7 Link Building Tips for Your Website

Eric Brantner
Content Development

The importance of acquiring inbound links can never be overstated. High quality inbound links build trust with search engines perhaps faster than anything else. But in today’s highly competitive online market, it seems harder than ever to obtain these precious inbound links. Thankfully, there are still several link building tips that are effective.

Find Out Who’s Linking to Competitors- If you’ve been in business for any period of time, you probably know who your main competitors are. One effective way to build links is to find out who is linking to them. There is a good chance that whoever is linking to them will link to you as well. The best way to find out who is linking to your competitors is to type this into the Yahoo search engine: linkdomain:www.yourcompetitorssite.com -site:www.yourcompetitorssite.com -site:yourcompetitorssite.com (replace “yourcompetitorssite” with competitors domain.)

Use Article Directories- Article directories are great for several reasons: they rank well, they expose your brand, and as it relates to this blog, they build your inbound links. By submitting a relevant article to a directory like ezinearticles.com, you will earn inbound links to your website. Most article submission websites allow 2 links per piece. Remember to use keyword rich anchor text when linking back to your website.

Guest Blog- Aside from the authority it builds, guest blogging is an effective way to get links from external websites. Whenever a blogger allows you to post on his blog, he will also usually allow you to include a link back to your website. Again, take advantage of the opportunity to control the anchor text of your inbound link.

Offer Special Promotions- Contests and other promotions can generate a lot of inbound links in a very short time. If your prize is something people truly want, websites will jump at the opportunity to link to it. You can also be a sponsor in contests held by other companies. As a sponsor, you will still earn many links pointing at your website.

Publish Online Press Releases- The concept behind submitting online press releases is similar to that of creating content for article directories. However, the main difference lies in the actual content. Press releases need to contain timely, newsworthy content. Follow these tips for writing your online press release, and you will maximize the number of inbound links you receive.

Create Evergreen Content- Evergreen content is content that never grows old. It’s always relevant. Create articles for your website that offer helpful tips that users can take advantage of for many years to come. While it may not be the fastest way to gain links, it’s a great long term link building strategy.

Partner with Non-Competitors- Regardless of your niche, there are surely several businesses in it that you don’t compete with directly. For instance, if you offer website copywriting, you could ask for links from web designers. Identify these non-competitors, and explain to them the benefits they could receive from linking to you (i.e. could ear referrals from you in the future, helps them be seen as a resource, etc.)