What Is Link Building?
Link building consists of obtaining links from other websites that point to your website. These links are referred to as backlinks in SEO. Obtaining backlinks from reputable websites can give your website more authority and boost your position in search engine results (SERPs). Google has indicated the importance of understanding whether authoritative websites link to the information for determining which pages are trustworthy and relevant. Because of this, link building should be taken into account while developing an SEO strategy.
Importance of Link Building
For example, if you have a solid piece of content, but your website is still relatively young and hasn't yet attained significant authority, obtaining links from reputable websites is an excellent strategy to increase the authority of your website in Google's eyes. In a sense, backlinks are endorsements of your website.
Additionally, as pages with more backlinks frequently rank higher, it's crucial to:
Produce quality content that is worthwhile to link to
Utilize link building techniques to increase the number of backlinks
Since link building requires work, getting started as soon as possible will offer you an edge over competition and have significant long-term advantages for your website.
How to Build Backlinks
Obtaining backlinks from reputable, high-quality websites is the best strategy to increase your authority through link development. A ton of backlinks coming from spammy, unrelated websites probably won't improve your ranking.
There are several methods to obtain backlinks, including:
Guest posting
Promotion on social media
Manual engagement
Pursuing the backlinks of competitors
But remember, backlinks aren't everything; your main priority should be producing valuable, high-quality content. Harnessing the power of link building can be difficult for both novices and seasoned pros when looking for techniques to raise your rank. However, it might be among your most effective resources for organic success.
Three ways to successfully build links include:
Requesting links
Earning links
Manually adding links
Requesting Links
With the correct tools, outreach can be successful but can also be time- and effort-consuming. It's likely that you will have to get in touch with the website owner directly to arrange a backlink from a specific domain that you know will increase the authority of your website or page.
However, bear these points in mind before you start asking backlinks from different websites:
You should request links from websites that are relevant to your industry.
Consider the effectiveness and reputation of the website.
It's beneficial to write a good email before approaching website owners.
Earning Links
You should implement a plan that will enable you to obtain editorially placed links in order to acquire a genuine competitive advantage through links. Although it takes a lot of work, link earning offers the best rewards. Therefore, be ready to commit time and resources to building links. By doing this, you will secure links that rivals will find difficult to duplicate. The greatest method to encourage other websites to link to yours is to make original, pertinent material that can spread naturally throughout the online community. A link is earned when a third party chooses to link to your website on their own and for a specific purpose. This increases the value of both their material and your website.
Manually Adding Links
Manual link building is the act of creating links in yourself, such as press releases, blog comments, or guest posts on other websites. When you add links yourself, as opposed to depending on a journalist or other third party to link to your site, you are often completely in charge of the results of the strategies. This is the reason why these strategies are frequently referred to as "manual link building." But bear in mind that links that you control typically aren't the highest quality. Any links that are not inserted editorially are considered manipulative in Google's eyes. Editorial links can be manually added with intention, but it's crucial to avoid spamming the page with links or adding them at random. So long as it's done carefully, there's no need to be concerned with manually inserting links. This form of link building can help you establish yourself as a thought leader or deliver benefits like referral traffic. Interacting with consumers in your niche can also help you develop your brand.
Identifying a Solid Link
How can you tell the difference between a bad link and a good link?
Here are a few factors to review when assessing the quality of a link:
Location: this is crucial since it has an immediate impact on their performance and visibility. The upper body of an article is the ideal location for links.
Authority score: this helps determine how effective a domain's or a website's links are. The higher the Authority Score, the more trustworthy your domain is assumed to be.
Legitimacy: the link is likely a good one if the site has been operating for a while, has a sizable amount of traffic each month, is active on social media, and is a secure site.
Relevance: links should originate from websites whose subject matter is closely similar to that of your own website. This makes it easier to make sure you are creating relevant links.
Anchor text: this is the text used to link from one page to another. Google’s algorithm utilizes anchor text to indicate what a page is about and, therefore, can help to influence rankings.
Do you own a business and want help with generating backlinks to improve your website's ranking? At Belden Digital, we’ve helped a variety of clients from every industry reach their marketing goals. Contact us today to get information on SEO services that will help your website rank higher in search engines.