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Link building is the process of getting other websites to link back to your site, a.k.a., gaining backlinks. Google uses backlinks as a top search engine optimization (SEO) ranking factor, as well as a signal that your site is a quality source. Sites with more backlinks tend to have a higher ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs), greater domain authority, and most importantly—more traffic. Link building can be an effective extension of your company’s digital marketing strategy. Use the following proven link building tactics to supercharge your SEO and increase traffic and leads.
1. Publish Quality Content
Before attempting to gain backlinks to your site, you have to give people a reason to share your content. That’s why a good link building strategy should always begin by perfecting your published content. Blog posts or articles should be desirable, credible and valuable. The bottom line here is that if you write something interesting, people will notice. Their shares will bring natural backlinks as your writing gains attention.
Of all the link building tactics, we always recommend creating high-quality, value-driven content as the first step to any client.
2. Guest Post on Related Sites
Guest posting is another tried-and-true link building tactic that continues to be successful. This method works well because you offer valuable content to site owners in exchange for a link back to your site. In the process, you’ll also build relationships beneficial for obtaining future backlinks, as well as growing your professional network.
When doing outreach for potential guest posts, look for websites that are relevant to your industry. For a deeper dive, refer to OptinMonster’s guide to guest posting.
3. Assess Competitors’ Links
Competitor research is an essential practice for link building—monitor competitor’s backlinks with tools like Ahref’s backlink checker or Moz’s link explorer. Through your research, you’ll likely find that your competitors have different backlinks from your own. You can approach those websites specifically for guest-posting or use this as inspiration for your link building strategy.
As an added bonus, use backlink monitoring for your own website as well to keep track of new links, then you can avoid potential negative SEO for your business.
4. Create Unique Case Studies
Facts and statistics are essential for earning backlinks. It should be your goal to publish unique, value-driven content that other writers will want to link to. Case studies are a worthy inclusion to your content calendar, as they provide relevant information targetted to your audience that’s both shareable and linkable.
Case studies outline a successful project, product, or client win, whereas you can provide data on your method and outcome, which, in turn, can be linked to in similar articles. (Check out our case study for an example). If possible, try to include some hard stats or data related to your case study. Think about what would be valuable as a source or example in an article.
5. Develop Link-Worthy Infographics
Many people find it easier to comprehend information visually. As such, use different formats and media to communicate your message and catch the attention of a wider audience. Case in point— infographics.
Infographics use colors, illustrations, and graphics to make your content easy to understand. Publish infographics on your blog to accompany an article, as well as your social media platforms. You can also add links within your infographics that will direct users to other pages on your site. What’s more, infographics are incredibly linkable because they contain valuable data broken down in a comprehensive and visual format.
6. Hire a Professional or Agency
Link building is a long game—difficult, time-consuming, and often very specialized. Not too mention, not all links are created equal; you need to watch out for links that can hurt your ranking.
As a business owner, you probably don’t have 20+ hours each month to spend on link building, which is the minimum time needed to get started. Consider outsourcing to a professional or agency to boost your company’s SEO through an effective link building campaign.
Make sure to find a professional or agency who specializes in link building tactics, with case studies or references to back it up. Be careful of companies who promise quick success, as they’re likely using black-hat SEO practices, which are red-flagged by Google and can do more harm than good.
If you want to chat with one of our link building experts about boosting your SEO, reach out to us today!