A beginner’s guide to link building

Most of us have come across links whilst we’re reading content online, strategically placed to offer us more information about the topic we’re interested in. But is there an even bigger picture?

Link building is a powerful aspect of a successful SEO strategy, and it’s an added method to help businesses secure their online presence. But what exactly is link building, and how can it help establish your brand credibility?

What is link building?

Link building is the practice of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. These hyperlinks, often referred to as backlinks, serve as pathways that lead users from one webpage to another. Backlinks are essential because they act as “votes of confidence” from other websites, signalling to search engines that your content is valuable and authoritative. 

As a result, your website is likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), ultimately driving more organic traffic to your site.

Why backlinks are important

Backlinks are a cornerstone of SEO, and their importance cannot be overstated. But why are backlinks so important, and how can they help to elevate your business presence?

Improved search engine rankings

Search engines like Google consider backlinks as a major ranking factor. Websites with a higher number of quality backlinks tend to rank higher in search results, making them more visible to potential visitors.

Increased organic traffic

Quality backlinks from reputable websites can drive organic traffic to your site. When users click on these backlinks, they are directed to your content. This can potentially lead to conversions, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or other desired actions.

Enhanced credibility and authority

Backlinks from authoritative websites establish your website’s credibility within your industry or niche. This can help build trust with your audience and encourage them to engage with your content.

Faster indexing

Search engines use backlinks to discover and index new content. When your website is linked to from other websites, search engine bots are more likely to crawl and index your pages, ensuring they appear in search results faster.

Link building ideas

Now that you understand the importance of link building, let’s explore some creative link-building ideas that can help boost your SEO strategy.

Guest blogging

One effective way to acquire backlinks is by guest blogging on websites within your niche. By contributing valuable content to these websites, you can include a link back to your own site within your author bio or within the body of the article, if relevant. Guest blogging not only builds backlinks but also establishes you as an industry expert.

Outreach and collaboration

Reach out to other website owners, bloggers, and influencers within your industry. Propose collaborations, partnerships, or content contributions that can lead to backlinks. Building relationships in your niche can result in valuable link opportunities.

Content creation

Create high-quality, informative, and shareable content on your website. When your content is valuable, other websites are more likely to link to it as a reference. This can include articles, infographics, videos, and other forms of content that resonate with your target audience.

Broken link building

Identify websites in your niche that have broken or outdated links, and offer to replace those links with relevant content from your site. This not only helps the website owner maintain a quality user experience but also provides you with an opportunity to gain backlinks.

What to factor into a link building strategy

Building a successful link-building strategy requires careful planning and consideration. Here are some key factors to factor into your strategy:

Link quality over quantity

Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative and reputable websites. A few high-quality backlinks can have a more significant impact on your SEO than many low-quality ones.

Relevance

Ensure that the websites linking to your content are relevant to your niche or industry. Irrelevant backlinks may not provide the same SEO benefits and can even harm your rankings.

Diversify anchor text

Use a variety of anchor text when creating backlinks. Overusing the same anchor text can appear unnatural to search engines and potentially lead to penalties.

Monitor and analyse

Regularly monitor your backlink profile using tools like Google Search Console or third-party SEO software. Analyse the performance of your backlinks and make adjustments to your strategy as needed.

Expand your linkage with help from NMG

If you want your business to reach even further online, you need an effective link-building strategy. At NMG, our team of experts will find you the relevant sites you need to help spread the word about your business, from guest blogs to fixing broken links — we’ve got all the tools you need to elevate your business SEO.

Take a look at our SEO, local SEO, and PPC services, or get in touch with us today to find out more.