Building links may sound intimidating when you have a new site. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by looking at your competitors and seeing their sites with hundreds of links. But getting quality links is easier than you think, and the methods below will show you why.
Link building is the process of getting backlinks from other websites. Backlinks are incoming links to a website or web page called inbound links, inward links, and inlinks. To put it simply, a backlink is a link from one website to another. The quality of the link and the anchor text used in the link are important factors in determining the value of a backlink.
Link building is essential to search engine optimization (SEO) because it helps search engines index and rank websites. The more high-quality backlinks a website has, the higher it will rank in the SERPs. Additionally, link building can also help to increase traffic levels to a website by making it more visible to potential visitors.
According to Google, backlinks are important in knowing which sites are trustworthy and relevant. With billions of web pages indexed in Google’s search results, the algorithm uses high-quality inbound links as ranking signals to know which sites have the high-quality content searchers are looking for.
Take note that Google can determine spammy links and weed out results that have them. You can’t game the system and just purchase links to sprinkle across your site when it comes to link building. While these black hat methods exist, they are not advisable, and you could end up putting your site in the wrong position and being penalized by Google.
Link building can be a slow and tedious process, but it is essential for any website that wants to rank well on search engine results pages (SERPs). There are many reputable ways to build links, but some of the most common methods include directory submission, blog commenting, forum posting, and social bookmarking.
Here are 3 of the quickest and easiest ways you can start link building today:
One great way to build quality links is by submitting your website to online directories. Many websites serve as aggregators of various sites in different fields and niches. There are also industry-specific websites and business directories that are happy to feature emerging businesses, especially in their locality. Look for websites relevant to your niche and submit your website details.
When creating backlinks, you want links from websites with high domain authority. Websites that have been around for a long time and have a track record of producing quality content are given a high domain score by search engines. This domain authority rubs off on the sites they link to, and a new website would greatly benefit from being connected to them.
Guest blogging involves approaching these sites and offering to publish content on their websites in exchange for a link to yours. Most reputable sites offer guest blogging opportunities, so check them out.
Claiming your social media channels and promoting your content on them increases web traffic and provides quality backlinks to your site. Social media platforms have high domain authority, and Google recognizes them as trustworthy sources for backlinks.
Another way to do it is to socialize your blog posts. Take advantage of website features that allow your readers to share your posts across social media. If you have good content, your readers will want to share it with their friends and followers. Make it easy for them to do so.
Aside from the top 3 above, here are other ways to start link building:
It is important to note that link building should be part of a holistic SEO strategy that includes other elements such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and content marketing. Don’t rely on link building alone because search engines consider other factors when ranking a website.
High-quality content that delights your site visitors is still the primary ranking signal. Even if you have thousands of backlinks, you can expect your rankings to drop if your site content is mediocre. Link building is important, but it’s just one of the many ways to improve a website’s SEO.
After conducting his fair share of research and gaining relevant experience, Gab put up Page Kits to help others who were in his position grow their e-commerce stores and thrive.