Is Link Building the Right Strategy for You?

Digital Marketing is great for any business no matter how big and small. However, one cannot deny how broad and extensive it can be, which can be intimidating or time consuming for some. 

While it is a given for most businesses to implement basic SEO and social media strategies, most have probably come across the words “link building” but have temporarily put it on hold. One of the reasons is that it is looked upon as a labor-intensive process. 

So, what exactly is link building? 

To put it simply, link building is the process of getting reputable sites to link to your website. Why is this important? Google considers links as a ranking factor to whether your website will show up on the first few pages of its search engine results page. Without links, it will be harder to rank your page higher on the Google results page.  

However, it is important to know that Google strictly looks down on malicious and spammy efforts to boost your backlinks. This is why it is crucial to approach link building with caution and stick to the proper way of implementing this for your website.  

Benefits of Link Building 

So, if it is important, then why are most digital marketers setting it aside or simply skipping it? 

One thing you should know about link building is that it is hard. While understanding and knowing what you need to do is simple, there are a lot of challenges to look out for once you start implementing it.  

Regardless, links remain as one of Google’s main ranking factors. It plays a big role in how you can increase the visibility of your business online. 

That’s why we rounded up some of the top ways to kickstart your link building efforts to help increase your website’s reach and visibility online.  

Top 3 Link Building Methods for Beginners  

1. Internal Linking 

Internal linking is the easiest and simplest way to start your link building strategy. Search engines crawl and index pages from your website based on content. With organized and structured internal links set in place, search engines can go through your site and find what they’re looking for easier and faster. 

You can start by creating an organizational chart of your website’s pages and content. Draft group pages based on topics and sub-pages under the related or respective pillar content or pages.  

If you’re creating a new website, create a list of pillar topics and create content that you can link under each topic. This content can also be a subtopic where you can add new content as you move forward with your SEO and link building strategies. 

2. Guest Blogging 

One way to build links is through guest blogging. Getting reputable or quality websites to write and link back to your website is a great way to boost your rankings and get quality links at the same time. Guest blogging can help position yourself as a thought leader or an authority in the industry you belong to. It also boosts your traffic by increasing your exposure through links that lead back to your website.  

Find quality but relevant sites to place your backlinks. List these sites down and sort them by topic or keyword. By simply doing a google search for keyword + guest post you will be able to find opportunities for guest posting that are related to keywords from your industry. 

Each website offering guest posting opportunities may have its own guidelines and rules so be sure to review those and make sure that you will still be able to benefit from guest posting from that website. 

Create quality content that the readers will benefit from. Don’t write a guest blog post for the sole reason of creating a backlink. The content must be relevant and interesting to the industry you belong to.  

3. Establish Your Social Media Presence 

One way to earn quality backlinks is through social media. Share your blog posts and other website content on social media to increase your traffic and to bring your content to a bigger audience.  

When it comes to backlinks, there is a strong debate about how much social media contributes to backlinks. Regardless, if your business is not on social media, you’re surely missing out on a lot of opportunities to promote your brand online. It shouldn’t come off as a surprise to how much engagement and impressions you can get from utilizing this online platform. Social media offers your business an increase in visibility which can help generate links for your business.  

Introduce your business and website to more people by sharing some of your best content on social media. Be sure to create useful and informative content that your audience can relate to. The more engaging your content is, the more likely your audience will share your content and give it more visibility. 

Utilizing social media for your link building strategy will also open a lot of opportunities for you to earn more links from different sources. Using social media for link building also requires less work than other methods such as guest blogging and looking for sites who will link back to yours. 

Tips on Implementing a Successful Link Building Strategy 

Now that you’ve got some ideas to get started on your link building process, here are a few tips that can help you achieve successful link building for your business.

Create Valuable Content 

Content that readers will find useful, informative, and valuable will help you build links to your website. Create content that’s well thought off and well-researched. Find topics that addresses problems or concerns your target audience may have. Creating long-form content is said to generate more links than content with less than 1,000 words. 

Establish Your Personal Brand 

Growing your personal brand is one way to support your link building efforts. By knowing and understanding your business identity, you can express yourself naturally when it comes to creating and writing content. Staying consistent with your personal branding will better set you as an expert in the industry you belong to. Relevant sites value industry experts who are true to their branding and will be more likely to link back to your website.  

Record and Track Your Backlink 

Make a record of all the websites, guest blog posts, and links you create and submit. Set a schedule to check back and ensure that the links remain up and are active. This will also give you a chance to check and engage with the people who may have commented on your post. Engaging with your readers will also allow you to start building a community of individuals from the industry you are in and drive more traffic to your website at the same time. 

Need help with link building? 

While link building may not be your priority at the moment, adding it to your list will help you rank better for organic search. Make the most out of your content marketing and social media efforts by exploring link building. It will not only contribute to your reach and visibility but also drive relevant traffic to your website. 

If you need help with link building, and digital marketing in general, feel free to contact us. We’ll design a plan around your needs.