While there is a lot that goes into an SEO strategy, link building and offpage SEO are incredibly important and arguably more complicated than some other aspects of Search Engine Optimization. Often times, this is the part of the puzzle that we get the most questions about from clients. So this begs the question, how do you or we get links to a website?
Link Building Techniques
While there’s a variety of ways people go about building links to their website, we break down the 5 most common types that we use at our very own agency. No matter what route you go down, or a combination of multiple options, it’s always important to have a link building plan. This can be a lengthy and complicated process, so you want to make sure you have a plan from the get-go and stay on it; otherwise, it can get very easy for things to fall through the cracks or miss out on opportunities.
1: Build your own Links
This option could be the most complicated of all, so why not start here :). Many SEO agencies will build their own link properties for clients. This can be done with a content silo or some other way. If you are an SEO novice, this is 100%, not the place to start. This option takes quite a bit of know-how and also if done wrong can be detrimental to what you are trying to accomplish.
2: Purchase Links
Yes, you read that right. There is an entire industry of people out there willing and wanting to sell you links. However, not all links are created equally, so buyer beware! It would be important to attempt to educate yourself on this type of transaction as much as possible before pulling the trigger. There are some agencies that will sell you or more likely rent you, links that they have built.
On the other hand, there are major well-known sites that will allow you to pay for links by placing a story (most likely that you wrote) on their website. (cough cough: for a small fee) Some of these types of links will likely cost you many thousands of dollars, but if you are trying to rank for competitive search terms this may be what you have to do to move the needle.
3: Outreach for Links
Ever get those annoying emails about people wanting to put content on your website or wanting to trade links? This is the outreach approach, and while it may seem more cost-effective it’s a numbers game, and you will need serious staff power to make this a priority. These days, it may take thousands of emails before you even get a response.
4: Press Releases
Although this could technically fall into the link purchase realm, I thought it was worth separating out. Press Releases are a good solution to build links to a new website or new pages on an existing website. Though depending on the provider the links may have a different level of authority, so make sure you are using the right one for your needs.
5: Creative Link Building
While I am not willing to give away all our secrets in this article I will say, get creative. The goal is to build links that are relevant and will help your site rank better, so if you have an idea to get a link DO IT! I will say though, that it would definitely be beneficial to check out our article on interlinking if you’re ready to get creative (hint, hint).
Which is the best link building type?
Well, it’s probably pretty easy to guess that the super expensive links you have to pay for from high authority websites can go a long way towards your SEO goals. That being said, most businesses don’t have those huge budgets and besides many websites find ways to rank without paying for those ultra-costly links. So what’s the best place to start? Well, that depends on your specific business niche, how competitive it is, and what your budget is. As an experienced SEO agency, we work with each of our clients to come up with a unique plan that works for them.
Wrapping It Up
Long story short, this is nowhere near and an exhaustive list of link building options and the landscape is constantly changing. If you feel that link building is needed to take your SEO to the next level, it may be worth engaging with an SEO expert, simply to save you time, but I may be a bit biased there. Best of luck in link building!