6 Ways to Quickly Boost Your SEO Backlink Game
Many people are familiar with basic SEO efforts, like researching keywords or designing Google-friendly website layouts. What many don’t realize is that there is a direct correlation between the quality and quantity of links to/from your site and the amount of search traffic it gets.
Search engine optimization is all about appealing to Google, Bing, Yahoo, and the other engines that drive organic traffic. If you want to assure these search engines that your site is legitimate, credible, and worth sharing, you need to focus on your backlinks.
According to a survey of more than 11.8 million Google search results in 2020, the #1 result in Google has an average of 3.8 times more backlinks than positions #2 through #10. The bottom line is that Google likes to prioritize pages with more high-quality backlinks, and internal/external links naturally draw more traffic to websites.
So, how can businesses quickly and easily experience backlink benefits? We recommend starting with these six simple tactics.
1. Check Your Internal Links
Internal linking is when a site links to other URLs on the same site – such as when your homepage includes a link to your product page, “about us” page, or blog. Although these might seem somewhat unimportant, internal links actually tell Google a great deal about your site (and business).
When Google crawls your website, it wants to understand it – and internal links can help it do that. Connections to other pages within your website provide a map for search engines and users to follow.
Of course, there’s an art to internal linking. You want to keep each page’s internal link count reasonable, and you’ll need to focus on using accurate, descriptive anchor text for each link. Most importantly, your internal links need to work properly. Make sure that you’ve included the correct internal links on every page – especially if you have changed domain names or moved things around. The last thing you want is for an internal link to lead search engines or users to an error code.
2. Incorporate Keyword Research
Keyword use and link building go hand in hand – if you’re doing it right. As we just mentioned, internal links should be attached to descriptive anchor text. The same applies to external (inbound) links from other websites.
Using strong keywords in your anchor text can give you a significant search engine boost. For instance, if you’re linking to REI’s camping gear on your travel blog, it’s better to link to the keyword phrase “REI travel camping gear” than it is to link to “REI” alone. That way, you’re taking advantage of an important keyword for your website’s subject matter.
Even when linking internally, make sure you are linking to your relevant keywords, not just your “service page” or phrases like “click here.” Incorporating the right phrases is an excellent way to increase your link power and rank for the top keywords.
3. Build Partner Relationships
Our next recommendation for backlink benefits: make some friends (or partners, rather). Inbound links to your website from other credible, relevant websites can do wonders for your search engine rankings.
In a 2019 analysis of over 912 million blog posts, it was discovered that only 6% had backlinks from other sites. That means almost all of the surveyed blogs were missing powerful links to affiliates and partners – and that inbound marketing could be your key to getting a leg up on the competition.
How do you get external partner links? The best way might be to simply ask.
Find other websites that create similar (but not competitive) content, then discuss how linking to one another’s sites could be mutually beneficial. These link partnerships can be a win-win for both parties. As long as you explain the value of the position, you might be able to get your link on a few partner pages quickly.
4. Invest in Guest Blogging
If you really want to get your name (and inbound links) on other popular websites, look into guest posting opportunities. Many blogs will accept post submissions from other creators, and if you can provide them with a blog post that includes at least one tasteful link to your website, you’re in.
Creating content for other sites isn’t just a great way to reap backlink benefits. Guest blogging also:
- Helps you build relationships with other brands
- Boosts your referral traffic and audience pool.
- Increases brand exposure.
- Strengthens your online presence.
Not sure where to start with guest posting? Your first objective is to find websites that will accept content that’s relevant to your brand’s services and area of expertise.
For example, if your brand provides financial guidance to customers, you’ll want to write for blogs in the realm of personal finance, fintech, banking, and other relevant subjects. Keep in mind that relevancy is crucial when it comes to the success of inbound links.
We recommend starting by running a quick Google search for one of your top keyword phrases + the phrase “guest post.” You’ll be surprised by the opportunities you’ll quickly stumble upon.
5. Link to the Right External Resources
A great way to establish credibility is to link to reputable sources on your own website. For instance, if you’re selling skincare products, consumers (and Google) want to see links to research from credible dermatologists and researchers – not to links from unknown, inexperienced beauty bloggers.
Try to find established authorities with high-ranking websites on Google. The search engine giant is pretty good at filtering out inaccurate or uncredible sources, so it’s a good place to start.
You may also want to select resources that have .gov or .edu at the end, especially if you’re making claims regarding health, scientific studies, or government regulations.
6. Avoid Sketchy or Off-Putting Links
If a searcher (or a search engine) follows a link from your website to a sketchy website, or worse, an error or warning code, that looks bad. Remember that your website’s reputation is closely tied to the sites it links to.
Before linking to any other website, you should check for:
- The presence of spam links or ads
- Inappropriate content
- Spelling or grammatical errors
- Annoying pop-ups or download buttons
We also recommend linking to websites that have SSL certificates. This is a digital certificate that authenticates a website’s identity and tells users it offers an encrypted, safe connection. You can tell if a website has an SSL certificate by looking for the HTTPS acronym in the URL address.
Real internet searchers aren’t the only ones who care about SSL certificates in your external links. There’s evidence that also points to Google’s preference for HTTPS domains when ranking websites.
The Wrap Up
It’s never too late (or too early) to start prioritizing backlink benefits for your business. How you implement links within and outside of your business plays a huge role in your organic search traffic.
Need some help jumpstarting your SEO initiatives, including link building? We’re here to help.
Inbound Studio LLC was founded to help small and medium-sized businesses become more efficient with their marketing strategies. We’ll show you how to quickly (but effectively) gain more traction for your website and brand. To learn more, contact us online or call 844-222-4503.
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