Search engine optimization, or SEO, is essential for driving traffic to your website and boosting your position in Google search results. Backlinks are the perfect way to crank up the SEO factor and get your name on the board. If you’re looking to grab some quality backlinks and improve your site’s Google ranking, keep reading.
Here are 9 of the hottest link-building strategies right now.
1. Use Data to Get Links From News Sites
If you’re new to the world of backlinks, it can be tricky to get the hang of at first. Luckily, there are platforms that help connect sources with journalists, like HARO. HARO is a great way to make connections and get set up with the right people to share your content.
This platform connects you not only with journalists who are planning features in advance, but reporters that are looking for breaking news stories. If there is breaking news related to your niche, this is a great opportunity to pick up mentions and links. Here’s what to do.
🔹Set up a Google alert of BuzzSumo alert
🔹Reach out to reporter with added value
If you want to get a link from a news site, you need to be willing to put in some effort. You have to offer something of value to the reporter. Making their life easier will get you major brownie points.
Reaching out and trying to piggyback off of their work by simply saying “I see you wrote about this, I wrote about it too” will only get you flagged as a spammer.
How can you provide value?
🔹 Offer unique data or statistics
🔹 Offer an alternative take
🔹 Create an infographic or custom visual they can embed in their story
🔹 Give them a quote with personal insight from your industry. Include your credentials
🔹ACT FAST – the news is always changing, so you need to be quick to get the story.
Today’s newspaper is tomorrow’s recycling, so it’s important to reach out as soon as you see a story breaking. Pro tip. Create a personal black book of journalists who cover your industry and, ping them immediately when you see a story developing. That way, you might catch them while they’re still working on an article for publication.
2. The Skyscraper Technique
If you’re looking for a super simple way to get more traffic to your website, look no further than this 3-step approach.
🔹Find a popular piece of content in your niche
🔹Create something even better
🔹Promote it like crazy
With just a little bit of effort, you can see some amazing results.
There are a few different ways that you can go about finding the most popular keywords in your niche. One way is to simply search for a popular keyword on Google and see which page is ranking at #1. Most likely, that page will have backlinks powering that ranking.
However, if you’re not sure which topic is going to be best for attracting links, there is a way to take the guesswork out of it. Semrush and other link analysis tools have a report called “Best by links”. This report will show you the most linked-to pages on any given site.
For example, if you look at my Google Ranking Factors post, you can see that it has picked up links from almost 5,000 domains!
3. The Moving Man Method 2.0
If you’re looking for a way to snag some quality links from outdated content, the Moving Man Method 2.0 is a great option.
This time, instead of focusing on businesses that have gone pop or rebranded, we’ll leverage outdated information. Why? Because things change!
For example, let’s say we had a page that ranked the most popular websites in the world. At one point, YouTube overtook Facebook as the second most visited website on the planet. However, over time things have changed and now there are a ton of pages that contain outdated information.11,000 to be precise!
You can…
🔹 Reach out to all the sites with old information
🔹 Let them know it’s changed
🔹 Point them to our own page while we’re there
4. Double Down on Effective Content Formats
When it comes to creating content that will attract quality links, try to avoid relying on guesswork.
There are a number of proven content formats that people love to link to, such as:
🔹Quizzes
🔹”Why” Posts
🔹”How to” Posts
🔹Infographics
🔹Videos
🔹List Posts
Try out a few different formats and see what works best for you.
5. Podcast Link Building
Podcasts are also a great way to build backlinks.
To find podcasts to go on, try searching for headshots of people in your niche on Google reverse image search.
This should give you a good idea of which podcasts are popular in your field, and who the key players are.
6. Resource Page Link Building
A resource page is a great way to link to other useful pages on the web.
As a link builder, you can use a resource page to find potential link opportunities and reach out to potential partners.
To create a successful resource page, be sure to have something that is worthy of a link and write a unique version that will stand out from the rest.
Pro Tip: Try reaching out to OTHER resource pages to suggest they link to YOUR resource page!
7. Unlinked Brand Mentions
If you see your brand mentioned in an article without a link, that’s a great opportunity to reach out and ask for one. In most cases, the publication will be happy to oblige.
You can set up an alert for your brand name so you’ll be notified any time it’s mentioned online. This way, you can make sure you’re always taking advantage of opportunities to promote your business.
8. Name Your Strategies
🔹 Figure out a process or strategy that’s unique to your business.
🔹 Give it a creative and catchy name
🔹 Write about it
Writing about the process is vital. You’ll only get links if…
🔹 Your strategy is extremely useful
🔹 You can prove it works
Pro Tip : Always feature real-life case studies when revealing a new strategy or technique
9. Two-Step Email Outreach
Reaching out to potential link partners before you launch a new post can often yield better results than simply asking for a link right away.
Try this approach: Reach out to someone you think would be interested in your upcoming article and give them a brief summary of what it’s about. Ask them if they would be open to receiving the full article once it’s published. In most cases, the answer will be a resounding yes!
A little courtesy goes a long way in outreach, and many journalists will appreciate the time you take to provide them with quality content that is relevant to them.
If you still need some help grabbing high quality backlinks, we’ve got you covered.
Let’s connect! Click here to start and we’ll be excited to help you create some killer backlinks.
