Understanding Backlink Options - And When to Use Each

4 min read
20-Jan-2020 8:45:00 AM

Backlinks are a good way to build traffic to your website. To put it simply, backlinks, also known as inbound links, are a link on one website that directs readers to a page on your website. There are lots of backlink options available. 

These are important when it comes to SEO rankings. Search engines like Google consider a site with a high number of backlinks to be more reputable. The higher the number of backlinks your site has the higher your search rankings. 

It is also important to get backlinks for sites with a good ranking. The more reputable the site linking to you, the better it is for your rankings. Think of it as if they are promoting your site. Each backlink counts as a promotion for you and increases your credibility. 

Google considers backlinks a key aspect of ranking. It is one of the three fundamental sources they use when ranking your website. So having a high number of backlinks for websites is key for better search rankings. 

Quality is Key

It is important to remember that not all backlinks are good. You can have millions of backlinks, but if they are for poor quality sites it won't help.

You want to seek out backlinks for high ranking sites. So how do you know if a site is a good source for a backlink? Here are a few traits to look for. 

Authoritative & Trustworthy

Each site on the internet has a Domain Authority (DA). This DA indicates the authority a site has and how well it will rank in search engine results. The higher the DA score the more authority the site has. 

Search Engines will consider a backlink from an authoritative site as valuable. You will see an increase in your search rankings when you have backlinks from high DA sites. 

These can be difficult to secure but they are worth the time and effort. One method is to reach out to sites about guest posts. Share high-quality content with them and ask them to back to your site. This is best done by building relationships with sites that align well with your own. 

Look for Keywords

When you look for possible backlink options check the website's anchor text. It can be valuable to review current articles about a topic you need backlinks for.

You should have a specific keyword in mind. If you see that keyword in an article then they may be a good source for a backlink.

Reaching out to that website and asking them to backlink is a great way to secure links. Ask them to use your keyword in the anchor text when they link to you. That will make your keyword more visible on search engines. 

Similar Websites

Look for websites that are comparable to your own. Again, you can have a million backlinks but if they come from sites with random topics, it won't help.

Google analyzes backlinks. It will look poor on your site if you have links from sites not relative to your own. 

You will want to seek out sites that have the same topics and focus as yours. Finding a backlink from a high-quality DA site with the same niche as your site will boost your site. 

Seek Do-Follow Links

Search engines will skip over any backlinks with a no-follow tag attached to it. So securing no-follow links is pointless in the promotion of your site. It's as if it doesn't exist. 

When you seek out backlinks it's important to specify if the link will be do-follow or no-follow. Seek out do-follow links from valuable websites to increase search engine results. 

New Partnerships

Search engines value unique backlinks. You can have 100 backlinks but if they are all from the same five websites it won't help you in search results. You will need to try to secure as many backlinks as you can from unique sites. 

Search engines value quantity when it comes to the number of different websites. The number of links is less important. Seeking out new unique sites is better than building ongoing links with the same site. 

The Best Backlink Options 

When you pursue backlinks it's important to consider your content. To find the best backlink options you'll want to try different strategies. Consider these options when seeking backlinks. 

Create Linkable Content

If you want to secure backlinks then you need to have content that sites will want to link to. Seek out the content that sites and readers will want to see. You're more likely to get a backlink for content that is valuable.

Spending time creating high-quality content will increase your chances of quality backlinks.

Use Link Roundup Programs

Some sites produce link roundups. These are posts that are for backlinks. You can search for roundups that fit your site's niche and pitch or post your content. You may have to give a backlink back to the participants. This can be a good way to secure some backlinks and it's pretty easy. 

Seek Opportunities

If you have created content on a specific topic and need backlinks for it seek opportunities to use it. If you notice that a post on a website is no longer working you can seek out the site's owner and offer to replace it. This is often effective because no site wants a broken link.

There are a lot of tools that will help you find sites that have broken links. One good one is made by Ahrefs. 

Backlinks are Valuable

If you are a site owner then backlinks are valuable to you. You'll want to keep up to date on the best backlink options available. Keep these in mind when creating content and seeking backlinks. 

Need help utilizing backlinks to their full potential? Contact us today so we can help you every step of the way. 

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