Developing backlinks is one of the most significant concerns for brands looking to build their website. Getting backlinks to your website can be frustrating and time-consuming, especially if you’re not getting the desired results. To build a brand, digital marketers must focus on a targeted and well-thought-out strategy for getting backlinks. Simple SEO (search engine optimization) is a thing of the past.
If you’ve been in digital marketing long enough, you’ve heard about backlinks at least once. What exactly are backlinks? Why do you need them? We explain backlinks, why they can enhance digital marketing ROI, and how to build them.
What is a backlink?
Simply put, a backlink is a hyperlink that links to a page on your website. In other words, a backlink is when a website page mentions and links to another website page.
When it comes to digital marketing, the word “backlink” is an umbrella term that includes many search engine optimization contexts. Some of how people talk about backlinks include the following:
Internal links:
These links connect the internal parts of your website and help Google index your content. Some call them backlinks, but these internal links usually refer to links from other parts of your website.
Inbound link:
Inbound links are links from one website to a page on your website. These are the types of backlinks that everyone wants for SEO purposes.
Referral link:
These links are links to a webpage, for example, from an email, a Word document, etc.
External link:
A link to a page on a different website, like a study or a news report.
Anchor link:
An anchor link is a link on one page to a different section of that page. Longer articles use this technique to allow readers to jump around in the article.
Why do backlinks matter in digital marketing?
This is a complicated question. When Google evaluates websites, backlinks are one of the many factors it considers. In other words, one of the ways Google figures out a website’s “authority” or importance is by looking at how many other websites link to it. In short: Google says so, and Google brings the average website 50% of its total online traffic.
Unfortunately, people started to catch on, and they would purchase backlinks. That meant that overnight, new websites would rank on Google search results for valuable search terms. Because of that, Google and other popular search engines have begun cracking down on these practices (Black Hat SEO).
So do backlinks still matter for digital marketing? Absolutely!
In today’s day and age, the number of linked websites still matters a lot. In 2022, it still correlated with high search rankings. You need to look at backlinks differently and focus on high-quality backlinks instead of quantity. For example, one backlink from the New York Times is much more important than backlinks from 100 blogs that no one has ever heard of.
In short, to increase your Google search rankings, you should search for high-quality backlinks.
4 tips to get backlinks to your site
Have you struggled with generating backlinks? Maybe, you’ve slacked a little on building an effective backlink strategy. No matter your reasoning, here are some of the most effective ways to generate backlinks to your site.
Targeted link outreach
Once you publish a blog post, consider doing some targeted link outreach. SEO Experts such as Alchemythree can help your business with quality targeted link building. With targeted link outreach, you want to identify a few keywords and key phrases in your article and search Google for them. Click on some of the top links in Search and contact the content owners. You should compliment the content, but you should also suggest topics to add and let them know if anything is wrong or outdated. The note should share your content with them and ask for or encourage a backlink.
Search for resource pages.
If you’re a local business, this one’s for you. Try searching online for local businesses and other organizations with a resource page. You can do this through Google. Try targeting fellow companies and regional organizations, like non-profit groups. Ask those sites if they would consider adding your site as a link on their site. Reaching out to owners can be intimidating, but getting listed on these sites can be a great way to build domain authority and find new clients.
Find out more about local SEO for small businesses.
Develop sharable content
Have you ever come across a blog and found a great graph you want to share on your website? Have you ever written an article with a round-up of content and wanted to share a great tip from another tip? All of these are examples of content that can be shared, which lets your audience use your knowledge and content all over the internet. As a result, there’s a high chance your website will be linked to multiple web pages and platforms.
Sharable content can be a blog post, eBook, infographic, or any other content that others can distribute easily. This content can appear on your site, but it can also appear on social media platforms. Most social media sites have high domain authority, meaning blogs and businesses can get strong backlinks. Pinterest, for example, is a popular and great way to generate backlinks for your site.
Write guest posts
Guest posts are probably the most common way to show off your knowledge, establish yourself as an expert, and get backlinks at the same time. Most websites and blogs let guest posters include a short bio and backlinks. This means that guest posting may take longer but often has a more significant impact. Working with others in your niche helps you create a professional relationship, network, and brand.
Monitoring and Analyzing Backlinks
Understanding the impact of backlinks on your website’s SEO requires regular monitoring and analysis. This helps you identify valuable backlinks and detect potentially harmful ones that may negatively affect your rankings.
Tools for Monitoring and Analyzing Backlinks
Several tools are available for monitoring and analyzing backlinks, including:
- Google Search Console: A free tool provided by Google that offers insights into your website’s backlinks.
- Ahrefs: A popular paid tool that provides comprehensive backlink analysis and insights.
- SEMrush: Another paid tool that allows you to monitor and analyze backlinks and offers additional features for competitor analysis.
Removing Toxic or Low-Quality Backlinks
Low-quality or toxic backlinks can hurt your website’s SEO performance. To protect your website, follow these steps:
- Regularly audit your backlinks using the aforementioned tools.
- Identify potentially harmful backlinks that come from spammy or low-quality websites.
- Reach out to the webmasters of those websites and request the removal of unwanted backlinks.
- If the webmasters do not comply, use Google’s Disavow Tool to inform Google that you do not want those backlinks to be considered for your website’s ranking.
Leveraging Social Media for Backlinks
Social media platforms can be crucial in generating backlinks, as they allow users to share and engage with your content. To leverage social media effectively, follow these tips:
- Create shareable content: Develop content that resonates with your target audience and encourages them to share it on their social media profiles, creating backlinks.
- Engage with your audience: Actively participate in conversations, answer questions, and provide valuable insights to establish your authority and increase the likelihood of users linking to your content.
- Use social sharing buttons: Make it easy for users to share your content by including social sharing buttons on your website.
- Collaborate with influencers: Partner with influencers in your niche to reach a broader audience and generate more backlinks.
Key Takeaways
Backlinks are crucial to any effective digital marketing plan and Google rankings. Unfortunately, not all backlinks are created equal. It’s essential to pay attention to placement, relevance, quality, and other factors when finding backlinks. Remember: if a backlink is too easy to get, it’s probably not high-quality.