Linking building can improve your search authority and rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). Link building, also called inbound links or backlinks, relates to having other, authoritative websites, blogs, or directories link to your blog.
Some basic link building tactics include interlinking, obtaining reciprocal links, naming your links properly, social profile linking, and social bookmarking. We will share more details about these basic tactics below. For more information on advanced link building, stay tuned for our next blog post on submission tips and tricks.
Interlinking
Interlinking, or the practice of building internal links, is linking to other pages on your website. These can come in a variety of forms including page links or content area links. For example, when your content is centered on a topic such as Facebook, you could link to a previous blog post on the same topic, like we’ve done here. Linking to individual pages is also important. For example, if you are talking about marketing services, link to a dedicated page on your website. Not only does that signal to search engines another way to easily navigate through your site but also gives your readers a chance to gain more info on what they are currently reading.
Reciprocal Links
In addition to seeing that a website’s internal pages link together, search engines also look for links that people have shared from your site. Common links that people share from your site can include blog posts, news stories, contests, etc. Search engines keep track of how recent pages have been shared, which sites/Facebook accounts/Twitter accounts have shared, which influences your site’s authority. A reciprocal link is a website you link to, that also links back to your site. A blogroll, typically located on the right side of blogs, is a key place for building reciprocal links. The blogroll serves as a directory for various resources that compliment your blog and relate to your content. You will need to contact various blog developers or associations if you wish to share a reciprocal link. If you are able to obtain reciprocal links from well known associations, blogs or companies, this will give you greater search authority.
Link Naming
Have you ever included a link on your website that said, “read more” or “click here”? Naming your links as such will not give you any SEO benefits. Instead, use more descriptive link names. For example, this link invites you to learn more about B2B Content Marketing. Notice that the link is exactly what the post is all about once you click on it. And, if you hover over it, the alt text, or anchor text (picked up by search engines), indicates that it is indeed about B2B content marketing.
Social Profile Linking
The more information search engines can find on you, the quicker you become visible and gain authority. Connecting your social profiles, website, and blog gives search engines more information. Having linking social icons across the top of your website and blog makes it easy for someone to find those pages. Also, having social profiles link to other social profiles, your website, and blog increases link influence. Below is an example from the Modern Marketing Partners home page. Social Icons are located in top right hand corner of the page. Also, an example of the Modern Marketing Partners Google+ Page linking to other social profiles, etc.
Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking sites are great for indexing various blogs or web pages that you’ve created. They are helpful in generating more backlinks to your website or blog. Some of the most popular social bookmarking sites include, Twitter, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Delicious, and Digg. If you are interested in learning more about bookmarking sites, check out the Top 15 Most Popular Social Bookmarking Sites from ebizMVA.
The purpose of link building is to make your site more visible to those searching for your content, and to also help search engines give you authority. It is important to keep two things in mind when link building: relevance and value. Are you creating relevant content that people can relate to you and your business? And, is the content you are creating providing value to them? Does the content help answer a question? Does it provide useful or valuable information to them? These are all important questions to ask as you follow these best practices of link building! What to know what not to do? Check out Bad SEO: Blackhat Techniques Are a NO NO! And for more advanced link building tactics, stay tuned for our next post on submission tricks and tips.
