Links are so valuable to your website. They provide traffic directly from other sites to your own. They show Google that your content is top-notch. They create authoritative connections between your business and others. And they help you climb ever higher up those search engine results pages.
But links have come a long way from those early ‘Wild West’ days of directory pages and link farm websites. Try those ancient tactics in 2024, and you might be in for a rude awakening. So what should you be doing instead, and what should you definitely NOT be doing?
What to DO – Follow Up on Mentions or Use Software to Help You
Sometimes, your business will get a mention online, but you won’t get a link back. There are a few things you can do here. Firstly, you can use brand monitoring software, like Critical Mention, to identify these references to your brand. Then, you can reach out directly to the publisher and request a link back – often, they will oblige.
You might also want to add some code to your page that automatically includes a link whenever something is copied and pasted. This is not foolproof, as it can be removed by the publisher, but it will increase the chance of achieving a link.
What NOT to Do – Focus on Quantity Over Quality
The days of grabbing any old links are long gone. It’s not about how many links you build – it’s about the quality of those links. Aim to achieve links from high-authority publishers and websites with strong domain authority.
What NOT to Do – Forget About Local SEO
If you have a local focus – for example, if you sell physical products and in-person services to customers in your region – this adds a new aspect to link building. If you forget to build links with relevant, high-quality publishers in your local area, you are missing out on the benefits that link building offers.
Customers tend to be more engaged with businesses they can see are local to them, so developing strong local link building strategies can really drive traffic and revenue for these regionally focused organisations.
What NOT to Do – Be Too Inclusive
It doesn’t matter how high-quality the link is – it needs to be relevant to your industry. If you work in the auto repair field, getting a backlink from a pet food provider is going to be no good, even if they are top of the SERPs for a number of search terms.
What to DO – Find Opportunities to Answer Questions Online
The question/answer dynamic is a great way to get noticed. Every day, people are looking for answers online – either through personal question platforms like Quora or professional services like Help a Reporter Out. Search for a question that matches your area of business, then answer it, encouraging great organic links.
What NOT to Do – Reach Out Exclusively to New Opportunities
So you know what links you need and you know they need to be relevant to your industry. What next? Many business owners start making cold outreach moves, getting in touch with good link candidates.
This is fine, but it’s a lot of work. It’d be better to start with your existing contacts, the people you already have relationships with.
What to DO – Check Out the Competition
What are your competitors up to? A tool like Moz can help you find out which publishers are smashing the SEO game in your industry. Now, take a look at their content – who are they linking to, and who’s linking back to them? It’s not about copying these strategies, but it’s all about taking inspiration from those that are doing it best.
What NOT to Do – Keep Pushing Weak Strategies
Link building strategies are not ‘set and forget’. They need to evolve over time, supporting the best results for your business in the here and now. Too many organisations are still using strategies that are just not working.
What to DO – Publish High-Value Content
You have a lot to offer in your field, so make sure your content reflects this. Use facts and figures backed up with citations and authoritative links to create shareable content.
Use design software to create infographics that really catch the eye. This will make organic link building far more effective.
What to DO – Work with a Professional
A little help can go a long way. Reach out to a professional consultant and ask them for assistance in your link building campaigns. You will have to pay a bit of money for this service, but it will be worth it for the SEO boost it achieves.
Take Your Link Building Strategies to the Next Level with Impressive
Here at Impressive, our experts are ready to help you score big link building success in 2024. Reach out to our team today and get your consultation.
