Wondering how to get links to your internal e-commerce pages? Columnist Julie Joyce showcases some companies who are using creative tactics and content to attract links.
It’s tough to get links to product pages for an e-commerce site. That problem is one of the main reasons companies contact us. While you do see some great links to a product page here and there, it seems that most of these pages simply don’t give us enough of a reason to link to them.
The same can be true for category pages, too — and all of this means that clients struggle to find alternative ways of generating links to pages other than their home page.
Let’s take a look at nine ways clever companies have created highly linkable internal pages.
1. Company Blogs
Madewell’s blog has 126 linking domains (source is Majestic SEO for all of these), with every new post being a fresh opportunity for a new link.
Pretty standard stuff in some ways, as it’s common for e-commerce sites to have a blog. However, Madewell does a really nice job of not forcing product links into every paragraph of every post.
They link to their company playlists on Spotify (which I always think is fascinating), they link to other sites and not just their own, and their photos make me want to pony up the cash for what they sell, so I’m sold on this blog.
2. Company Stories
Everlane’s factory page has 88 linking domains. If you aren’t familiar with Everlane, it’s a company that comes clean about where their products come from and how much they are marked up.
Their factory page has information about all the factories that are involved in making their products, and each of the subpages has info such as location, ownership and how the company found the factory.
With so many companies hiding the ins and outs of how they do business, it’s pretty refreshing.
3. Product Care
Ugg Australia’s cleaning and care page has 182 linking domains with a nice video and links to cleaning products on the site.
Uggs aren’t cheap, so getting information about how to make them last longer is a good thing. I always like to see companies putting care information on their own websites, as I feel like I trust that a bit more.
In terms of links, I also know that by not including information that people are searching for, you’re losing the chance to grab links that will otherwise be going to other sites.
4. Apps
Uniqlo music has 178 linking domains.
“Wake up with music that changes with the weather.” That’s a pretty cool idea to me, and much nicer than being awakened by the usual shrill buzz that I use on my iPhone alarm. There’s also a link to info about the composer of the alarm music, along with the links to get the apps for iOS and Android.
It’s pretty neat how the music changes with the day of the week, the time and the weather. I also love that you can experience the app content on the website, which isn’t always the case when companies link to their apps.
Here’s the shocking bit: They aren’t selling music. They sell clothes, so this app isn’t designed to make money for them. It’s just something extra they’re offering.
5. Past Offerings For A Recurring Service
Loot Crate’s Past Crates has 82 linking domains. It’s a great way to sell a service where you aren’t sure what you’ll get with the next round.
They offer monthly subscriptions that include boxes of gaming, comic or other products, and I like the idea of piquing interest in something by showcasing the past.
And if you want to see a couple more examples, check these out:
https://ecocentricmom.com/category/past-boxes/
http://www.universalyums.com/snacks
6. Charitable Giving
Lush’s Charity page has 42 linking domains.
As you can see, they’ve donated more than $10 million to various charities since 2007. This section of the site deals with the charities they contribute to, gives info about their funding and application guidelines and celebrates various events, such as Human Rights Day.
I’m sure that many companies donate to charities, but it is definitely nice to be able to see which charities they support and read about something other than product descriptions.
7. Projects With Products
Michaels Projects has 70 linking domains. As someone who isn’t at all crafty but does have children, I’ve visited this section of the site many times.
Michaels also has physical stores that sell a giant array of products. Each project has links to where you can buy the items needed if they are available online and a list of any “in-store only” items.
Notice how at the top, they showcase trending projects, so it’s an ever-changing and evergreen resource.
8. Resources
PetSmart’s Resource Center has 56 linking domains. It’s a very well-organized section that’s like the Michaels example of ever-changing (like the current holiday pet tips articles) and evergreen content.
Articles such as “Travel Safely With Your Dog” give tips and link to product pages, and videos on training and grooming are available.
9. Product Instructions
Ties.com’s tie instructions page has 109 linking domains. The Windsor knot page has 37 linking domains just on its own. (Also, who knew there were this many knots?)
The landing page here is very nicely done, with large images that show you the knots so you can click through to specific pages (that are themselves very well done with easy-to-follow diagrams and info about difficulty level). Further down, there is a visual comparison of knots that is also done as an infographic.
Maybe you won’t ever be able to generate a lot of links to your product pages or your FAQ page, and for many e-commerce sites, home page links will always make up the bulk of the link profile.
However, as you can see with these nine examples, with a bit of clever thinking about interesting information that your target audience would enjoy, it’s definitely possible to get some good links going to subpages.
Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.
(Some images used under license from Shutterstock.com.)
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