INbound links, also known as backlinks, are one of the most important factors used by search engines to determine a website’s authority. Links to your brand website from other trusted, high-traffic sites across the internet will improve your search engine rankings, drive targeted traffic, and strengthen your brand’s authority within your industry.
But earning these links requires some effort and patience. The following guide outlines six proven ways you can build inbound links to your website and boost your online visibility.
Create link-worthy content
If you want other sites to link back to your website, you need to create content that is worth linking to. Bloggers and website hosts are only going to share content that they think will provide some value to their current audience. If you’re just hoping to drive traffic straight to your product pages for a quick sale, you’re going to have to find another strategy.
Instead, you need a solid content strategy, with a timeline for putting out a regular schedule of blogs, videos, infographics and any other formats you can think of. This content should aim to educate and inform your target audience, while also being entertaining and interesting.
Examples include:
- In-depth whitepapers, how-to guides and tutorials
- Original research or industry statistics
- Definitive “how-to” resources
- Entertaining videos, reels, or infographics
Visual assets like infographics, images, data visualisations, charts, or diagrams are excellent as they can simplify complex information and are widely shared on social media platforms. Just make sure you get the credit by making them branded, embeddable, and with clear attribution instructions to make it easy for other sites to link back to you.
If your content can genuinely solve a problem faced by a relevant audience, other websites are more likely to reference it naturally, without expecting anything in return.
Leverage guest blogging
Publishing guest posts on relevant industry sites is a highly effective way to earn backlinks. Reach out to websites and blogs whose readership aligns with your target audience and offer to write a blog post, or a series of them, for their audiences.
Make sure your content aligns with both your expertise and the content of the site you are writing for. Ensure your post provides value rather than outwardly promoting your products or services, and only include inbound links that make sense in context and don’t detract from the content of the article.
As well as earning you a high-quality backlink, a guest article can improve your brand’s positioning as an industry thought leader.
Reach out to the media
A good PR strategy is a great way to ensure your brand is being talked about on the internet. Reach out to journalists and digital publishers to let them know about any events, insights or important industry research that may be of interest to their publications. Public relations is a two-way street: by offering valuable content and information to the media, your business can receive coverage and quality backlinks from a reputable source.
When pitching, you may have some influence over the particular inbound links used in the media articles as well as the information you wish to share about your brand. Use this to your advantage.
Outsource link-building to a reputable provider
Many small businesses lack the time or resources to create a content strategy that includes high-quality link-building. But outsourcing this technique to a reputable third=party provider can help to fill this void.
Content marketing agencies like fatjoe offer a range of managed services including blogger outreach, guest posts, and digital PR campaigns. These services can help your brand to build quality inbound links to your site while maintaining ethical SEO practices and building relationships with bloggers and other content creators.
When choosing an outsourced provider, make sure you do your research and vet them carefully. Many providers use low quality linking strategies that focus on quantity rather than quality, which will ultimately have a detrimental impact on your website traffic. A good provider will prioritise relevance, quality and editorial integrity above all else.
If used correctly, outsourced link-building can boost your SEO strategy while also freeing up your company resources to focus on the bigger picture.
Search for linking opportunities
Many bloggers and website owners would be perfectly happy to include a link to your content. They may just not be aware of your brand yet. Conduct a thorough online search to find high-ranking websites that are non-competitive yet closely aligned with your industry or topic of expertise. Find articles or webpages in which a link to your site would add value while still making sense in context. Reach out to the website owner to request an inbound link to your site.
Examples of linking opportunities to look for may include:
- Resource Pages: Many websites contain pages of resources or useful links for their audience. Searching for resource pages from sites within your niche can help you identify gaps that your content can fill.
- Unlinked Brand Mentions: If your brand is already being talked about elsewhere online, some of these mentions may not include a link. THis is a missed opportunity for driving quality web traffic. Use an SEO tool to monitor your brand mentions and identify any unlinked references. Politely request proper attribution from the site owner and gain a high-quality backlink with ease.
- Broken Links: Finding broken links on authoritative websites can be a goldmine. A dead link, even if originally directed to another site, can be an opportunity for you to direct traffic to your site. Contact the site owner with a suggestion for replacement content. This will not only provide you with a brand new inbound link, but will also provide value to the site owner and help you forge a new relationship.
Build partnerships
Collaboration is one of the most effective ways to get your brand talked about. When multiple brands contribute to shared content, inbound links will be generated naturally. Examples of this include:
- Industry podcasts
- Interviews
- Expert roundups
- Co-authored research or reports
These partnerships and collaborative content will help you expand your reach and build long-term relationships within your industry.
Conclusion
In summary, building inbound links is about quality, not quantity. The most effective strategies depend on content creation, establishing relationships, and in some cases, seeking outsourced support. Whatever strategy you adopt, building authoritative and ethical inbound links will boost your search engine ranking and drive long term traffic to your site.