Link Building Opportunities That Are Still Relevant Today
Link building has undergone many facelifts in recent years. That is, if you’re following a white hat strategy. There are plenty of tactics that are no longer effective and can even harm a site, but there are also plenty that are still relevant today. If you’re shying away from link building altogether because you fear a search engine penalty, you’re missing out. Links still play an important role in the search algorithms which means that you still should be seeking out the following opportunities:
Resources/Lists
We’re not talking about the spammy directories that were popular 5-10 years ago. There are plenty of legitimate directories and resource sites today that are current, well-maintained, and rank prominently. To find these sites, you can search for your keywords + “resources”, “links”, “list”, and “directory.” Of course, use your judgement and look at the site as a whole before seeking the opportunity. Determine whether your target audience visits this site, since the ultimate goal is traffic, not just a link.
Competitor links
You don’t want to completely replicate your competitors’ link building strategies, but there’s a good chance that they have some good links that would also benefit your own site. Moz Open Site Explorer is a good competitor link tool. When looking at a competitor link list, be smart about it and start with the high authority pages and domains.
Guest posts
The first step towards earning guest posting opportunities is to have an abundance of great posts on your own website that can showcase your talent and authority on the subject matter. Once you have that, you can start to reach out to your network and inquire about guest posting opportunities that allow a link to your website in the byline. Start with the industry blogs that you read. If you aren’t sure if they allow guest posts search for the domain + “guest post”, “write for”, and “contribute” since writing opportunities can occasionally be hidden on an interior page of the site. The site must be relevant to the industry, have a modest following, and actively post in social media in order for it to be worth it. If not, you’re better off sharing your content on your own site.
Broken links
Use a link checking tool like Screaming Frog to find broken links on industry sites. Review them to see if your website content would be a good replacement. If it’s not, can it be? Can you write a piece of content that will fill that void? If you think it’s worth a shot, pitch it to the site owner. This is a time-consuming tactic but it can be well worth it if it results in a link from the right site.
Local links
Local links help establish a company within a local area and generate local interest. Taking part in the local community promotes goodwill but it can also result in link opportunities, such as sponsorship links.
The key to link building is to always keep an eye out and think about how every business and marketing initiative can possibly result in a link. If you spot an opportunity, don’t be afraid to reach out to the webmaster and inquire about it. Of course, this always works better if you have an established relationship so don’t forget about the relationship building component of link building, too.
Categorized in: SEO
LIKE AND SHARE THIS ARTICLE:
