Top 10 SEO link building methods for 2021
More SEO?
You can never have enough of a good thing. We have compiled these articles to assist you in your website Search Engine optimization.
Top 10 SEO link building methods for 2021
[1]White Hat Link Building Techniques
Link building has been dead for years for those who failed to adapt to the ever-changing rules and increased requirements on skills, tools, details, and perseverance.
The Golden Rules of Link Building are evergreen rules for the right mindset of successful link building. If you have not learned about Cemper’s Golden Link Building Rules, do that before you continue.
There has been much talk about links being a ranking factor. Many SEOs have only focused on content and On-Page SEO and neglected links saying: “We already know everything about links.” But do they know everything about links?
Google confirmed that Links are important
Google said links are the #1 ranking factor, alongside great content. Ranking without links is hard, and why would anyone try to rank without links in the first place?
Google cares about links more than anything, and so should you.
Google Penguin changed the way we use Backlinks in SEO forever
Before April 2012, one could rather easily buy his ranking position by adding more and more links. A little bit of these and a little bit of those links, and you could manage ranking on the first search engine results page. Well, that time is long gone. The Google Penguin Spam Filter is now part of Google’s Core Algorithm and works in real-time.
Links can possess a risk now, and you should know that risk. Did you know that even in today’s world of SEO, most people still only look at the source page, the referring page, and call that “the backlink”?
A link is a connection from A to B
A hyperlink is a connection from the referring page to the target page – it always has been. For way too long, SEOs have obsessed by looking at the Pagerank or whatever metric of the linking page. To our knowledge, LRT is the only software that takes the link source page and the target page into account when analyzing the value and risk of links or even potential links.
[2]What Exactly is Link Building?
Link building is the process of placing your website or content link on other websites. Links help to build an online presence and create an image of brand trust. They also drive traffic and help to generate future leads.
Like much of SEO, link building involves keyword research and is focused on ranking for a specific keyword in Google’s algorithms.
Search engines use links as a way to determine rankings. High-quality pages that link externally to a website help to build trust and create organic reach.
However, paid links, such as banner ads on a website, are deemed nofollow and do not count in the Google Page Rank system.
Brands will need to reach out to other websites, participate in podcasts, and write blogs in their industry to achieve organic link building.
Doing this outreach can also help build long-term relationships, build your brand further, and create a funnel of referral traffic.
Not to mention, you’ll continue to grow your brand’s presence. It’s estimated that there will be 6 billion internet users by 2022. Capitalize on this ecosystem by building a solid foundation of links.
AI and machine learning platforms continue to get smarter, which means some previous link-building tactics will no longer bring results.
Using press releases to create backlinks, donating to not-for-profits to get a link on a charity website’s donor page, and embedding links in widgets are just a few of the current tactics penalized or seen as paid promotional efforts.
Keyword stuffing and buying backlinks are also seen negatively by search engines and will create roadblocks to a higher search ranking goal.
Simple and Effective Link Building Strategies for 2021
1. Claim Business Listings
Many public sites offer link-building opportunities such as Yelp, Zomato, Trip Advisor, Merchant Circle, Facebook, and Yellow Pages.
While these links are nofollow, we listed this tactic first because it’s one of the simplest ways to increase your online presence.
Beyond these listing sites, adding a backlink to local directories such as Google My Business, Yahoo Local, and Bing Places for Business will increase local SEO optimization.
More than 46% of Google searches have local intent, which means adding a backlink to local listing sites with high domain authority can also increase rank in Google Maps.
SEO takes a ton of time but simply building your online presence through local citation building, or even doing it for just one day for your search engine optimization strategy, you’ll find that the long-term benefits can be monumental.
2. Do Network Outreach
A large part of SEO is creating a reputable and far-reaching online presence.
Network outreach can open up untapped opportunities for link building. Identify connections that may have websites or blog pages that can host a hyperlink.
People that are already connected to a brand or business are more likely to help support their efforts, and their stamp of approval can help drive referral traffic.
Use sites such as Ahrefs to conduct keyword research for the link you are looking to place. The results will help to identify new potential websites and blogs that could potentially host a backlink.
Also, consider being a source for journalists and using this network to build additional backlinks. Sites such as Haro and Muck Rack connect writers with the information they need to finish their articles.
Being referenced by a journalist and adding a backlink as context is a great strategy to build an authoritative link. For example, in this piece for the Muck Rack blog, each source gets a backlink to their company and LinkedIn profile.
3. Use Broken Link Building
Replacing broken links on external websites can help to improve organic reach and increase search ranking.
Although this is a condensed version of how to do broken link building, at its core, broken linking is a three-step process.
- Enter a competitor’s website into a platform such as Ahrefs site explorer and filter for broken backlinks.
- Create relevant content, or that could replace that specific backlink.
- Reach out to specific web admins to let them know a broken link and ask if they can replace the link.
Ahrefs site explorer tool can produce search results of every website that links to that broken link. Select pages that have high traffic volumes and are relevant.
4. Email Signatures
Email signatures provide an opportunity to promote and share a backlink every time communication is sent to another person or business.
47% of marketers in 2020 said they plan to send more emails, and a carefully constructed email signature can help generate traffic and lead and build trust. Include social media links to provide multiple touchpoints from one place.
5. Present Virtual Events
Many events have been postponed or moved online for the foreseeable future.
Sponsoring online conferences, music concerts, and other virtual events can provide an opportunity to create additional backlinks while also expanding reach.
Consider partnering with local organizations or spotlighting regional entertainers to help drive local search engine optimization efforts. Virtual events create visibility while also building relationships for future collaboration.
Companies and brands looking for ways to lay the groundwork for 2021 and beyond can use this time to play an active part in their communities and also create organic SEO optimization through strategic link building.
6. Use sites that are Q&A like Quora
With more than 300 million active users in 2020, Quora is a useful website for many SEO areas.
The first step is to do keyword research for relevant posts that have a large volume of traffic. Identify relevant questions on the Quora website that contains these keywords and adds accurate and thoroughly researched answers.
Quora has a high domain authority score, and attaching a backlink to learn more information is a way to boost traffic, increase credibility and enhance your SEO score.
7. Leverage Existing Mentions
Existing mentions are a key component of link building and provide a way to nurture existing relationships.
Reach out to websites that have previously mentioned your brand but do not have a link already embedded into the content. Using this strategy is a way to gain new relevant links without reaching outside and existing resources.
When searching for existing mentions, check brand and website names and the names of high-profile employees. Unique services or products are often mentioned instead of the business name.
Leveraging content already hosted in the internet ecosystem can help increase search rankings in 2021.
8. Grow Influence and Utilize Influencers
Every industry has important key players, and taking steps to grow influence will encourage backlinks from other websites.
Cultivating influence requires a company or brand to provide value to other members of their industry. Once a brand has established an authoritative or expert image amongst its community, it’s more likely that others will cite or link out to their content.
These backlinks also help show the Google algorithm that the originating website is of a high standard and that its content should be shared in search.
Utilizing influencers is another way to increase brand awareness. The right influencers provide a bridge to new traffic, and this introduction can lead to conversions and future backlinking.
Building a relationship with the webmaster and decision-making figures of a website is key for this tactic to work, but the results are often worth the effort.
Also, try to contact industry blogs and inquire about doing a guest post. It’s possible to add a backlink when providing context about who is writing the piece and provides a space to share insight about your business or service.
A keyword search is important to find strong potential leads for both industry influences and guest blogging sites.
9. Get Local News Coverage
Since 2018, social media has outpaced print newspapers as a news source in the United States.
Digital content means it’s easy to add a backlink to help with search ranking.
Local news sources often are looking for stories and can feature additional insight into the story behind a brand.
Reach out to online news sources and pitch stories that have a local tie-in. Local news sites are a great place to host backlinks and bring additional page traffic with the right angle.
10. Take Advantage of Seasonal Content
Seasonal campaigns for Christmas, Easter, and the Fourth of July are already built into the link-building strategy for many businesses. But there are special dates on the calendar all year that have the potential to drive link traffic.
Social media hashtag campaigns that rank on the explore page in a niche often lead to high user engagement. The right content can encourage sharing, which means further backlinks.
[3]Best SEO Link Building Tools
Linkody
Linkody is a comprehensive SEO tool for link tracking and link building that pulls links and essential data from various sources. With Linkody, you can see an entire link profile for your domains, competitors’ domains, and clients’ domains.
Discover link-building opportunities, spot broken links, and visually search and identify your links on a page with a simple click. You can also receive link notifications every day to see which ones are new and lost.
Pricing: Plans start at $14.90/mo.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
One user wrote on G2 Crowd, “Linkody allows monitoring everyone’s backlinks and check which content gets the most links. This can bring your link-building efforts to a whole new level.”
2. Majestic SEO
Majestic SEO is a browser that allows you to see who links your competitors’ content to identify possible opportunities to build back links to your own site.
The program gives you a free report for any website you own, which is useful for ensuring your links are current and active. The free version is a good entree to the program. To access the full data set, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version.
Pricing: Plans start at $49.99/mo
Rating: 4.2 Stars
One user wrote on G2 Crowd, “I have been a proud Majestic user since the beginning. It has many unique features its competitors don’t have. The absolute best one, and the one I use the most, is the API feature. I have integrated it into several different scripts and software over the years. It even has a trust flow option which I have found to be fairly accurate.”
3. Moz Link Explorer
Moz Link Explorer offers similar features as Majestic. With Link Explorer, you can enter the URL of the website or page you want to get link data for and get a comprehensive analysis.
You can also check the spam score of backlinks, research competitor backlinks, discover link-building opportunities, and find broken links to your site.
Pricing: Free
Rating: 4.4 Stars
One user stated on G2 Crowd, “My favorite tools to use are: Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, and Rank Tracker. The Link Explorer is fairly new, but it’s great to keep track of your link health and keep tabs on your DA against your competition.
4. Raven Tools
Raven Tools allows you to access a decent amount of data that is well worth the price. The tools include a LinkManager program allowing you to research potential link partners, automatically grab webmaster contact information, and send link request messages all from within the same easy to navigate window.
Pricing: Plans start at $99/mo.
Rating: 4.3 Stars
One user stated on G2 Crowd, “We like that we can configure reports to be created automatically, and only change the recommendations and other commentaries. This standardizes the look and feel, but can be adapted to suit each client’s requirements.”
5. Moz Pro
Moz Pro is a link-building tool and a whole lot more.
It’s a complete SEO management program that allows users to take advantage of Moz’s knowledge regarding optimization, link-building techniques, and digital marketing. It offers a great suite of tools that can help you take your SEO to the next level.
Pricing: Plans start at $99/mo.
Rating: 4.4 Stars
One user stated on G2 Crowd, “The back end is straightforward to use, and getting an automated email weekly about where each website is at is fantastic. It really helps you stay on top of any on-page SEO issues your website may be having.”
Conclusion:
Use the above tips and tricks to keep your website’s organic search results moving to the top.
Articles compiled by hughesagency.ca
Article Reference Links:
