There are 200 factors that the Google algorithm considers when ranking a site on its search engine results page. Let’s take a moment to appreciate that. Two hundred is a lot of puzzle pieces to consider when trying to improve your visibility with the help of the reigning monarch of search engines. Backlinking in SEO is among that daunting number—and one of the more crucial pieces to ensure success in your SEO strategy.
Why is backlinking in SEO important?
There are two parts to every SEO strategy: relevance and authority. Creating content that is relevant to your audience means understanding who your intended audience is. When it comes to generating authority, you’re talking about backlinks—and it isn’t just Google that uses backlinks as a major player in ranking. It is one of the most heavily weighted ranking factors for every major search engine out there.
With 41% of SEO experts agreeing that link building is one of the most difficult parts of optimization, it can seem like an impossible wall to scale. But that doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel! All hope is not lost. With some understanding into what they are, and a few key tips, you can start to build out these ever so important connections.
What are backlinks in SEO?
Backlinks, also referred to as inbound links, are an external link connecting your content to someone else’s—someone with authority. Simple, right? But don’t forget these backlinks also act as an endorsement. If I hyperlink to an outside source within a blog, that would become a backlink for that recommended source. In other words, you only want to recommend valuable sources with your backlinking.
For visual learners, check out this case study video from Hubspot explaining how the company Glassdoor uses backlinks so successfully. You see what I did there? That is my vote of confidence in the video that Hubspot produced as a good source of additional information. Linking to trustworthy, quality sites lets search algorithms know that your site is putting out trustworthy, quality information, too.
That vote of confidence works both ways, and is particularly important in regards to links from quality sources. Essentially, sites that already hold domain authority linking back to your site hold more sway in ranking than just any old backlink. The algorithms that rank your site look to this evidence of authority to promote your site in searches. In short, it gets you seen.
Be leery of any scheme to buy links. Backlinking in SEO is only valuable when it comes from reputable sites.
How to get more backlinks for your content?
Now that we know what we’re working with, how do you start the ball rolling in the quest for quality backlinks to support your SEO? It starts with relevance; that’s your ticket to building domain authority.
It isn’t just about the number of backlinks in SEO, but the quality of the sites providing that stamp of approval. Creating relevant and valuable content in your blogs that speak not only to potential consumers but other businesses (especially industry leaders) will begin to get those endorsements. This serves as a vote of confidence in your content, which means that you need quality content that others want to share.
When trusted sites share links to your content, it lets Google know that they can trust you, too. This recognition will go a long way in helping you to build your own domain authority.
Now for some specifics, so we can get that ball rolling. Here are 7 simple strategies to make backlinking in SEO work for your business:
1. Create useful infographics and other visuals.
Infographics are a very common visual used to garner backlinks, they’re informational, easy to understand, and endlessly shareable. There are even tools to help you create such graphics that make the process as easy as can be. Sites like Canva and Venngage are two popular choices for creating visual materials for your business, but there are plenty of others to choose from, too.
Depending on what you are looking to create, your budget, and your platform preferences, you may have different needs from a visual design tool. For an overview of different options available, check out this post from Buffer, a publishing, analytics, and engagement platform.
Plus, a great bonus is that infographics and visuals make powerful social media content, as well!
Now for some specifics, so we can get that ball rolling. Here are 7 simple strategies to make backlinking in SEO work for your business:
2. Make sure your site mentions are backlinking to you.
One of the quickest and easiest methods for building quality backlinks in SEO is simply by reclaiming unlinked brand mentions. The key with this method is to find those mentions. To do that, you can use tools like Google Alerts, or for a deeper look, check out Ahrefs Content Explorer or Mention. Then it’s just a matter of reaching out to the mentioner and getting your site linked.
Let’s use Google Alerts as an example. This is a free tool that notifies you of the results that show your name or that of your brand. All you need is a basic Google account to use it. From there, just connect to the official page and start setting up alerts for various search queries.
I typed “KSR” into the search box for this example. Next, select “show options” and then set the specific parameters for your alerts.
Now, all that’s left to do is wait for the mentions to come rolling in. Whenever you get a hit, reach out to make sure any mentions of your brand link back to your site.
3. Become a source for journalists.
Becoming a source for other bloggers and journalists is a great way to build backlinks. Whether you’re getting interviewed about your business or just commenting on a relevant issue in your industry, good press makes for great backlinking. Every time someone quotes you or even just mentions your business, you earn a backlink.
This method is two fold. Not only do you earn high authority backlinks, but you also increase brand awareness and referral traffic when you are able to position yourself as a meaningful source for others.
4. Out with the old, in with the new you!
There is an immense amount of information out there in the world: some of it more up to date than others. These outdated articles—especially those that support a lot of backlinks or often have other publications referencing them—are an untapped goldmine. They could be your ticket to jumping on a ton of link building at once, if you put in the work.
All you have to do is create a new piece with updated information and relevant data to replace the current outdated option available. Then find out where the outdated piece is being linked to and inform those publications of your new, more relevant version. Cha-ching: you’ve got your backlinks, and they’ve got a newer, more updated source! Everybody wins.
5. Offer free tools on your site that others will want to backlink to.
The key with offering free tools for site visitors is to create something that is relevant for your target audience, and then make it better than what’s already available. It’s both poor form and ultimately not very useful to have a virtual copy of a competitor’s tool on your site. However, say your template offers more customizations, a cleaner look, or it’s more user-friendly, any of those may give you the competitive edge.
Once you’ve created your own uniquely useful tool, you can begin to see the benefits when people start using your site’s resources over your competitors. You don’t have to out-compete everyone on the internet. You just need to shine bright in your specific category.
6. Create a comprehensive guide that people will want to backlink to.
When it comes to backlinking in SEO, a comprehensive guide is an absolute powerhouse. Creating a guide that acts as a complete and thorough resource for a given topic means that your readers won’t feel compelled to keep searching to learn more. This is not only a great way to show off your industry know-how, but is also an incredible source for backlinking both ways.
These guides are a great opportunity for you to backlink to other high-quality sources, increasing your site’s perceived SEO relevance. Even more importantly, they are a great anchor source for others to backlink to you. Comprehensive guides provide a lot of linking opportunities as bloggers and journalists often use them as a reference in their own content when broaching the subject you cover.
7. Hunt for broken backlinks in SEO and take their place.
Searching for broken outbound links on other websites may sound like a lot of work, but it can be a great way to boost your backlinks for SEO. You just have to convince the website using a broken link to replace it with a page of your own. This does mean that you need to have something up on your site that would fit as a good replacement for the broken link they currently sport. With that in mind, you will want to hunt for relevant information and resources to replace.
The hunt is the hardest part of this strategy, but a good SEO tool can help you take advantage of these broken links. Check out Ahrefs Broken Link Checker or Siteliner to test the waters with this tactic. There are a ton of broken links that can provide a great opportunity for your business to fill a need if you do some digging.
Like many other pieces in your marketing strategy, link building is not something that is accomplished overnight. Backlinking in SEO is about connection; it’s about building relationships that create a better return over time. It will take time to start garnering those golden seals of domain authority that quality backlinks provide for you, but it is worth the work you put into it.
If you’re ready for a deeper dive, check out this Definitive Guide from Backlinko, a site dedicated to providing training and strategies for SEO and content marketing success. Boasting eight chapters of insightful content into backlinks, it provides a lot of relevant information that goes deeper than surface tips if you’ve got the time.
