Improving your SEO requires multiple strategies, and one of those is acquiring backlinks. SEO backlinks are when one website links to another. You don’t have much control over who links to you since anyone can just grab and share a link. But, you can use simple strategies to earn new backlinks for SEO that can improve your search rankings and create new business 

relationships. Lucky for you, I’m going to share those easy backlink strategies with you!

What Are SEO Backlinks?

Backlinks happen when one website links to another outside source. If you link to a Business Insider article within a blog post, you just gave Business Insider a backlink. 

A backlink tells Google, “Hey, I think this website offers valuable information related to my blog topic, and I’m going to send my audience to their website to learn more because I trust them.” You’re giving Business Insider a virtual word-of-mouth referral. And who doesn’t love a good referral?!

When someone links to your website, they indicate to Google that they trust your information and think you offer enough value to send traffic your way. Google takes that recommendation seriously! It starts to think a little more highly of your website because other people tell it you have great content.

What Makes a Backlink High-Quality?

Unfortunately, there are such things as bad backlinks. So, what does it mean to earn high-quality backlinks? These are the factors that Google considers when determining whether a backlink is legit.

• Domain Authority: How authoritative the linking site is.
• Relevance: How closely the linking content matches your niche.
• Anchor Text: Using relevant keywords and making the anchor text descriptive.
• Placement: Links in the main content vs. footers or sidebars.
• Link Diversity: A mix of do-follow and no-follow links from various sources.

Why Are Backlinks Important for SEO?

I already talked about how Google sees backlinks as a vote of confidence from someone else. Backlinks build your credibility and authority with search engines, improving your rankings. The more Google trusts you to provide value and a great user experience, the higher it will start to rank your web pages.

There are also the interpersonal benefits of building SEO backlinks. You’re building relationships with other business owners by collaborating and partnering with them on projects or content. It’s a form of networking! You could get more referrals, projects, or opportunities as you develop those relationships.

How to Get High-Quality Backlinks

I’ve started prioritizing backlinks for SEO recently. I always knew the importance of backlinks, but I could never seem to find the time to go out and get them! Now that I’ve started implementing a strategy and process behind it, I’m starting to see the benefits. I highly recommend working on earning new SEO backlinks for your business!

Guest Podcasting

This is my favorite way to get new backlinks! I’ve been a guest on several podcasts. I enjoy meeting other creative entrepreneurs and sharing my web design, branding, and Pinterest expertise with their audience. Links to my website, Instagram, and freebies are in the show notes, giving me new high-quality backlinks with each episode.

Guest Blogging

Guest blogging is similar to guest podcasting. You submit a blog to be featured on someone else’s website. The blog post usually includes an author bio with a link to your website, and sometimes, you can include links to your other resources.

Another way to do this is to submit contributions to articles someone else writes. The website Featured offers several opportunities to be featured in an article. Simply share your opinion and expertise on a relevant question, and if your answer is selected, you’ll be featured in the article and receive a backlink. The free account gives you three submissions per month!

Collaborations and Partnerships

Collaborations and partnerships with other creative entrepreneurs are so fun! There are a lot of ways you can work with another entrepreneur:

• Co-host a webinar
• Do an Instagram takeover for a day
• Do a newsletter swap
• Collaborate on a client project
• Do a co-sponsored giveaway
• Bundle services or products

Start networking and get creative with your collaboration ideas!

FAQs About Backlinks for SEO

Are all backlinks good for SEO?

No, there are spammy sites out there that will grab your link and publish it. It happens to everyone, so it’s nothing to worry about unless that’s ALL your backlinks. Then, you should try to get your link removed from the website or balance your backlink profile by earning more high-quality backlinks.

How can I check my backlinks?

SEO tools like Moz, Ubersuggest, and Google Search Console will track your backlinks. You can see the domains that are linking to your website and how reputable they are.

Can I buy backlinks?

NO! Please don’t buy backlinks. It goes against Google’s guidelines and will hurt your SEO more than help it. And once you lose Google’s trust, it’s really hard to get it back.

How long does it take to see results from backlinks?

It depends! You could see benefits within a few weeks if you get a backlink from a popular and reputable website. It usually takes a few months to start seeing SEO results from backlinks.

Start Building Backlinks for SEO!

I know it feels like I’m putting another thing on your already full plate, but SEO backlinks can be super beneficial for your business. You’ll boost your SEO rankings, develop important business relationships, and spread the word about your business. I promise implementing these strategies won’t take too much of your time! Choose one to start with and grow from there 😊

If you want to improve your SEO this year, my SEO audit service is a great place to start! It dives deeper into your SEO strategy and gives you personalized recommendations. Contact me to book your audit!