If you want to rank in Google you need backlinks. Google views these backlinks as votes of trust and, the more trusted your content is deemed, the more people will have access to it.
What are backlinks?
Backlinks are “inbound links” from one website to another.
The more the merrier, right?
Pages with a high number of backlinks or referring domains usually rank higher than their competitors. However, this is not always the case.
Google’s guidelines state that links should be natural – this means that you have to be careful when it comes to acquiring links.
The perfect back link profile
There are a few things to think about when link building.
Target your industry carefully
Try and target websites that share the same audience, ultimately offering value to both parties.
For example, if you run an online vitamins store and you start linking to local mechanics, Google may mark these as spam links.
What is domain authority?
This is a score between 1-100 that indicates how well your site will rank in Google.
Trust flow & Citation flow
These two metrics were developed by Majestic SEO and can give users a more in-depth look at the quality of a domain.
Trust flow, again a score between 1-100, takes into account how trusted the backlink profile of the site linking to yours is.
Citation flow – another trademark of Majestic, looks at the link equity of a domain. In simple terms:how many links the domain has.
Monthly Traffic
Another good indicator of the quality of a link is to its domain traffic. Websites with higher traffic will naturally have higher authority over time.
Domain location
If you are a UK-based business, try and partner with links from the UK and vice versa for other countries. It’s not as essential as the previous point, but can help you with local SEO.
How to actually build the links
Once we know the links we want to target, here are 3 strategies to get going:
Build relationships
The best way to build natural, quality links is through relationship building. Think about the people who could value from your service and vice versa.
For example, if you offer SEO services, why not partner with a PPC agency? Once you have stronger relationships it’s much easier to share content, trade testimonials or even create something as simple as a partner page.
Testimonial Links
Businesses love displaying words from their previous and existing customers on their websites. This builds brand loyalty and trust, and can also be the perfect way to build links.
Simply reaching out to your current and past service provider with an amazing review plus a link can be a very effective and quick way to get the ball rolling.
Guest blogging
Guest blogging is a great way to target specific industries. If you know your subject well, then the best thing to do is write about it.
There are hundreds of websites that accept guest blogs – but make sure you check their domain metrics before you start submitting content.
The Final word
There is no secret sauce when it comes to link building. It’s a lengthy process but the rewards are great!
As you start to build links, opportunities may arise to buy links and sponsor content. Build links naturally and you will see your traffic grow.
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