Udemezue John
Introduction
Building genuine backlinks to your blog is crucial for improving your search engine rankings, increasing your website’s visibility, and attracting more organic traffic.
However, building high-quality and relevant backlinks can be a challenging and time-consuming task.
It requires a strategic approach and a lot of effort to identify link-building opportunities, reach out to website owners, and create valuable content that attracts backlinks.
You should also know that getting authoritative backlinks from a trustworthy website is a search engine ranking factor but can be penalised when you do it the wrong way.
So you should attract backlinks from traditional websites and avoid spammy websites.
Also, remember that trying to employ black-hat SEO strategies or buying backlinks to your blogs also goes against Google guidelines.
I wrote an article on this blog that comprehensively broke down how Google algorithm updates seem to affect your search engine reputation; You should follow the link below to get started.
In this article, we will discuss some effective strategies for building genuine backlinks to your blog that can help you improve your website’s SEO and drive more traffic to your website.
What are Backlinks?
Backlinks, also known as inbound links, link from other websites that point to your website.
They are an important factor in search engine optimization (SEO) because search engines like Google use them to assess the authority, relevance, and popularity of your website.
Backlinks are considered a vote of confidence or endorsement from other websites, indicating that your content is valuable and worth linking to.
The more high-quality and relevant backlinks your website has, the more likely it is to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more organic traffic.
Why Should I Build Backlinks To My Blog?
If you are a blogger or website owner, you may have heard about the importance of building backlinks.
But why should you invest time and effort in building backlinks to your blog? Here are some reasons why building backlinks is important for your blog:
1. Improve Search Engine Rankings.
One of the main reasons to build backlinks is to improve your search engine rankings. Search engines like Google consider backlinks as a vote of confidence or endorsement from other websites.
The more high-quality and relevant backlinks your blog has, the more likely it is to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This, in turn, can drive more organic traffic to your blog.
2. Increase Website Traffic.
Building backlinks can also help you increase your website traffic. When other websites link to your blog, it can drive referral traffic to your website.
Referral traffic refers to visitors who come to your website from another website, not from search engines or social media.
Referral traffic can be valuable because it is often more targeted and engaged, which can lead to higher conversion rates.
3. Build Your Brand Authority.
Backlinks can also help you build your brand authority and credibility. When other websites link to your blog, it signals to search engines and visitors that your content is valuable and authoritative.
This can help you establish your blog as a trusted source of information in your niche, which can lead to more followers, subscribers, and customers.
4. Expand Your Network.
Building backlinks can also help you expand your network and build relationships with other bloggers and website owners in your niche.
By reaching out to other bloggers and website owners for link-building opportunities, you can connect with other like-minded individuals and potentially collaborate on future projects.
5. Stay Ahead of Your Competition.
Finally, building backlinks can help you stay ahead of your competition. If your competitors have a strong backlink profile, it can be difficult to outrank them in search engines.
By building high-quality and relevant backlinks, you can improve your search engine rankings and potentially surpass your competitors.
6. Backlinks Help you get indexed quickly.
There are over 30 trillion pages to be indexed each year; this has made search engines like Google only prioritise the pages that are most important over the others.
Most websites are stuck in the sandbox because the search engine index does not prioritise them.
A new website takes more years to rank in a competitive space than an older website with authority and backlinks.
Moreover, Search engine spiders are designed to search for new web pages by following backlinks from existing web pages linking to you. This helps you get indexed as quickly as possible.
7. You get Referral traffic as a reward.
Having more backlinks from other websites means that they are comfortable sending you part of their visitors to check out some of the valuable pieces of information that they could not provide.
A person reading a post can click on the post link to learn more about the topic at hand. Therefore, this generated traffic to your website is usually more targeted and less likely to leave the page faster.
What are The Types Of Backlinks To Watch Out For?
Building backlinks should be strategic to avoid doing it the wrong way. Keep in mind that there is no easy way to build links, and not every type of link is suitable for every kind of business.
But I am assured that this post will help you find the perfect link-building strategies to implement.
1. Do-follow Links.
<a href=”” rel=”dofollow”> Link to something </a>
Do-follow links are links that allow Google and other search engines to point back to your website or blog when crawling the host website pointing to yours.
For example, a massive blog in your niche like NeilPatel.com decided to send a Do-follow link to an article they found on your blog; this sends a message to search engine spiders when crawling Neilpatel.com and also to follow that link to your website.
Do-follow links prioritise indexing which strengthens your authority.
2. Nofollow Links
<a href=”” rel=”nofollow”> Link to something </a>
Nofollow links are links with a rel=”nofollow” HTML tag.
The difference between a nofollow link and a dofollow link is that the nofollow tag tells search engines to ignore that link. Nofollow links do not have any impact on search engines.
Nofollow links are used for promotional purposes, such as affiliate links and links you want the search engines to ignore.
3. Internal Links.
The following kind of link that you need to pay attention to is internal links. Internal links remain the easiest to build because you control how they are applied.
An internal link is any link from one page on your website to another page on the same website.
Let’s assume you are writing an article about something on your blog and you decided to refer your users to something related to the same blog; you can choose to add a link to a reference article.
Search engines also use links to navigate your site; you can use internal links to decide how spiders crawl your website.
4. Social Media Links.
Links from social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram do not usually count as No-follow links.
Still, they can help with your online reputation, which sends a signal to Google about how authentic you are as an author, which influences your rankings in EAT(Expertise Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness).
If you don’t know what Google’s EAT means, I wrote a comprehensive guide on this blog on what EAT.
You should know that Social media does not directly contribute to SEO ranking, but sharing links across social platforms increases brand exposure which adds up and influences search engine optimisation.
This means that you should share your blog post as much as possible across various social media platforms, also, don’t forget to mention the link to your blog across your bio on social media.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on utilising social media platforms to grow your business; follow the links below to catch them up.
- How To Grow Your Business On Facebook
- How To Grow Your Business On Instagram
- How To Grow Your Business On LinkedIn
- How To Grow Your Business On Pinterest
- How To Grow Your Business On TikTok
- How To Grow Your Business On Twitter
5. Guest Blogging Links.
Guest blogging is writing content for a website with a more decisive influence than yours to get juicy do-follow links.
This remains the most traditional method used in getting authentic backlinks; though It may seem foolish to spend time writing articles for other websites or blogs when you could be using that time to create content for your site, the results are worth it. Most times, you don’t need to do the writing yourself; you could hire writers on your behalf.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on tapping into the world of guest posting; click the link below to get started.
6. Google My Business Link.
Google my business is a free tool created by Google to help local businesses with physical locations appear in search results and maps.
A Google My Business account is the only means you can claim ownership of your Business Profile, attain management rights to it, and unlock additional free features to increase your visibility on Google.
When creating your Google my business profile for your business, you get the privilege to add a link to your blog or website, which will, in turn, convert into a backlink that allows search engines like Google to perceive your website as genuine. You also get the opportunity to show up on relevant search results.
I wrote a comprehensive guide in this blog on how to get started with Google My Business; click the link below to get started.
7. Links From Quora.
Quora is a social question-and-answer platform where people come together to engage each other intellect on any topic. Globally, people visit Quora to ask questions from a community of people who answer them.
The Google search engine is in the business of showing Quora in its SERP because Quora answers questions, and this has made it rank higher than every other web page. According to Alexa, Quora ranks #345 in traffic out of all sites in the U.S.
Developing a habit of answering questions on Quora can divert traffic to your website, which leads to backlinks being built.
8. Links From YouTube.
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google search, making it a hot spot for information. So uploading the right content on YouTube with the correct link to your blog will fetch you tons of traffic, getting you backlinks.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on starting a successful YouTube channel; follow the link below.
How do I Build Backlinks To My Blog?
Building genuine backlinks to your blog is crucial for improving your search engine rankings, increasing your website traffic, and building your brand authority.
However, not all backlinks are created equal, and it’s important to focus on building high-quality and genuine backlinks that will benefit your blog in the long run.
In this article, we’ll discuss some strategies for building genuine backlinks to your blog.
1. Create Valuable Content.
The first step to building backlinks is to create valuable and engaging content for your blog. When your content is informative, useful, and entertaining, it is more likely to attract backlinks naturally.
Make sure to conduct thorough research, use relevant keywords, and provide actionable insights in your blog posts.
By providing high-quality content, other websites will be more likely to link back to your blog as a resource for their readers.
Genuine backlinks are built when you write great content on your blog. I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to write content that ranks on Google and generates backlinks on your behalf; click the link below to get started.
2. Guest Blogging.
Guest blogging is a popular and effective strategy for building backlinks. It involves writing guest posts for other websites in your niche and including a link back to your blog in the author bio or content.
When choosing websites for guest blogging, make sure to target high-quality and relevant websites with strong domain authority.
This will ensure that your backlinks are coming from reputable sources and will be beneficial for your blog’s SEO.
I wrote a comprehensive post on how to begin your journey into guest blogging; follow the link below to get started.
3. Broken Link Building.
Broken link building is another effective strategy for building backlinks. It involves finding broken links on other websites and offering to replace them with links to your content.
You can use tools like Ahrefs or Check My Links to find broken links on other websites.
When reaching out to website owners about broken links, make sure to provide value by offering high-quality content that is relevant to their audience.
4. Outreach and Networking.
Outreach and networking are crucial for building genuine backlinks to your blog. This involves reaching out to other bloggers and website owners in your niche and building relationships with them.
You can ask for link-building opportunities, offer to collaborate on future projects, or simply introduce yourself and your blog.
Building relationships with other website owners can lead to natural backlinks as they begin to view your blog as a valuable resource in your niche.
5. Social Media Promotion.
Promoting your blog posts on social media can also help you attract backlinks naturally. When your content is shared on social media, it can reach a wider audience and potentially attract backlinks from other websites.
Make sure to use relevant hashtags, engage with your followers, and share your content regularly on social media.
This will help you build a community around your blog and attract backlinks from other bloggers and website owners.
6. Participate in Community Engagement.
Participating in community engagement is another great way to build genuine backlinks to your blog. This involves engaging in forums, blog comments, and social media groups related to your niche.
By providing helpful insights and solutions to other community members, you can attract backlinks naturally.
Make sure to include a link to your blog in your forum signature or profile, and always provide value before asking for a backlink.
7. Offer Testimonials.
Offering testimonials for other products or services in your niche is another effective way to build backlinks to your blog.
When you offer a testimonial, website owners will often include a link back to your blog as a way of saying thank you.
Make sure to offer genuine and detailed testimonials that provide value to the website owner and their audience.
6. Use Infographics.
Infographics are highly shareable and can attract backlinks naturally. By creating informative and visually appealing infographics related to your niche, you can increase your chances of attracting backlinks from other websites.
Make sure to include an embed code or a link back to your blog in the infographic so that other website owners can easily share it.
7. Create Linkable Assets.
Creating linkable assets is another effective way to build genuine backlinks to your blog. Linkable assets are high-quality and unique content pieces that provide value to your audience.
This can include resource pages, case studies, or in-depth guides. When you create linkable assets, other website owners will be more likely to link back to your blog as a valuable resource.
8. Participate in Podcasts.
A podcast is a digital audio file that can be listened to and made available on the internet for download.
Podcasting is a popular way to create engaging content that other sites may likely find link-worthy. You can either create your podcast or feature in an existing or popular podcast to increase your reach.
Link-building will happen when you take on podcasting; you can supercharge the results of your link-building by offering podcast episodes as link targets.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get started with creating your podcast.
9. Participate in Different Forums.
Forums are social communities created for like-minded people to share their ideas and thoughts and grow their brands.
If you are new in the online world, your chances of getting the visibility you desire on your blog are very slim and can take so long; hence, conversing and participating in online forums can help boost the growth of your business.
All you need to get backlinks from Forums like Reddit, Nairaland, Medium is to post on those forums as often as possible.
Posting on Forums helps you create quality backlinks for your website by adding links through a signature at every post you make.
Most forums are niche-based, while the majority are designed to accommodate all topics. Therefore, you should sign up for a platform that can accommodate the issue you are talking about; one I recommend for bloggers is Medium, Reddit, and Nairaland.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to get started with Medium; click the link below to get started.
10. Answer Questions on Quora.
Quora is a question-and-answer platform created to accommodate questions of all kinds answered by brilliant minds across the internet.
Links from Quora are not do-Follow, so they do not directly impact your SEO but could help create enough awareness, eventually driving traffic to your website.
It’s easier to drive traffic from Quora to your website when your content goes viral when you answer the right questions and give the correct answers.
The upvotes could propel you to the top of the answers section, and you could be seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of Quora views, which leads them to visit your website in their millions and gets you the backlinks your websites need to rank.
11. Use Haro.
HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out. It is a popular online service for journalists to gather feedback from the public.
Haro provides journalists with a robust database of sources for upcoming stories and daily opportunities for credible sources to secure global media coverage.
This feedback is published in top journals worldwide, which generate backlinks to the source website.
12. Use Google Search Console Reports to Get Backlinks.
Google Search Console is a free SEO tool developed by Google to allow bloggers or anyone with a website to monitor how their website is being positioned on Google.
The Google search console provides information about your referring domains, mobile site performance, rich search results, and highest-traffic queries and pages.
The Google search console offers so much information, but in building backlinks, you will not make use of it all.
Among them is the Top linking sites report. These are websites that linked back to your site in the past.
You can go through the backlinks and see what type of content they liked and give you a backlink. Once you have this information, you can reach out to these websites and ask for more collaborations.
I wrote a comprehensive guide on how to optimize your website with Google Search console. Check out the link to the article to learn more.
Conclusion.
Building genuine backlinks to your blog is important for improving your search engine rankings, increasing your website traffic, and building your brand authority.
By creating valuable content, guest blogging, broken link building, outreach and networking, and social media promotion, you can build a strong backlink profile and attract more organic traffic to your blog.
Finally, building genuine backlinks to your blog takes time and effort, but it’s worth it for the long-term benefits to your SEO and traffic.
By following these strategies, you can attract high-quality backlinks from reputable sources and build a strong backlink profile for your blog.
Remember to always provide value, build relationships with other website owners, and focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience.
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