Recently, Moz dropped some pretty eye-opening stats about how much businesses are shelling out for link building. It turns out, around 37% of business owners are spending between $10,000 and $50,000 a month just on getting more backlinks. This tells us a couple of important things:

First, backlinks are still a major player in boosting Google rankings, making people aware of your brand and driving up revenue. Second, crafting a solid backlink strategy isn’t exactly wallet-friendly.

Now, if you’re thinking that the key to climbing the ranking ladder is simply to pile up more backlinks, hold up a second. It’s not just about quantity. Since Google’s Penguin update, the game has changed. It’s all about quality now. What really counts is snagging those high-quality links, not just adding more to the pile.

Given how much you might end up spending, as shown by Moz’s numbers, it’s crucial to know how to optimize your investment. The goal? Spend less and get more by focusing on quality over quantity.

You’re in the right spot to figure this out.

Let’s dive into 15 powerful strategies to get those top-notch backlinks that can make a real difference for your site in 2017 and beyond.

What Are Backlinks and How They Work?

So someone just tossed the term “backlink strategy” your way and you’re wondering what on earth that is? Don’t sweat it, I’ve got you covered. (And for those who are here to catch up on the latest SEO tricks, you might want to jump ahead to the section titled “How to build less and get more.” I’ve got some neat tips lined up for you there.)

Backlinks are basically links that lead back to your website from other websites. Think of any website that’s related to what you do and carries some weight in terms of trust and domain authority—that’s where these backlinks can come from. All these links from different websites make up what’s known as your website’s backlink profile. This is a big deal because it helps your site rank better, become more visible and gain more authority and relevance online.

Why are they so crucial? Let’s break it down from three different angles—what it means for users, search engines and you.

How to Build Fewer Links for Greater Impact

Gone are the days when all links were considered equal and link building was straightforward. Thanks to Google’s numerous algorithm updates, the landscape of link building has become more complex.

Now, domain authority and trust have become the most crucial factors in ranking, accounting for roughly 23.87% of the overall value. According to Copyblogger, the importance of link popularity has decreased to about 22.33% and the significance of backlink anchor text is now at 20.26%. This shift signals a clear message: in today’s SEO, trust and popularity are paramount.

So, how do we adapt and build external links that are effective under these new rules?

1. Understanding Google’s Expectations

SEO specialists might grumble about Google’s constant algorithm changes but these updates are aimed at a noble objective. Google’s mission to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” is not just ambitious; it’s transformative.

While Google isn’t the sole search engine, it dominates the regular web—excluding the deep and dark web. Thus, if you want to establish a solid online presence, you need to play by Google’s rules.

Google’s ultimate goal is to enhance the user experience on the internet, not just to serve businesses. This means your strategies should align with this goal. Avoid irrelevant, spammy or purchased links at all costs. These practices will only lead to penalties faster than you can say “SEO”. Instead, focus on creating genuine, high-quality connections that add value for users. This approach will not only help you avoid penalties but will also build a lasting, reputable online presence.

For users, backlinks are like pathways to discover more about a topic they’re interested in. It’s a lot like hopping from one Wikipedia page to another, where one link leads to another, helping users broaden or narrow their search.

From the perspective of search engines, backlinks are like votes of confidence. They help search engines gauge how important and valuable your website is. While back in the day, the sheer number of backlinks was enough to boost popularity, today’s SEO standards are much stricter and smarter.

And what do you get out of it? Well, for anyone running a digital business, securing high-quality backlinks is key to driving steady referral traffic. If you do it right, your site will become the go-to place for people searching for info, products or services related to what you offer. 

This means not just a one-time visit but a continuous flow of traffic over the years. Your Google ranking will rise, boosting your brand’s exposure, recognition and eventually authority. Before you know it, your customer relationship management (CRM) system will be overflowing.

Now that you know what backlinks are and their role in your success, let’s delve deeper into how to make the most of them.

2. Building a Solid Link Building Foundation

Before diving deep into link building, let’s talk about the foundation. Imagine trying to build a house on shaky ground—it wouldn’t stand up well, right? The same goes for your website. If your site is disorganized or hard to navigate, why would a reputable site want to link to it? Even if you somehow get a link from a high-authority site, it won’t do much good if visitors just bounce right off your page.

So, what does a website need to attract quality backlinks? Let’s break it down:

• Technical Optimization: Your site needs to run smoothly and load quickly.
• Easy Navigation: Users should find what they need without a hassle.
• Rich, Valuable Content: What you offer should be worth the read or view.

These elements contribute to an excellent user experience. When a high-authority site considers linking to you, they’ll look at your website through the eyes of their users. If your site is accessible, easy to navigate and packed with useful content, it’s a win-win for them, their users and you.

On top of that, a poor user experience doesn’t just turn off visitors; it also slows down Google’s mission to organize information in a user-friendly way. While a bad user experience might not get you penalized directly, it could make Google less inclined to boost your site in search rankings.

Here’s what you need to focus on:

Fixing Technical Errors

A great user experience technically means your website is fast, accessible and free of glitches.

Not sure if your site measures up? Check its loading speed and how mobile-friendly it is. Google offers tools like PageSpeed Insights and the Mobile-Friendly Test to help you evaluate and improve these aspects.

Also, look out for other technical snags like incorrect directives, duplicate metadata, canonical errors, 404 errors, redirect chains, 302 redirects and duplicate content. Tools like Siteliner for checking duplicate content and Screaming Frog SEO Spider for other issues can be lifesavers here.

Streamlining Navigation

Think about how easy it is for visitors to navigate your site. Is your content well-organized? Can users easily find what they’re looking for without having to jump through hoops? Effective site organization and intuitive navigation are crucial. Everything should be logically placed to guide users smoothly from one page to the next.

Also, remember to interlink your pages before seeking external backlinks. A well-interconnected site structure not only enhances user experience but also improves how Google and other sites view your site’s architecture.

Producing Valuable Content

Defining what makes content valuable could take up an entire article. In the realm of digital marketing, content is king but it’s also subjective. However, for the sake of backlink building, let’s focus on the essentials.

What follows is a rundown of what you need to know about creating content that earns backlinks.

3. Applying the 90/10 Rule: Crafting Content Worth Sharing

Alright, let’s talk about creating content that not only grabs attention but keeps people coming back for more. Whether it’s an article, infographic, video or any other format, the goal is to engage your audience so effectively that they might think about sticking around, maybe even subscribing or making a purchase. It has to be engaging, useful and very relevant.

This is where the 90/10 rule comes into play in SEO. It’s pretty straightforward: spend 90% of your efforts on crafting top-notch content and the remaining 10% on actual link-building activities. Without content that people want to share or that other sites would link to, your link-building efforts won’t really get off the ground.

4. Leveraging Infographics for Backlinks

Infographics are a powerhouse when it comes to attracting high-quality backlinks. Why? Because people love visuals. They’re easier to digest compared to text and look awesome when shared on social media or other platforms.

For every four articles you publish, throw in a killer infographic that captivates and educates your audience.

5. Keyword Research and Effective Targeting

Another key to creating content that’s backlink-worthy involves meticulous keyword research. Keywords aren’t just crucial for SEO; they also serve as anchor texts linking your pages together. This is what guides users from a referring site right to your digital doorstep.

To nail this part, you can’t skip the keyword research. Dive into tools like Google AdWords and use its Keyword Planner to discover phrases that resonate with your audience’s needs and interests. Think of keywords as the direct line to understanding what your audience thinks, needs and wants to engage with.

6. Ensuring Google Discovers and Indexes Your Content

Building a solid foundation is crucial before you can even think about actively generating backlinks. Another preliminary step is making sure Google has found and indexed your content.

According to Neil Patel, a great way to get noticed quickly by Google is to use Amazon’s Alexa service. If your content is exceptional, it can be indexed in as little as six hours.

Here’s a simple way to do it: once you’ve posted a new blog on your site, just pop the URL into Alexa’s system. You’ll be added to its directory, which is frequently crawled by Google’s bots. Once they spot your new content, Google will swiftly index it, making sure your site gets the visibility it deserves.

7. Similar Site Search: Why Relevance Matters

Yep, we’re talking about relevance again. If there’s one thing you should really get about backlinking, it’s that relevance is key. So, grab your notebook and let’s dive into this.

For a start, building strong backlinks is totally out of the question without relevant content. Remember how we mentioned that Google loves to keep things organized and easily accessible on the web? Well, following those guidelines is crucial if you want to craft a solid backlink profile.

Let’s break it down with an example.

Imagine you’re running a business that sells smartphones. Naturally, you want to draw in folks who are keen on buying smartphones, right? To pull this off, your website needs to be all about smartphones and the sites linking to yours should ideally be frequented by smartphone buffs.

Now, if your site starts talking about, say, CRM systems, getting a meaningful backlink from a smartphone-focused site just isn’t going to happen. It’d be out of place and, honestly, a bit pointless.

And it works both ways. If your site’s all about smartphones but the site linking to you is doling out CRM advice, their visitors probably won’t be interested in jumping over to check out your smartphone content. It’s just not a good fit.

So, how do you nail this relevance thing? First off, by creating content that’s right on the money with what your site is about. Post this content on your site and then hunt down other sites in the same niche whose audience would genuinely be interested in what you have to say—or sell.

Using a tool like Similar Site Search is a smart move here. It helps you find sites in your industry or niche just by entering what your business is about. The results? They’ll steer you towards the right domains to target for those valuable backlinks.

8. Checking Out Domain Authority

If relevance is the golden rule of backlinking, then domain authority (DA) is definitely the silver. Once you’ve got a list of relevant sites, it’s time to whittle it down to those that are not only relevant but also hold sway in their domain. 

It’s not just about linking up with any site that looks right. If the domain that links to you isn’t ranked well or doesn’t get much traffic, their backlinks won’t do you much good. 

That’s where checking the domain authority comes in handy. You want links from sites that are both relevant and authoritative. You can quickly check a site’s DA using tools like MozBar, which gives you the domain authority of every site you visit right there in your browser.

9. Understanding Trust Flow and Citation Flow

Next up, let’s talk about trust flow. This metric is crucial because it measures how trustworthy a site is. For this, Majestic is the tool you’ll want to use.

Citation flow, on the other hand, focuses more on the popularity of a site’s links rather than their quality—it tells you how often a site is cited through its backlinks. While it’s tempting to overlook citation flow since it doesn’t assess the quality of links, don’t write it off just yet.

When you combine citation flow with trust flow, you get a powerful overview of a site’s influence and reliability. For a robust backlinking strategy, make sure you use these metrics together.

10. Guest Blogging for Authority Links

While much of your SEO focus is on beefing up your own site, there’s another angle to consider. Guest blogging allows you to spread your expertise and share valuable content with audiences on other sites.

Look back at your list of similar sites and see which ones accept guest posts. Take some of your unpublished articles or draft new compelling content and reach out as a guest blogger. If they publish your work and it resonates with their audience, they’ll likely link back to your site—a win for your backlink strategy.

11. Building Relationships with Influential Referral Domains

Once a site publishes your guest post, don’t just celebrate and move on. Send a thank you email to show your appreciation. If you notice your guest post hasn’t generated any backlinks yet, follow up with your portfolio and a link to your site to remind them of your content. 

Also, engage with the sites you link to by asking if they can link back to your site. This reciprocal relationship isn’t just about trading links—it’s about building a network of mutual support that can enhance your visibility and authority over time.

12. Earning Editorial Backlinks

Alright, let’s be real—getting every site on your list to publish your posts and help out with your backlink strategy? Not gonna happen. Some sites have very high domain and trust authorities and they work hard to keep it that way. They’re very picky with what they link to, doing loads of checks before their editors give the thumbs up.

To score links from these guys, your content has to be next-level, like ten times better than what’s already out there. That’s the only way to make the cut.

13. Leveraging Forums and Blog Comments for Backlinks

If diving deep into guest blogging or chasing after editorial backlinks is eating up all your time and energy, why not try hitting up some niche-relevant forums? The vibe is a bit more chill there but you’ve still gotta play by the community rules. A lot of your potential audience hangs out in these forums, looking to broaden their knowledge, which makes them a solid spot for backlinking. 

And don’t overlook blog comments. Dropping knowledgeable comments on relevant blogs can be a smart move. Engage in the conversation, debate the blog post and link back to your own content when it adds value to the discussion. Just remember to keep it informative and on-topic.

14. Writing Testimonials and Getting Interviewed

Think about this: writing a quick testimonial for services or products you use could net you some backlinks. It’s a win-win—only takes a few minutes and the sites you’re reviewing might link back to you as a thank you. And if you’re actually using what you’re reviewing, even better.

Also, in today’s connected world, everyone’s looking for fresh insights. Sites are always on the lookout for new success stories or expert interviews. Why not pitch yourself as someone to interview? Share your journey and insights—it’s a great way to get your name and site out there.

15. Automating for Social Signals

Last but not least, don’t underestimate the power of social media. Sure social signals might only account for a small slice of Google’s ranking factors but they’re still crucial. They boost your site’s visibility and help spread the word about your content.

Every time you drop a new post, whether on your site or elsewhere, blast it across your social channels. It not only boosts your visibility but also signals to Google that your content is current and relevant.

No matter which tactic you choose, the essence of successful backlinking remains the same: Understand Google’s mission, create a website that’s a joy to browse, offer killer content and keep everything relevant.

Stick to these principles and you’ll not only gain more backlinks but also climb up those search rankings.

Wrapping Up

Let’s wrap this up with a powerful note: successful backlinking doesn’t just happen—it requires strategy, effort and a commitment to quality. If you’re keen on boosting your site’s visibility and climbing the search rankings while ensuring your content aligns with Google’s mission, following these 15 strategies will set you on the right path. 

And if you’re looking to take your digital presence to the next level, consider partnering with Tribal Pearl Media. Our SEO Link building service ensures your site not only gains valuable backlinks but also achieves lasting digital authority.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a backlink?

Think of a backlink as a digital thumbs-up from one website to another. When a site links to your page, it’s like saying, “Hey, check this out, it’s good stuff!” This helps build your site’s credibility in the eyes of search engines.

Why are backlinks important for SEO?

Backlinks are very important because they tell search engines like Google that other websites think your content is useful and trustworthy. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the better your chances of ranking higher in search results.

What is the 90/10 rule in backlinking?

The 90/10 rule is all about focus. Spend 90% of your time creating awesome content that people want to read and share and only 10% on the actual process of getting links. Great content naturally attracts more backlinks so it’s a smart way to approach SEO.

How can I check a site’s Domain Authority (DA)?

To see how strong a website is, you can use a tool like MozBar, which shows you the Domain Authority. DA is a score that predicts how well a site is likely to rank on search engines. The higher the score, the stronger the site.

What is the difference between Trust Flow and Citation Flow?

Trust Flow looks at how trustworthy a site is based on the quality of backlinks pointing to it. It’s like checking the reputation of the sites that link to you. Citation Flow, on the other hand, counts how many links a site has, showing how popular it is, regardless of the quality of these links.

Can guest blogging improve my site’s SEO?

Absolutely! Guest blogging can boost your SEO big time. When you write a post for another reputable site, you get a backlink that shows search engines your content is valuable. Plus, it’s a great way to reach more people and build your brand’s reputation.