Link building is the cornerstone of SEO, but most marketers end up going wrong with it. Many take a casual approach and build backlinks haphazardly without a strategy. Others fall for the temptation of picking black-hat tactics for quick results. Both ways, you may end up doing more harm than good. Remember that Google has a rulebook every SEO professional needs to follow.
There are rules for link building, and following them is the key to achieving more with less. Quality matters more than number, and a solid content strategy can fuel your backlinks immensely. Additionally, you must associate only with niche-relevant and high authority sites for the best outcomes. Besides that basics, you can pick some hacks to take your backlink plan a notch higher. Here are the ones you must try this year.
Create an outreach strategy right from the start
The worst way to build backlinks is by moving randomly without an outreach strategy. You need to create a process for identifying the right contacts, reaching out to them, and requesting backlinks. It is easier said than done because challenges abound in finding relevant sources and convincing them to link with you. Experts suggest finding link-building services that work and letting experts handle the hard work for you. They have the right tools and connections to make the outreach process a breeze. It means you can get quick results with less effort by linking with the sources Google approves.
Win with cornerstone posts
A robust outreach process enables you to find the best link-building opportunities in your niche. But you cannot expect them to link with you on a request. Producing quality content that matches their expectations is the key to capitalizing on the opportunity. Ideally, you must create content that shows your knowledge and serves value to the reader. Cornerstone posts cover you on both fronts, so remember to include them in your link-building plan this year. These posts refer to a guide or a combination of several blog posts that serve all the information a reader may want. The best thing about cornerstone content pieces is that they get a lot of links and shares.
Invest in testimonials
Besides valuable cornerstone posts, you can win the link-building game with testimonials. These user-generated content pieces build credibility and trust for your brand. When potential buyers read the good things existing buyers share about your brand and products, they are more likely to buy. But testimonials can work as a catalyst for your backlink profile as well. Request your loyal customers to write a testimonial recommending your product and brand. Showcase it on your website and promote it on social media and review websites. These pieces are valuable for getting links as users tend to share them intuitively. It means you get the dual benefit of high ranking with quality links and trust for your brand with positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
Design sharable infographics
Another element you must integrate into your link-building strategy this year is shareable infographics. These pieces combine textual content with visual elements, making them ideal for audiences looking for comprehensive information on a topic. Images add value to text, retain reader attention, and are easy to remember. Moreover, they are more share-worthy than a blog post. The best thing about infographics is that they are easy to create. You can repurpose an old article or even revamp a video to give it a new twist. Get the data, put it in a concise form, and add compelling images to make it interesting and shareable. Backlinks will come organically when people like an infographic enough to share it.
Fix broken links
Fixing broken links is a great hack SEO professionals rely on. The strategy gets tangible results with minimal work. It is about replacing bad links and reclaiming them with high-quality content. Remember that low-quality content does more harm than good. It lowers your ranking and causes sheer waste of time for marketers who even try promoting it. Experts at OutreachMonks recommend identifying bad and broken links and offering the domain a more valuable alternative to put in its place. This way, you will not have to build new links but only replace the content smartly. Thankfully, finding dead links is easy as you have tools for facilitating it.
A robust link-building strategy can propel your website to the top of search rankings and ensure it stays there for the long haul. But you need to invest time and efforts in building a profile Google trusts and prioritizes. At the same time, you must follow Google algorithms and guidelines. Sticking with the basics is essential. But these actionable hacks can take you a long way. Integrate them into your SEO plan this year to get quick, effective, and sustainable results with quality backlinks for your website.