Building high-quality backlinks to your website forms an integral part of a sound Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy. This is because Google counts the number of quality, relevant backlinks as one of their top ranking factors, meaning you may begin to notice an increase in your search engine rankings. In essence, there are plenty of SEO services you can make use of, but link building should be one of your main priorities.
We discuss several effective ways in which small businesses can build solid links to their website, without having to splash the cash.
- Guest posting
Having a well-executed guest blogging strategy in place can be used as a powerful link building tactic. You can start by finding relevant websites within your industry or niche, then reaching out to the site owner or editors to pitch article ideas, or simply state that you are interested in providing content on your specific areas of expertise.
If your outreach efforts succeed, then you should be rewarded with a backlink to your website, in return for the unique, interesting content you have provided.
- Directory listings
Any good SEO worth their salt will know that entering your website onto tonnes of free directories is a total no-go, since it appears spammy to Google and could, in turn, hurt your rankings.
However, where relevant, industry-specific directories with an upright reputation are available, there is absolutely no harm in submitting your site to them. Not only will it increase the likelihood of potential customers within your niche finding you, but it may also lead to better rankings if the website itself is of good authority.
- Influencer partnerships
Influencers have steadily taken over the internet marketing sphere, and their importance across every industry shows no signs of slowing down, which is why building relationships with the key influencers within your sector is invaluable.
Of course, there are some out there who will only work with well-known brands and big budgets, gaining heaps of exposure, but in actual fact, targeting mid-range and niche influencers can be just as effective for small businesses if implemented correctly.
Networking, outreach programmes and small influencer events can all help in getting your brand out there in front of the influencers you wish to target.
- Producing amazing, shareable content!
Perhaps the trickiest amongst the tactics, but certainly the most rewarding – the ability to produce fantastic, unique content, which establishes your business as a thought leader, can certainly result in people sharing and linking to your content as a credible source of information. There are several ways to do this, but the most effective is to create excellent ‘evergreen’ content – that is, content which always remains relevant and searchable, for example, a unique “how-to” guide, or an article on the best ab exercises.
It is a myth that you need a huge budget in order to gain high-quality backlinks to your website. With a great content team and the ability to form partnerships with key industry publications and influencers, any business can thrive through link building.
Just remember that whichever of the tactics you choose to implement, just must always stay within the Google Webmaster Guidelines, or you could find yourself facing a penalty, which may result in a total loss of rankings altogether.