Link building refers to the art of adding links to your website from any other website(s). Even though it doesn't sound complicated, link building is actually one of the most intricate, and tedious, parts of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Why are links important?

Links are an important part of how ranking is done by Google for websites. A link from one website to another means an up-vote for the latter site. In Search Engine Optimisation, this boosts the rank of the receiving website and increases its visibility when keywords are typed into the search engine, otherwise your content could just sit alone somewhere in cyberspace without anyone finding it.

Isn’t link building expensive?

Well, first of all, it's a contravention of Google Webmaster Guidelines to engage in website linking for any form of payment, so there are no costs! Getting linked by another website attests to the quality of content on the recipient site and so it is understandable why some people would consider circumventing the rules to make things easier.

Read on to learn what to do and what not to do when it comes to link building.

1. Replace outdated links with your own content

An important part of blogging and creating content means you will often search for content in your own niche from time to time. This could lead to opportunities for strategic relationships and link building with other bloggers.

Moz Open Site Explorer allows you to search through content that ranks above yours. Any backlinks with inaccurate, outdated, or irrelevant content can be replaced with yours when you get in touch with the poster. It takes time, and sometimes you get ignored, but eventually, you will breakthrough.

Building links to a website with quality content and high traffic will help your visibility.

2. Clear out broken links

The average web surfer scrolls past dead links and 404 errors. When you search for where your content ranks in searches, you’ll do well to report any errors to the webmaster of the website. Pages get removed and links get broken from time to time. Reporting this sometimes means your content may be used to replace these ones, where your niche is concerned. Since you are out to build links, a good relationship with the webmaster can improve your chances. So, when next you’re going surfing through the web, spare a thought for those links.

3. Offer your content to industry blogs

This is a time-tested method you can use to build links in your industry. A good example is presenting an article to a popular beauty care products blogger on how to keep your make-up intact for longer. As long as you plug your links into the post, you can gain thousands in backlinks from this. There’s the issue of constantly sending emails out to target industry bloggers and your mails being treated as spam, but there is always that one reply that could make the difference. It’s cheap and will guarantee that new visitors will seek out the articles on your blog.

4. Explore unfamiliar topics

Certain content tends to get over-flogged, often without any real new information added. Of course, we are better off with diverse viewpoints and expressions on the same subject, but if you are a new player trying to get noticed, the odds are firmly stacked against you. In addition to your regular articles, dabbling into content that is not saturated will ensure you get noticed. Here’s how:

• You can search for the kind of topic to write on to increase your chances of being linked with a webpage. Tools like Klear and BuzzSumo are really helpful if you want to take this approach.
• Freebies always attract people. As long as you can offer something people want, popular content writers will plug your link into their articles...and you're all done.
• Researching the topic you want to write content on is a rather less explored route to building links because it involves added expenditure. For the sake of argument, you can pay for research to be carried out by reputable bodies to give credence to your results. This means you can quote them and increase your chances of link-building.
• This method involves solving problems in your field by creating solutions that ensure others refer to your work in their articles. Popular writers may seek to plug your tool into their site, earning you links.
• You will have to consider throwing your weight as an authority in your field to follow this avenue. It comes harks back to how much experience you have and how you are perceived by others in the same industry. This approach is not suited to people who have not built up their credibility yet. Articles of this sort are best suited to career-based platforms and you will get rewarded with traction.

5. Leverage on features and endorsements

If you are a business whose trade is providing goods and services to other businesses, an effective way to increase your reach and boost traffic to your blog is to get your clients’ permission to upload their impressions of your service. If they have a company website, you can also get your piece plugged into their site. This also means you must be willing to do the same for other businesses that need the favour. A few endorsements here, case studies there, and you are on your way up. This works well for an expert link building service as well. A well-written reference might be all you need to reach some of their followers who share an interest in your content.

6. Publish your successes

Businesses are often modest about their achievements, choosing to focus on the next rung on the ladder, rather than talk about them. The truth is everyone loves a good success story. Sharing your successes online will get you the buzz you need for your business growth. PR agencies will tell you that anything from an award, to the expansion of your services or corporate social events, will get your business buzzing within your community, and lots of backlinks for your company.

Google has a system that optimises your ranking on their search engine. When you use these pointers, you will be building a strong marketing strategy, and if you consider outsourcing this job to a link building agency, you’ll reap multiple backlinks for your business.

Do you need any help with growing quality backlinks for your website? Please get in touch. We’d love to help you out.