If you tuned in for our last blog, ‘What Are Backlinks and How Can They Bring Traffic to Your Business Site?’, you know how crucial backlinks are for boosting your website’s ranking in search engines. You also are aware that not every single backlink is desirable, and some can even hurt your website’s reputation with Google.
As far as internet marketing and websites go, falling out with Google is a BIG no-no. Tactics and techniques that were used five years ago or even two years ago might not be viable or “legal” today according to Google’s complex search algorithm. In our last blog we also listed specific linking methods to steer clear of. Here, we will share a few techniques for acquiring high-quality backlinks without breaking the bank.
Run A Press Release
Press Releases are tricky, but if you do them right, you often are able to gain numerous backlinks from websites with high authority. This is an excellent way to build high-quality backlinks for your small business, especially if you are on a budget. Web design and marketing companies will often take care of this for you for an affordable fee. There are a couple of points to consider when it comes to press releases, however.
- There are websites that will distribute your press release for you to hundreds or thousands of sites. Avoid this! Instead, select the top 3-5 link-worthy Press Release sites, study their guidelines and formats, and post to them by hand.
- Make sure that it is well-written. If you are a poor writer, find someone who specializes in press releases and get them to write it for you.
Webinars To Create Backlinks
Webinars are a brilliant way to build backlinks, but not as a sole source. This method should be used in conjunction with others i.e., don’t rely solely on webinars for backlinks! Anyone can do a webinar, literally anyone.
Because of this it is important, as with content, to be an authority figure or an expert in your niche. If viewers see that your webinars are useful, help people, and give solid information, they will then consider you to be experienced and an authority on that specific niche or subject. Here are a few guidelines and tips to consider when creating a backlink-driven webinar:
Create a call to action, either in the video or in the description of the video that people can click to visit your website.
Ensure that you also link to credible resources, if you have any, and include sources like infographics (which are still really popular!), articles from other people, links to guides and more.
Include a social sharing app on the webinar page, if it is a different website than yours. Most Webinar websites these days have an option, either free or paid, to include a social sharing app.
Include Someone Else’s Content On Your Blog
This may sound counter-intuitive, but give it a chance because it can work IF done correctly. Find a list of people in your niche or even people that are considered your competition. One tool to use for this is called Cognitive SEO. This is a tool that shows who your competition is, as well as who has recently linked to your competition. After inputting a few pieces
of criteria, the tool will display a list of the most recently found backlinks. After you find a good list with this tool you can then send out some emails (manually!) to each one of those websites that linked to your competition. Try something simple, based on the following example:
Hi [Insert their name],
I was reading some blog posts on your blog and I found one that I really liked [insert blog post URL], but I did notice that you didn’t link to [your blog post URL]. I don’t know if you know about this website, but it’s a great way to teach your readers and visitors about things like [insert something interesting here that will target their readers].
I thought I would mention the post to you because you had linked to [competitor’s URL], but you should also think about linking to this one as well since the information is so valuable!
Keep up the great work, I love your blog.
A fan,
[Your name]
This is probably one of the more safe ways to get a backlink, but it can also be tedious. Sending out 50 similar emails will usually only generate about five links. Though this is obviously not a large amount, they will be quality backlinks, and more importantly relevant backlinks.
What’s The #1 Way to Build Backlinks?
You can spend hours and hours trying to gain backlinks through complicated strategies or pleading with other websites. When it comes down to it, focusing on quality content is the best technique for receiving backlinks. The best backlinks have to be earned, just like the Google search algorithm intended. Distribute useful information regarding to your business, share it through social media marketing as well as your website. Before you know it, backlinks will start sprouting up over the web- backlinks from people who appreciate your valuable content!
Interested in writing content but not sure where to start? Get inspired with content ideas from our other articles below!
