August 13, 2021 • 14 min read

Your Guide to Getting High Quality Backlinks

THE SHORT ANSWER

To get high quality backlinks, earn links from relevant, trusted websites by publishing content worth citing, such as original data, guides or infographics. Then reach out: pitch guest articles to respected sites in your field, offer replacements for broken links and give expert interviews. Avoid paid or traded links, which Google treats as link spam.

How do you get high quality backlinks?

You get high quality backlinks by publishing content other sites want to point their readers to, then asking relevant sites to link to it through outreach, guest posts, broken link fixes and interviews.

If you’re at the helm of a small to mid-sized business of any sort, then you probably devote a lot of time to thinking about strengthening your presence on the Internet. You most likely spend more time than you ever thought you would pondering what you can do to strengthen your website traffic specifically. The truth is that top-notch backlinks can do so much for brands that want to take the digital world by storm. Links from relevant, trusted sites can help your pages rank, though no tactic guarantees a ranking. Earn links rather than buy them: Google’s spam policies list buying links, swapping goods or services for links and excessive link exchanges as link spam. Here are the top 17 strategies our growth experts recommend to get those quality backlinks you’re after.

Zero in on Infographics

Infographics without a doubt are among the most beloved options that can accommodate people who wish to boost site traffic. Infographics can also earn top-notch backlinks. How do you create backlinks? You can put time into mastering infographics and grasping their ins and outs. Comprehending them is a piece of cake. Showing them to others is just as simple. It’s critical to take a prudent approach to infographic selection. You should prioritize infographics that can give your audience members access to distinctive and fascinating anecdotes. It can help to stay on top of subjects that are trending at the moment. Assess the things that the members of the general public are trying to find. Once you do that, you can set up an infographic that involves reliable statistics. If you create infographics that people can show others easily, you should be able to get on the path to backlink glory.

Spend Time on Five-Star Content

First-class content is and has long been vital for people who want to figure out how to get backlinks for website requirements. If you’re a part of that category, then you shouldn’t dismiss the power of impressive content even for half a second. It’s imperative to zero in on A+ content all throughout your site without any exceptions. If you’re keen on bringing in links, then you cannot brush off effective and irreplaceable content. The content you post empowers websites to figure out whether you’re worth a link. Content has the ability to communicate much about your brand and its diverse offerings. If you have web pages that are devoid of pertinent details, it spells bad news for your brand. You should prioritize content that’s professional. You should prioritize content that other people cannot find elsewhere and that serves a tangible purpose for all of your audience members, as well. Here is an infographic you can’t dismiss:

How to get backlinks

Recognizing Solid Links

How do you create backlinks? You can start by figuring out how to recognize solid links yourself. It’s critical to grasp that links aren’t all similar or even close in caliber. Some links are far more valuable than others. If you rack up links that are associated with credible websites, then those links can help your rankings on search engines like Google. If you rack up links that are associated with questionable sites, on the other hand, your search engine rankings won’t change much at all. You should take the time to grasp the sites that deserve your energy. You should steer clear of any and all sites that are devoid of much substance. A good linking site is relevant to your business, publishes real content and has real readers. A third-party score such as Domain Authority can give you a rough guide, but it is a Moz metric, not a Google one, so check the site itself too.

How to get backlinks

Contact Websites That Feature Links to Your Rivals

Contacting websites that already link to your biggest rivals is a practical way to find sites likely to link to you. Reaching out to those sites can help you recognize any and all websites that may have high odds of giving you a link. The first thing you should do is search for sites that showcase the links of your rivals. diib’s competitor backlink research can help you see which sites link to the competitors you track. Comparing their links with yours shows you the gaps: sites that link to your rivals but not to you.

How to get backlinks

Work on Broken Links

Do you want to find out how to get backlinks for website achievement? If you do, then you should work on any links that are broken. It isn’t uncommon to find broken links. It isn’t uncommon to find links that just do not take people where they need to go. Comb your surroundings for links that fit into these categories. Broken links on other sites can give you an opening to earn first-class backlinks. If you spot a link that’s broken on any kind of site that is pertinent to your business, then you should drop its publisher a line right away. Alert its team members to the fact that the mistake exists. Give a link that they can swap it out for as well. Here’s a good example of what that letter might look like:

How to get backlinks

(Image credit: Neil Patel)

Put Time Into Image Links

Images that are seen on web pages frequently are equipped with source links. Image source links sometimes point to the wrong site or are broken. You should stay in the loop with regard to any and all of these sorts of openings. It can be particularly wise to do so for sites that have your graphic links. If another site uses your graphics, you can politely ask the site owner to credit you with a link. Stay on top of any sites that do not “credit” you with any links.

Closely Monitor All Rivals

Do you want to master how to create backlinks for website success? If you do, then you should take the time to closely monitor any and all of your business rivals. Staying in the loop with your competitors can help you stealthily figure out what you need to do next. Quietly analyzing all of their actions can help you boost your organic traffic in a big way. Zero in on your primary rivals and on their digital marketing practices at all times. Here are some key ways to keep track of your competitors:

  • Search for link-building methods they depend on.
  • Search for link scoring methods they depend on.
  • Review their content marketing style for ideas.
  • Think about registering for speedy alerts that can inform you any time your rivals put up new content.
  • Email newsletter registration can go a long way.
  • Be sure to follow the competition on social networks like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Alerts in the diib dashboard can help you monitor your competitors’ backlinks and keywords, so you can adjust your tactics.

Concentrate on Internal Links

Internal links are essential for businesses that want to head effective blogs. Links that are internal can come in handy for people who want to be able to utilize anchor texts. If you set up a strong internal link system, then you can assist individuals who want to be able to get around your site without issue. If you want to significantly boost user experiences, then thinking about internal links is optimal. You may be able to track down devices that can instantly and rapidly produce internal links that can suit your blog. Automatic internal linking tools are especially easy to find for WordPress sites. Setting up internal links by hand is still the better choice, because you choose the most useful pages and the wording. Google’s link best practices say every page you care about should have a link from at least one other page on your site, and that anchor text (the clickable words in a link) should describe the page it points to. Google sets no ideal number of links per page, so keep each page’s links to the ones a reader would actually use.

Definition box: Internal Links: Internal links are links that go from one page of a domain to a different page on the same domain. They are commonly used in main navigation.

Promote Your Content

First-rate content is a lovely thing. Note, though, that great content cannot do much for businesses that do not grasp the things that can spread the word about it effectively. If you want your outstanding content to do its job for you, then you need to make sure that people can find out about it in the first place. Email outreach practices can be an effective way to promote your content and highlight all of your highest quality articles. You may want to reach out to people who have sites that have monthly “summaries”. A Google search can help you find sites that publish roundups. Focus on queries that revolve around roundups. You need to concentrate exclusively on results that have come from the last month or so. Newer results can help your cause as well.

Think About Guest Articles

Guest blogging can do so much for businesses that want to be able to connect with brand new audience members. If you want to take your backlink game up a notch, then you should try your best to publish pieces on websites that are widely known in your field or industry. Publishing on well-known sites helps people find out about the content you have to offer and can raise your brand’s visibility. Guest articles may do a lot for your business’ image on the Internet and beyond. Guest articles may help you gain followers on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Guest blogging can also help you reach a bigger audience.

TIP: Write for sites your customers already read, and write for their readers rather than for the link.

CAUTION: Google’s spam policies list links with optimized anchor text in guest posts as link spam, so keep your author link plain, such as your business name.

Investigate Your Social Media Choices

If you want to get backlinks, then it may help you greatly to utilize the power of social media. Social media platforms can help you find out about different choices that may be on hand to you. You may be able to search for guest blog openings via Twitter. Consider registering for notifications that can clue you in to any openings that may be relevant to your interests. Make sure that you include social media account links any time you pen and share relevant guest pieces. If a reader appreciates your work, she can continue to monitor your activities and offerings via social networks.

Pen Testimonials

If you’re searching for simple ways to rack up first-class backlinks, then you should think about testimonials and all that they can do for you. Pen testimonials that go into your designated websites. Coming up with testimonials is a pretty swift thing. If you do so, you’ll be able to get links that are associated with credible sites as well. If you’re a genuine customer, the company may publish your testimonial with a link to your site. Testimonials like this one on the diib website can give you helpful backlinks.

How to get backlinks

Develop Relationships with Bloggers and Influencers

You may be able to secure links for your site by dropping renowned bloggers and journalists lines. Prioritize email outreach. If possible, you should do your best to retrieve updated contact details for bloggers and influencers that have positive reputations within your field. Don’t panic if you cannot necessarily locate an email address easily, either. You can also try sending a quick note through a social network like LinkedIn. Influencer marketing can be highly effective and mutually beneficial to both parties. Here is a good example of influencer marketing that can help you build backlinks:

Highlight Your Generous Side

Supporting local charities, events and community groups can earn you a mention on their sites. Give because you care about the cause, not to get a link. Google’s spam policies treat exchanging money for links as link spam, and Google asks sites to mark paid links with rel=”sponsored” or rel=”nofollow”. A sponsor link may not pass ranking credit, but the mention can still send local visitors your way.

Become an Interviewee

Do you want to figure out how to get dofollow backlinks? You should become an interviewee right away. Interviews that take place on the Internet are a big deal at this moment in time. Online interviews are a simple way to earn links, because the host usually links to your site. As you build credibility in your field, you may start to receive interview requests. Before that, however, you have to concentrate on getting things off the ground. Search for sites that perform and post interviews. Let these sites know that you’re interested in collaborating with them and that you have proficiency to share, too.

Zero in on Dofollow Backlinks

A dofollow backlink is simply a normal link without a nofollow tag. Google introduced the rel=”nofollow” attribute in January 2005 to fight comment spam, so that links carrying it pass no ranking credit. What makes dofollow backlinks so desirable? Dofollow backlinks from relevant sites can pass ranking credit to your pages, which can help those pages rank for more keywords. Dofollow backlinks from trusted sites can also signal to Google that other people vouch for your site.

Social media can help you get dofollow backlinks indirectly. Sharing your content on networks like Facebook and LinkedIn puts it in front of people who run their own websites, and some of those people may link to it.

FYI: By default, all links are dofollow backlinks unless they are modified to be nofollow links manually or are automatically changed by a website setting. Search engines crawlers follow dofollow links. In contrast, nofollow links have a bit of code that tells search engines not to count the link as a vote of quality, and Google says it will generally not follow them.

Showcase Different Brands That Are Out There

Do you want to link back to your website? If you want to do so the smart way, then you should showcase a brand that’s on your radar. Featuring another brand on your site can build a positive relationship with that brand. Featured brands may also link back to you. Showcasing a specific brand on your site can be advantageous for all sorts of valid reasons. The featured brand may thank you in social media posts or even on its official website. If you want to broaden your horizons and audience dramatically, then you shouldn’t even think twice about working alongside brands that are a lot like your own. Don’t forget that helping another brand may do a lot for your own efforts at the end of the day.

How can diib help with your backlink strategy?

diib tracks your backlinks and your competitors’ backlinks, and flags bad or broken links so you know what to fix.

Tackling a backlink strategy alone can be overwhelming for a small business owner. diib’s dashboard is built to help you keep track of your backlinks. Here are some of the features that you’ll enjoy:

  • Objectives to help you isolate and remove bad backlinks.
  • Guidance to fix older backlinks that point to pages that have been deleted from your website.
  • Alerts that tell you about your Domain Authority and number of follow/no-follow links pointing to your website.
  • Competitor backlink research for up to 10 competitors.
  • diibLive office hours with diib’s growth experts to learn ways to grow your Domain Authority.

If you’re ready to up your backlinking game, click here for a free 60 second site scan.

FAQ

FAQ’s

A backlink strategy is your plan for earning links from other websites to yours. A good one starts with content worth citing, such as useful guides or infographics. Then you reach out through guest articles, broken link fixes, expert interviews and relationships with bloggers in your field.

Yes. Links from relevant, trusted websites can help your pages rank in search results, whatever the size of your business, though no tactic guarantees a ranking. Small businesses can earn them by writing guest articles for sites their customers already read, fixing broken links and giving interviews in their field.

No. Google’s spam policies list buying links, swapping goods or services for links and excessive link exchanges as link spam. Google also asks sites to label paid links with a tag (rel=”sponsored” or rel=”nofollow”) so they pass no ranking credit. Earn links with useful content and outreach instead.

A few good backlinks are usually worth more than many weak ones. Links from credible, relevant websites can help your rankings, while links from questionable sites do little for them. Bought or traded links count as link spam under Google’s spam policies in any number, so focus on quality.

A toxic backlink is a link to your site that could count against you with Google, such as a link you paid for or got through an excessive link exchange. Google’s spam policies treat those links as link spam. Ordinary links from weak or irrelevant sites usually just do little for your rankings.

Look at each site that links to you. A good linking site is relevant to your business, publishes real content and has real readers. Be wary of any links you paid for or swapped. A third-party score such as Moz’s Domain Authority (DA) can be a rough guide, but it is not a Google metric.

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Daniel Urmann
AUTHOR

Daniel Urmann

Daniel Urmann is the co-founder of Diib.com. Over the past 17 years Daniel has helped thousands of business grow online through SEO, social media, and paid advertising. Today, Diib helps over 150,000 business globally grow online with their SaaS offerings. Daniel’s interest include SMB analytics, big data, predictive analytics, enterprise and SMB search engine optimization (SEO), CRO optimization, social media advertising, A/B testing, programatic and geo-targeting, PPC, and e-commerce. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Finance and E-commerce from Cornell University – S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management.

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