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Link building, every SEO expert mentions it, but what does it mean? You’ll hear people mention the importance of building links, and the need for high quality links, relevant links, and how many links you need to rank high on Google, but how do you get links, how do you build links, and how do you know if they are working? This ultimate link building checklist will help guide through everything you need to know for building high quality links.
Here at Ignite SEO, we have an entire team that solely works on developing link-building strategies, because we know that broken link building can kill an SEO campaign, and as a result, we believe we have discovered some expert tactics for building successful links that generate amazing results for your website’s organic traffic.
Unlike other SEO companies, we also don’t want to keep these tactics a secret, instead, we want to share the knowledge we have so you too can develop an amazing link-building strategy that works.
In this article, we are going to take a look at the importance of links, the importance of developing a strategy, and the entire link-building process to develop a workable SEO strategy so website owners can maximise their internet presence and impact.
What does link-building actually mean?
When you read a blog post and see a highlighted piece of text, ever noticed that if you click on that text you’ll be re-directed to a new site page? That’s a link. People can use this to share where they got their information from, to promote a service or brand they like, or encourage readers to go somewhere else after reading their piece.
Link building is a complex subject that, if done incorrectly, can cause massive harm to your website. However, to rank in competitive niches, link building is a must
The basic idea is that a link points users to other relevant websites. The more links that point toward your site means the more relevant you are for that information.
For example, if your site is a blog about health and fitness, and a lot of other high authority sites have links to your blog posts because the information is relevant, good, and worth promoting, then Google will recognise your site for its relevant resource pages; hence, rank you higher for search results related to that information.
Link building is when you implement tactics to establish those links. The idea is that you build links to specific pages to up your topic authority. The more links to your own site, the better chance you have of ranking.
Check out a beginners guide to link building from AHREFS if you are looking for an in-depth course on how to build links.
What is a link building strategy
A link building strategy is a process that you follow in order to increase the number of links pointing to your website. This can be done through various means, such as guest blogging, link bait, or even simply reaching out to other websites and asking for a link.
Why is link building important?
Link building is important because it is one of the key ranking factors for search engines. The more links you have pointing to your website, the higher your website will rank in the search results. This can lead to increased traffic and, ultimately, more customers or sales.
Establishing a Link Building Strategy
Link-building strategies can come in many different forms, and you can establish high-quality links through a variety of link building techniques. The first thing to decide is if you want to do this yourself in-house, use a white label link building service (if you are an agency) or buy the links using a guest post provider. In this section, we are going to take a look at some of the best ways to approach building links for your site.
Do Your Research and find Relevant Sites
Do you have competitors that rank above you, and you don’t know why? Well, it could be that they have a greater network of links pointing towards their site. See if you can find where they are getting their links from, maybe your industry has blogs that talk about that information, or a dedicated resource page such as a directory for that service. Try to reverse engineer their strategy to give yourself a starting point.
Run their website through an application such as SEMrush, to see where they are getting their traffic from and what keywords are most dominant for them. Work out how they have established their ranking on Google. This is what the professionals do, and with a bit of practice, and the right applications, it is possible to do it yourself.
Guest Posting/Guest Blogging
If you can see that your competitors are getting a high volume of links from specific sites, reach out to that site as well. It could be that they are a blog that lets other writers create content for them, if so, offer to write an article for them. You might have to pay to include a back-link but it is worth it.
Publish guest posts so you can also target keywords or areas of your service. For example, if you are a health food company, and you are trying to rank for keywords revolving around fitness, reach out to fitness blogs and offer to write a blog post about fitness topics and link those articles back to the pages you’re trying to rank for.
This will show Google that you have topical authority about that keyword. Meaning you are worth ranking high. Blog posts are the hidden weapon of links as they can have very important links pointing towards specific elements of a site. Hence, they are a great way to build links. Often businesses use a white label SEO service to fulfil their link requirements.
Find Broken Links
You might notice when looking for blogs related to your service, that some of their posts from a few years ago now have broken links. Maybe the company that originally had the link doesn’t exist now, or that web page no longer exists. Whatever the reason is, the reality is that the blog site doesn’t want to have broken links on its site. It can frustrate users, especially if it is meant to point towards a service.
Ask the blog if you can replace the link, that way they no longer have a broken link, and you now have an extra link. Both parties win. This can be a good way to achieve high-quality links and is often referred to as broken link-building. It’s a great additional link-building tactic.
Have Patience for Best Link Building Strategies
As you can see, effective link-building strategies take time. If your competition is ranking because they have 1000s of links, you will never be able to match that quickly. Website link building services take time and patience. You need to do your research and proactively reach out to target site owners if you want to build links and more organic traffic.
What is the difference between no-follow links and follow links?
No-follow links are not followed by search engines, while follow links are. This means that no-follow links will not pass on any link juice or PageRank to the linked site, whereas follow links will.
If you’re looking to improve your site’s SEO, it’s generally best to avoid no-follow links. However, there are some situations where they can be useful. For example, if you’re linking to a spammy or low-quality site, a no-follow link can help prevent search engines from associating your site with theirs.
In general, though, it’s best to focus on getting high-quality follow links. This is the kind of link that will help improve your site’s SEO and ranking.
Do I need links to get high rankings?
Links are not the only offpage SEO ranking factor for SEO, but they’re an important one. In general, the more high-quality links you have pointing to your site, the higher your site will rank in search engine results pages (SERPs).
It’s also important to keep in mind that not all links are created equal. A link from a trusted, authoritative site will carry more weight than a link from a lesser-known site. Likewise, a link from a site in your industry will be more valuable than a link from a site outside your industry.
Link Building Checklist
Links are like currency when it comes to ranking high on Google, and the more currency you have, the higher you rank. The reason you should use a link building checklist is because it can be difficult to keep track of all the different link building opportunities available. By having a checklist, you can make sure that you are taking advantage of all the different options and not missing any important opportunities.
Here is how you build links:
- Start simple… Find authoritative websites that allow you to “add” your own links, these include: Business directory submissions, Social profile creation, Blog commenting, Posting to forums, communities & Q&A sites.Building links via those tactics is very easy to do. And for that exact reason, those links tend to have very low value in the eyes of Google. Do not SPAM this strategy.
- Guest Posting… Also called Asking For Links is the act of writing content for another website owner in exchange for a link back to your website.Search Google for blogs related to your niche. EG [Niche] blogs (accounting blogs)Create a spreadsheet listing all websites you discover.
- Aim to build Guest Posts from niche relevant websites, with a minimum 1000 hits per month & a minimum DR (Domain Rating) of 30.
- Use a backlink checker such as AHREFS to check the above metrics.
- Email those websites that fit your criteria, offering a blog in exchange for a link.
- Sweeten the deal by offering something of value, for example $50 or a bottle of wine.
- Double check that the link will NOT be a NOFOLLOW backlink. NOFOLLOW backlinks pass O authority.
Link Building Checklist Download
Insights: Leveraging Internal Links for Enhanced SEO
While external links often grab the spotlight in SEO, internal links are the backbones of a well-optimised website. They are the bridges that guide both users and search engines through your site, ensuring that authority flows seamlessly across your pages.
A strategic internal linking structure not only enhances the user experience but also complements your overall link building efforts, making it easier for search engines to understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content.
How to Optimise Internal Links For Link Building Success
- Strategic Placement: To get the most out of your internal links, place them on pages that already attract a significant amount of traffic. By doing so, you pass on authority to other relevant pages, giving them a boost in search rankings. Think of it as sharing the love—spreading authority from strong pages to those that need a little help.
- Anchor Text: The words you choose for your internal links matter. Use keyword-rich anchor text that clearly indicates what the linked page is about. This not only aligns with your overall SEO strategy but also helps search engines understand the context of the link, making it easier to rank the linked page for relevant queries.
- Link Depth: No page on your site should be more than three clicks away from the homepage. Keeping link depth shallow ensures that important pages are easily accessible, both for users and search engines. This improves crawlability, helping search engines index your site more efficiently and boosting the visibility of key content.
Insights: Utilising Free Tools for Your Link Building Campaigns
When it comes to running a successful link-building campaign, utilising free tools can be a game-changer, especially when working within a budget. These tools offer valuable insights and functionalities that can help you devise an effective strategy without spending too much. They allow you to monitor your progress, identify opportunities, and refine your approach to ensure your efforts are yielding results.
1. Google Search Console
Google Search Console is an essential tool for anyone serious about their link-building efforts. It offers a wealth of information about how your site is performing in Google’s search results, including detailed reports on which pages are receiving the most links.
This tool is invaluable for identifying which pages are successfully attracting high quality backlinks and which might need more focus. Moreover, Search Console allows you to monitor any crawl errors that could be affecting your SEO performance, ensuring that your site is fully optimised and accessible to search engines. By understanding where your site stands in Google’s eyes, you can better direct your link-building efforts to areas that will have the most significant impact.
Ahrefs Backlink Checker
Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker is another indispensable tool, particularly if you’re looking to get a clear picture of your backlink profile. The free version provides a solid overview, including the number of referring domains and the top pages on your site that are attracting links.
This information is critical for assessing the effectiveness of your current link-building strategy and identifying areas for improvement. Ahrefs also offers insights into competitor backlinks, allowing you to see where your competitors are getting their links from and how you might replicate or even improve on their strategy. It’s a straightforward way to ensure you’re not missing out on valuable link opportunities.
Moz Link Explorer
Moz Link Explorer is particularly useful for understanding your domain’s authority and the quality of your backlinks. It provides a detailed analysis of your link profile and allows you to compare your site against competitors. This comparison can highlight gaps in your link-building strategy, helping you discover new sites to target for links.
While Moz offers more advanced features in its paid version, the free tool provides sufficient data to strengthen your link-building campaign. It’s especially effective in identifying high-quality websites for potential link-building opportunities, ensuring that your efforts are focused on the most impactful sites.
Ubersuggest
Originally known for its keyword research capabilities, Ubersuggest now includes a powerful backlink analysis feature. It’s particularly beneficial for uncovering competitor backlinks, giving you insight into which sites are linking to your competitors but not to you. This can open up new outreach opportunities and help you build a more competitive backlink profile.
Ubersuggest is also user-friendly, making it accessible even for those new to SEO. By integrating Ubersuggest into your toolkit, you can gain a broader understanding of your link-building landscape and identify opportunities to enhance your strategy further.
Insights: Creating Content That Generates Links
When it comes to building links that genuinely enhance your site’s authority, the content you produce is your most valuable asset. If you create high quality content, not only are visitors drawn in, but you also attract links from other reputable sites, organically improving your SEO. The key lies in creating content that others find so valuable, they feel compelled to link to it. It’s not just about being informative; it’s about being irreplaceable.
Focus on In-Depth, Original Content:
In this age, surface-level content won’t cut it. You need to dive deep into topics that matter to your audience. Consider producing long-form guides, detailed how-to articles, or comprehensive resources that provide significant value.
Original research, case studies, or unique insights are particularly powerful because they offer something new that others can’t find elsewhere. This uniqueness not only draws readers but also compels other sites to link to your content as a credible source.
Make Your Content Visually Engaging:
The internet is a visual medium, and content that’s visually appealing is more likely to be shared and linked to. Think beyond text; incorporate infographics, videos, or interactive elements that help convey your message in a more engaging way.
Visual content is not only more digestible but also more shareable, increasing the likelihood of earning links from high-quality websites. An infographic summarising a complex topic or a video that explains a process step-by-step can become a go-to resource that others will want to reference.
Leverage Trending Topics and Evergreen Content:
A smart approach to content creation is to blend evergreen content—topics that are always relevant—with timely pieces on trending issues. Evergreen content provides lasting value, consistently attracting few links over time, while content on trending topics can earn immediate attention and quick links.
The trick is to identify trends that are relevant to your niche and create content around them swiftly, positioning your site as an authority on the subject while interest is at its peak.
Promote Your Content Strategically
Even the best content needs a little push. Once your content is live, promote it through various channels—social media, email newsletters, and industry forums—to get it in front of the right eyes.
Outreach is also important; reach out to influencers, bloggers, and industry leaders who might find your content valuable. Don’t be afraid to ask them to share or link to it. The more visibility your content gets, the higher the chances it will attract the links you’re after.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve got questions, we’ve got the answers you’re looking for..
How Can I Track the Success of My Link Building Campaign?
Using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, you can monitor metrics such as referral traffic, the number of backlinks acquired, and changes in your domain authority. It’s also important to track the impact of these links on your search engine rankings and overall site performance.
What Role Do Nofollow Links Play in SEO?
Nofollow links, while not passing traditional link equity, still play an essential role in a well-rounded SEO strategy. They can drive traffic, increase brand visibility, and signal to Google that your content is being referenced across the web. While dofollow links are often preferred for their SEO value, a balanced mix of both dofollow and nofollow links helps create a natural backlink profile that search engines favour.
What Are the Best Practices for Outreach in Link Building?
Outreach is a critical component of link-building, but it’s important to approach it strategically. Best practices include personalising your outreach emails, researching the websites you’re targeting to ensure relevance, and offering value, such as high-quality content that aligns with their audience.
It’s also beneficial to build relationships over time rather than asking for a link immediately. Consistency and follow-up are key to successful outreach efforts, helping you secure valuable backlinks that enhance your site’s authority.
How Can I Ensure My Link Building Efforts are Ethical?
Ethical link building involves focusing on quality over quantity and ensuring that all acquired links are natural and relevant. Avoid practices like buying links, participating in link farms, or using automated tools to generate links.
Instead, concentrate on building relationships with reputable sites, creating valuable content that naturally attracts links, and maintaining transparency in your outreach efforts. Ethical link-building not only aligns with search engine guidelines but also builds long-term, sustainable SEO success.
