In search engine optimization (SEO), link building is crucial for improving your website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Search engines like Google use backlinks as a vote of support, especially if it is from trusted and authoritative sources. Link building is about getting backlinks from these types of websites. Think of it as trusted sites recommending your website to others.
This blog post will explore the best strategies for successful link building, including helpful tools. By following these strategies and using these tools, you can create a solid and sustainable link building strategy that will improve your website’s visibility and build authority.
What is link building?
Link building is the process of increasing the number of links (backlinks) pointing to your website from other sites.
Link building aims to increase a website’s SEO strength or domain authority. Several studies on SEO have discovered that high domain authority is one of Google’s highest-ranking factors.
This doesn’t mean you can’t rank for specific keywords if you have a website with low domain authority.
However, Google counts a backlink to a web page as a vote of support, which signals that your page is trustworthy.
The anatomy of a link
A good link has the following attributes:
1. Start of link tag
The beginning of a link tag is denoted by the “a” tag.
This tag tells the browser that a link is about to begin and should be clickable. The “a” stands for anchor, which is what links are often referred to as.
2. Link referral location
The next part of the link is the referral location.
This is where the link will take the user when they click on it. The “href” attribute within the start tag denotes the referral location.
For example, when clicked, <a href=”https://www.example.com”> would take the user to the website at https://www.example.com.
3. Visible/anchor text of link
The visible or anchor text of a link is what the user sees and clicks on.
This text is usually underlined and has a different color or appearance than regular text to indicate that it’s clickable.
The anchor text is placed between the start and closure of the link tag. For example, <a href=”https://www.example.com”>Click Here</a> would display “Click Here” as the anchor text.
4. Closure of link tag
The closure of a link tag is denoted by “</a>”.
It tells the browser that the link has ended and that any text after it should return to standard formatting.
It is essential to close your link tag properly; otherwise, it can cause issues with your website’s layout and functionality.
Why is link building important?
Link building is considered one of the most important aspects of any SEO strategy because it can:
i. Improves website ranking
Link building is crucial for improving your website’s ranking on search engines like Google.
When other high-quality niche websites link to yours, it signals to search engines that your website is valuable and trustworthy in your niche, which, in turn, can improve your website’s authority and boost its rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs).
ii. Boosts your credibility
Link building can help to boost your website’s credibility and reputation.
When other reputable websites link to your website, it is a vote of confidence that shows you are a trusted source of information in your industry or niche.
This can build trust and authority with your target audience and increase their confidence in your brand.
iii. Helps Google crawler to find your page
Link building also helps search engine crawlers find your page more easily.
When you get backlinks from other websites, it creates a web of links that search engine crawlers can easily follow to find your page, which can help improve your website’s visibility on search engines.
iv. Increases website traffic
Link building can also help increase website traffic because backlinks, especially those with the ‘follow’ tag, can drive referral traffic and SEO strength from referring websites to yours.
Link building also helps to increase the number of visitors to your website and improve its overall performance.
How to build links to your websites
There are different ways you can build links to your website; they are:
i. Asking for links
Asking for links means directly contacting website owners and asking them to link back to your site or a particular blog post. Most of the link building strategies I will discuss are under this category.
Here are a few examples: broken link building, skyscraper technique, outreach approach, etc.
ii. Earning links
This type of link building is where you get links without asking for them.
You can earn links when you create high-quality, valuable content that others in your niche need to link to (linkable assets).
People will link to these assets without you asking because they are valuable and relevant to your niche.
iii. Adding links
You can also build links by adding them to sites such as a business directory, social media profile, or niche forum and community. These links have low votes of confidence because it is effortless to set up.
It means they might not make much of a difference, but as I would always say, there is never ‘too much’ regarding SEO.
iv. Buying links
This method involves using money to buy backlinks. I do not recommend this link building method because it is against Google’s policies, and you can get your website penalized for it.
What makes a good backlink?
Link building is not just about getting any website to link to your site; it involves several other factors.
For instance, if you have 100 different backlinks, Google may only identify about five or fewer from those backlinks.
Here are the attributes that make a good backlink:
i. Authority
The domain authority of the referring website is crucial when it comes to link building. Getting a backlink from a site with high domain authority and being recognized as an expert site is of more excellent value and more beneficial to you than a site with low domain authority.
ii. Relevance
The site linking to you must be relevant to your niche/industry. For example, if you are a health blogger, getting a handful of backlinks from another health website is better than getting hundreds of backlinks from an SEO website.
iii. Anchor text
Anchor text is the clickable text used to link one page to another. According to Google, your anchor text should give context to the link.
This is another crucial aspect of a link to note because the relevance of your anchor text to the linked page determines the validity of your link.
If you are linking to a page about energy drinks, your anchor text should be ‘energy drinks’ or similar and not something like ‘chip cookies’ or ‘this blog post.’
iv. Placement
The position of your link on the page is also vital.
According to Google Patent, the position of your link and the likelihood of it being clicked may affect the authority being passed to the page.
This means the links in your content’s body or at the beginning of a page will carry more weight than a link at the bottom.
v. Nofollow vs. follow attribute
“Nofollow” is a link attribute that tells Google you are not passing the SEO authority of your page to the linked page, while the “Follow” link attribute implies you are willing to pass on the SEO strength of your page to the linked page.
Two other attributes website owners can use:
- rel=“sponsored” should be used when the link is a sponsored post, advertisement, or if there is any form of compensation involved.
- rel=“ugc” should be used when the link is user-generated content like comments and forum posts.
vi. Destination/landing page
It’s not enough that you have a good link in the best position; you also have to ensure that the destination of your link is optimized for search engines and great user experience.
Your landing page could be your homepage or a specific page you want to rank on Google. Your landing page could also be your linkable asset. A compelling CTA is one thing you must have on your landing page.
Best link building strategies for SEO
Here are some of the best link building strategies you will see:
1. Create quality linkable content.
There is a relationship between quality content and backlinks. Getting people to link to valuable content is much easier than fluffy content with no depth. Good content is always king.
I know you want to improve your link strategy and get hundreds of backlinks to your website, but first, try creating quality linkable content valuable to your audience and niche professionals like you.
One of the best hacks for creating quality linkable content is creating content for your fellow professionals.
Suppose you are in the blogging industry. In that case, you should create content for aspiring bloggers and blogging experts because even though you want to share valuable information, they do not have the resources to link to you.
The most they can do for you is share your link on social media. However, blogging experts like you will have their blogs; with this, they can easily link to you.
Here are four types of content that are highly linkable:
i. Visual assets
Visual assets are visual representations of a concept. Examples are infographics, charts, images, and diagrams. Including images in your blog posts has always been an effective SEO strategy.
When you create infographics or charts, it becomes easy for other bloggers to link to you whenever they discuss that topic because you have tried to simplify it.
ii. Listicles
Listicles, also known as list posts, are blog posts written in a list format, and they can vary from tips to methods, tools, checklists, trends, etc.
The main reason listicles work is that they are bite-sized, easy to digest, and highly shareable.
iii. Original research/data
Original research/data is blog content that shows new data from original industry studies and surveys. This data helps bloggers back up their points so that when someone cites your research in their blog post, they will link back to you.
iv. In-depth ultimate guides
This content is the go-to format for long-form content. It covers a topic extensively, and it is no surprise that these types of content are highly linkable.
When creating guides, it is important to ensure all the information is correct and include many internal and external links to enhance your points.
2. Analyze competitor’s sites/links.
This link building strategy is about analyzing the backlink profile of your competitors to check the sites that are linking back to them and develop strategies to replicate them.
Here are the steps to analyze your competitor’s backlink profile:
i. Identify your competitors:
Who are the websites that are ranking for the same keywords as you? You can use Ahrefs or SEMrush to find your top competitors.
ii. Analyze their backlink profiles:
Use a backlink analysis tool to see which websites link to your competitors.
When analyzing their backlink profiles, here are some things you need to pay attention to:
- The number of backlinks they have
- The quality of the backlinks (Look for backlinks from high-authority websites. These websites will positively impact your domain authority.)
- The relevance of the backlinks (are they linking to pages similar to yours?)
iii. Find opportunities to replicate their backlinks:
Look for ways to get backlinks from the websites linking to your competitors. It could involve guest posting, creating infographics, or participating in link roundups.
It is important to understand that building backlinks takes time and effort. Don’t expect to see results overnight. Just keep working at it, and you’ll eventually start to see your rankings improve.
3. Become a source.
Journalists, bloggers, and writers are looking for information sources daily. You can become a source by using platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and get quality backlinks for your site.
HARO is a platform that connects journalists and bloggers with sources that can provide valuable insights on various topics.
Big media companies like The New York Times, TIME, REFINERY29, Chicago Tribune, Mashable, and others use this service, so getting featured in one of them is possible.
How to sign up on HARO:
a. Sign up for HARO as a source:
You will need to provide some basic information about yourself and your expertise. You will get a confirmation email after signing into your account.
b. Sign in on the platform:
Sign in and click on “My Account.” And choose the type of email you want to receive under “HARO PREFERENCES.” You will be automatically subscribed to Master HARO, which includes every industry, but you can select a specific industry instead.
c. Be on the lookout for requests that match your expertise:
You will receive daily emails with requests from journalists and bloggers looking for sources on various topics. If you find one that interests you, you can click to learn more about the request, the media outlet, and the deadline.
d. When you find a request that matches your expertise:
Respond to it with valuable insights and information. Look for the request that allows you to include your name, your website link, and any relevant credentials or experience.
The game plan is to respond to as many as possible to increase the chances of getting featured. Ensure you give answers that are valuable and let you stand out.
Here are other platforms you can use to become a source aside from HARO:
4. Skyscraper technique.
The skyscraper technique is a powerful link building strategy developed by Brian Dean that can help you build high-quality backlinks to your website.
This technique involves creating high-quality content that is better than any other content on the web on a particular topic and then reaching out to site owners or authors who have linked to similar content in the past and asking them to link to yours instead.
The main focus of this strategy is to create content that outperforms other content in your space.
Here’s a breakdown of the Skyscraper Technique:
i. Find proven linkable content.
The foundation of this technique is high-quality linkable content that would get you backlinks. The first step is to find linkable content.
Your content will range from listicles to comparison posts, industry surveys, roundup posts, and guides.
These types of content do well because they are extensive and relevant and allow room for constant updating.
Once you have identified the content you can improve on, the next step is to create your outline.
You can use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to find popular content in your niche that has received a lot of backlinks.
ii. Create better content.
The next step is to create your skyscraper content.
This content has to be better than what already exists on the web. This means creating longer, more detailed, and more valuable content for the reader. You can also add visual elements like infographics, images, or videos to make your content more engaging.
Here are tips for improving the content so you can outshine your competitors:
- Make the content more detailed and longer:
Exhaustively cover the topic, add more than was in the original content, and add unique insights. If they had listed 20 items, make it like 50 or more. You want your content to stand out.
- Include optimized, original images:
You can design some text quotes and images. You can also create infographics to simplify concepts.
- Structure the post in a way that is easy to digest and navigate. Make the user experience pleasant.
- Make it up to date.
READ MORE: HOW TO DO IMAGE SEO OPTIMIZATION | THE COMPLETE GUIDE
iii. Promote your content.
Reach out to websites that have linked to similar content in the past and ask them to link to yours instead.
Export the list of links you got from researching your competitors, remove the ones that are not relevant, and email the remaining prospect.
Email Sample Template for the Skyscraper Technique
Subject: OUTDATED CONTENT ON YOUR WEBSITE
Hello [name],
I was searching for blog posts on [topic] and came across one of your posts: [insert URL].
Your post was intriguing, and I loved how you [talk about something amazing in the blog post]. However, I noticed you linked to this post [insert URL], and on going through it, I discovered that some parts of the content in the post are outdated.
Coincidentally, I just wrote a similar article covering the recent industry updates. How about linking to it instead? Here is a link to the post [INSERT LINK].
Please read through it and let me know what you think.
I am hoping to hear from you soon.
Best Regards.
Name,
Brand,
Position.
5. Resource page building.
A resource page is a page that curates helpful resources, tools, apps, products, services, media, or websites that your audience may find helpful.
It is a one-stop shop for finding information on a particular topic.
Resource link building is where you get backlinks from a resource page.
Since they are already linking to other sites, if you have an excellent resource useful to their target audience, you can reach out to them to include it.
Some resource sites have a section asking for suggestions for resources so you can easily reach out to them.
How to build links from resource pages
i. Use existing resource pages in your niche.
The easiest method is to use Google Search to discover resource pages in your niche.
Here are the best search queries you can use to find resource pages via Google:
- [your niche] + “resources”
- inurl: [niche] + resources
- [niche] + “resources”
Open a spreadsheet and include the results of your research. Then, you can filter through the results and contact the best websites.
ii. Create original resource pages.
This technique involves creating a valuable resource on your website that other websites in your niche will want to link to.
Here are the steps to create original resource pages for your niche:
- Identify a resource topic.
The first step in the resource link building strategy is to identify a topic relevant to your niche and that people are searching for.
You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to find popular topics in your niche.
- Create a valuable resource.
The next step is to create a valuable resource for your audience.
This could be a comprehensive guide, a list of tools, or a tutorial that solves a problem for your audience. Your resource should be well-researched, informative, and engaging.
- Promote your resource.
Once you have created your resource, it’s time to promote it. You can contact websites in your niche and ask them to link to your resource. You can also share your resource on social media platforms and other online communities to increase its visibility.
6. Create roundup posts.
Roundup posts are posts that collate experts’ insights on a topic. The decided topic could be a controversial concept or commonly asked questions in your niche.
In this link building strategy, you will bring experts together to contribute to your post. The whole idea of this strategy is to create an epic roundup of opinions, views, and reviews from industry experts.
Trust me; you don’t need to be told that these experts will also share the link with their audience because they want to promote their opinions even more than you do.
How to create an epic roundup post
Here is a breakdown of how you can create your roundup posts:
i. Choose a topic.
Choose an interesting topic relevant to your niche and conduct proper keyword and topic research.
You want to pick a topic that allows your post to stand out. The most common types of roundups are new year trends and predictions, so you want to do better than that.
ii. Research the questions.
Research the questions you will ask the experts. You can check Google to see questions people ask about your chosen topic. You can also check places like Quora, Reddit, and other forums.
Also, if you have an active social media platform, you can take a poll on the questions your audience would want answered.
Make a list of burning questions in your niche and choose from it.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the questions:
- Choose an area of question that is yet to be answered. If you want your roundups to stand out, you want to do something different and unique.
- You want to ask questions that will allow people to give different answers. The beauty of a roundup post is that you can get different opinions from experts.
- Avoid asking too many questions. Focus on one or two primary questions and only ask supplementary questions directly connected to your primary question.
Ensure the questions are at most 3-4 to avoid lengthy posts.
iii. Choose the right experts to include in your roundup.
This step can make or break your roundup post. You need the right experts to make it epic. Take some time to research people who can be a good fit.
You can start by reaching out to people within your network. You can post about it on social media and have people recommend experts. You can also check out podcasts or interview sites in your niche to find experts.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing the experts:
- Can they give sound and valuable insight on the topic? You want people who will contribute valuable insight to the post to make it epic.
- Are they popular? You want to have experts who are known in your niche on your roundup. This will make the post more credible and trustworthy.
- How long have they been in the industry? You want advice from experts who have significant experience in the industry.
- Will they be willing to contribute to the post? Research the experts to see if they have contributed to a roundup post before, have been a speaker at a summit, or have collaborated on social media. This will help you decide if they will be willing to be part of something like this.
- Will they be willing to share the post? You want to have a handful of people willing to share the post when it is published. So, look for experts who create content and share their ideas on social media.
- What is the size of their audience? You want to choose experts with different audience sizes to tap into a vast audience pool when the post is published.
When you finish your research, create a list of experts you will contact. The rule of thumb is to double the amount of people you want on your roundup because you might get some rejection.
For example, if you want 30 experts, you should reach out to 60 people to reach your original target, even if some reject you.
If you get a lot of acceptance, you can split the posts and create two roundup posts instead of one.
iv. Build rapport and contact the experts.
Now that you have created a list of experts you want on your roundup, it is time to build relationships and rapport with them before reaching out. This will increase the chances of them saying yes to your request.
Here are some things you can do to build a rapport with them:
- Follow them on social media.
- Like and leave insightful comments on their posts.
- Watch and respond to their stories.
- Share their posts and tag them.
- Subscribe to their newsletters.
- Listen to their podcasts if they have one.
Be genuine in building the relationship. Start building rapport with the experts beforehand (2-3 months prior) before sending the email.
Here is an email template you can use. Ensure to edit and personalize it.
Email Sample Template One for Roundup Post Collaboration
SUBJECT: INVITATION TO COLLABORATE IN AN EPIC ROUNDUP POST ON [NICHE/KEYWORD]
Hello [First name]
My name is [insert name], and I am a [niche expert].
I have been following your space for a while and have learned valuable insights into this industry.
I am writing an expert roundup post on [insert topic] for my website [insert site]. Knowing your knowledge of this field, I would love to include your insight with a “dofollow” link to your site.
My website currently has [number of monthly site visits], and I have a Facebook community and a [X number] Instagram following. It would be an honor to share your expert opinion with my audience.
Here are some questions I need your insight on:
[insert the questions]Please let me know if you would be interested in this collaboration before the end of the month. My audience and I would love to hear from you.
Best regards.
[Your first name]Company,
Position.
Email Sample Template Two for Roundup Post Collaboration
SUBJECT: INVITATION TO WRITE AN EXPERT ROUNDUP POST ON [NICHE/KEYWORD]
Hello [First name]
I have been a big fan of your SEO and content marketing work. Your content was beneficial when I started my journey, and I am so grateful for that. [build rapport]
I am writing an expert roundup post on [insert the topic] for [insert the site]. I would love to include your expert insight on this post.
I got a positive response from [mention some big names in your list who are likely or have agreed to collaborate with you], and they have contributed immensely. However, having you on board will be an icing on the cake.
Here are some questions I need your insight on:
[insert questions]Thank you for considering it. I look forward to your positive response before the end of the month.
Best regards.
[Your first name],Company,
Position.
Here are some points to note when writing the invites:
- Personalize the email.
- Build rapport by telling them something you appreciate about their content/brand.
- Tell them the purpose of the email.
- Tell them why you want them on the roundup post, and name a few experts who have said yes. This part is the social proof.
- Ask the question.
- Include a deadline.
- Appreciate them in advance.
If you don’t get a reply, you can send a follow-up mail after 2-3 days. People are busy and sometimes forget, so it is important to follow up before you give up on that person.
v. Create your epic roundup.
After collating these experts’ responses, it is time to combine them.
Here are some tips to make your roundup impressive:
- Choose a captivating headline:
Use a headline that will make the blog post enticing for readers.
- Write a good hook:
Use the right hook to reel them in so they can read the roundup.
- Include your insight:
Adding your insight to the post is non-negotiable.
- Include engaging images:
You can design some text quotes and also include pictures of each expert. Images make it easier to consume and share content.
- Include tweetable quotes:
Create snippets of each expert’s opinion that can be shared on Twitter. Do not forget to include the author’s username so they will be notified when people share it.
- Create a short bio for the experts:
Include headshots of the experts and their website links to make it easier for readers to check them out.
vi. Publish the roundup post.
Publish and share the roundup post on social media, tagging the experts. You should also send an email to let them know that the post is live. Ensure to thank them for their participation.
Include the link to the post in the email so it will be easier for them to share with their audience.
vii. Promote your roundup post.
Now that your post is live, it is time to promote it heavily so you can gain traction and backlinks. Send a newsletter to your email list letting them know about the post.
Create some captivating social media posts to promote your roundup. Share the images and snippets you created on your social media platforms.
7. Broken link building.
Broken link building is a strategy that involves manually or automatically looking for broken links on other websites in your niche, reaching out, and suggesting that the broken link be replaced with yours.
The goal is to provide value to website owners in your niche while also getting backlinks to your website.
Even if they have a better alternative to reply to the broken link because they are already ‘indebted’ to you, you can get links from them in the future.
Here is a breakdown of the broken link building strategy:
i. Find broken links.
You can use various tools to look for broken links on websites, including Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz. With these tools, you can easily find broken links by inputting the website’s URL or page.
Once you’ve identified a broken link, take note of the page’s URL and the anchor text used because you will have to reference them in your email.
ii. Create relevant content.
The next step is to create relevant content that can replace the broken link. You can email the link if you have existing content that can be a replacement.
However, ensure the content is top-quality and updated. You also want the content relevant to the website where the broken link was found.
iii. Reach out to website owners.
Once your content is ready, it’s time to contact website owners. You can do this by sending an email. Explain the process for discovering the broken link in your email and offer a replacement.
Email Sample Template for Broken Link Replacement
SUBJECT: Broken link on your website
Dear [First Name],
My name is [your name], and I own [your website]. I’m writing to you because I noticed a broken link on your website. The link is located at [URL of the broken link] with the anchor text [insert text].
My blog post on [topic], [URL of the page], would be a suitable replacement for the broken link. This post was written [date published] and is up-to-date with the newest trends on [this topic].
This arrangement would be mutually beneficial because it would improve your website’s user experience and help promote my website.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your name]iv. Repeat the process.
Repeat this process often to get a concise list of other websites in your niche that can link to you.
8. Find unlinked brand mentions.
Sometimes, people might mention your brand without linking to you. It happens, and what you do with this link building strategy is to look for these brand mentions and request the writer to add your link to it.
You can use a tool like Prowly’s Brand Monitoring to find unlinked brand mentions. It allows you to keep track of your brand across different platforms.
When you find these unlinked brand mentions, you only need to contact the writer and request that the mention be linked with the appropriate link.
Here is an email template to reach out to a website owner about a mention of your brand that wasn’t linked and request that it be linked with an appropriate link:
Email Sample Template for Unlinked Brand Mention
Subject: Unlinked mention of [your brand]
Dear [website owner name],
My name is [your name], and I own [your brand]. I’m writing to you because I noticed your website mentioned [your brand] at [URL of the unlinked mention].
I’m glad you know my brand, but I would appreciate it if you could add a link to my website at [URL of the page you want linked] to the mention. This would help your users to access the site if they’re going to, and it would also help to promote my brand.
Linking to my website would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. It would help your users to learn more about my brand, and it would also help to improve the search engine ranking of your website.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your name]9. Direct outreach.
This powerful link building strategy involves contacting other website owners and asking them to link back to your website. You can do this via email, social media DMs, and other communication channels.
When reaching out, it is crucial to research and find websites that are relevant to your niche and have a good reputation. You can also find out how frequently the site does collaborations and guest posts to know if they will be willing to engage with your site.
Also, personalize your outreach emails and offer something of value in return for the link.
Here is a breakdown of the direct outreach strategy:
- Find websites that are relevant to your niche.
You need to know the potential websites that will likely give you a ‘follow’ link and a ‘nofollow link.’
You can use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to run competitive or backlink analyses to find websites linking to your competitors. You can also use Google Search operators to find websites relevant to your niche.
- Create a list of websites.
Once you have found websites relevant to your niche, create a concise list of the ones you want to contact. You can create a spreadsheet to keep track of the websites, including the website’s URL, contact information, and any other relevant notes.
- Craft a compelling outreach email.
The next step is to craft a compelling outreach email. Your email should be personalized and explain why you are contacting the website owner. You should also explain the mutual benefit that the collaboration will bring.
Here is an example of a direct outreach email that we received when we uploaded our blog post on ChatgGPT:
It can also be used as a template for the broken link building strategy.
Email Sample Template Direct Outreach
Subject: Link building opportunity
Dear [website owner name],
My name is [your name], and I own [your website]. I’m writing to you because I’m interested in building a link between our websites.
I’ve been a fan of your website for a long time, and it would be a great fit for a link from my website. My website is [URL of your website] and covers similar topics to yours.
I’m willing to offer you a free product or service for a link to my website. I’m also open to other forms of collaboration, such as guest blogging or social media promotion.
I hope you’ll consider my request. You can contact me via this email address with any other specific requests or questions.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your name]10. Reclaim lost backlink.
Reclaiming your lost links is another way to build links. It is typical for you to lose some links due to factors such as:
- Link removal by the website owner
- Expired website
- Changed URL
- Penalized website
To reclaim your list links, you need to identify your lost backlinks using SEO tools like SEMrush. These tools will show you which websites were linking to your website but have since removed the link.
The next thing you need to do is to know why these backlinks were lost. Understanding why the backlink was lost will help you determine the best approach to reclaiming the link.
Afterward, reach out to the website owner and ask them to reinstate the link, depending on the reason for the link’s removal in the first place.
If the domain name of the website referred to you is expired, you might not be able to do something grand like buying the website or domain. So, instead of contacting the website owner, you can find broken links on another website similar to the one you lost and ask to replace the links with yours.
If the website owner was the one who removed the link in the first place, you could send a mail to ask why the link was removed and try to offer something in return for them reinstating your link back on their website.
For example, you could offer to write a guest post for their website. This strategy can help sweeten the deal and make it more likely that they will add your link back.
11. Guest posting.
Some people say guest blogging is dead, but that is untrue. What is dead is the usual old way of guest blogging to trick the algorithm. Guest blogging still works, but you have to be strategic.
Write for sites relevant to your niche, have good domain authority, and have a similar target audience.
Guest posting tips to maximize your link building strategy:
- Select the right websites.
- Write high-quality content.
- Conduct a thorough topic research.
- Understand the brand tone of the website you want to write for.
- Have a good author bio ready for use.
- Promote your guest post.
- Engage in the comments.
12. Backlink gap analysis.
A backlink gap analysis shows the number of backlinks on your competitor’s site.
The purpose of a backlink analysis is for you to discover potential websites that are currently linking to websites in your niche.
When you discover these websites, you can reach out to them directly, find broken links on their website, or any other link building strategy that is more convenient and you feel will be more effective.
When you do a backlink gap analysis, curate an extensive list of potential websites because there is no guarantee that all of them will agree to your requests.
13. Reverse image search.
If you create visual assets like infographics and charts that people are already linking to, this strategy will help you find sites that use your visual assets without linking to you.
With reverse image search, you can see these websites and reach out to them to link the image back to you. It’s similar to unlinked brand mentions, but this is done only for images.
It’s important to know that reverse image search doesn’t always work because some websites do not index their images, and it can also be possible that your data center is not in sync.
You can use tools such as Google Images, TinEye, Yandex Images, and Bing Image Search to do a reverse image search.
However, if you want to do a reverse image search, ensure your images are high-quality, used on several other websites, and original.
14. Relationship-based link building technique.
This link building technique is based on creating business relationships with website owners in your niche, where you collaborate on content and link to each other.
Here’s how it works:
- Identify potential partners.
The first step in relationship-based link building is identifying potential partners in your niche. Look for websites and blogs relevant to your industry and with a similar target audience.
- Reach out to potential partners.
Once you’ve identified potential partners, it’s time to reach out to them. Send an email or message through social media introducing yourself and your website. Explain your interest in building a relationship and working together to create valuable content.
- Collaborate on content.
You can collaborate on content once you’ve established relationships with other website owners. It could involve guest blogging on each other’s sites, creating joint webinars or podcasts, or collaborating on an ebook or white paper.
- Link to each other’s sites.
As you create content together, include links to each other’s sites. These links should be natural and relevant to the content. This will help to improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.
- Nurture the relationship.
Relationship-based link building is not a one-time event, so nurturing the relationship is beneficial and important.
Continue to collaborate on content, share each other’s posts on social media, and offer support when needed.
15. Podcast interviews.
This link building strategy is similar to guest posting; it uses a podcast instead.
When you show up as a guest on a podcast, your website link is usually included in the episode description.
When you appear on several podcasts relevant to your niche, you get access to the audience of the podcast host, and the host can also link to your website or social media profiles.
Also, other podcasters in that niche may refer to the podcast interview you had and link to your website.
Here are some tips to help you build links from podcast interviews:
- Select podcasts with a significant following.
- Ask the podcast host to link to your website in the description.
- Guest blog on the podcast’s website.
- Promote the podcast appearance on your social media.
- Select podcasts in your niche.
Link Building Tools
You can use several link building tools to perform your backlink analysis, competitor analysis, find broken links, etc.
However, here are the ones I think are best for helping with link building:
a. SEMrush Backlink Checker
SEMrush has got to be the best tool for backlink analysis. I love how it is so easy to get detailed data on how healthy your backlinks are and the sites that link to you.
SEMrush shows you details such as:
- Toxicity score
- Referring domains
- Authority scores of referring domains
- Anchor words
- Anchor word category
- Link types
- Link attributes
SEMrush also has a link building tool that allows you to see detailed information about your competitor’s website and the websites linking to it. It also includes contact information, social web info, links to your website, and much more.
With this link building tool, you can use an outreach module to send personalized, relationship-based messages quickly.
You can also track all your outreach attempts to know which were successful and which were not.
Using the bulk backlink analysis tool, you can analyze up to 200 domains at once. SEMush also allows you to connect your Google Search Console and Google Analytics accounts while permitting you to export your results as a PDF or CSV file.
SEMrush Pricing
- Pro
$129.95 monthly
$108 if you pay yearly
This plan is best for newbies and small teams.
You can do competitor analysis, keyword research, website audit, backlink analysis, advertising tools, and more.
- Guru
$249.95 monthly
$208 if you pay yearly
This plan is best for agencies and mid-size businesses:
You will get access to the content marketing toolkit, historical data, multi-location and device tracking, Looker Studio integration, and more.
- Business
$499.95 monthly
$416 if you pay yearly
With this plan, you can also try a custom plan where you get customized features that suit the needs of your business. It is perfect for large agencies and enterprises:
This plan gets you access to all Guru features, including share of voice, extended limits, API access, PLA analytics, free migration from third-party tools, and more.
b. Ahrefs
Ahref is a popular tool for analyzing backlinks and finding link building opportunities. The Ahref Backlink Checker is a free tool that instantly checks for your website’s backlink strength, the referring domains, the anchor words, phrases, and the exact URL used.
Using Ahref’s Site Explorer, you can analyze your backlink profile, see which websites link to your competitor’s sites, and gauge the quality of their backlinks. You can also use the tool to check for broken links on your competitor’s website, which is great if you want to build links through that strategy.
You can use the Site Explorer tool to check for referring domains, link attributes, and anchor words and even browse the outgoing links of your competitor’s websites.
You can get limited access to Ahref’s Site Explorer, but you will need to upgrade to a paid version to conduct an in-depth backlink analysis.
Ahref Pricing
- Lite
Starts at $99/month
This plan is perfect for small businesses and hobby projects.
- Standard
Starts at $199/month
This plan is perfect for freelance SEO and marketing consultants.
- Advanced
Starts at $399/month
This plan gives access to more tools and data for lean in-house marketing teams.
- Enterprise
Starts at $999/month
This plan is ideal for agencies and enterprises. However, you can have a customized plan developed for the unique needs of your business.
c. Moz Link Explorer
This great tool allows you to track your backlinks and analyze your link profile.
Here are some ways Moz helps with your link building strategies:
- Monitoring inbound links
Moz Link Explorer allows you to review and monitor your inbound links. This will help you understand the reason for your low website ranking.
- Researching competitor backlinks
You can compare the backlink profile of your competitor with yours. This allows you to know which sites link to them and the type of content they link to.
- Finding broken links
You can use this tool to discover broken sites on your website or your competitor’s website. With this, you can easily find and fix broken links on your site and reach out to other sites to help replace their broken links with your content.
- Checking the spam score of backlinks
Reduce the number of spammy links on your website by checking the number of spammy links and removing them.
- Discovering link building opportunities
Find out who’s linking to your competitors (but not to you) with Link Intersect.
- Seeing new and lost links
Monitor when your content is gaining or losing links.
The free version of Moz allows you to access ten link queries and fifty rows of data every month.
Moz Link Explorer Pricing
- STANDARD
$99/month
$79 /month when you pay yearly
This plan is best if you are new to SEO or need the basics, and it is the most popular Moz Pro Plan.
- MEDIUM
$179/month
$143 /month when you pay yearly
This plan gives you full access to Moz’s keyword research tools.
- LARGE
$299/month
$239 /month when you pay yearly
This is an ideal plan for businesses and agencies serious about searches, offering the best deal.
- PREMIUM
$599/month
$479 /month when you pay yearly
This plan is famous for large SEO agencies and in-house marketing teams.
d. Ubersuggest Backlink Checker
The Ubersuggest Backlink Checker lets you see the number of links pointing to any domain or URL (yours or your competitor’s). You can see data ranging from your total link count to .edu and .gov links to even the exact number of unique referring domains.
You can also conduct a backlink analysis on your competitor’s website to see everyone who is linking to your competition and who isn’t linking to you. You can easily find new sites you can approach for link building opportunities.
This tool provides a feature called Advanced Link Filtering that makes it easy to identify the best link opportunities for you. You can filter links by region, anchor text, domain score, page score, and URL.
You can also choose if you only want to see nofollow links or dofollow links, and you can limit the results to reflect one backlink per domain.
You can export all your results to CSV.
Ubersuggest Pricing
Ubersuggest offers two broad options: paying monthly or once and getting full-time access.
MONTHLY PLANS
- Individual
$12/month
This is a good option if you manage one website.
- Business
$20/month
This is a good plan if you manage about 2-7 websites.
- Enterprise
$40/month
This is a good plan if you manage about 8-15 websites.
LIFETIME ACCESS
- Individual
$120 for LIFETIME access with no monthly fees
1 website
- Business
$200 for LIFETIME access with no monthly fees
2-7 websites
- Enterprise
$400 for LIFETIME access with no monthly fees
8-15 websites
FAQs for Link Building
What is link building?
Link building is the process of increasing the number of links (backlinks) pointing to your website from other sites.
For search engine optimization (SEO), link building aims to increase the quantity of high-quality inbound links to a webpage to increase ranking.
What are the benefits of link building?
There are many benefits to link building, including:
- Increased site ranking
- Increased traffic
- Increased brand awareness
- Improved credibility
What are the different types of link building?
There are many different types of link building, including:
- Guest blogging
- Creating linkable assets
- Broken link building
- Image link building
- Social media sharing
- Press releases
- Skyscraper technique
- Roundup posts
- Direct outreach
- Finding unlinked brand mentions
What are the best practices for link building?
The best practices for link building include:
- Focus on quality over quantity.
- Guest blog on relevant websites.
- Run link building campaigns.
- Monitor your backlinks.
- Be patient.
- Use good link building tools.
- What are the common mistakes to avoid in link building?
The common mistakes to avoid in link building include:
- Buying links
- Spamming
- Over-optimizing anchor text
- Neglecting your existing links
FINAL THOUGHTS
Link building is essential to any successful SEO strategy, and you must do it correctly.
Google values a website with a substantial amount of referring links. It can be the primary trigger to increase your website’s rankings on search engines.
However, it is important to remember that link building is just one of many factors Google uses to rank websites. So, ensure you also optimize your website for other factors, such as content quality, keyword research, and technical SEO.
Lastly, remember that link building is not a one-time thing but an ongoing process that requires patience, effort, and dedication. With these strategies, you can take your link building efforts to the next level and achieve long-term success online.
CTA: Which of these link building strategies will you try out?
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