Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the key to achieving online success in the age of Google, Bing and other search engines. While keywords, search terms, and blogs are all well known SEO tactics, less companies are aware just how important quality backlinks are for SEO.
What are backlinks?
In a nutshell, backlinks is the term that refers to one website linking to another website. When Google’s algorithms trawl through your website, it will register backlinks to your website from other websites and consider them as votes for the authenticity and authority of your page.
Why are quality backlinks important?
It’s important to get backlinks because more and more SEO-focused studies are concluding that the more your website has the better you’ll rank on Google. Before we get to the easy hacks to get backlinks, it’s important that you realise the importance of curating quality backlinks.
As in many areas of life, make sure to focus on quality over quantity. There is a difference between good and bad backlinks, and knowing the difference is super essential. Just having a high number of bad quality backlinks won’t just fail to help you increase your rankings, it could negatively harm your website.
What makes a backlink high quality?
- Relevance – the more relevant the backlinks the better.
- Organic traffic – it’s important for creating trustworthiness that the website traffic is organic and not paid for.
- Source authority – high quality websites linking to yours, like news outlets, government or educational institution websites, is invaluable.
- Difficult to obtain – despite our easy hacks below, often the harder it is to get the backlink the more impactful it’s likely to be.
- Indexed websites – getting links on indexed websites is one of the top ways to improve your own search engine rankings.
Getting quality backlinks – the easy hacks
When you’re approaching a prospective website owner, you’ll save time and energy by focusing on these essential and simple tips.
Do your work before you start
It goes without saying, but you need to make sure that the content of your website is detailed, relevant and written well. If your website looks and reads unprofessionally and is likely to turn off visitors, you’re unlikely to get any backlinks, let alone quality ones. Remember that long-form content, kept comprehensive and high quality, is also preferred for both your own internal SEO and for getting backlinks. Additionally, original images and infographics will separate you from most of your competitors as well.
Run through this checklist
There are a number of factors that go into the quality of your webpage in addition to just the word content.
- Is your word count long enough?
- Is your title relevant and SEO-friendly?
- Are there images on your blog post?
- Is there a feature image?
- Have you included a title tag and meta description?
Pitch to the owner not to yourself
If you can’t pitch the benefit of a link to your website, no matter how good your website is, you won’t get a backlink. Make sure you understand what they want and what they are looking for. By emphasising the benefits to them, not the features of your own website, you’ll be more likely to land that link.
Keep your pitch brief and the benefits highlighted
You understandably will want to pitch as many benefits as possible when trying to acquire another backlink. Making your pitch brief, to the point and succinct is the smarter way to really pack a punch and score the backlink.
Build partnerships and relationships
If a company or organisation doesn’t know who you are, they’ll be unlikely to refer their visitors to you. Fostering and building business relationships will help get your name out there in the industry and prompt them to include backlinks to your high quality content. Whether it’s connecting online, through social media, offering a guest blog or even catching up face-to-face or virtually, it might seem time consuming but it’s well worth the effort.
Comment and engage with other websites
If you want other bloggers to link and engage with your website, share the love. Commenting on other blog posts will encourage them to check you out and open a window of opportunity to connect. Make sure to use your discretion and focus only on blogs and websites that are relevant!
Testimonials
Providing testimonials for inclusion on other websites is often an opportunity for them to include a backlink to your own website. It’s a simple yet highly effective you-scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours methodology.
Got more questions? GO Creative is here for you
Do you have more questions about backlinks and SEO? Wondering how many backlinks your website will need? Make sure to connect with the GO Creative team today. We’re experts in all things digital marketing, SEO and quality backlinks, and we can’t wait to help you today!
