Key Takeaways
- Link building strategies refer to tactics used to get other websites to link to your page, which improves your search engine ranking and visibility.
- Some common link building tactics include Guest Blogging, Broken Link Building, and Forum Link Building. Explore the complete list below!
#1. Guest Blogging
Guest blogging involves writing blog posts for relevant websites in your niche. This tactic provides value to the host website and allows you to link back to your homepage and related articles or landing pages, driving more traffic to your site. Below is a real-life example of guest blogging:
A guest blog article on growing a business online was featured in StartupNation.
An easy way to find sites accepting guest posts is by using Google search commands:
- Your keyword + intitle:“write for us”
For example, if you want to write for fitness sites, search for:
- Fitness + intitle:”write for us”
Fitness-related sites where you can ask for guest posts.
When contacting these sites, include a list of topics you want to cover. Here is a proposal email template for guest blogging:
Hi [Name],
I’m [Your Name] from [Company Name]. I am wondering if you need guest bloggers. I write about [topics] and have a fantastic idea for your blog on [relevant topic].
Here are my latest guest posts:
- [Blog post link 1]
- [Blog post link 2]
- [Blog post link 3]
I’ll ensure the article I write for you is brand-new and just for your blog. I’d also like to have a short bio with a link to my website. If you’re interested, please let me know.
Thanks,
[YOUR SIGNATURE]
#2. Resource Page Link Building
Resource page link building involves finding websites with pages dedicated to resources or tools in your industry and offering to place a link to your website on those pages. These resource pages typically hold significant authority and trust with search engines and are often regularly updated, ensuring the longevity of your backlink. Here’s an example:
An example of a resource page with multiple links included.
To find resource pages in your industry, conduct a Google search using keywords related to your sector and terms like “resources” or “tools.” For example, if you’re in the e-commerce industry, search for “e-commerce resources” or “e-commerce tools.”
This search generates a list of websites featuring resource pages relevant to your industry.
After identifying websites with resource pages, contact the website owners and propose adding a link to your site. To maximize your success, ensure your resource is relevant and valuable to the resource pages’ audience.
#3. Broken Link Building
Broken link building involves identifying broken links on other sites and offering to replace them with links to your content. This approach benefits both parties: the other website gets a functional link, and you gain a high-quality backlink.
Use Google Search Operators to locate pages with numerous external links to find broken links. Try searching for:
- “Your target keyword” + inurl:resources
- “Your target keyword” + intitle:links
- “Your target keyword” + inurl:useful resources
- “Your target keyword” + “favorite websites”
- “Your target keyword” + “helpful resources”
After identifying potential pages, use the Chrome extension Check My Links to quickly determine which links are broken and which are working.
Once you’ve found broken links, contact the website owner and propose replacing the broken link with a link to your relevant content. For example, if the broken link was to an SEO article, offer a link to your SEO-related article. Here’s a proposal email template:
Hi [Website owner’s Name],
I hope you’re doing well. I’m [Your Name] from [Your company/website]. I recently read your article “[Article title],” and I loved it, especially [mention something specific you liked].
While reading, I noticed a broken link in the part about [mention where you found the broken link]. Broken links can frustrate your readers and hurt your SEO.
Here’s the broken link: [insert link]
I have written an article on [Your article’s topic], which could be a suitable replacement. It’s full of helpful info and updated. You can check it out here: [UR of your article].
There is no pressure to use my link, though. It could be helpful for you and your readers!
Best,
[Your full Name]
#4. Unlinked Brand Mention Link Building
Unlinked brand mentions involve finding instances where your brand is mentioned on other websites without a link back to your site.
Use media monitoring tools such as BrandMentions or Brand24 to discover these unlinked mentions. For example, using Brand24 to search for unlinked mentions of “Burger King” generates the following results:
In this example, the article “California fast-food franchise owners…” presents a link placement opportunity for Burger King.
Once you identify these unlinked mentions, reach out to the webmaster and request that they add a link to your site. This approach is practical for gaining high-quality backlinks, leveraging existing mentions, and aligning with relevant industry sites and audiences.
#5. Competitor Backlink Analysis
Analyzing your competitors’ backlinks helps you see which types of content attract the most links in your industry. For example, do your competitors get backlinks from listicles, how-to guides, or opinion pieces? Use this insight to create similar content on your site to earn backlinks.
To perform a competitor backlink analysis, use a tool like SEMrush’s Backlink Analytics tool. For example, when analyzing speckyboy.com (a magazine for designers and developers), we found that many of their most linked-to pages are listicles, such as “10 Open-Source Login Page Templates Built With HTML & CMS,” “50 Web And Mobile UI Free Figma Templates,” and “The 100 Best Free Fonts.”
The most linked-to pages of speckyboy.com are listicle posts.
If you’re in the same industry as speckyboy.com, consider creating similar list-style posts for your site. Repeat this analysis for other competitors and compile topic ideas based on your findings.
#6. Forum Link Building
Forum link building involves building relationships with other members on online discussion forums and eventually earning backlinks to your website through the content you share.
To find relevant forums in your niche, use Google Search Operators such as:
“your keyword” + “forums”
For example, if you’re targeting insurance forums, search for: “insurance” + “forums”; then, you will find a list of insurance-related forums to explore.
Insurance-related forums where you can join, share content, and earn backlinks.
When choosing a forum, consider the following criteria
- At least 1,000 members
- 10–15 daily posts
- Over 10,000 total posts and contributions
- Allowing signatures and moderating posts.
While participating, focus on adding value to discussions and responding to comments rather than just promoting your website.
If you want to know what forum building looks like, here is a practical example:
An example of practical forum link building
In this instance, the target niche is insurance providers. The community boasts over 80K visitors, a Domain Authority 93, and a Trust Flow 48. These features make it an ideal platform for adding value to conversations while securing a do-follow backlink.
#7. Customer Testimonial Link Building
Testimonial link building involves getting reputable, industry-relevant websites to publish your positive reviews of their products or services and provide a backlink to your site.
For example, if you use Ahrefs’ SEO tool, they might feature your testimonial on their site, highlighting your expertise as an SEO professional and linking to your website, as below:
Example of testimonial link building
To build testimonial links, follow these steps:
1. Create a list of relevant products or services you’ve used, focusing only on those related to your industry.
2. Email the webmaster, introducing your endorsement offer.
3. Craft compelling testimonials encouraging visitors to click on your website link.
By building testimonial links skillfully, you can earn valuable backlinks, increase website traffic, and enhance your reputation in your industry.
#8. HARO Link Building
HARO link building leverages HARO’s free service to connect you with journalists from top publications like the New York Times, Forbes, and USA Today, who seek expert insights for their articles. Responding to their queries, you secure backlinks from highly authoritative sites if your answers are selected.
After registering for a HARO account, you will receive daily emails containing queries or requests for information from reporters, like this:
Email with queries from HARO
Each query includes a title and the Name of the media outlet in brackets. If you find a relevant query, click it for detailed information.
Detailed information on a query
Then, respond to the request with a solid contribution. To increase the chances of your response being opened and read, follow these tips:
- Build trust: Journalists must verify that your response comes from a reliable source. Use a professional email signature with a gravatar and your photo, include links to your company website and social media, mention your position, and provide a brief bio (1-2 sentences) about your expertise.
- Respond ASAP: Although deadlines are typically 1-3 days, responding within 12 hours can improve your chances of obtaining a backlink.
- Keep it brief: Short, valuable quotes are most preferred. Therefore, keep your response concise, ideally within 100-300 words.
- Be relevant: Only respond to queries related to your area of expertise. Ensure that your responses are valuable to your niche.
- Have a clear subject line: The potential for journalists to open your email highly relies on the subject line. It is the first impression, yet where journalists approach your request without reading much.
For example, Mountain IQ, an adventure travel company, effectively utilized HARO by responding to a query on “Revitalizing the tourism industry post-COVID-19.” Their insights were featured in USA Today, which included a link to Mountain IQ’s homepage. This successful media mention highlighted the company’s expertise and provided valuable exposure.
Mountain IQ’s response
USA Today’s article featured Mountain IQ, including a link to the company’s homepage.
Check out the full article on USA Today!
Frequently Asked Question
- Why Link Building Strategies Are Important?
An excellent link-building plan increases the number of links to your site, making it more trusted and authoritative online. This strategy can lift your search rankings, bring more visitors to your site, and help your business reach more potential customers.
At ROI Digitally, we’re dedicated to boosting your business with 100% white-hat SEO tactics that deliver actual results. Our expert team specializes in off-page optimization, including backlink analysis, disavowing spammy links, strategic outreach, and tailored content creation. Explore our Off-Page SEO services today and outpace your competition to reach page one!
- Is Link Building Still Relevant In 2024?
Yes. Search engines base a website’s position in search results on the quantity and quality of links pointing to it. More high-quality links mean a higher ranking for the site.
- What Are The Rules Of Effective Link-Building?
Getting SEO links from closely related sites is ideal because it shows respect from experts in your field. It’s even better if the link is in highly relevant content.
- What Are Link Building Mistakes?
The top mistakes include using wrong links, forgetting to link within your site, mixing up anchor text, and not using reliable sources. Too much focus on specific anchor text can also get you in trouble with Google.
