When you put content on your site, you want it to be as effective as possible when it comes to bringing traffic to your business. One way to do this is through backlinks.
Backlinks can benefit companies in several ways. One scenario is if a company includes a backlink to your site in their content. This will encourage readers to click on to your site bringing new visitors to your page.
If you include backlinks on your site and another company finds out about it, they may be encouraged to include a link to your site in a future piece.
If the company you are networking with is reputable, this will help establish you as a trustworthy source.
Backlinks also help for SEO purposes. If Google sees that a lot of other websites are linking to your site, it will boost your reputation making you rank higher in search engines.
Now that you know how valuable linking can be, let’s take a look at how you can create a strategy for building backlinks.
Related post: The Benefits of Producing SEO Content
Building Backlinks
Over the years, Google has enforced the idea that backlinks only offer value if they come from other quality websites. And while any link can drive traffic to a site, the quality sites will be the best when it comes to SEO rankings.
Therefore, companies should do their best to network with reputable companies to get the best results.
No follow links must also be considered when creating a strategy to boost SEO through backlinks. Some companies use them to stop spammers from linking to their site.
These links will not boost SEO, but don’t write them off so quickly. No follow links still allow readers to click through so you may get more visitors to your site.
Surveys and Research
When considering the type of content you want to link to, surveys and research are highly recommended. They add validity to the information you are offering, and readers are likely to click on these links for more information.
Once they click on the link, the website you are linking to will be notified making them more likely to include a link of yours in the future.
And while including a link to a survey in your content can be effective, it will really stand out if you conduct your own survey and publish your results.
Conducting a survey requires a lot of time and money, but it may be worth the effort. This is exactly the type of information people are likely to link to when they are creating their own unique content.
To make the most of your survey and research backlinks, promote them on social media and in third party publications. This will help you get more online attention and it will build your reputation as an authority.
Newsjacking
It is a good idea to pay attention to the latest trends and news sources to find out about breaking news. If you are one of the first to report breaking news, it will increase your visibility and engage readers.
Newsjacking will also help your site rate highly on search engines. Once your site becomes more visible, it will increase the likelihood that people will use your content as a backlink source. It will also make for more clicks on the links you are using which will prompt reciprocation.
Expert Roundups
An expert roundup piece can be a great opportunity to include links in your work and get some links in return.
For this type of piece, you will choose a topic and get experts to weigh in. Include their quotes in your article to share their viewpoint.
In your article, you will want to include a link to their website, and it is likely they will link to the piece in their content as well.
Interviews
Interviewing someone is another way to build backlinks. It can be a difficult process, but it may be worth well the effort.
You don’t have to find a celebrity to interview, but you will want to go with an expert in your field. In the article, you will want to include links to the website of the person you are interviewing. It is likely they will reciprocate by sharing your article once it is published.
Long Form Articles
Long form articles are super informative. They will offer even more authority if they are chock full of links.
Be sure to add some quality links to give readers plenty of opportunities to find out more about your research and to encourage networking opportunities with quality sources.
Collaborate on Content
Teaming up with another company is another great way to encourage link building. Of course, you don’t want to collaborate with a competitor, but it should be someone relevant to your industry. For example, if you sell baked goods, you can team up with someone who manufactures the equipment you use.
The content you collaborate on will surely be shared through linking by both companies and you may even get some additional links out of the deal.
Infographics
There are a lot of poorly constructed infographics on the internet today. If you can create a high quality one, it will be in demand with content creators. If they use your infographic, it is hopeful that they will link back to your site.
While producing a listicle in infographic format may not encourage sharing, one that contains actionable takeaways will get you the attention you are looking for.
Local Publications
Local publications are often in need of news stories. You can ask them if they would be willing to do a write up of your business. Alternately, you can offer to write a regular column for them. Either of these options will provide opportunities for them to include a link to your website.
Case Studies
Case studies are a great way to provide proof of the results your company has gotten for its clients and publishing it on your web site will look impressive. If the case study is insightful, data driven and insightful, you may be also be able to forward it to editors of publications relevant to your industry.
Those that are on the lookout for expert advice will be likely to share it, along with a link to your site.
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Whitepapers
Whitepapers are authoritative reports or guides that inform readers about a complex issue. They take a lot of research to create, but if you are able to put one together, it can be a great way to earn industry-specific links.
You can work with university students to conduct research on a topic that is relevant to your industry. For instance, if you are in the field of e-commerce, you can look into how certain trends effect consumers.
Once you complete your white paper, promote it among industry relevant press. As long as it offers valuable content, it should help you reach your link-building goals.
Measure Your Backlinks
It’s one thing to include backlinks in your content, but you also want to check on them regularly to see what kind of results you are getting. You should also go back through your content every so often to see which links are still working and which ones lead to orphan pages. Broken links can have a negative effect on your reputation.
Bright Edge offers a backlink tracking features that helps you determine which of your backlinks are getting the most attention. This can help you create a strategy regarding the best backlinks to include in your content in the future.
Backlinks are a great way to increase your SEO ranking which will lead to a boost in traffic and conversions. Which type of links are the most effective for your company?