With good backlinks, you have a much better chance ranking high on Google.
Please remember that you don’t need backlinks for rankings alone. No, by getting more backlinks, you also want to increase the number of visitors to your website! And in addition, also increase your brand awareness (branding).
So before you start looking for opportunities to get backlinks, you must have a website that is worth visiting, and “earning” a link.
Because if your website really helps visitors, you will also automatically get links, which means you don’t have to buy or create as many. Save time and effort!
7 Simple link building techniques you can employ today
It’s not that only SEO experts say links are important. The entire algorithm of the (old) Google search engine was built on that. And no, that doesn’t mean Google doesn’t look at it now. In fact, they still hint at it daily, but in different words. Ever heard of E E A T?
One example can be found in their explanation of Link Exchange Programs, where they admit that backlinks affect your rankings. Because that’s what they mean by: “passing on PageRank”. Therefore, it is no secret that Google still uses backlinks as a ranking factor. Link building therefore still remains important in today’s world.
Remember: Link building is not just to rank high in Google, but also to get more exposure and/or get more visitors, customers, or clients.
Unfortunately, other link-building tips on the Internet usually don’t really dwell on this. You also frequently read that no-follow links have no value to Google. And that’s not quite right either!!!!! Because what’s the purpose of a backlink?
Here’s a few reasons what backlinks are good for:
- Rankings
- As a source of (new) visitors
- For brand awareness (and branding)
And finally, I would like to mention that it is actually a good thing to have backlinks point to different pages on your site and not just to your homepage. That way these pages receive more “points” so they can rank better.
Guest blogging on authoritative websites
With guest blogging, you write a blog that you post on another website. In the text, you can then include backlinks to a page on your own website. Unfortunately, this takes much more time and effort than simply asking or buying a link.
Large websites like receiving blogs that add value to their readers. And these authoritative sites will notice when you’re just doing it for a backlink. Therefore, it’s wise to build a relationship with the website owner/team first, so they won’t mind accepting a link in your guest blog.
In addition, you often see guest bloggers get some sort of signature at the bottom of the guest blog. For example, see this caption from Marketingfacts.nl. This often includes the name and sometimes the company name. Both are links in this case.
However, this backlink will not be very valuable to my rankings because the anchor text is just the company name, not a keyword. And the URL also just points to the homepage. But this type of link does pass on value, and it “connects” your website to another well-established site in the industry. This is in contrast to bad-neighborhood links.
You can find these types of sites by searching Google for your industry +guest blog, write for us, or guest bloggers.
What you are going to do now is visit each website to see if you could and would like to write a guest blog for it. Then contact them to see if it’s possible, and if there are any guidelines involved.
Always remember that it is really not just about do-Follow backlinks for rankings, but that you are also using them for your exposure in the industry, and building trust towards readers and possible clients.
In addition, these types of links give a positive image about your link profile, because they are not just from those stupid home pages.
- Backlinks via guest blogging are good for awareness (branding) and rankings
Comment on forums, LinkedIn, Reddit and in Facebook groups (community building)
The power of this tip is often underestimated because most “link building tips” actually reject it.
However, it is actually an incredibly valuable way for smaller or beginning websites.
Some tips:
Start your own group
As a tip, I might advise you to start a new FB group or Forum especially if that market is just starting. The more often you help people in this group, the greater the trust will become. Therefore, the group of followers will grow faster, and it is also not strange to make it clear which website is yours.
This way of community building is more difficult if the market has existed for a long time, and there are probably already many such groups. But then you could also become active in those groups!
I sometimes do a search in Google, and then search for product/service forum (e.g. electric scooter forum). Google then shows all kinds of forums where there is talk about these products or services. If you don’t put the word Forum after it, Google will really show very different search results. When it comes to products, Google will show ecommerce websites, and when it comes to services, competitors’ websites.
- Share your knowledge to online groups, and forums, building trust.
Be an active member and not a spammer by just posting links
What I don’t mean by this tip is to just quickly join a forum and post a link to your website the first time. That is just counterproductive. So don’t.
It may actually have the opposite effect. I’m not saying it doesn’t work to get a few extra visitors t, but it’s not a long-term strategy. This kind of action will quickly jeopardize your account so that it will be blocked, and maybe as a result if you lose posts (with backlinks).
These communities are precisely where you can get your first “followers. People who know you and will soon buy or promote your website or product/service. Forums and FB groups are precisely the places where you can get loyal followers, who in turn will make you more known. You can even formulate answers and lists so well and comprehensively that your thread will be pinned to the top of the list, which you can later use to link back to your site.
See this example where my thread has been viewed over half a million times, and in the thread links are multiple links to 1 of my sites. As a result, I get hundreds of additional visitors per year.
With this information in mind, it may be even better to join and gain prominence in the community before starting a new website, software or new service.
I myself have seen this happen several times in online Marketing groups and in hobby groups. Helpful individuals start their own software or website, and immediately have a reach of 10,000 or more potential visitors, customers or users.
And not only that.
Because you build a community around your product or service this way, these people are also more likely to promote your product or service.
Websites that are already an authority in an industry, and then provide a new product or service, often do better right away because they have a large group of followers.
Therein lies the power of forums and groups.
These are free backlinks and free dissemination of your name and fame, automatically attracting backlinks in the long run. In fact, many people in the group are members of multiple groups, and do not hesitate to promote your website/product there if it is interesting, and like you as a person.
One of my foreign clients makes great use of Quora, getting thousands of additional visitors to their website:
Finally, I want to close these tips with one last tip, which is not so much focused on link building. These groups and communities are also a source of new ideas!
I myself have been able to use a forum thread several times to choose what to write about with great success.
Before you start writing new content, read some new threads in the forums and chat groups.
- Backlinks on forums and communities are good for awareness, source of visitors and better rankings.
Use social media channels (also for content ideas)
This is another super easy tip to get backlinks fast. Most social media platforms give you the opportunity to add a link to your website anyway, and it also allows you to capture your brand name. If you don’t grab your @brand, someone else might.
Tip: Start with the most well-known social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, but don’t forget LinkedIn and other platforms if your target audience is active there.
Even if you have few or no followers yet, you can still do link building there. Also in your posts/tweets like on Twitter, and it is also advisable to link between different social media channels. Also with a view to gaining more “followers.
Be helpful in other groups, and share good tips and tricks, or give things away with giveaways. So much so that you have enough support to also promote your channel once in a while, or even add a link. Don’t be afraid that some links on social media are nofollow, because this is also an important source of community building, building trust, and getting visitors.
- Social media backlinks are good for: source of visitors
Ask for backlinks from suppliers, sponsors, collage entrepreneurs, businesses, advocates and distributors.
Yes, I just throw them all in 1 pile.
Some website with link building tips list them separately to get a longer list, but I find that unnecessary.
I know all too well that it can be very frustrating when you just can’t find a website you can get a backlink from. An easy way to get backlinks is to ask for them from acquaintances and partners. (No, I am not saying link exchange as you see on some website by having a page with link partners and links to each other or a home page). This type of backlinks works well for online stores, but also for service businesses. You can even get a link from your university (or college) where you graduated from!
I’ve experienced it several times that a certain brand has all kinds of stores on their website that sell their products. Then all you have to do is get in touch and ask them to include your website. These are hugely relevant backlinks.
How to find this out is also very simple. Just think about who you work with or who supplies your products (distributor for example). You can also run your competitors through a backlink tool to see where they are all mentioned.
What equipment or software do you use or sell? Where does it come from?
- Backlinks van andere bedrijven in jouw branche zijn goed voor: bekendheid, ranking
Write testimonials and solicit testimonials (reviews)
Writing testimonials works 2 ways.
On the one hand, as a business, you can ask your customers or clients to write a review. You can have this done on a site such as Trustpilot, Phonebook, Cyclex etc. But you can also ask companies that have their own website and post a review on there.
You could provide a customer with a product or service in exchange for an article on their website. This is a well-known way to connect people to your brand. It might be even better to engage an influencer for this very purpose. They often already have a large group of followers, which in turn can become a source of visitors and backlinks.
On the other hand, you can write an in-depth review or comparison about a product you sell and then ask the supplier or manufacturer to link to your article.
This is one of the ways I personally use for my affiliate marketing websites. With an in-depth review with good pictures and information, you can easily persuade a manufacturer to link to your website.
In addition, this way it is also possible to build a relationship with the manufacturer which may give you insider information. In addition, you may be able to get access to prototype products and write about them, which in turn can provide you with backlinks because people like to link to new and unknown product reviews.
- Backlinks through reviews is good for: awareness, rankings and source of visitors
Tip 6: Create a free tool
This is not an easy task I must say, but works incredibly well. I have also seen this passed successfully several times. Here I am reminded of Keywords Everywhere and Ubersuggest, for example. Where Ubersuggest has done it a little smarter, but that’s not surprising with such a large budget.
Anyway.
People love free software which is also why they become so popular so quickly. As I said above, Ubersuggest is a good example of this. Neil Patel took over the tool for over $100,000 and kept the tool free for use until early 2020 when the tool had limited free use, and paid for it.
Therefore, always be wary when you come across free tools. In 99 out of 100 cases, this is only to create awareness and build loyalty. You are the product, and not the other way around. After several months or years, you shouldn’t be surprised that “suddenly” you have to log in and pay.
If you’re going to create a tool, it just needs to be small and simple. Something that can help people solve a pain point. Build a website where your tool can be found and or used. That’s where all the backlinks point to.
- Sharing free tools is good for: rankings, visitors and branding
Tip 7: Unlinked brand mentions (forums, podcasts, youtube)
The more well-known you, or your website, are, the more often you are talked about. Do something with that.
Because then it will be common for them to mention your name, but not link to your website.
1 of Rankify’s clients has a CEO who is often asked to speak at universities in America. This is then reported on the university’s website, but not always with a reference to the client’s website. If we can turn these names into links, it could benefit the website.
The same CEO is frequently asked to guest appear on certain podcasts. These podcasts are then distributed on the podcaster’s website and on social media, but sometimes without a reference to the website. Thus, we have found a handful of websites that do mention our client, but without a backlink. Now we are in the process of getting these brand mentions customized with backlinks to the site. You can compare this a bit to link injections / niche edits, but completely white hat 🙂
You can easily search Google for your company name or the CEO/owner’s name. Once you have found a website where the name is listed but no link to the site, all you have to do is get in touch.
Another way is to use special software that continuously searches the web for brand names such as Awario, Brand mentions, Hootsuite, Social mentions etc.. The advantage of this is that you don’t have to search for them yourself, but you automatically receive them in your email to get started. In addition, tracking your brand mentions is also good for customer satisfaction.
An example of the brand mentions tool I use:
Bonus tip: register your brand name on every platform
If you have a unique name, it is advisable to record it right away on all social media, and video platforms out there. On most platforms, you can not only choose your name, but also add a link to your own website. The biggest search engine after Google is YouTube. So create a YouTube account, and post some videos with a link to your website.
In addition, I would recommend creating the following accounts, just to get some of your first backlinks easy
- YouTube
- Twello
- Vimeo
- etc.