Link building is an SEO practice that involves getting other websites to link to your website (aka “backlinks”). However, link building also includes internal links, such as those found on your site.
Through these external and internal links, web crawlers discover new content and understand how pages relate, enhancing your search ranking. The goal is to boost the “authority” of your pages in the eyes of Google.
Simply having a responsive design and fast page speed isn’t enough. It’s time to build those links to your website!
Stick with this guide if you want to boost your digital marketing with effective link-building. Let’s get started.
Understanding the Basics of Link Building
In link-building terms, you can think of backlinks as votes of confidence. When multiple sites link to yours, they’re essentially telling Google, “Hey, this page matters!“
Google evaluates these links to determine your site’s popularity and authority. The more backlinks your page has, the higher it tends to rank. To outperform a competitor in search rankings, you generally need more backlinks than they do.
Beyond the number, the quality of these links is crucial. Links from well-regarded and popular sites are more influential, enhancing your site’s relevance and authority in its field.
The algorithm’s intelligence also considers other factors that we will take a deeper look at below.
What Factors Does Google Use to Evaluate Links?
Some backlinks are more valuable than others for SEO, while others offer no help at all. Acquiring backlinks through spammy practices can do more harm than good.
Note these main factors Google uses to evaluate links:
Authority and Reliability
First off, not all backlinks are created equal. A link from a high-profile site like National Geographic is far more impactful than one from a small, lesser-known travel blog.
So, how do we measure a website’s authority? Free tools like Ahrefs’ Domain Rating (DR) and Moz’s Domain Authority (DA) are industry favorites for this purpose. These metrics help gauge the overall strength of a website’s backlink profile.
But it’s not just about the website; the authority of the specific page linking to you also matters, as Google’s PageRank algorithm shows. Ahrefs has a similar metric called URL Rating (UR), which assesses the authority of individual pages based on their backlinks.
Relevance
Say you run a tech blog. Links from other tech websites will influence Google more positively than links from unrelated sites like fashion or makeup. Google’s guide confirms that links from well-known sites within your topic suggest that your information is high-quality.
While relevance is important, there’s some flexibility. For instance, a tech blog could naturally link to articles about productivity software or home office setups, extending beyond just gadgets.
So feel free to aim for links from domains closely related to your subject, as this still demonstrates recognition by authorities in your field.
Anchor Text
Anchor text is the clickable text part of a link. It’s important because Google uses this text to understand the linked page and which keywords it should rank for.
However, controlling the anchor text too much can look like manipulation to Google, which might lead to penalties. It’s best to let the author or site owner choose the anchor text naturally.
Placement
As for link placement, it matters where your link sits on a page. A “Reasonable Surfer Model” concept from a Google patent suggests that links are more valuable if placed where people are more likely to click them.
Typically, links within the main content of a page get more clicks than those in sidebars or footers. Also, links higher up on the page tend to attract more clicks than those at the bottom.
Acquisition Rate and Type
Not so long ago, black hat SEO tactics involved creating link farms or buying links to boost rankings quickly. Google caught on to these deceptive practices and updated its algorithm to detect and penalize them.
A big red flag for Google is if your site gains a lot of links too quickly, which usually suggests some shady tactics, as natural link growth tends to happen gradually.
Google also distinguishes between dofollow links, which pass on link equity, and nofollow links, which do not affect the ranking of the linked page.
| Note:
External backlinks weigh more heavily than internal links, but internal linking helps Google understand site structure and page hierarchy. Links to and from a site also reflect its relevancy and authority within a specific field. |
These points encapsulate how Google assesses the effectiveness and authenticity of a page in improving its search engine rankings.
Top 10 Effective Link-Building Strategies
It’s possible to naturally acquire backlinks over time, but proactively building links can give you a competitive edge in search. Here are some quick insights to get us started:
- For new websites: Start by establishing a few dozen foundational links.
- Relationships matter: It’s easier to get a link from someone if you already have a connection with them.
- Content quality: Your page must be interesting and useful, or it’ll be tough to attract links.
- Relevance and authority: Links from relevant and authoritative websites impact your Google rankings most.
Let’s dive deeper into how to use these insights to boost your site’s visibility and ranking!
1. Create Compelling Content
Ultimately, there’s no strategy more effective in 2024 than creating terrific content. High-quality, well-researched, and original content naturally attracts links. You can use MarketMuse to post better content and improve its ranking.
When creating content, aim to make it a linkable asset—something valuable like a tool, research report, or detailed guide that naturally gets backlinks. Statistics are especially powerful because they offer credible information others want to cite.
But people can’t share and link back to your page if they can’t find it, which leads us to the next tips.
2. Leverage Social Media
Sharing your content on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can help promote it. While you don’t own the relationships with your (rented) audience, you have access to massive distribution.
Regularly posting updates and engaging content can draw attention and encourage followers to link to your site. Remember to interact with your audience and participate in conversations to boost further engagement.
3. Email Outreach
The most direct way to earn backlinks is to reach out to other website owners and ask them to link to your content when it adds value to their site.
This direct approach works best when you explain how linking to your content benefits both their audience and website credibility. Be polite and professional, providing specific details about where and why your content fits well on their site.
4. Guest Blogging
Writing guest posts for other blogs is another common way to gain backlinks. Becoming a guest author is much easier if you’ve built a relationship with the site owner first.
Once connected, you can write awesome content for their blog and offer valuable insights in exchange for a link back to your site. If you opt for outreach, use templates to streamline the process, but personalize each email communication to increase acceptance rates.
5. Become a Source (via HARO and journalist requests):
Working with reporters can earn you backlinks. You can contribute an “expert quote” through services like Connectively, formerly HARO. Just find queries that match your expertise and provide information or assets directly to reporters.
| Pro tip:
Another way to find opportunities is by checking hashtags like #journorequest on X (formerly Twitter). |
You can also create an interesting story and share it with relevant reporters via a press release. Those who cover your story may credit you with a link to your site.
6. Broken Link Building
Identify a dead page with many links, create an alternative on your website, and then contact everyone linking to it. That’s broken link building in a nutshell.
Not only do you help the website owner by fixing a broken resource, but you also snag a valuable backlink for yourself.
Finding the right broken links takes some research and a smart approach. Tools like Semrush’s Backlink Analytics can help uncover competitors’ broken backlinks, giving you a head start.
7. Replicate Competitor Backlinks
Analyze your competitors’ backlink profiles to see where they get their links. Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify these sources, then strategize how to get similar links for your site. This might involve reaching out to the same websites with better content proposals.
You can also use free tools like Neil Patel’s Backlink Checker or SE Ranking’s Backlink Gap Analyzer to understand where their backlinks are coming from. Run an analysis on your competitor’s domain, check the list of linking sites, and look for clues about their strategy.
Are they doing a lot of guest blogging? Or maybe they’ve secured links from big corporate sites and key publications through deep networking? Whatever they’re doing, figure out how you can replicate it to get ahead.
8. Create Content Roundups
Roundup posts are all about gathering content or opinions from experts in your niche. These posts might be shorter and less valuable on their own because the real value comes from the articles they link to. Basically, you’re curating the best content of the week, month, or whatever timeframe and sharing it on your blog.
By featuring other people’s content in roundups, you’re not just giving your readers great value—you’re also grabbing the attention of those you’ve mentioned. They’ll appreciate the shoutout and might link to your site, helping you grow your backlink collection.
To find content to feature, search your target keywords on Google or check out what others in your niche are linking to. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!
9. Engage with Influencers
Link building and influencer marketing are a powerful combo. By partnering with influencers, you can use their credibility and audience to include your links in their content.
Unlike typical sponsored content that can be obvious, influencer endorsements blend smoothly with their regular posts, making them more effective and engaging for their followers.
If your goal is to promote a product or service, you can create an affiliate program that influencers can join and use their affiliate link to direct referral traffic to your site.
10. Target Resource Pages
Resource page link building involves featuring your content on a blogger or influencer’s “resource” page. These pages typically list valuable products, services, tools, and other websites.
According to Search Engine Land, building links from resource pages is the 2nd most popular link-building strategy among SEO pros. To leverage this, identify resource pages listing helpful links for visitors.
You can find them using Google footprint searches like:
| inurl:[your niche] + resources |
Then, reach out with a well-crafted pitch, suggesting your content as a valuable addition. Ensure your content is highly relevant and useful to increase your chances of getting featured.
The Future of Link Building
Link building is still a key part of SEO. However, as algorithms evolve and competition increases, the strategies for effective link-building are also advancing.
Key Takeaways:
- Quality Beats Quantity Every Time: The days of chasing a million low-quality backlinks are over. The future is all about getting links from authoritative sites.
- Content is King: Want those high-quality links? You need to create content worth linking to.
- Slow and Steady Wins the Race: Google is watching unnatural link patterns. You’ve got to build your links gradually, organically, and with a focus on real value.
- Mix it Up: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. A solid link-building strategy will be a mix of everything—guest posts, social media engagement, and more.
- Relationships are Everything: Behind every great link is a solid relationship. Whether it’s through collaborations or simple outreach, building connections in your industry is your best bet for long-term success.
So, what’s next?
Focus on high-quality content, build real relationships, and be smart about growing your link profile. Do that, and you’ll stay ahead of the curve as SEO evolves.
