Crafting compelling content is an undeniable challenge. Yet, the real uphill battle begins when you try to secure links to it. Building links can be a huge hurdle for marketers and website owners alike – a task demanding significant time and effort.
The time for sending out mass outreach emails and crossing your fingers for results has passed. Today, mastering advanced link-building strategies is a must for gaining an edge in your industry.
Whether you’re an SEO guru, a PR expert, a savvy content marketer, or aspiring to any of these roles, this guide is your roadmap to content creation and backlink acquisition success.
Keep reading for the 10 advanced link building strategies you need to start using today to generate links.
Understanding Link Building
Link building is simply convincing other websites to link back to your site. While this seems simple enough, it’s an integral part of search engine optimization and is crucial for skyrocketing your site’s ranking in search engine results.
Building links signals to search engines that your content is relevant and trustworthy, two crucial factors required to dominate the SERPs.
Types of backlinks and their value
For the purpose of link building, there are two types of backlinks: dofollow and nofollow. These are basically any links that have their HTML tag rel=”dofollow” and rel=”nofollow” respectively.
Of these two, dofollow links are more valuable as they pass link equity – often called “Link juice” to your website. This is simply the value one page or site passes on to another page or site through a link, almost like a vote of trust.
Nofollow links are less valuable and have little impact on search engine rankings but can still drive traffic to your website. However, they help with diversifying backlink profiles, and when used appropriately, they can help avoid penalties.
Research and Planning
Before diving into a link building campaign, it’s crucial to map out your strategy for success. In this section, you’ll discover how setting clear goals, analyzing your current backlinks, and understanding your target audience can lay the groundwork for effective link building.
Start with keyword research for link building
Building backlinks is time-consuming, effort-intensive, and difficult to sustain so before you begin it makes sense to set yourself up for success by concentrating your efforts where you’re most likely to succeed.
Start by analyzing the existing pages that are performing well without a lot of links and make note of which ones are ranking, and for what keywords. Identify the intent behind the keywords these pages are ranking for.
Make a note of things like:
- search intent
- long tail vs short tail keywords
- if competitors rank for any of the same keywords
- what the keyword difficulty is
- the volume of traffic searching for these keywords
Research competitors’ links and identify gaps
By dissecting and analyzing the link-building efforts of your competitors, you gain a strategic advantage, uncovering hidden gems to advance your own content marketing and SEO endeavors.
A great way to do this is by using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to find out what keywords people are searching for on Google. Under the organic keywords tab identify long-tail keywords that are easy to rank for. These are usually high-volume keywords with a low keyword difficulty score.
Some more great tools for this purpose include Google Alerts, to monitor the web for mentions of your competitors and their backlinks. Set up alerts using relevant keywords and phrases to stay informed about new content and developments within your industry.
You can also use backlink analysis tools such as Moz’s Link Explorer (previously Open Site Explorer) to delve deep into the link profiles of your competitors. These tools provide valuable data on the quantity, quality, and diversity of backlinks pointing to competitor websites, allowing you to identify patterns and trends that inform your own link-building strategy.
Identify link opportunities and create a link building strategy
Based on the analysis performed, you should begin to see gaps in your link building efforts compared with your competitors. You can focus on outranking them for the easiest keywords before getting started on the more difficult pages.
Some additional strategies to leverage:
- Export Backlink Lists: Leverage the export feature available in backlink analysis tools to compile comprehensive lists of competitor backlinks. Focus your attention on backlinks with high Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) scores, as these are indicative of quality and relevance.
- Analyze Linking Domains: Dive deeper into the linking domains of your competitors, identifying websites and publications that regularly feature their content. These insights provide valuable opportunities for outreach and relationship-building, enabling you to replicate competitor backlinks and secure more links on authoritative websites within your niche.
Content Creation
Content creation is a timeless strategy for naturally securing backlinks to your site. High-quality, informative content attracts links from other websites because it offers value to their audience. By consistently producing well-researched articles, engaging blog posts, and insightful infographics, you establish your site as an authoritative source within your niche. This not only encourages organic sharing but also prompts other site owners to link to your content as a credible reference. As search engines prioritize quality backlinks in their algorithms, maintaining a robust content creation strategy ensures sustained visibility and authority in search results.
Create high-quality, share-worthy content for link building
Start by doing your homework. Dive deep into your topic, scouring the web for existing content and identifying gaps or opportunities for improvement. Then, get to work crafting something truly remarkable. Invest time and resources into every aspect of your content, from the design to the writing to the visuals. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and push the boundaries of what’s been done before.
It shouldn’t be a carbon copy of what’s already out there. Instead, it should offer a fresh perspective, a new angle, or a deeper dive into the subject matter. It should evoke an emotional response, whether it’s awe, inspiration, or pure joy.
A great way to do this is by following the 10x content method, which is all about creating content that’s so mind-blowingly amazing, it leaves the competition in the dust.
First off, let’s break down what makes content truly 10x. It’s not just about being an interesting story; it’s about being 10 times better than anything else out there on the same topic. That means your content needs to:
- tick all the boxes
- be impeccably designed
- be high-quality and packed with value
- stay trustworthy, and interesting, and leave readers hungry for more
And most importantly, make sure everything’s 100% unique — there’s nothing else like it on the web.
Once your 10x content is ready to go, share it far and wide, reaching out to influencers, bloggers, and journalists who might be interested in spreading the word to relevant websites. And don’t forget to optimize it for search engines, ensuring that it ranks high and attracts plenty of organic traffic.
Develop a content acquisition strategy for blog posts
Always begin by putting yourself in the shoes of your reader. Why should they care about what they’re about to read? Usually, it’s because they have an issue they’re trying to solve and they hope to learn how to fix that pain by the end of your article.
Making sure your article actually gives them these answers is crucial for creating content. Your content strategy for your blog can be based on answering these pressing questions that your reader will most likely have – ensuring your content is good.
Good content will naturally attract mid to high quality links as other sites will begin to link to your site as a source their readers should acknowledge. You can use this fact during outreach when it’s crucial to highlight to recipients of your outreach efforts why your content is worth reading.
Use infographics and visual assets to attract links
Infographics and videos are dynamic tools that thrive on social media platforms due to their shareability and ease of integration into blog posts or websites. By designing visually appealing infographics, you can consistently secure valuable links, enhancing your visibility and authority online.
Use these infographics as supplementary elements to your blog posts to enrich the content without overshadowing the core message. Remember that most readers don’t want to be looking at a wall of text, ensuring that engaging images are present that can quickly summarise the data and present it into easy to understand infographics ensures that readers stay hooked.
Guest Blogging and Collaborations
Guest blogging and collaborations are essential for effective link building. They not only secure high-quality backlinks but also boost brand visibility and credibility. Together, these strategies enhance your online presence and improve search engine rankings.
Leverage guest blogging for link building and authority
By contributing guest posts to authoritative blogs within their niche, marketers can not only secure valuable backlinks but also enhance brand awareness and attract new leads.
An Ahrefs’ study found that 56.4% of pages have at least one backlink from a guest post. By contributing insightful content to relevant and high quality sites, you not only earn valuable backlinks but also position yourself as a thought leader and authority within your niche, earning you a competitive edge.
Here are some guidelines for selecting relevant and authoritative websites for guest posting:
- Research and Targeting: Look for platforms with a strong online presence, engaged audiences, and a track record of publishing high-quality content. Tools like Google, BuzzSumo, Ahrefs, and Majestic SEO can help streamline this process by providing insights into domain authority, audience engagement, and content relevance.
- Relevance and Alignment: Prioritize websites that align closely with your brand identity, values, and target audience. Aim for platforms that cater to a similar demographic or share common interests and goals. This ensures that your guest posts resonate with the audience and provide genuine value, thereby maximizing the impact of your link-building efforts.
- Authority and Credibility: Assess the authority and credibility of potential guest posting opportunities by evaluating factors such as domain authority, site traffic, social media engagement, and editorial standards. Focus on platforms with a strong reputation and established presence within your industry, as these are more likely to yield meaningful results in terms of backlinks and brand visibility.
It’s also important to make sure you stick to the given guidelines. With this, you can supercharge your link-building efforts and position yourself as a trusted authority within your industry.
Collaborate with thought leaders and influencers in your niche
Influencer link building is great for those keen on using the reach of influential figures to garner valuable backlinks. Through collaborative efforts with influencers across various platforms—be it product reviews, YouTube videos, social media posts, or blog content—marketers can amplify their online presence and secure coveted placements on authoritative websites.
It’s important to first define your target audience to look for individuals who possess credibility, expertise, and a substantial following within your industry.
You can also take advantage of influencer discovery tools such as BuzzSumo, Followerwonk, or Modash to identify potential influencers relevant to your niche. These platforms provide insights into influencers’ reach, engagement rates, and audience demographics, enabling you to make informed decisions when reaching out.
Some quick tips for building relationships with influencers:
- Personalize Your Outreach: Demonstrate genuine appreciation for their work and highlight the mutual benefits of collaboration, emphasizing how their participation can add value to their audience.
- Offer Value-Driven Partnerships: Present influencers with compelling value propositions that align with their goals and interests. Whether it’s providing exclusive access to your products or services, offering financial compensation, or co-creating content that showcases their expertise, prioritize building mutually beneficial partnerships that foster long-term relationships.
- Facilitate Seamless Collaboration: Streamline the collaboration process by providing influencers with clear guidelines, expectations, and resources to ensure the smooth execution of the campaign. Encourage open communication and transparency, addressing any concerns or questions they may have to foster a collaborative and productive partnership.
Partner with other websites for mutual link building benefits
While competitors might be hesitant to link out to your site, this isn’t the case for collaborators. Make a list of all products or services that are bought in conjunction with yours. These sites are your partners, by sending traffic your way you both stand to win while keeping link building relevant to the industry you both serve.
Collaborate with businesses, organizations, or influencers in niches like this – closely related to yours, in order to get backlinks. Use these opportunities to form partnerships, create content and promote each other’s products or services.
With enough partnerships, you can easily launch collaborative marketing campaigns that benefit everyone involved.
Advanced Link Building Techniques
By adapting to evolving algorithms and trends, advanced techniques drive targeted traffic and protect your site from penalties, forming a vital part of a successful SEO strategy.
Perform broken link building to replace dead links
Broken link building capitalizes on the prevalence of broken links—links that lead to non-existent or inaccessible web pages across the internet.
By identifying and rectifying these broken links, marketers can swoop in to fill the void with relevant, high-quality content from their own websites.
Not only does this strategy help to improve the user experience by eliminating dead ends, but it also earns valuable backlinks that enhance your website’s authority and visibility in the eyes of search engines.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use it:
- Utilize Tools for Discovery: Begin by leveraging tools like Ahrefs’s Broken Link Checker to scour websites for broken links relevant to your niche or industry. These tools crawl websites, identifying any links that lead to error pages or missing content.
- Compile a List: Once you’ve identified a list of broken links, organize them systematically, noting the websites they belong to and the context in which they were used. This will provide you with a comprehensive inventory from which to work.
- Craft Outreach Messages: Keep your messages concise, friendly, and professional, explaining the issue and offering your own content as a replacement. Tools like BuzzStream can help streamline this process by providing web admins with contact details.
- Offer Relevant Content: When reaching out to webmasters, be sure to offer content that is not only relevant to the broken link but also adds value to their website and audience. Tailor your content suggestions to fit seamlessly within the existing context, making it easy for webmasters to see the benefit of replacing the broken link with yours instead.
Use the skyscraper technique to create linkable assets
First off, let’s talk about the classic skyscraper approach. It’s all about aiming for the top by identifying the top 10-30 results for your target search query and setting your sights on securing backlinks from those towering titans of the web.
Tools like Moz’s Search Analytics Toolbar or Ahrefs’s Site Explorer are your trusty companions in this quest.
But why stop at the classic when you can elevate your game with the modified skyscraper method?
Here’s the twist: instead of starting from scratch, you leverage your existing high-quality content as your launchpad. Hunt down lower-quality pages in your niche that still manage to snag a fair share of backlinks. Then, it’s time to swoop in and offer something even better.
Success with the skyscraper method isn’t just about finding skyscrapers to climb. It’s about creating content that towers above the rest. It’s about offering something so valuable, so irresistible, that those towering titans of the web can’t help but link back to you.
Host unique giveaways and promotions to attract links
Giveaways and promotions if done right can achieve a huge boost in backlinks for your site, especially to product pages. Start by brainstorming trending topics with the potential for a unique promotion. Then reach out to the right people from the sites you’d like to acquire a link from.
Propose a mutually beneficial promotion – this could be anything from an affiliate partnership to a product review where they write a detailed piece on the product you’re promoting. Such pieces are the perfect opportunity to link back to your site allowing you to earn links from these referring domains.
Outreach and Promotion
Outreach and promotion are the backbone of a successful link building strategy. While creating high-quality content is crucial, effectively promoting it ensures that your efforts don’t go unnoticed. Outreach involves connecting with site owners, bloggers, and influencers to build relationships and secure those coveted backlinks. Meanwhile, promotion leverages various platforms and strategies to maximize your content’s reach and impact. Together, these tactics not only enhance your backlink profile but also boost your site’s visibility and authority in search engine rankings.
Personalize email outreach for link building success
If you’re using cold outreach as a channel it needs to be personalized to the person you’re reaching out to. Using features like the Linking Authors report on Ahrefs combined with a competitor backlink analysis will allow you to find sites that are giving out backlinks and the people who write for them.
From there, it’s just question of reaching out to them individually and persnalising your outreach message. This doesn’t mean you have to reference some obscure piece of information about them in the opening line but rather be direct, to the point and demonstrate that you understand their role and how your reaching out can help them perform that role better.
While it can be tempting to ask for a backlink right off the bat, it’s always better to first have a conversation and build a relationship and later request a backlink if it’s mutually beneficial.
Use social platforms for outreach and link promotion
While cold email is the most common way to conduct outreach at scale it’s certainly not the most efficient. Several link builders use platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Google+ for outreach.
Depending on the niche, these platforms can sometimes convert better than email. SaaS link builders in particular are notorious for using platforms like LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) to engage with other link builders.
Sharing your work on social platforms will undoubtedly aid in your outreach efforts especially if your profile has lots of social proof and actively talks about problems in your industry.
Pitch to journalists and bloggers for high-authority links
HARO, or Help a Reporter Out, isn’t just a platform for journalists; it’s a goldmine for savvy link builders looking to score high-quality backlinks.
First things first, get yourself signed up as an expert on Connectively (formerly HARO). It’s quick, it’s easy, and best of all, it’s free. Once you’re in, keep your eyes peeled for email alerts notifying you of inquiries related to your area of expertise. If you want to target specific topics, then use tools like Muck Rack, Cision, or X to find journalists who cover the topic.
When you spot a relevant inquiry, don your expert hat and craft a killer response. Be concise, be informative, and above all, be helpful. And don’t forget to sprinkle in a link back to your website or blog post wherever it fits naturally.
It’s subtle, it’s seamless, and it’s a surefire way to score valuable backlinks from top-tier publications.
HARO isn’t just for small fry. It’s trusted by heavy hitters like The New York Times and Reuters. That means your expert insights could end up in front of millions of readers, driving traffic to your site and boosting your authority in the process.
Local SEO and Resource Pages
Local SEO and resource pages play pivotal roles in enhancing a website’s visibility and credibility. By securing a spot on these pages, businesses can tap into a targeted audience actively seeking information, thereby boosting their online authority and search engine rankings.
Optimize for local SEO to attract local links
Local SEO is exactly what it sounds like. It’s all about optimizing your website for local keywords and ranking in local search results. This is particularly important for businesses that have a physical address or cater to a specific area.
When a user types in a local keyword, the results that show first are those that have been optimized for that query. You can do this by using local variations of keywords. For example, instead of optimizing for a keyword like “best cafes” which is not very useful if you’re a cafe in New York trying to attract customers.
You can instead target variations of this keyword like “best cafes in New York” or go even more specific and mention a neighborhood or area.
Similarly, when collaborating with influencers, you can select only local influencers who have a large fan base in a specific area, relevant to where your business is located. This ensure you’ll likely be securing backlinks from local sources.
Target resource pages for relevant link opportunities
Resource page link building revolves around the practice of getting your website or page URLs inserted into curated lists of resources on other websites.
These pages serve as valuable repositories of information, offering users a curated collection of links to relevant and authoritative content within a specific niche or industry.
By securing a place on these pages, marketers can not only earn valuable backlinks but also tap into a targeted audience actively seeking information and resources.
Here are some strategies for identifying and securing links from resource pages:
- Conduct Thorough Research: Begin by conducting thorough research to identify resource pages relevant to your niche or industry. Utilize search engines, industry directories, and competitor analysis tools to uncover potential opportunities for link placement.
- Evaluate Page Authority: Once you’ve identified potential resource pages, evaluate the authority and relevance of each page to ensure it aligns with your link-building objectives. Focus on securing links from such pages with high domain authority and a strong reputation within your industry.
- Craft Compelling Outreach Messages: Highlight the value that your content or website brings to their audience and explain how it complements the existing resources on their page. Be sure to tailor your message to each recipient to increase your chances of success.
- Offer Value-Added Content: When proposing your link for inclusion on a resource page, ensure that it adds significant value to the page and its audience. Provide detailed information about your content or website, emphasizing its relevance, uniqueness, and utility to users. By offering value-added content, you increase the likelihood that webmasters will be willing to include your link on their page.
Create roundup posts to attract links from other websites
Participating in round-up posts can help cement your authority and skyrocket your visibility in the digital sphere.
First things first, bring the goods. Your content needs to be more than just fluff; it needs to pack a punch. Whether you’re offering a free tool, an in-depth guide, or expert insights, make sure it’s something that offers real value to your audience. Aim to churn out at least one piece of top-notch content every week that’s worthy of being featured in a round-up post.
Then, scout out sites that regularly feature round-up posts in your niche. Dive into Google and scour similar posts to see which sites are doling out the love with those coveted backlinks. Keep an eye out for sites using the rel=”nofollow” tag – those links might not pass PageRank, but they’re still worth pursuing for exposure.
Once you’ve identified your targets, it’s time to craft a personalized email introducing yourself and your work. Be genuine, be friendly, and above all, be helpful. Offer something of value in exchange for a mention in their next round-up post.
And remember, patience is key. Don’t expect instant results overnight. Building relationships takes time, so keep nurturing those connections and watch your efforts pay off in the form of juicy backlinks and increased visibility.
Data-Driven Link Building
Data-driven link building is all about leveraging insights from analytics and research to refine your strategies and maximize your impact.
By analyzing patterns, trends, and metrics, you can make informed decisions that propel your link building efforts forward. This method ensures that every link you earn contributes significantly to your site’s authority and search engine rankings.
Release data studies to attract links from data-hungry websites
One of the best link building strategies used to build backlinks from highly relevant sites is by releasing reports or statistics relevant to the sites you’re focused on earning links from. Ideally the study should have some unique data you’ve collected yourself so that site owners can only link to your website as a source for that data.
The report needs to attempt to answer a specific question, create a compelling story, and actually give other sites a reason to talk about them and eventually link back to them.
Conduct city studies to attract local links and attention
Conducting city studies can be an effective method for attracting local links and attention. For example, analyzing data from specific regions to highlight unique business trends can provide valuable insights that appeal to local audiences. These studies can lead to backlinks from local news outlets, resource pages, and blogs, enhancing your site’s visibility within the community.
Targeting specific regions with topical information allows you to garner unique links. Consider creating content that addresses regional interests or concerns, such as a study on local economic growth or environmental changes. This approach not only captures the interest of local media but also positions your website as a go-to resource for region-specific information.
City studies can also be leveraged to drive traffic to location-specific product pages. By presenting data that resonates with local consumers, you increase the likelihood of earning backlinks from locally relevant sites. This strategy not only boosts your backlink profile but also strengthens your presence in targeted local markets.
Create surveys to attract links and generate buzz
Creating surveys can be a challenging yet rewarding link-building strategy. When executed effectively, surveys can generate significant attention and drive quality backlinks. Journalists are always on the lookout for stories that captivate their audience, so it’s crucial to design surveys with results that are both intriguing and newsworthy.
To enhance the appeal of your survey findings, incorporate external data that supports your narrative. This approach not only strengthens your story but also provides an opportunity to uncover additional angles that can engage a broader audience. By combining insightful survey results with credible data, you can craft compelling stories that attract coverage from reputable sources, boosting your site’s visibility and authority.
Measuring Success and Improvement
What gets measured, gets made. If you’re serious about link building strategies to get your site rank higher, then you need to be actively collecting data around the link building strategy you’re trying out and whether it’s actively working to bring in more traffic or not.
Think of it this way, if you’re trying out multiple campaigns to build links to various pages and you’re seeing mixed results, you obviously want to keep only the relevant links to your own pages that are actually moving the needle.
Monitor link building progress and adjust your strategy
Monitoring link-building progress is essential for ensuring your strategy remains effective and aligns with your SEO goals. Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to track key metrics such as the number of referring domains, the quality of backlinks, and changes in domain authority.
Pay attention to the growth in organic traffic and search rankings for targeted keywords. If you notice a decline in any of these areas, it might be time to adjust your strategy. For example, if your backlinks are primarily from low-authority sites, focus on earning links from more authoritative sources.
Regularly reviewing these metrics helps you identify what’s working and where improvements are needed.
Analyze link building results to identify areas for improvement
Analyzing your link building results is crucial for identifying areas of improvement. By utilizing tools like Ahrefs’ Backlink Gap tool, you can compare your backlinks against those of your competitors to pinpoint gaps in your link profile. This comparison helps uncover opportunities for enhancement, ensuring your strategy remains competitive and effective.
One of the most common gaps in link building is the lack of diversity in your backlink profile. If most of your links come from similar types of websites or domains, it may be time to expand your reach and target a broader array of sources. Another gap could be the absence of links from high-authority sites, which can be addressed by focusing on creating high-quality content that attracts these kinds of links.
Additionally, you might find that your content isn’t being linked to by industry-specific or niche websites. This can be improved by tailoring your content to better fit the interests and needs of these niche audiences.
Lastly, a gap might exist in the geographical diversity of your backlinks. If your links are predominantly from one region, consider targeting international websites to broaden your site’s global reach.
Over to You
Now armed with a treasure trove of actionable insights and strategies, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and unleash the full potential of your link building arsenal.
Don’t just let these strategies gather dust on the digital shelf—put them into action and watch as your website climbs the ranks of search engine results, attracting targeted traffic with more people linking to your site and bolstering your online authority.
As you embark on this journey, embrace the challenges, celebrate the victories, and never stop seeking out new opportunities to enhance your link profile and optimize your website’s performance.
