What Are Backlinks?
When another website links to your page, it’s called a backlink. This means that any visitor on their page will be directed to your page when they click on the link. Awesome right?
But let’s not forget the key things to earn this link.
Creating relevant, authentic and highly authoritative content.
Content so valuable and comprehensive that any website feels compelled to source you and inform their audience that, “Hey, check out this page for confirmation, more information, clarity and quality work.”
These backlinks can be placed in the form of text, a button or an image on another website, and for major search engines like Google, they become a highly positive ranking factor in boosting the visibility of your website.
Why Are Backlinks So Important for SEO?
The list of Google’s Ranking Factors is among hundreds and keeps changing but what has not changed in years is the importance of backlinks as key ranking factors.
Google still looks for quality backlinks as an endorsement from other well-established websites to count you as a trusted domain producing relevant, accurate and quality content.
It is not always so easy and straightforward to earn high-quality backlinks, especially if you come up with a new website or blog but to do well on Search Engine Result Pages (SERP), you cannot undermine the importance of quality backlinks over quantity.
A hundred poor-quality backlinks cannot boost your ranking as much as a single high-quality backlink can, and for a back-link to perform well, it should be:
- Unique
- Relevant
- Authoritative
- Placed Naturally
With that being said, let’s jump to some of the genius and absolutely white-hat tricks to earn quality backlinks in 2023, even if you are starting just now.
1. Keep a Look at Unlinked Mentions
One of the easiest ways to start accumulating backlinks is to look for unlinked mentions about you on various blogs, websites or pieces of news.
Many simple (and some free) tools provide you with insights into your brand mentions. Tools like BuzzSumo and Mention also reveal the domain authority of the websites mentioning you silently.
Many times you will come across brands and websites that are sourcing you but do not provide a link to your page, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
This is a great opportunity for you to reach out politely and ask them to update your mention with a link. This does not seem rude or straightforward since the brand has already mentioned you, all you are asking is for a link.
This will also help improve their customer experience, who can easily navigate to the source being mentioned.
2. Aim for Contextual Links
Many articles and blogs have the practice of recommending other articles and including a section on featured or additional resources.
You can find a great opportunity to land your page under these sections and earn a backlink.
All you have to do is to search for articles and websites working on the same niche as you, look for the articles that have “read more” or “additional or featured resources” section and reach out to the owner with a smart and intriguing pitch.
Google lets you find these articles easily with
- marketing trends inurl:blog intext:”Read more”
- marketing trends inurl:blog intext:”Recommended articles”
- marketing trends inurl:blog intext:”Recommended reading”
The key to getting featured is to prove the worth of your article and what value it can add to the audience’s reading experience.
3. Update Old Content and Claim a Backlink
We know that much of the information keeps changing, and there is a constant need to update your content, even for bloggers.
You can dig out an opportunity to claim a backlink by updating old content with upgraded information, fresh perspective and relevant data.
It is better to look for an article or research paper that has earned multiple backlinks. Once you have worked on updating the article, you can reach out to all publications that have linked this article and inform them about your updated piece.
There is also a chance for you to build a collaborating relationship with some of the bloggers in addition to getting backlinks. This way, you can work together on future projects together and have a healthy link-building relationship.
4. Create Free Tools That Are In-Demand
Creating small tools that are most in demand today and used by multiple websites is a great way to earn quick backlinks.
Here is what you can do:
- Think of the industry you want to work in (You probably already have one) and research what kind of templates or tools people are mostly using.
- Check out the top 10 frequently used tools for the keyword you have selected.
- Figure out which tools are receiving the most backlinks.
- See if you can build something better than the existing tool in terms of design, customizable options and ease of use.
If you are successful in creating a new and advanced tool, you will not only get multiple high-quality backlinks but also more leads and organic traffic.
5. Create Comprehensive Guides
Most bloggers, content writers and website owners have a practice of sourcing their content with relevant studies and articles. When it comes to linking a source, they naturally feel attracted to the best and most comprehensive guide that can provide maximum value to their readers.
If you can create the most thorough guide with accurate, up-to-date and relevant information, you will automatically gather many backlinks without even having to ask.
Most bloggers like to link ultimate guides in their articles because it solidifies their own content and confirms their authority on the subject.
A guide that covers a topic from each and every aspect in a way that the reader does not feel a need to hover somewhere else will perform much better when it comes to backlinks.
Conclusion
As crucial as it is to earn quality backlinks for your website’s ranking, it is not always a walk in the park. But remember, quality backlinks matter much more than quantity. Using the tricks mentioned above, you can earn yourself quality backlinks from high-domain websites soon, even if you are starting as a newbie.
