Building backlinks is important in proving to search engines that people find your content useful. But most people use the same old backlink strategies, missing out on fresh, less competitive ways to grab those precious backlinks.
Imagine the online world like a bustling market. Everyone’s shouting to get attention, but only a few have the crowd’s ear. The popular kids, aka the big-name websites, get easily noticed while the rest jostle in the crowd, trying to get a word in.
That’s where backlinks come into play. They are like personal recommendations that help you stand out in the crowd. The more you have from the right places, the better your chance of getting noticed.
In this article, we’re going to explore backlink strategies not many are talking about, let alone using.
We’re not just talking about collecting backlinks. We’re diving into building relationships, standing tall as an authority, and making your mark in the digital space.
What is Backlinking and Why It’s Important
Backlinking refers to earning links from external websites leading back to your own. When credible websites link to yours, search engines like Google see this as a good sign.
Think of it kind of like a vote for your content.
Importance of Backlinks
Backlinks help in building a site’s SEO ranking. They bring more visitors, improve your site’s standing, and make it more trustworthy.
When others link to your valuable content, your site ranks higher, becoming easier to find. This is the core of a good backlink strategy.
While getting many backlinks can be exciting, their quality is key. High-quality backlinks from authoritative sites are SEO gold.
For instance, a link from a reputable educational institution could be worth dozens or even hundreds of links from lesser-known sites. Conversely, links from dubious sources can be detrimental, pulling down your SEO ranking.
Overall, getting good backlinks is a long-term win. But how do you create backlinks for your site?
There are many approaches you can take to increase backlinks. Let’s discuss 21 of the most efficient ways of building backlinks below.
1. Create High-Quality Content
Creating great content is key to building backlinks. Always remember that your main goal when writing high-quality content is to answer your audience’s questions.
When your content resonates with readers, solves their problems, or answers their questions, it naturally garners traction and engagement.
Moreover, it positions you as an authority in your niche, making your website a go-to resource.
To create high-quality content, apply the tips below:
- Know what your audience wants by researching and asking for feedback.
- Offer fresh perspectives or insights not found elsewhere.
- Back your statements with data and research.
- Craft headlines that spark interest.
- Incorporate images, videos, and infographics to explain your points better.
- Keep sentences short and use subheadings.
- Use relevant keywords naturally within your content.
- Encourage reader interaction with impactful calls to action.
Aside from high-quality content, aiming for viral content is also an effective strategy. While virality isn’t always in one’s control, creating engaging, unique, or thought-provoking content can sometimes create a buzz.
This attracts a surge of traffic and authoritative backlinks.
2. Identify and Repair Broken Links
A broken link is a link on a webpage that doesn’t work. When you click it, instead of going to the intended destination, you end up on an error page that says something like “Page Not Found” or “404 Error.”
It’s not only unpleasant for users, but these errors also make the site look low-quality. To fix this problem, you can employ the broken link-building method.
This tactic involves reaching out to a website with a broken outbound link and suggesting they update it with a link to one of your pages.
Here’s how it works.
- First, use backlink tools like Moz Link Explorer to scout for broken links on websites related to your niche.
- Once you spot a broken link, contact the webmaster, introducing yourself and your content as a possible replacement for the broken link.
Politely inform the site owner that the page they linked to no longer exists but that you have created a fresh, updated, and informative resource on the same topic.
In your outreach, emphasize the benefits of updating their links to your new content. Explain why your content is a better fit for their audience and how it can provide value to their readers.
This not only helps your backlink strategy but also helps the other website owners avoid penalties from Google.
3. Publish Personal Case Studies
When it comes to building backlinks, showcasing personal case studies with definitive facts and information often works well to get other sites to link to you.
First, dig into your own experiences and research. Once you have your case study, present it to the world. Demonstrate how you tackled a problem, found a solution, and achieved results.
People love real-life examples, and case studies provide just that. Your case study becomes a valuable resource, attracting quality backlinks from those who appreciate your expertise.
And lastly, case studies can be invaluable for readers who are facing similar problems and are looking for solutions.
Here is the typical structure of a case study:
- Introduction: Provide an overview of the subject and the problem or challenge it faces.
- Background: Offer context, including relevant industry information and any previous attempts to solve the problem.
- Solution: Describe how the problem was addressed and the steps taken to achieve the solution.
- Results: Present the outcomes and benefits of the solution. Use data, metrics, and testimonials to support your claims.
- Conclusion: Summarize the key takeaways and the success of the case. Include a call to action, if applicable.
With case studies, you give your audience a new way to look at a problem or solid information about something that interests them. At the same time, you get to gain quality backlinks for your site.
4. Disseminate Free Digital Resources
Sharing free downloadable content like ebooks or web apps is a smart way to build backlinks. Everyone loves free stuff, especially when they’re value-adding!
When you give away helpful resources, people will want to share them. They might link to your resources from their websites or blogs, helping you create backlinks.
As an example, eBooks that solve common problems or handy web apps are loved by people.
Make sure to share these freebies on social media, forums, and other places online. This way, more people will find them, use them, and link back to them.
5. Get Featured on Resource Pages
Resource pages are curated lists of links to external websites that provide valuable content on a particular topic. They’re prevalent across many industries and domains, making them a viable backlink opportunity for various websites.
Here’s how you can get featured on these pages:
1. Identify Relevant Resource Pages
Begin by identifying resource pages within your industry. You can use the search strings below to find these pages.
- Keyword inurl:resources
- Keyword “best resources”
- Keyword intitle:links
Evaluate the pages you find to ensure they are high-quality and relevant to your niche.
2. Make Sure Your Content is Valuable
Your content must provide value and be a good fit for the resource page to be considered for inclusion. It should offer unique insights, helpful information, or a different perspective that benefits the resource page’s audience.
3. Reach Out for Inclusion
Craft a compelling pitch explaining why your content would be a valuable addition to their resource page.
Some resource pages have a “Suggest a resource” link that makes it easier for you to propose your content.
6. Reclaim Unmentioned Links
Getting backlinks from mentions of your brand is a smart move when building backlinks. In fact, this is one of the easiest yet most efficient backlinking strategies.
First off, you need to know when and where your brand gets mentioned. Tools like Google Alerts can help with this. You set them up to notify you whenever your brand gets a mention on any site.
Now, when you find a mention without a link, it’s time to reach out. Sending a friendly email to the publisher can do the trick. Thank them for the mention and kindly ask if they can link it back to your site.
It’s important to keep your email nice and simple. Say thank you, introduce yourself, and ask for the link. Explain how the link adds value to their content.
It’s also a good idea to use other tools along with Google Alerts for keeping track of mentions. This way, you get a fuller picture of your brand’s presence on the web.
7. Be Part of the “Best of X” List Mentions
Being featured on ‘Best X’ lists is a coveted spot if you’re looking to enhance your online visibility and credibility. These lists are quite popular and tend to attract a significant amount of traffic, making them a valuable backlink opportunity.
To find these kinds of article posts, do some research first within your niche. Look for the ones that are updated often and come from reputable sources. The higher the domain authority, the better.
Once you have a list, check if your content fits well with what’s already there. It should stand out but in a good way, blending well with the theme of the list.
Then, create a compelling pitch and send it to the publishers. Highlight the unique attributes of your content, product, or service and explain why it deserves a spot on their list and how it compares favorably with others already on the list.
8. Reach Out to Journalists
Journalists are always on the hunt for credible sources and unique insights for their stories. Providing them with the information they need can earn you a mention and a backlink in their published articles.
Start by identifying journalists who cover your industry or related topics. Follow them on social media, engage with their content, and understand the kind of stories they are interested in.
Building a rapport before you need something from them is a good practice. Offer value upfront by providing exclusive data, insights, or expert commentary on current events or trends in your industry.
Also, make yourself available for comments or interviews on a regular basis. Offer to be a source for future articles. Being reliable and easy to work with will make journalists more likely to contact you when they need a source.
Moreover, consider using platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to connect with journalists looking for expert commentary. This can be a less intrusive way of offering your expertise and building relationships with journalists.
9. Revitalize Old Content
The digital landscape is always changing, and what was relevant or accurate a year ago may not hold the same value today.
When you keep your content fresh and updated, you not only maintain its relevance but also increase its chances of attracting backlinks.
Start by reviewing your old content, and identifying pieces that performed well in the past or have high-quality information but have lost traffic over time. The idea is to build upon the existing value of your content, making it fresh and relevant again.
Once you’ve identified the content to revamp, it’s time to get to work. Here are some of the best practices when updating your old content.
- Research recent developments, statistics, or insights related to the topic of your content.
- Look for new authoritative sources or references that can enhance the credibility and usefulness of your content.
- Enhance the readability by improving the layout. Add subheadings, bullet points, images, and other media.
- Re-evaluate the keywords your content is targeting and update them if necessary.
- Add new sections that provide additional value or cover aspects of the topic that were not previously addressed.
- Consider adding an FAQ section to address common questions related to the topic.
10. Leverage Visual Assets for Backlinks
One engaging way to build backlinks is by using visual assets like images or infographics. People love visuals because they make complex information easy to grasp.
Start by making unique and appealing visual assets. Once you have your visuals ready, it’s time to share them with the world.
To make sharing easy, create an embed code for your graphics. This code helps others quickly share your visuals on their sites. The best part is each share comes with a backlink to your site.
Don’t stop at just one share. You can get more mileage out of your visuals by turning them into different forms.
For instance, the data from an infographic can be repurposed into a blog post, a slideshow, or even a podcast. Each new form is a fresh chance to share your content and build more backlinks.
11. Engage with Reputable Directories
One straightforward backlink strategy is getting listed on reputable directories. Directories are online listings that categorize and provide basic information about websites. They list websites along with some details about them.
When your site is listed in a good directory, you get a backlink, and that’s good for your site’s SEO, especially local SEO.
How to Enlist Your Site on Directories
1. Find directories that are well-liked and related to your field.
Stay away from spammy ones, as they can hurt your site instead of helping. Look for directories that have a good reputation, a neat layout, and a solid process for accepting new listings.
Ideally, you should find directories that are specific to your industry.
2. Create a listing for your site.
Make sure to include a link to your site, your business name, and a short, snappy description of what you do. Keep your info the same across different directories. Any mix-up can cause confusion and lessen the SEO boost you get from the listing.
3. Wait for your site to get listed.
Sometimes, getting listed can take a while. Some directories will want to check your site before listing it. They might send you an email to verify your listing or even review your site by hand.
The key is to provide accurate info in your listing to make the verification smooth.
You might come across directories that ask for a fee for a special listing. Think it over and see if the fee is worth the SEO and traffic boost you might get.
12. Publish Guest Posts
Guest posting is a valuable strategy for improving your website’s backlink profile, boosting authority, and expanding your online presence. It gets your name out there, improves branding, and helps generate traffic to the host website as well as yours.
There are two ways you can find sites to publish guest posts:
- Using Google Search
Search Google for terms like, “keyword” guest posts. There are plenty of variations for this search, and they usually produce results of sites open to the idea of letting you create guest posts.
- Direct Contact
Some webmasters will flirt with the idea of allowing guest posts even when they don’t publicly state them as such. Contact them directly and open a dialog.
Best Practices When Guest Posting
To maximize the benefits of your guest posting, here are some best practices that you can do:
- Look for reputable and high-authority sites in your niche to guest post.
- Make sure your guest post is high-quality, relevant, and provides value to the host site’s audience.
- When building backlinks through guest posts, use natural and relevant anchor text for your links. Avoid over-optimizing as it can look spammy.
- Adhere to the guest posting guidelines provided by the host site. This includes formatting, style, and link guidelines.
- Once your guest post is published, engage with the readers by responding to comments and questions. This interaction can enhance your reputation and lead to more backlink opportunities.
13. Make it Easier to Link Resources
Simplifying the process of sharing your webpage encourages your audience to engage, share, and link to your content.
Here are some strategies that you can implement to make linking to your site easier.
1. User-Friendly URLs
Having a clear, concise, and descriptive URL for your web pages. It is easier to share a URL that’s short and easy to remember.
2. Social Sharing Buttons
Adding social sharing buttons to your web pages allows visitors to quickly share your content on their preferred social media platforms.
3. Embeddable Content
If your content includes multimedia elements like videos, infographics, or widgets, provide an option to embed them.
4. HTML Code Snippets
Offer pre-made HTML code snippets for sharing buttons or widgets related to your content. Visitors can copy and paste these snippets to include your content on their sites.
5. Clear CTAs
Use clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs) within your content. Encourage your readers to share or link to your content if they find it useful. Simple, direct requests can motivate action.
6. Content Licensing
Consider using a Creative Commons license or a clear content usage policy for your original content. Specify how others can use and share your content legally by providing guidelines.
14. Be Part of a Community
Communities often revolve around shared interests, hobbies, or professional fields. When you actively engage in discussions and share your expertise, other members may find your insights valuable and choose to reference your website.
A lot of communities have platforms that you can use to share blogs or websites, published articles, and content related to the community’s interests.
Here are some platforms or communities to join to promote your site:
This site has a wide array of subreddits (topic-specific communities) where you can engage with people interested in your niche. Just be sure to follow subreddit rules and avoid overly self-promotional behavior.
It’s a question-and-answer platform where you can share your expertise by answering questions related to your field. You can also include links to your site in your responses.
This professional networking platform is where you can join related groups and participate in discussions. It’s particularly effective for B2B and professional niches.
Facebook Groups
Many Facebook groups are dedicated to specific interests or industries. Joining and actively participating in these groups can help you market your website.
When joining communities, remember to focus on providing value and becoming a respected member of that community. Over time, this can lead to more traffic and backlinks to your site.
15. Proper Comment Linking
Comment linking is a strategy that involves leaving comments on blogs or websites with the intention of gaining backlinks to your own website. When done correctly, it can be an effective way to build relationships, contribute to discussions, and gain backlinks.
Here are some best practices to follow:
- Before leaving a comment, read the full article or post. This helps you understand the context and ensures your comment is relevant and adds value.
- Your comments should contribute to the discussion. Share your insights, ask questions, or provide additional resources that can benefit other readers.
- Avoid blatant self-promotion. Don’t use comments solely to advertise your website or products.
- Some websites have specific rules for leaving comments. Adhere to these rules, such as character limits or guidelines for formatting.
- Respond to other commenters and engage in discussion.
- Maintain a respectful and polite tone in your comments, even if you disagree with the content.
- Over time, build relationships with the website owners, bloggers, and the community. Genuine relationships can lead to more opportunities.
Remember that the primary goal of proper comment linking is to engage with the community and contribute valuable insights. Gaining backlinks is a secondary benefit.
16. Elevate with “Skyscraper” Content
The term “skyscraper” comes from the idea that your content should be like the tallest building in a city, towering over the rest. The goal is for you to create content that becomes the go-to resource on a particular topic.
First, you need to identify existing content in your niche or industry that has been very successful in terms of engagement, backlinks, or rankings. A simple Google search for your target keywords can reveal top-ranking content.
Once you’ve identified the top-performing content, your goal is to create something even more valuable, informative, and comprehensive on the same topic.
This means going above and beyond in terms of research, quality, and presentation.
What Does It Take To Be A Skyscraper Content?
Skyscraper content often includes high-quality visuals, such as infographics, images, videos, and charts, to make it more engaging and informative.
Make sure that your content is optimized for search engines by using relevant keywords, optimizing meta tags, and following best SEO practices.
To truly make your content stand out, you need to promote it extensively. This includes sharing it on social media, reaching out to influencers for mentions or shares, and using various marketing channels to gain visibility.
And lastly, you should monitor the performance of your skyscraper content. Pay attention to metrics like traffic, backlinks, shares, and search engine rankings.
17. Innovate with Branded Strategies
Building backlinks is a crucial part of growing your online presence. But to really stand out, you need a unique approach. This is where branded strategies come into play.
Firstly, get to know your brand well. Understand what makes it special. Then, use this unique flavor to create a backlink strategy that speaks volumes about what you offer.
Hosting branded events like webinars or podcasts is another great idea. Invite experts from your field to share their insights. When you provide valuable discussions and share new ideas, people will want to link back to your content.
The more unique and branded, the better.
Social media is a playground for brands. Launching campaigns or challenges related to your brand can get the online crowd buzzing. If your campaigns catch on, you could get mentions from influencers and backlinks from other sites, all while having fun with your audience.
Remember, it’s all about being creative and standing out. The more interesting and unique your content is, the more websites will want to link to it.
18. Establish Authority Resource Pages
Experts, businesses, and organizations typically create authority resource pages to establish their expertise and offer their audience useful content.
It also aims to provide valuable information to its audience and serve as a go-to reference for those seeking in-depth knowledge on a specific subject within a niche.
These pages attract backlinks from other websites and help with SEO, as they are seen as valuable resources by both readers and search engines.
Examples of these are:
- Harvard Business Review (Business) provides authoritative articles, case studies, and reports on various business topics.
- WebMD (Health and Medical) offers comprehensive, authoritative information on various health and medical topics.
- Investopedia (Finance) is a go-to resource for authoritative financial and investment information. It provides in-depth articles, tutorials, and financial definitions.
Over time, you can become known as an authority resource page in your niche if you keep posting high-quality, informative, and up-to-date content, interact with your audience, and promote your work.
This recognition will bring you quality backlinks, boost your credibility, and turn your website into the best place for people to find information in your field.
19. Create A Free Tool/Software (For Tech Companies)
Creating a free tool or software can be a game-changer for tech companies looking at building backlinks.
When you offer a tool that solves a problem, people notice. And if your tool is really helpful, other websites will link to it as a useful resource. This is a smart way to get backlinks.
But creating a tool is just the start. It’s important to keep it updated.
Listen to what users say and make improvements. This way, your tool stays useful and keeps attracting more users and backlinks over time.
Now, keeping an eye on the backlinks and traffic your tool is generating is crucial. As mentioned previously, there are many tools online that can help you track how many backlinks you are getting.
20. Request Links from Your Business Supplier/Vendor/Partner
A smart way to get backlinks is by talking to the people you already do business with – your suppliers, vendors, or partners. If you have a good relationship with them, they might be willing to link to your site from theirs.
Start by making a list of these business contacts who have a website. Check if their site has good traffic and a decent standing on the web.
Afterward, reach out to them with a friendly message, and pitch to them that your collaboration can be a win-win for both parties. When you exchange links, both sites get a boost, and visitors might hop from their site to yours and vice versa.
You can also explore more ways to support each other online. This could lead to more backlinks down the road or other cool joint ventures.
21. Podcast Link-Building
Podcasting has surged in popularity over the years, becoming a favored medium for individuals and businesses alike to share their stories and insights while promoting their brands.
This rise presents a golden opportunity for building backlinks that many have yet to tap into.
Podcast link-building is a creative and engaging way to earn quality backlinks, while also providing valuable content to a wider audience.
How Podcast Link-Building Works
1. Be A Podcast Guest
One effective method within podcast link-building is by becoming a guest on other podcast shows.
Typically, when you’re featured as a guest on a podcast, the host will include a link back to your website in the show notes on their website.
This is a straightforward way to earn a backlink from a reputable source. It’s beneficial to both parties; the podcast host gets valuable content for their audience, and you get exposure plus a quality backlink.
2. Promote The Podcast
Beyond merely appearing as a guest, promoting the podcast episode can further boost the backlink earning potential.
Sharing the episodes on your social media platforms, your website, and other relevant platforms not only increases the visibility of the podcast episode but also serves as a gesture of goodwill towards the podcast host.
When you promote the episode, it’s likely that the host, in turn, will promote your share, especially if you’ve tagged them. This cross-promotion can lead to additional backlink opportunities, as other listeners and followers might also share and link to the episode.
In addition to being a guest, hosting your own podcast can also be a robust strategy. Each episode’s show notes page can contain backlinks to various resources, guests’ websites, and your own pages.
FAQs About Building Backlinks
To check if a website has backlinks, use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz. They provide comprehensive backlink profiles, showing the number and quality of backlinks a website has. Additionally, these tools can display the referring domains and the anchor text used in the backlinks.
Start building backlinks as soon as your website is live and has quality content. Early efforts in building backlinks can accelerate your site’s authority and ranking on search engines. Ensure your site offers value to earn high-quality backlinks from reputable sources.
The most powerful backlink comes from a high-authority, relevant site, with a high Domain Authority (DA), and is a do-follow link. Such backlinks are valuable in SEO as they pass link juice and help in improving your site’s ranking.
Backlinks are inbound links from other websites to yours, indicating a form of endorsement. On the other hand, link building is the active process of seeking and acquiring these backlinks to improve SEO.
Yes, backlinks from social media are a type, but they are usually no-follow links, which may not significantly impact SEO. However, they are still valuable for driving traffic and improving online presence. Building backlinks on various platforms, including social media, is a holistic approach to online marketing.
SEO without building backlinks is possible but may not be as effective. Backlinks are a significant factor in search engine rankings. While on-page SEO is crucial, having a good backlink profile is essential for gaining higher visibility and credibility in the digital space.
Avoid backlinks from spammy, irrelevant sites, paid links, or those from link schemes as they can negatively impact your SEO. It’s vital to follow ethical backlink strategies, focusing on building backlinks naturally from reputable and relevant sites to ensure a positive impact on your site’s SEO performance.
Various tools can help find backlinks. Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz are popular ones, providing extensive data on backlinks. Google Search Console is a free tool that also provides insights into your site’s backlink profile. These tools are essential for building backlinks and understanding your site’s backlink profile.
Final Thoughts
Building backlinks can feel like a tough climb. But with the right strategies, it can turn into an exciting journey to the top.
The fresh tactics we’ve discussed in this guide show new ways on how to get backlinks. They take you off the beaten path, away from the crowd, and into a space where you can make your mark.
Remember, the goal is to create backlink opportunities that not only boost your site’s visibility but also add value to your audience. It’s about building a web of connections that help your site grow over time.
It’s time to try out these strategies, get valuable backlinks, and see your site soar. Building backlinks begins with a single step, and there’s no better time to take it than now.