9 steps for building quality backlinks

For some, backlinks are the number one ranking factor for their websites. If you employ this strategy, building high-quality backlinks to your website can increase your search engine ranking, but it can also result in an increase in organic traffic.

Bringing more visitors to your website is what search engine optimization (SEO) is all about!

Some backlinks are more complicated than others to find, but if they increase your traffic from the search engines, it’s worth the effort!

Try these techniques to earn quality backlinks and get more visitors to your website

1. The broken-link building method. This method involves contacting a webmaster to report broken links on their website. While doing this, you suggest adding a link to your own website.
   • As you are helping the webmaster by finding this broken link, the chances of them replacing the link with your own or adding one of yours will be pretty high.
   • Peruse quality websites in your field, so any added links will be from other experts in your industry, resulting in a high-quality link.
2. The skyscraper technique. This method has three steps:
   • Find a piece of content that has lots of links pointing to it.
   • Create a better or more valuable piece of content than that one and publish it on your website.
   • Contact those who link to the original piece and ask them if they would instead link to your higher quality piece of content. Some will!
3. Create an infographic. This is one of the more popular ways to build backlinks. The reason for this is that infographics are easy to understand and share.
   • You will need to find an appropriate topic in your field, perhaps a trending topic, gather the data, and find someone to make this data visually appealing.
   • Be sure to include links to your website in the infographic.
   • Once the infographic is created, add it to your website and your social media accounts, where it will likely be shared.
4. Write guest articles. When you create content to place on other websites, you get to put your content in front of a new audience. This increases the exposure to your own website.
   • This method is suitable not only for creating that vital backlink but can also increase your own reputation and social media following.
5. Spy on your competitors. When you spy on your competitors, you’ll better understand what content they’re creating and their building backlinks. You can then make (better) content on the same topics and acquire backlinks from many of the same websites that link to your competitor.
6. Promote your content. Sometimes the best approach to building backlinks is approaching webmasters via email.
   • One easy way to gain a backlink is to find those that create weekly or monthly roundup posts. You can then email these people links to your best guides and ask them to add them to their latest roundup article.
   • If you struggle to find the webmaster’s email address, check out their social media profiles. Also, LinkedIn is always a good place for professional contacts.
7. Write a testimonial. Many times, you can get a backlink in exchange for a testimonial. Make a list of any products you are using and contact the website owner that promotes this product. Offer to make a testimonial for their development as long as you can put a link to your website.
8. Donate to a nonprofit organization. It’s common practice for nonprofit organizations to include links to the websites of the businesses that donate to them. It is as simple as finding the organization, filling in the amount you wish to donate, and writing your URL.
9. Get interviewed. Once you become known as an authority in your niche, you’ll find that others will come directly to you for an interview. In addition, many will link to your website in their promo materials for the discussion and the interview itself.
   • In the meantime, before others come to you, look for websites looking for interviewees. Then, contact them, telling them you wish to participate in the interviews and what knowledge you can contribute.

Building backlinks can be a challenge, but using these strategies will help you build the quality backlinks you seek.

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