Essential Link Building Advice For Beginners: 7 Tips To Get You Started

You have come to the right place if you want to up your website’s SEO game and dominate the search engine results.. Being a newbie in the SEO domain and understanding the concept of link-building strategy can be a challenging task. However, there is no need to fear as there is a step-by-step guide when it comes to link building.

The basics of link-building

Before you start SEO and link building as a professional you have to be aware of the basics. But there are a few concepts and trends that you need to be familiar with.

• Backlink- it is a link from another site that points to your website. You need to think of it as a digital high-five. The more you are able to obtain the better it will be in the eyes of the search engines
• Link Juice- the love that emerges from one site to another site via backlinks. The juice boosts your site’s authority and enhances search engine rankings.
• Anchor text- the clickable test of a backlink. It is vital that you have diverse anchor text that avoids looking spammy to the search engines.

By now you are about the basics, let us understand in detail the steps involved in a link-building strategy

Step 1- Develop content that is worth linking to

Links cannot be built without having content that the others want to link. So the first step as part of your SEO and link-building strategy is to develop high-quality, shareable content. this can be done in the following ways

• Write comprehensive guides- the more informative and detailed your content, people will find it valuable and link to it.
• Create infographics- visual content is easy to share and will be quickly able to accumulate backlinks
• Original research is to be published- People love data and statistics. You need to conduct your own research and publish the findings to attract the links.

Step 2- Identify link-building opportunities

You may have formulated some fantastic content; it is the right time to find a few websites that may be interested in linking to it. Below is an outline of how to identify SEO and link-building opportunities.

• Use Google search operators- Finding relevant websites and blogs in your niche can be made easier with search operators like inurl and Intitle.
• Monitor competitor backlinks- there are tools that you can use to find out who is linking to your competitors and target those websites for your link-building efforts.
• Guest blogging- Search blogs in your niche and in exchange you can write guest posts for a link back to your site.

Step 3- Reach out and build relationships

Link link-building strategy is all about building relationships. So, this is the right time to reach out to website owners and editors. You can do it in the following ways

• Send personalized emails- Nobody likes a generic email. It is better if you take time to personalize your outreach emails and showcase that you have done your research.
• Be professional and polite- Since you are asking for a favour you need to keep your tone polite and professional. At no point, you should be pushy.
• Offer value- Rather than asking for a link offer something in return. This could be a link to their content, social media share or even a collaboration opportunity.

Step 4- Track your progress

Once you embark on your link-building journey, it is vital that you keep track of your progress. This is going to give you an idea of what is working, and what is not and formulate a strategy accordingly.

• Set up Google Analytics- the free tool can help you monitor the website traffic and the sources of your backlinks
• Use SEO tools- there are tools that provide vital insights into your backlink profiles. At the same time, it can help you track the new links.

Step 5- A persistent and patient approach

Link building is not a sprint but a marathon. Results are not going to happen overnight and you are likely to encounter some pitfalls along the way. Below are a few steps that help you remain motivated

• Celebrate small wins- if you have a new backlink, it is better that you pat on the back. Even a small victory is important.
• Cope up with rejection- if someone does not want to link to your content, ask for their feedback and consider it as an opportunity to improve
• Remain consistent- continue the process of creating quality content and reach out to potential link partners. In the long run, persistence pays off.

Step 6 : Link-building tactics need to be diversified

One of the mistakes with SEO and link-building strategy is that you should not put all the eggs in a single basket. Below are a few ideas

• Be part of online groups- participate in social media groups, and forums along with Q& A sites like Quora to share your expertise and link to your content when relevant
• Reviews and testimonies- offer to write testimonies or reviews for products or services which you are using and love. This is going to provide an exchange for a link  back to your site
• Broken link building- Broken links on other websites are to be found and your content can be provided as a replacement.

Step 7: Stay updated on the latest SEO practices

The world of SEO is constantly changing and it is better to be updated about the practices and algorithm trends. To remain in the loop, follow the below practices.

• Attend SEO conferences- if you are serious about link building games attend conferences and workshops to learn from the industry experts. It also gives you an opportunity to network with fellow professionals.
• Join SEO groups- Participate in online forums and communities where SEO experts share their knowledge and suggestions.

To conclude link building strategy is a critical component of SEO but it does not have to be a daunting task. When you follow this step–by–step guide you are well on route to develop a diverse and strong backlink profile that will propel the website to achieve higher search engine rankings. At the same time, you need to be aware that understanding the basics of link- building takes time. Though you do not have to do everything on your own as you can take the help of experts.

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