Advertisers and affiliates generate links between sites, products, and advertising campaigns like hard-working spiders weave a web. It is not for nothing that the Internet is called the World Wide Web — everything in it is connected through a multitude of links. That is why link building should be an integral aspect of every website or blog owner’s revenue-generating plan, since it will increase traffic and establish your site’s credibility with search algorithms. Speaking in terms of data, many SEO specialists consider backlinks as the third most significant component in determining a website’s position.
However, acquiring natural, dependable, and high-quality links can become the true problem. Don’t worry about it! We’re here to help you figure things out. Follow our step-by-step plan and enrich your SEO strategy with only quality links.
The nature of link building strategy
Link building, which is obtaining hyperlinks from other websites to your own, is a crucial component of SEO strategy. These links, sometimes called backlinks, function as site endorsements and inform search engines like Google about the authority and value of your website’s content. This boosts your website’s organic traffic while enhancing its exposure in search engine results pages (SERPs). Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to link building; a few well-placed, high-quality links from reliable websites can greatly aid your SEO efforts more than a large number of poorly-placed links.
Strong link building has the potential to improve user trust, boost your site’s trustworthiness, and ultimately increase conversion rates in affiliate and digital marketing. Statistically, link building is a key component of an SEO strategy, according to 79.7% of marketing experts. Connecting with websites that relate to your industry and creating engaging, shareable content can help you establish the business as a trustworthy source and lay the groundwork for ongoing online growth and success.
Moreover, links are not only a great way to boost your SEO effort, but also an ultimate way of improving tracking strategy. Learn more about this way to optimize your campaigns in our article, with a detailed guide to working with postback and backlink URLs.
Links typology
If a piece of text can be clicked on, and then you are teleported to another page, it’s obviously a link. But sometimes at first glance, it’s hard to distinguish a link of which kind is in front of you. They all have different purposes and follow a variety of technical patterns. Let’s go over the main types of links that you may encounter in your work.
|
Type of the link |
Description |
|
Internal links |
These are links that go from one page on the same website to another. They distribute link equity, or ranking power, among different pages and aid users in navigating your website. An optimized site architecture facilitates simpler crawling and indexing of your material by search engines. |
|
External backlinks |
These links, which point to your website from other websites, are sometimes also called inbound links. They are essential to SEO because they tell search engines that your material is authoritative and worthwhile. Your search engine rankings can be greatly increased by high-quality external backlinks from reliable websites. |
|
Outbound links |
These are external links that point to pages on your website. Including outbound connections to authoritative websites might help your content look more credible. They demonstrate to your viewers that you are giving them useful materials, which can enhance the credibility of your website. |
|
Nofollow links |
These links have a unique property that instructs search engines to give the connected site no link equity. Even while nofollow links don’t immediately improve your search engine results, they can nonetheless raise exposure and drive visitors. They are often utilized in sponsored material, forums, and comment areas. |
|
Dofollow links |
Unlike nofollow links, dofollow links allow search engines to follow and pass on link equity to the linked site. These links are the most valuable for SEO as they contribute to improving your site’s authority and rankings. |
|
Anchor links |
These are internal links that take visitors to a certain area of the same website. They improve the user experience by making lengthy text simple to explore. Utilizing anchor links correctly might also improve search engines’ comprehension of the organization of your material. |
|
Image links |
That is how we call hyperlinks embedded in images. When users click on an image, they are taken to the linked page. Using descriptive alt text for image links helps search engines understand the content and context of the image, contributing to SEO. |
Utilizing 10 successful link building techniques
As we found out above, quality is more important than quantity in link building strategy. But not in the case of a variety of techniques types. Use all the possibilities of your offer’s presence in different marketing channels and build a link strategy using a variety of methods. Here are the most basic ones you should be aware of:
- Broken link building: Identify broken links on relevant websites and suggest your content as a replacement. This approach helps webmasters fix dead links and provides you with valuable backlinks.
- Skyscraper technique: Create content that is superior to the best-performing content in your niche. Reach out to sites that linked to the original piece, showing them your improved version, and encourage them to link to your content instead.
- Resource page link building: Find websites with resource pages related to your industry. Reach out and suggest adding your high-quality content to their list of resources, gaining a link from an authoritative source.
- Press releases: Distribute press releases about significant company news to attract media coverage. This can result in backlinks from news sites, which are typically high-authority domains.
- Guest posting: Write informative, valuable articles for reputable sites in your industry. Include backlinks to your site, boosting your visibility and authority while driving targeted traffic.
- Competitor backlink analysis: Study the backlink profiles of your competitors to find potential link opportunities. Contact these sources and present your content as a valuable addition.
- Creating linkable assets: Develop unique, high-quality content such as detailed guides, original research with statistical data, or engaging infographics. These assets are more likely to be linked by other websites looking for valuable resources.
- Influencer outreach: Partner with influencers in your industry to promote your content. Influencers can help you gain high-quality backlinks and increase your site’s exposure.
- Content repurposing: Convert your content into different formats, like videos or podcasts. Share these across various platforms to attract a wider audience and earn backlinks from different content types.
- Participation in online communities: Actively engage in industry-specific forums, Q&A sites, and discussion boards. Provide valuable insights and include links to your content where relevant, driving traffic and earning backlinks.
Tips and hacks to try in your link building strategy
How could we leave you without a couple of tricks that will help you take the palm of your competitors in an attempt to build the most effective link building strategy. Here is a list of the most handy ones.
Personalized outreach
When reaching out to potential link sources, customize your emails. Mention specific details about their content and explain why linking to your content adds value to their readers. Personalized outreach increases your chances of getting a positive response.
Leverage existing relationships
Utilize connections you already have within your industry. Friends, colleagues, or business partners might be willing to link to your content, providing a solid foundation of high-quality backlinks.
Monitor brand mentions
Use tools like Google Alerts to track mentions of your brand across the web. When you find unlinked mentions, reach out to the site owner and request a backlink, turning a simple mention into a valuable link.
Utilize HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
Sign up for HARO and respond to journalist queries relevant to your industry. If your contribution is used, you’ll often receive a backlink from a high-authority news site.
Optimize internal linking
Don’t overlook the power of internal links. Strategically linking to your own content within your site helps distribute link equity and boosts the SEO performance of individual pages.
Update and republish old but gold content
Refresh and update your older, high-performing content. Republishing it with current information can attract new backlinks and improve its search engine ranking.
Use social proof
Displaying badges, testimonials, certificates, and awards can enhance your content’s credibility. This makes other sites more likely to link to your content, recognizing it as a trustworthy resource.
Engage in roundup posts
Participate in expert roundup posts where multiple industry experts contribute their insights on a particular topic. This not only positions you as an authority but often includes a backlink to your site.
Stay active on social media
Share your content across multiple social media platforms. Engaging actively can increase the visibility of your content (or, at least, your brand’s name), encouraging more shares and potential backlinks.
Simplify the process using available tools
Probably one of the most important tips in link building is to use the most effective tools possible to be one step ahead. If you are tech-savvy enough, you will automate many processes and optimize your link strategy as a whole. Our advanced selection will help you choose the most suitable tools.
Link building mistakes and how to avoid them
It’s time to admit that we are not all perfect, and sometimes we make mistakes in our work. As philosophers say, the most important thing is not to avoid a fall, but to be able to get back up after it. Well, enough philosophy, let’s move on to practice. We are just lucky that there are senior comrades in the industry who have already gone through the path of establishing a link building strategy. And shared their failures and how they would have avoided them if they had such an opportunity.
- Focusing on quantity over quality
It was a test of attentiveness, because we started the article with that thought. However, some of you may still be under the misconception that more links are better, but low-quality backlinks can harm your SEO. That’s it.
Solution. Prioritize obtaining links from authoritative, relevant sites even if it means fewer total links. - Ignoring anchor text diversity
Using the same anchor text repeatedly can appear unnatural to search engines.
Solution. Use a variety of anchor texts, including branded, generic, and long-tail keywords, to maintain a natural link profile. - Overlooking internal linking
Neglecting internal links can hinder site navigation and SEO.
Solution. Strategically link to relevant pages within your site to help distribute link equity and improve user experience. - Building links too quickly
Acquiring a large number of backlinks in a short time can raise red flags with search engines.
Solution: Aim for a steady, natural growth in backlinks, focusing on organic acquisition methods. - Not regularly monitoring backlinks
Failing to track your backlinks can result in harmful links going unnoticed.
Solution: Use tools like Ahrefs or Google Search Console to regularly audit your backlink profile and disavow any harmful links. - Neglecting relationship building
Simply asking for links without building a relationship can result in low success rates.
Solution: Invest time in building genuine relationships with industry influencers and webmasters before requesting links. - Relying solely on one technique
Depending on a single link building strategy can limit your results.
Solution: Diversify your link building efforts by combining various techniques such as guest posting, influencer outreach, and content creation. - Using spammy techniques
Engaging in black-hat SEO tactics like buying links or using link farms can lead to penalties.
Solution: Stick to white-hat SEO practices, focusing on creating valuable content that naturally attracts backlinks.
Final thoughts
Quick check: do you consider yourself a hardworking, creative and strategic planning effective enough affiliate and digital marketing professional? After all, these are the very qualities you need to build link mass effectively. In addition, you’ll need knowledge of different types of links and the ability to use a variety of techniques. This way, you’ll be able to create a comprehensive link marketing campaign that will drive organic traffic and boost your search engine rankings. Stay adaptable, constantly monitor your progress and refine your tactics based on what works best for your unique goals, KPIs and the needs of your audience.
Ultimately, a well-executed link building strategy not only improves SEO, but also positions your brand as a trusted and authoritative resource in your industry and subject matter. By applying these tips and techniques, you’ll pave the way for sustainable online growth and success in the competitive affiliate and digital marketing environment.
