Link building is still extremely important for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Search engines determine the value of websites by how good the content is, how many pages are linking to them, plus the corresponding Authority and Trust.
Resource: Download the Actionable SEO Link Building Techniques Instantly!
So if you try to build low-quality links you will risk the chance of being caught by search engine algorithms like Penguin and your site could end up with a penalty.
How to Effectively Build Links?
Here are some proven link building strategies you can implement today.
1. Grab Competitors Links
Always monitor your competitor’s backlinks so you can grab new link building opportunities.
Find how they got a link and try to replicate it.
For this, you can use tools like Ahrefs, Majestic, Moz, or Ahrefs alternatives.
For example: Go to Ahrefs.com –> enter your competitor URL –> Explore
Check Referring Domains with Ahrefs
Ahrefs rates backlinks with a Domain Rating on a scale from 1 to 100.
Find Backlinks with a high DR which carry more “weight.”
Sort Referring Domains with High Domain Ratings
High DR Referring Domains
Identify their links and what kind of backlink it is, guest blog profile-link, contextual, or comment.
Remove websites like directories or forum links.
Go ahead and replicate those links.
PS: You can also use Moz’s Domain Authority metric for link analysis.
2. Skyscraper Technique
Coined by Brian Dean – backlinko.com is a content-driven link building technique.
The Skyscraper Technique starts with finding your competitor's content which already got love in terms of social shares and links.
Then create content which is better than your competitors and then outreach to the right people.
3. Guest Posting
Guest posts are an excellent way to earn natural authority backlinks.
This will also strengthen a relationship with industry-relevant bloggers and boost your brand.
Find your Niche / Industry related sites to contribute content to.
You can find Guest Blogging Opportunities with some Google Searches Like:
[niche] + write for us
[Industry ] + intitle:”write for us”
keyword “guest post”
keyword “submit a guest post”
Approach them & tell them the topic you’ve already written or plan to write.
Send your post or titles to them (including author bio + link) and get your backlink.
4. Broken Link Building
Broken Link Building is one of the traditional ways to build White Hat Links.
You just need to find your niche-specific sites with broken links.
Outreach to the webmasters, pinpoint their broken links, and ask for a replacement with your link.
You can use Ahrefs for finding broken link building prospects.
So how do you find broken links?
Go to Ahrefs.com –> Enter Prospect URL –> Explore
Outgoing Links –> Broken Links
Now do outreach to the webmaster or editor.
PS: Your Link must be relevant to the broken link.
5. Blog Commenting
Blog comments not only bring a no-follow backlink but also bring referral traffic back to your site.
Just find popular blogs under your niche and leave a thoughtful comment which adds value to the post.
Their readers also engage with your comment.
For comment opportunities, you can use tools like DropMyLink.com or Linksearching.com.
Note: Use your real name and email address and don’t use any anchor text in the comment.
6. Relationship Building
All those techniques mentioned above have just one flaw, they don't have a personal approach.
One of the most successful link building techniques nowadays is relationships building between websites. That is a way of building links where link prospecting is focused on relevancy and trust.
Your content needs to be very well targeted so it can fit into the blogs of your prospects. The next step is creating trust between you and the editorial team of other websites in your niche. You can do that by investing time and connecting with them through Linkedin, Facebook, or Twitter.
People tend to trust you when you create a bond over social media, and they are more eager to give you natural backlinks on their blogs if you can give them something in return. Usually, that is a simple mention on your blog post, your guest post, or on social media channels.
One of the most popular agencies that are working like this is Digital Olympus created by Alex Tachalova, and you can learn more about the way her team is doing smart link prospecting in their email outreach guide.
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Want some more link building techniques? Pick any of the 18 from the infographic below that fit with your personality:
Infographic by WebCEO
Conclusion
To actually earn backlinks, you must focus on giving tremendous value through content.
And yes it does take a lot of time.
There is no shortcut.
There is no quick fix.
You just need to think about how you can help your users.
Then, create content that actually helps them.
Be user-centric and the backlinks and social shares will compound over time.
Interesting insights – thanks for sharing. Will have to implement this on some level and relay the results. Cheers guys!
Hi Andy – For any website, I would say you want to be mentioned in articles on other websites. This can be done through guest posting or reaching out and asking them to use your article in a blog they wrote. You can have comments on other people’s article’s as well, but just think how many times you would comment on blogs and do it naturally. If you are a local business or have a brick and mortar location you would probably have business listing links (Yelp, Yellow pages, Facebook etc.) as well. I hope that helps.
Excellent article and actionable advice! I was wondering, what is the best overall mix of those listed? For example, guest comment links versus guest posting versus those listed in infographic. What would a good link profile look like I guess is what I’m asking?