The basics of link building
Link building used to be at the top of the list of search engine ranking factors. These days, it is not the very top of the list but still carries a hefty weight for a ranking factor.
Search engines use links to help determine the placement of your website in the search results. They determine the value of your ranking compared to competitors that have similar content on their pages. To rank for a particular keyword, you need to focus on that particular content on your site. This helps attract leads. You can use lead nurturing tactics with these visitors to increase your sales.
Linking domains tell the search engines how popular your website is. The more links from high-ranking sites or relevant sites in your industry, niche, or locality physical locality link to you, the better. The more relevant and authoritative websites link to you, the higher your Google page rank.
Top level domains build quality links
Different top-level domain links carry different weights. For instance, .EDU links carry more weight than most other top-level domains. Search engines view content from universities as being more research-based and credible. .GOV links and .ORG links also carry more weight than the other traditional top-level domains like .COM, .NET, and .BIZ.
To increase the links that you get from websites with these high-level top-level domains, try the following tactics:
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Connect with organizations that have these websites on an advertising, sponsorship, or project basis.
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Share a piece of content you’ve written with an organization in your industry and see if they would like to link to your content on their site. If your content is relevant, the organization may be happy to link to it.
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Use the Skyskcraper Method as outlined below.
Additional types of links
Internal links, or linking to other pages on your site are important. This lets Google know the hierarchy of pages within your site. It also lets the search engines know which pages are most relevant, creating pillar content topics within your site.
Social media links are also relevant, but not as much because you create them yourself. The same goes for online local business directories if you have a brick and mortar business. Online local business directories can help you more with local searches. They do this by establishing your business as an active local physical location.
Building links with the Skyscraper Method
Another great way to build links is to use what’s known as the Skyscraper Method. The Skyscraper Method enables you to create content like content that’s out there and share it to improve your ranking. First, create valuable content to share then find a website in your industry that has some broken links using tools like A Hrefs or SEM Rush. Contact the owner of the website where the broken links are found to see if they might want to add your link to the site. This increases the value of their page or post and helps them remove broken links from their website.
These links add value to your link profile. These tactics can also be helpful if you have a limited budget. To get started, I recommend that you create a to-do list. Prioritizing tasks with this list can help you get more results by focusing on your long-term goals. Making these changes to your link profile will help you accomplish that goal.
As far as creating quality content, here’s a tip. Define what drives you in your business and what ignites you to feel good helping your customers. Add that to your content. This quality content can engage traffic and convert visitors.
For more information on how to get started building links, contact us.
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