Have you ever sought an expert opinion? Scrolled through a restaurant’s Google reviews? Asked a trusted friend for advice?
If so, you understand the value of a vote of confidence from a reputable source.
In the world of websites and SEO, that’s precisely what backlinking is for!
Backlinks are simply links from one website to another. They act as a way to vouch for another website, showing to search engines and readers alike that its content is valuable or relevant.
Why Bother with Backlinks?
We’ll get into how to implement a backlinking strategy in just a minute, but first—why go to all the fuss?
Credibility Matters
The market is filled with businesses, and the internet is overflowing with websites. How do you stand out?
Credibility.
Buyers don’t want just any business—they want one they can count on.
When another website links to your content, it’s a small way of saying “Hey, they know what they’re talking about!” When a lot of websites link to your content, it has a profoundly positive impact on your reputation.
Backlinking is crucial for credibility, one of the key steps to building a strong and recognizable brand.
Strengthen SEO
Effective search engine optimization requires a continuous, holistic approach, and that includes backlinking!
Search engines rely on backlinks as a way to measure a website’s authority, which directly impacts rankings. While it’s certainly not the only factor—structured data, keywords, and a whole host of other components also go into the equation—backlinks are another way to enhance your domain authority (DA), boost your rankings, and complement all the other efforts you’re pouring into your SEO strategy.
You can think of backlinking as going hand-in-hand with your internal linking strategy, only, you know, external.
Unclear on how your current SEO strategy is performing? Find out with The Brand Brew ®’s SEO Website Audit!
Expand Your Audience
There are all sorts of ways to direct traffic to your website, from social media and blogging to rich results and Google Sitelinks.
And, well, all of those things are a lot of work!
One of the beautiful things about backlinks is that you can piggyback on the SEO success of other reputable websites and instantly gain exposure to their audience.
Building your backlinking strategy allows you to reach brand-new buyers, with only a fraction of the effort!
Which Type of Backlinking is Right for You?
Imagine you’re at a party, looking to make friends (which, in this analogy, are other websites that will link back to you).
There are a few different ways you could go about it:
Natural Backlinks: Let Them Come to You
Natural backlinking is the equivalent of being an excellent conversationalist. It’s when you tell a story so intriguing and so eloquently that other partygoers are just dying to join in the conversation.
This refers to backlinks that you earn without needing to request a link. It happens when others find your content valuable, and it’s most common with highly shareable content—think detailed guides, insightful studies, and influential opinions.
Manual Backlinks: Put Yourself Out There!
In contrast, manual backlinks are acquired through direct outreach.
This can be done through guest blogging, partnerships, or any other sort of collaboration. The idea here is to form relationships with other reputable brands related to your niche so everyone grows together.
If, for instance, you specialize in branding in Hamilton, ON, you might consider forming relationships with other organizations in the Hamilton area who share your values.
In our party analogy, this is the equivalent of bravely striking up a conversation with a stranger—or rather, a future friend.
Self-Created Backlinks: Be Your Own Biggest Fan
Self-created backlinking is an option, achieved by submitting your website to directories or leaving comments on blogs that direct back to your site.
However, we advise you to be cautious.
Just like constantly boasting about yourself at a party might not be the greatest strategy for a flourishing social life, self-created backlinks are not always viewed highly by search engines. When overdone, it can be considered spammy and actually harm your site’s ranking.
It’s important to remember that quality backlinks are the true goal here.
Just like making new friends, there’s no singular right way to generate backlinks. There are, however, some techniques to keep in mind:
1. Quality Content
Quality content leads to quality backlinks.
Content like in-depth guides, case studies, and visually engaging infographics often naturally attracts backlinks, as readers find it valuable and worth sharing or referencing.
2. Guest Posting and Collaborations
Writing guest posts for reputable sites in your niche can earn high-quality backlinks, provided the content is relevant and informative.
And hey, collaborating with other thought leaders in your industry is a great way to build backlinks and form friendships! Neat, huh?
3. Outreach and Networking
Identify sites with similar audiences to your own, then reach out with content proposals or partnership ideas.
Focusing on quality and relevance in these connections is key—a single link from a high-traffic, reputable site holds more value than several links from less relevant sources.
4. Strengthen Your Site
Just like you wouldn’t publish a link to a not-so-great website, your own site needs to be high-quality in order to earn backlinks from others.
Design a Website Worth Talking About with The Brand Brew ®
A well-built website enhances user experience, improves credibility and leads to more backlinks from other quality sites. Book a call today to boost your backlinking and strengthen your site’s appeal with The Brand Brew ®’s Website Design service!
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