Amanda Clark — June 21, 2018 — June 21, 2018
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When other websites or blogs link to your content, it feels really good; it’s flattering to think that one of your readers enjoyed the content enough to share it with others.
But earning links is about more than just good feelings. It’s actually an important part of effective content marketing. Consider:
- Backlinks lend prestige and respectability to your content; they make it more likely for other readers to find and to trust
- Backlinks also enhance your online brand. They cast you as a thought leader and an industry expert.
- Finally, backlinks are critical SEO ranking factors. As you accrue links from authoritative websites, it helps your standings in Google.
Building backlinks should be a priority in every content marketing strategy—but it’s important to note that there are right ways and wrong ways to do it.
Black Hat and White Hat Approaches
In fact, all link building efforts can be boiled down to two basic categories—black hat and white hat.
- Black hat tactics ignore Google’s stated guidelines; the most common black hat tactic is buying links outright. This is dishonest and can actually lead to SEO penalties.
- White hat tactics consist of actually earning your backlinks through valuable content and real relationships. These tactics comply with Google’s stated guidelines.
As you consider link building strategies, remember that there are no shortcuts—not really. Buying backlinks will cause your SEO rankings to take a dive. The best way to pursue backlinks is by earning them, fair and square. The question is how.
5 Tips for Earning Backlinks
We recommend a few simple tactics:
- Write content that’s worth linking to. Make sure you’re producing high-quality content that offers helpful, practical information to your audience. If the content is flimsy, irrelevant to the target reader, or overly promotional, nobody’s going to want to link to it—plain and simple.
- Don’t stop at written content. Written content, like blogs, is incredibly important—foundational, even. But as you create this content, spin it into infographics and video content, as well. A broader, richer content profile can help you attract more backlinks.
- Ensure that some of your content is evergreen. It’s fine to write about industry trends or headlines, but also make sure you’re producing some content that won’t age or become obsolete—such as glossaries, guides, and compendiums. This is the kind of content that tends to win links most readily.
- Engage in influencer marketing. Using social media, form relationships with some of the key influencers in your industry, including prominent bloggers or social media personalities. If you can get their attention, and in turn, they share some of your content, that could be huge for your link-building efforts.
- Don’t forget about press releases. Sending out regular press releases helps keep your content in front of local or industry-specific publications, which can often win you the links you’re seeking.
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