively finding backlink opportunities instead of waiting for them to come to you.
However, building campaigns the wrong way can put your site at risk of a Google penalty. Here’s the right right way to start a link building campaign.
How to Start a Link Building Campaign (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Set a Goal
Start by defining the goal of your campaign. It could be improved authority, more traffic, brand visibility, or all of these.
Defining a link building goal will help you with the following:
- Stay focused
- Select the right assets
- Measure progress
Step 2: Finding Websites
Next, find websites you want links from.
The two most important factors to consider before doing link building prospecting are:
- Website’s authority
- Relevance or industry
One great way to find these websites is by reverse-engineering your competitors.
If you don’t know who you’re competing against, search your main keyword in Google.
You can find your competitors at the top of the first results page.
Pick a competitor and put their URL in a link building tool like Semrush and check their backlink profile.
The backlink profile of a domain tells you which websites are linking to it.
In order to outrank a competitor, you’ll have to replicate its backlink profile.
So, create a list of domains they’re getting backlinks from.
Then, filter the list based on the above criteria (Authority and relevance).
Step 3: Reaching Out
Once you have a list of websites, create an email outreach template.
Use it as a starting point whenever you sit down to write an outreach email.
Customize each email before hitting the send button.
This helps you stand out and get noticed among other outreach emails they may be receiving.
Plus, understand the type of content and the target audience and tailor your pitch according to that.
If you’re reaching out for a guest post, propose some topic ideas that resonate with their target audience.
Step 4: Follow Up
Many times, your emails go unnoticed. So, it’s always a good idea to follow up with a second email.
Emphasize the benefits of working together to make the other person interested.
To organize the reach-out and follow-up workflows, use a spreadsheet.
Here’s an example:
Step 5: Tracking and Measuring
Finally, tracking helps you gauge the effectiveness of your outreach campaign.
You can then focus on what’s working and discard what isn’t.
This was all about creating a link building campaign the right way.
Let’s now talk about the 4 link building strategies that still work.
What are 4 Link Building Campaign Tips that Work
Tip #1: Guest Blogging
Despite what you may have heard, guest blogging is far from dead.
It lets you tap into an additional traffic source you otherwise couldn’t access.
The link building strategy works so well because it creates a win-win situation.
You create a high-quality piece of content for the website owner. In return, your website gets a valuable link.
The key is to publish guest posts on high-authority, relevant websites.
Don’t waste your resources trying to get backlinks from low-authority domains.
The first step would be to find websites that are accepting guest posts by using search operators like this:
If you know who to reach out to, use the following search operators:
- [Target website] + guest post
- [Target website] + guest blog
If the website is accepting guest posts, it’ll have a dedicated page with all the requirements.
More often than not, you’ll just have to fill out a simple form to get your post published.
There’s no easier way to get a high-quality campaign link than guest blogging.
Tip #2: Broken Link Building
Broken link building is one of the oldest link building techniques.
It’s simple, effective, and a quick way to get backlinks from authoritative pages.
The idea is to scan websites you want backlinks from and find any broken links.
When you find one, let the owner know and offer your link as a replacement.
But, how do you find broken links on a web page? Use the free browser extension “Check My Links”.
After installing the extension, all you need to do is:
- Go to the website you want a backlink from
- Click on the extension icon
- See if it shows any broken links
Here’s an example test:
The web page in this case has 5 broken links (Invalid links).
While writing your outreach email, be real and honest. Keep it simple: All you want to do is offer your webpage as an alternative.
Tip #3: Infographics as Link Baits
Infographics tend to pack a lot of information in a visually appealing format.
That’s exactly why they’re highly shareable.
People like infographics because they offer an easy and quick way to get the gist of the content.
The coolest part is good infographics can get you tons of links.
People will use them on their blogs and link back to yours.
Plus, you don’t need to create these infographics yourself. Hire a professional designer on Legiit for as low as $10.
If you want to create them yourself, use a tool like Canva. It’s free and has some great pre-built templates you can customize.
Create eye-catching infographics for new as well as old posts to attract the most links.
If you already have a post that’s getting decent traffic, consider repurposing its content as an infographic.
Tip #4: Mention Influencers
When you mention someone in your content, they’re most likely to share it with their audience.
And if it’s an influencer with a huge following, you can get links at scale.
An example post could be “5 SEO experts you should follow”.
Or, “What SEO experts say about X”.
So, how do you get started with this link building strategy?
The first step would be to do a quick Google search to find a post with a list of top influencers.
Scan the top few articles to find influencers in your niche.
Next, create an article mentioning those influencers.
However, your content needs to be high-quality in order to get anyone’s attention.
Link Building Campaign: FAQs
What is Link Building with Example?
Link building refers to a process where you actively work on getting links to your website. Guest blogging is probably the most common example where you publish blog posts on other websites with a link/s back to yours.
Is Link Building Still Relevant to SEO?
Yes, link building is still relevant to SEO. This is because backlinks are still the number one authority-boosters. Search engines like Google still take into account the links pointing to a site before ranking it.
What is the Objective of Link Building
Backlinks from relevant, authoritative domains enhance your website’s SEO standings. They help you rank higher for competitive keywords, allowing you to get more organic traffic.
What is the Best Link Building Strategy?
Networking on social media is probably the best way to build connections within your industry. Get active on social media and engage with influencers and bloggers in your niche regularly.
What is the Difference Between Backlinks and Link Building?
Backlinks are links pointing to your website from a different domain, whereas link building is the process of acquiring these backlinks. In other words, the purpose of a link building strategy is to get authoritative backlinks to your website.
How Do I Start a Link Building Campaign
Start by finding link building opportunities by reverse-engineering your competitors. A quick backlink audit with a tool like Semrush gives you a list of websites linking to your competition.
Conclusion: Link Building Campaign
Links to your website decide its organic search engine rankings.
Especially, when you’re trying to rank for competitive search queries.
A link building campaign is a process of acquiring backlinks from relevant, authoritative websites.
It involves:
- Finding websites to get links from
- Reaching out with a pitch
- Following up with a reminder
- Measuring your progress
Thankfully, there are plenty of link building strategies that still work.
Here’s a quick recap:
Start by reaching out to blog owners in your niche and asking for guest posts.
Next, write round-up posts mentioning top influencers in your industry.
Another effective method would be finding broken links and getting them replaced.
And if nothing else is working for you, consider creating high-quality infographics.
Download