Most online content producers interested in boosting their site’s profile understand the importance of backlinks. They grow authority, increase visibility in search results, and, if they’re quality links, they might even drive traffic in their own right.
They’re critical to any SEO strategy, whether you’re a small business or an established multinational, leading many marketers to wonder how to get backlinks that will make a difference to their site.
You can never have too many quality backlinks, and every site owner should make acquiring more a priority.
You know you need backlinks, but quality matters just as much as quantity. Too many weak links can look like spam to the sites that matter, like Google. In that spirit, here’s how to get high-quality backlinks that search engines love.
Attract Organic Backlinks with Quality Content
Sites with a high domain authority (DA) rely heavily on quality content. That spans what they publish internally and what they link out to. At the bare minimum, content should be fresh, accurate, and, wherever possible, attractive.
Remember that quality content extends beyond the written word. Videos and images are just as suitable for an accreditation backlink as anything else. Infographics are a fantastic example and a core component of any content marketing strategy. They provide easily digestible visual information, and people expect to see sources and, crucially, the creator’s domain name.
Capitalize on Existing Referral Sources
If your site’s reporting functions are up to scratch, you can easily see who’s already linking to your content. Does one link mean they’ll love everything you produce in perpetuity? Not necessarily, but there’s a seed of a relationship.
You don’t need anything more complex than the Google Search Console and, more specifically, the links report.
Try to work out what might have made them link to you in the first place. Perhaps it’s the most current source of information. Maybe you presented your content differently from anyone else.
Do more of the same, then let them know it’s there. Outbound links are a vital component of any SEO strategy, and most site owners won’t pass up the opportunity to link to quality content their readers will love.
Check Up on the Competition
Link building can be overwhelming, in part, because there are so many sites out there – almost 2 billion of them. You can’t possibly request a link from all of them, even with the latest automation software, so how do you know who to target?
It all comes down to a little competitive analysis.
Many professional SEO tools let users inspect their competitors and their backlink profiles. If you know who your competition is, and you should, it’s not difficult to find out who links them. From there, consider why the link goes their way and not yours?
If your content is better, or you can work out how to improve it to that point, don’t be afraid to reach out and tell a site owner that while their outbound links are excellent, they could be even better! But, of course, you already know they link to sites like yours, and they might jump at the chance to connect to even better resources.
Fix Other Sites’ Broken Links
Broken links are a bad look for any site. They’re not hard to check, making it all the more surprising just how few sites do it. Fortunately, their inactivity is your opportunity.
It’s no more challenging to check broken links than competitor links, often with the same tools. But, unfortunately, sites disappear, domains expire, and content moves, and there’s no way to update links to follow it when it does automatically.
That’s where you come in. Let the site owner know if a link doesn’t work, and you have content that can fill the gap.
There’s another opportunity too. A broken link might mean the content no longer exists but indicates there was once a demand for it. You could create a new post to order, filling a gap in your content calendar and earning a potent backlink in the process!
How to Get Backlinks by Putting Yourself Out There
You can’t just expect to put content out there and hope for the best anymore. Well, you can, but you probably won’t see the results you wish for. So if you’re a people person and you’ve got something to contribute, don’t feel like you’re restricted solely to your website’s ecosystem.
You can extend your reach beyond your own site by:
- Writing guest content on other sites, linking back to yours in your byline
- Appearing as a podcast guest, with a link to your site in the show notes
- Collaborating on video content, with a link in the description
This is also an excellent opportunity to cover how to get backlinks from blog comments. Comment links aren’t the most powerful, but they’re better than nothing. The practice is commonly viewed as spammy, and there are automated blog commenting strategies that fit that description.
However, suppose you focus on manual, useful comments on relevant blogs. In that case, you can garner a little link juice while also spreading your name and improving your credibility in the eyes of your own audience.
Help a Reporter Out – Literally!
If you’re wondering how to get backlinks from high authority sites, one of the easiest ways is to let people from those sites come to you!
Many journalists are generalists by nature. They thrive on great sources and always looking for expert opinions. HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is the best-known site for putting together journalists and experts.
They’ll post a request for comments, insight, or opinions, inviting you to respond. If they end up using your pitch, they’ll credit you and your site. But, most importantly, they’ll include a link back to your site for their own credibility.
Not every pitch will succeed, and there’s plenty of competition. There are also plenty of rules to consider. Nevertheless, it’s worth it for high authority links. Publications that use HARO include Business Insider (DA 94), Huffpost (DA 94), and Buzzfeed (DA 93). A single link from any of these sites can single-handedly take yours to the next level.
Give Your Backlink Profile a Timely Boost
So, you now know how to get backlinks from high-authority sites. It’s clear that prime backlinks take time and energy, but have you thought about getting someone else to do it for you?
Our backlink packages will boost your site’s authority with natural links on genuine sites spanning business, education, and more. What’s more, these sites all boast thousands of monthly visitors, potentially increasing your site’s organic reach in the process!
We’ve got packages for all budgets and industries, with full reporting and no recurring fees. You can get started right away. If you’ve got any questions or require something a little more bespoke, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
