While the first step to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains to be on-page techniques, there is a lot to churn out from off-page optimization. Websites and businesses that want their keywords to rank mustn’t ignore the value of backlinks from deploying ethical strategies. Among Google’s ranking factors, high-quality backlinks remain essential, along with authentic content creation and mobile optimization.
Everyone has their own opinion as to which tactics will work. When it comes to off-page strategies, using Black Hat link-building strategies may not be a great idea. They might get you into trouble. Another thing is for sure: they are unethical.
Search engines are more intelligent now, which does not work like in the olden days. And companies must deploy organic sources to get the most from their off-page efforts.
Link building, therefore, must be carried out with utter clarity. This article examines fifteen powerful link-building tactics that are result-driven and ethical.
Link Building Tips with Live Examples
1. Discovering Broken Links
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Link building through broken links is one of the most effective white-hat hacks to build backlinks or SEO link-building tactics for 2022. In this strategy, you offer resources to help “fix” broken links on other websites.
Links on a site shouldn’t break, but the internet is constantly changing. If a resource changes its URL or disappears, a link pointing to it might not work. If it applies to your niche, that could be an opportunity for you. It would be helpful if you advised the site’s webmaster of the broken link and offered a similar resource on your site.
In one of the examples stated by Mozcon, they testify to having searched a broken link page redirecting to error page 404 on Neil Patel’s blog. The company successfully pitched a relevant page from its site to earn a backlink.
There are multiple ways to discover broken links. You can do profile analysis of your competitors through tools like miner or Moz.
2. Preparing and Publishing Research Materials
To attract backlinks, you must shine with knowledge. Interesting data compels people to read. You can make that happen by matching your interests with theirs.
Consider writing articles, surveys, and case studies relating to your niches. It would help to ensure you post them to your site so that the internet is aware of your work. You will organically attract backlinks if your work is genuine, unique, and specific. Presenting yourself as a credible source of information might be a tough nut to crack. But, once you have claimed your forte, the links keep escalating.
An informational case study presented by backlinko.com on ‘ranking factor’ has roughly nine thousand backlinks and 7.5 thousand shares.
With such whooping statistics, you know it’s time you show your expertise and claim your title as an expert.
3. Converting Mentions into Links
Asking for links is one of the easiest ways to turn mentions into links. However, it’s different in this case since you’re asking those who already value your website.
Check whether writers or bloggers mention your company, organization, or website and confirm that they are linking to your website. If they don’t, write a polite email asking them to do so. It might surprise you! Such an approach can even lead to more fruitful cooperation.
This strategy may also work specifically for e-commerce companies whose products are mentioned on different pages.
In a similar example, a tech gadget from the company 3DRudder scouted their mention on TechRadar and could fetch a backlink from them.
In many cases, blog pages would not mind linking to a mention. You will need just two things, a hawk’s eye to find such mentions and politeness to ask for a backlink.
4. Building Internal Links
Sometimes marketers miss out on the most simplistic aspect of link building- internal linking. It is a convenient way to boost your less popular pages that help those pages gain more value and authority. It may also help Google identify and understand your website better.
Linking pages internally ensures smooth navigation and increases the average time users spend on your website. Surprisingly, it may also increase clicks to pages you want to rank better.
It is a sure way to spread the link juice, boost page views, and improve page rank. It also boosts the average time a user spends on the site.
A Trophy Central commercial website could generate more traffic and sales by creating internal backlinks. Little tweaks for better navigation and smart placements can upturn the face of your website. Opportunities gained from internal linking are like finding a goldmine in your courtyard.
5. Creating Videos
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Can you get backlinks from video content? The simple answer is yes! Video content is a game-changer in a data-driven society where everyone is excited and passionate about what they see and hear.
Well, sure, users spend more average time on video content. How can you get backlinks from it? Create engaging content and make it shareable. It is your audience that will share them and give you backlinks.
To optimize your videos better, ensure that you create detailed metadata and video descriptions. Many powerful influencers owe their site traffic and mention to videos. Remember, engaging content will always fetch attention.
It just takes one viral video to change the destiny of businesses overnight. The chances of hitting such a jackpot are less. Nonetheless, the efforts that go into making such videos will never go in vain. You will either attract attention or learn to get better with it.
Zappos, an e-commerce website, doubled its linking domains by creating a whopping 50 thousand product descriptions and videos. They ensured that each video was technically sound and created proper meta descriptions for them.
Therefore, your videos must also be textually sound and visually pleasing.
6. Writing Quality Guest Posts
Using quality content in guest posts is a powerful SEO link-building tactic in 2022. Despite this, you must remember that poor-quality content made to gain backlinks is an absolute no-no for Google.
To create quality backlinks, write well-researched articles in an extended format with SEO optimization. Any publisher will find it nearly impossible to refuse your article.
An agency quotes an example of ranking its customer – outreachmama on the number one position for a researched keyword. They did so by devising guest posting and editorial link-building strategies. By guest posting on high domain authority sites in exchange for a link back to their client site, they were able to multiply traffic and reach.
7. Engaging in Conference and Event Speaking
Your digital growth efforts can still benefit from sharing your expertise offline. When you speak at a conference or event, they often credit you on the conference’s website or promotional materials with a bio, a mention, and a link to your website.
It would help if you had deep industry knowledge, a solid brand presence, and an exciting speaker application. Consider smaller or local events that require industry speakers, especially if you are starting. You can then strive for improved opportunities as you earn more speaker slots.
If public speaking is not your cup of tea, you can choose sponsorship. SEMrush, when it did so, made it into the news. Their sponsorship at Social Media Marketing World event earned many relevant backlinks to their site.
Some events might be out of your marketing budget or may not look like a sound investment. However, not all of them are that expensive.
Sometimes, getting your name on the list requires minimal fees. Choose your niche and get hooked on resourceful events that people would discuss and link to.
8. Reclamation
Sometimes, someone might list your website in their ‘best’ article section. However, the post might be for the owner’s benefit. They might want to add your name to listicles or put you as a competitor.
It’s an excellent opportunity to connect with such publishers and platforms using social listening tools like HubSpot social media management software, Hootsuite, Sprout social, etc. Reach out and build relationships with them or simply ask them to link to your site. You can write a personalized email with live links and request them to hook back to it. Chances are that you may get your backlink. The more aggressively and frequently you do it, the better.
Alternatively, reclaiming also includes finding and fixing all the broken or lost links directed to your website. Most of the broken links occur due to negligence, and none of the site owners likes it. A web admin might just require a little nudge to give you back that lost link.
Finding such links can be a task that requires you to keep a check and note of all the backlinks to your site.
Once you know a site that already entrusts you with a link, you may also ask the webmaster to link your other pages. Chances are that you may get another link from such sites. However, remember the basic rule of making a pitch. The pitch must also be of interest to the other party.
9. Writing Trending Topics
Writing about the current trends in your industry can serve as a two-edged sword for your website. It adds value and opportunity to internal linking. Moreso, it serves as fodder for another website to create your backlinks.
Consider writing about trending topics and providing recent news or data that complement your specific niche. You can identify current trends in your niche with applications and tools like Ahrefs–Content Explorer, Buzzsumo, and Google Alerts.
By creating an aggressive content strategy and regularly posting trending publications each week, HubSpot was able to attract many backlinks for their client vXchnge.
10. Writing Guides
There is no doubt that Google loves long forms of content. Also, it is true if the information you provide is valuable enough to attract readers. So, the quickest way to do it is by creating a guide.
Detailed information about a research-worthy topic can get you tons of backlinks. However, it may take a lot of research to get into the nit-grits. A comprehensive guide can be an asset to getting backlinks even in the long term.
For example, Bacllinko.com launched free detailed guides to attract visitors and claim many backlinks. They claim to even receive backlinks today from one of their guides published in 2016. It is a worthwhile investment. It is a worthwhile investment if you are looking at a long-term strategy.
11. Link insertion
Despite being the easiest, getting backlinks to your page is one of the most valuable tactics. Firstly, you will need to find an existing content piece that may benefit from external resources. You may then contact the site owner to propose a link to your page. However, your content must be valuable and relevant for site owners to link it back.
In a case study from sirlinksalot, the expert mentions that they initially revolutionized the SEO of one of their clients through link insertion.
12. Creating Statistics
This is probably one of the best ways to increase your organic visibility. A well-documented statistic report makes for valuable content that people could refer to. Moreover, while writing content, businesses always look for stats to add credibility to their articles. That means you have a chance to get links in your specific niche. Hence, stressing about research and collecting stats is not a bad deal.
Global leaders like Arefs confirm that they use statistics to attract links to their outreach campaigns. They confirmed that they used the skyscraper technique, where they found a heavily linked stat page and created a similar page with updated information. Next, they sent email tail to prospects and got as many as 36 backlinks just by shooting some five hundred emails. That’s how they rank #1 on that same page.
13. Learn From Your Competitors
How much time you invest in strategizing your marketing game does not matter. There is always someone doing at least one thing better than you. An intelligent marketer never underestimates the power of constant improvement. One of the sure ways to create your parameters is by evaluating and implementing your competitors’ game plan.
Take some time to study the link flow and directions on your competitor’s site. With the help of some available tools, it is as easy as pie.
Simply analyze competitors’ top-ranking pages to find their backlink sources. And there, you have some referral sites to reach out to. You can utilize the most used tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, and Ubbersuggest. While their basic checks are free, spending a few dollars on their premium versions can provide in-depth knowledge.
For example, Arefs reveals that they have almost 11.5 thousand common keywords with their competitor – wordstream.com. They strategically used the five most relevant competitors to build potential backlink opportunities.
14. Creating Journalistic Content
A marketer must evolve with the current market needs. In today’s time, anything that is trendy and innovative is what the market demands. Hence, it is essential to pick trending issues every once in a while. You can create a stellar piece around it to get journalists’ or expert views on it. You will earn some shares and links to your pages if it attracts attention.
Companies like Aira use this strategy to get quality backlinks for their clients. They usually ask experts like the CEO of various companies to present their views on trending topics. They ensure that the subject is something of journalistic value. They later approach journalists to comment on it. When this happens, there is a strong chance that journalists will link the content piece.
15. Review On Other Website
If you have service providers or a back-end supporter for your business, this tip is your golden chance to get backlinks effortlessly. Write reviews for other brands to showcase on their websites in return for a mention and a backlink directing to your page. This strategy is a win-win situation for both companies. They build trust with their prospective clients while you win a backlink.
In this example, a productivity and time management coach, Carl Pullein, mentions a productivity app Todoist. In return, Todoist retweeted Carl’s post from their account. It was but a win-win backlink for both parties.
Conclusion
Google matrix keeps on updating. However, building quality backlinks has remained constant for many years. Quality links can increase your organic traffic and rank authority in no time. However, the flip side is that you have to be extra cautious. A few bad backlinks can penalize your website, and recovery may not be that swift.
So, before you try your hands on any tactics, deploy quick checks to access site health. Check basic parameters like DA, DR, site traffic, and volume. Perhaps, much could be apprehended just by looking at the sites’ web URLs, home pages, and media pages.
Ultimately, a lot depends on past link-building experiences and your industry. Following your link-acquisition strategy and being consistent would be the best way to build links through these tactics.
