Link building: 7 tips to get high-quality backlinks

Put Google into your internet marketing picture and you have a powerful SEO tool: backlinks.

Everything on the web is about links so you can imagine how critical a link building strategy is to online success. If you are new to this online marketing space, the talk about backlinks might intimidate you. There is no cause for alarm because if done the right way, link building will drive traffic to your website.

It should not concern you if you are new to this, the more visits you get on your site, the more people know you and the more conversions you manage. You know that you need backlinks, a large number of them if you are to land on the first page of a Google search, so let us get to work. Keep on reading and we’ll explore some of the proven tips out there that every internet marketer should use to get high-quality backlinks:

1. Leverage relationships

If you set out on a mission to build relationships with other online users, you will increase your fan base with time. Although it is going to take time for people to know you well enough to link to your website, the relationships you build over time will position you for success in the future.

Can you skip the relationship building and go straight to point? Well, the same way you have to prep the kindling before lighting a fire, leveraging public relations must be done as a prerequisite for getting high-quality backlinks.

How do you build relationships from scratch? If you are on social media, you’re halfway there! Establishing yourself as an expert in your field causes those in your social media circles to take notice of you.

Apart from being active on various platforms, maintain transparency, avoid fluffy language and insert your life into every comment or update your post. Building relationships do not just target the audience but other bloggers in your industry too. How about a guest post or an opportunity for a video call? Do not be afraid to ask people for their emails when they show interest in your content, this adds to your mailing list and more contacts.

2. Develop Infographics

If you are looking for the single most effective way to get a high-quality backlink, the answer is infographics. This is the best technique to use to market a site that promotes a niche that is not popular. Creating an infographic is simple if you have a designer who can do it for you, better still if you can do it yourself.

Is your infographic ready? Someone needs to publish it and it performs better if it is a blogger who is already established. By giving the link to your website as a source, blogs, where the infographic has been used, provide you with a quality backlink.

Infographics are more like content people seem to be looking for more of the same thing all the time. Internet mentions or posts on social media can point you to people who have shared similar or related content before. It will not hurt to ask them to have a look at your infographic and whether they like it or not, give you feedback. If they like it, they are more likely to share it on their pages.

3. Create competitive content

At the center of quality backlinks is a well-done article. First, it is the anchor that will carry the link and second, it is the magnet that will attract readers to your site for information that benefits them.

It sounds simple – because it is! Let us assume that you have a catchy image or cool example that you think everyone will want to see. If you place these in the middle of text which makes for an interesting and compelling read, the website gets more traffic and the purpose is fulfilled. Websites that host simple, dull and uncreative content do not pass SEO standards so no one will want to be associated with them with links.

In coming up with content, what you write must be better than what your competition is writing. It is easy to find out what others are doing by searching for the target keywords on Google. Your focus should be on the organic results so forget the paid ads. Consider factors such as word count and the number of images in the competition – and do more. When it comes to aspects such as title, featured images, Meta descriptions, and tags, aim to have your content to be more focused and more compelling.

Once you have done all that, don’t just publish that awesome piece of content on your website. Publish it on other good sites, too. That is key for well-done link building.

4. Identify and use backlinks used by the competitors

With Google, the journey to SEO is way easier especially since you are able to see how far the competition is ahead of you. Anyone can access backlinks used on a website and if it is related to your niche, it is a good source of backlinks if you pick the best. How do you get started? The first step is to understand your niche then look for websites that deal in the same or similar.

Make sure that websites you pick rank among the top 5 if you do a keyword search on Google. The next step is analyzing their backlinks but you need a monitoring tool such as Moon Search for this.

Are you tempted to just add all the backlinks of a high ranking site to your website? Don’t fall into the trap because all websites have bad links and your mission is to snag the good ones to rank higher. If you decide to use a certain link, understand how and why the competitor used it on their site. Is it a guest post? Here is your chance to send a request for writing a guest post as well. Link building demands an effort when it comes to doing throughout research.

5. Have an original study to your name

Is there an issue that seems to challenge writers in your niche? If you conduct a study on it, your website and everywhere else you will post the results will become valuable locations. Since this is information that a lot of other people want to use for their readers, content creators must reference your study and furthermore, link the source.

It is true that doing own research takes up a lot of your time and could be hard work depending on what you are studying. Luckily, you do not have to run a survey because, with Google forms, the response is faster and easier to compile. You simply create a Google form document, give it a title of your choice, type in as many questions as is necessary to collect your data then send it to as many people as you want to participate in the study. Their answers will come and you can then publish it and encourage others to backlink it.

6. Write testimonials on other products/services

This sounds counterproductive, right? The general assumption is that doing this allows competitors to win over your prospects or customers. Actually, if you write a testimonial for a website other than your own, your backlinks strategy is enhanced because the respective website actually leaves you a spot for your backlink.

There is no doubt that your testimonial might influence a few visitors to try out the product or services you refer to but with a backlink there, they will want to see how much more you can offer. Remember that most people who are looking for services or products on the internet have no idea what they are looking for. So, landing on your website this way could be a plus for you.

If given an opportunity to credit your testimonial, include your email address, website link and a short description of what you do. Take this as an opportunity to market yourself even if it is in unfamiliar territory.

7. Link outward then make follow-ups

If you have written content that contains a great deal of research and factual information, then you understand how crucial it is to include authoritative references. Doesn’t this hurt your SEO efforts? Quite the contrary, it will help your own SEO efforts. After you have linked a website, contact them and inform them of your love for their content so much that you shared it on your website. By this simple gesture, you have built a lasting relationship; next time they might return the favor.

This strategy will definitely give you an advantage in marketing your website but it can take time to execute. When you send out the Google form link to your contacts, for instance, some may choose to ignore it so it could mean you will have to send it multiple times for a favorable response. To avoid appearing like a bother, kindly remove contacts that have responded and title the email as a reminder the next time it goes out.

Link building is key

Naturally, some links will perform better than others; having quality backlinks on your websites mean better SEO and this translates into more traffic. The above tips may seem too many, but patience and persistence are crucial. If you follow up on all of them, there is no reason your SEO rankings will not change instantly. Can you do great quality link building if no one knows of your existence? Yes!

Use the above strategies well. In the long run, you will realize that the common factor as far as succeeding with backlinks is concerned is the effort placed in building relationships. Be known for offering great content; people will follow you and tag their friends along.