If you’re running a website with the hopes of landing on the first page of Google, then you’re going to want to focus on building backlinks. Backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors for Google, and they can be the key to getting your website to rank higher.
There are a few different ways to get backlinks, but not all of them are created equal. Here we will show you 7 of the best ways to get backlinks that will help you rank on Google in 2022.
Wait, What Are Backlinks?
Before we dive into how to get backlinks, let’s first make sure we’re on the same page about what they are. Backlinks are simply links from other websites that link back to your website. Google sees these links as a vote of confidence for your site, and the more votes you have, the better chance you have of ranking higher.
Now there are two major types of backlinks that you should know about. The first is dofollow links, which are links that pass along link juice and help you rank higher. The second are nofollow links, which don’t pass along link juice but can still help drive traffic to your site.
Dofollow links are going to be the more valuable type of link, but both types can still help get your website to rank.
So if you want your website to make it on the first page of Google, you better get as many dofollow links as you can.
Why Are Backlinks Important?
To understand why backlinks are important, it’s better to go over how search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing rank websites in the first place. Back in the early days of the internet, search engines would rank websites based on how many times a keyword was used on a page.
This led to a lot of people trying to game the system by stuffing their pages with as many keywords as possible, regardless of whether it made sense or not. In response to this, Google developed its ranking algorithm that takes into account several different factors, one of which is backlinks.
Google’s algorithm is constantly changing and evolving, but backlinks have remained one of the most important ranking factors since they were first introduced. So if you want your website to rank well, you need to make sure you’re building plenty of high-quality backlinks.
Where Do High-Quality Backlinks Come From?
As we mentioned earlier, not all backlinks are created equal. There are a lot of different factors that go into whether or not a backlink is of high quality, but some of the most important ones are:
– The PageRank of the linking website. PageRank refers to a website’s importance or authority, and it’s one of the things Google looks at when ranking websites. The higher the PageRank of a website, the more valuable its backlinks are.
– The relevancy of the linking website. If a website is about dogs and links to your website about cats, that link isn’t going to be as valuable as a link from another website about pets. Google wants to see links from websites that are relevant to yours.
– The anchor text of the link. This is the text that’s hyperlinked, and it should be something descriptive like “best cat food” rather than just “click here.” Google puts more weight on anchor text than most people realize.
In short, getting a backlink from a high PageRank website that is relevant to your site and uses keyword-rich anchor text is going to be much more valuable than a link from a low PageRank website with no relevance.
How Can I Get Backlinks?
Now that you’re all familiar with backlinks and why they’re important, here are 7 of the best ways you can get them:
Create high-quality content
This is the single most important thing you can do if you want to earn backlinks. Creating in-depth, informative, and engaging content is going to naturally attract links from other websites. If you want people to link to your site, you need to give them a reason to do so.
Now the key to being successful at creating high-quality content is getting a firm grasp of who your customers are. What are their pain points? What questions do they have that you can answer? Once you know what your customers want, you can start creating content that addresses their needs.
Some types of content you can create include:
– Blog Posts
– infographics
– eBooks
– Whitepapers
– Guides
– Case Studies
Reach out to other websites and ask for links
When you have tons of content created, that puts you in the best position to make the most out of your digital resources. One way you can do that is by reaching out to other websites and asking them to link to your content.
It’s important to keep a few things in mind when doing this:
– Only contact websites that are relevant to yours. There’s no point in reaching out to a website about cars if your website is about cats. Not only will they not link to you, but they’ll probably think you’re a spammer.
– Make sure the website you’re contacting has links on its pages. Some websites don’t include any links, and there’s no point in trying to get a link from them.
– Don’t just ask for any old link. Take the time to find a specific piece of content that is fresh and relevant to your niche, and then ask for a link to that specific piece of content. This shows that you’re not just looking for any link, but a high-quality link.
Another thing you should keep in mind is that communication is the true key to getting plenty of backlinks. You have to connect with other bloggers and webmasters in your niche, get on their radar, and let them know that you exist. The more you put yourself out there, the more likely it is that people will link to your website.
Make sure to enter several online communities that you can use to connect with other bloggers and webmasters, including:
– Social media groups
– Forums
– Blogging communities
– Slack groups
Write guest posts on other blogs
One of the best ways to get high-quality backlinks is to write guest posts for other blogs in your niche. This is a win-win situation because you get exposure to a new audience and the blog owner gets fresh content.
When writing a guest post, make sure to include 1-2 links back to your website. These can be links to your homepage or specific pieces of content that you want to promote. Just make sure the links are relevant and add value for the reader.
To find guest posting opportunities, use Google Search Console along with Google Trends to find the best keywords in your niche. You can also use a tool like BuzzSumo to find the most popular content in your niche.
Then, once you have some targeted keywords, do a Google search for those keywords and look for blogs that accept guest posts. You can also try searching for “write for us” + your keyword.
Do know that when you’re out to find websites that accept guest posts, you will encounter both paid and unpaid opportunities. Unpaid opportunities are usually going to be the best for link building because they’re more likely to be high-quality websites.
Just keep in mind to focus on creating great content, reaching out to other websites, and writing guest posts. These are all great methods that will help you get the links you need to improve your ranking on Google. Just remember to focus on quality over quantity, and you’ll be well on your way to success.
Get involved in online communities
There are thousands of online communities with hundreds and thousands of members for every niche you can think of. And, these communities can be a great way to get high-quality backlinks.
The key is to find online communities that are relevant to your niche and get involved in the conversations. Share your expert knowledge, answer questions, and offer helpful advice. The more you contribute, the more likely it is that people will link to your website.
Here are a few places to find online communities in your niche:
– Google+ Communities
– Facebook Groups
– LinkedIn Groups
– Reddit SubReddits
Remember, when building relationships in communities, do not sound like a business. Always speak with other members like you’re one of them. No one wants to be talked down to, and you’ll quickly lose credibility if you come across as a know-it-all.
Be sure to also focus on building relationships with other members. The more friends you have in a community, the more likely it is that they’ll link to your website when you ask for a link.
List your website in directories and local listings
Business directories are a great way to get high-quality backlinks because they help improve your website’s link popularity. The more popular your website is, the higher it will rank in search engines.
There are directories for just about every niche and industry you can think of. And, while some of them are paid, there are plenty of free directories that you can use to list your website.
Here are a few places to get started:
– Google My Business
– Yelp
– Angie’s List
– Yellow Pages
Just remember to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to directories. It’s better to have 10 quality links from directories than 100 links from low-quality websites.
Moreover, when you’re creating listings, always make use of the keywords that you’re targeting. This will help improve your listing’s relevancy, which can lead to higher rankings in search engines.
Finally, be sure to fill out your listings completely. The more information you provide, the more likely people are to click through to your website.
There are plenty of web directories that you can use to list your website. However, as with business directories, it’s important to focus on quality over quantity. You don’t want to list your website on every directory you come across. Always find the most relevant and high-quality directories for your website first, and then create listings.
Give away freebies and create resources
Plenty of websites that are already ranking on the first page of Google are doing so because they offer helpful resources and freebies.
One great way to get links is to give away freebies that people can link to. For example, you could create an eBook, a video tutorial, or a helpful guide that people can link to from their websites.
Another option is to create a resource page on your website. This is a page where you list all of the helpful resources that you’ve created, along with links to each one. Not only will this help you get more backlinks, but it will also help improve your website’s link popularity.
Here are a few ideas for resources you can create:
– How-to guides
– Tutorials
– Templates
– Infographics
– Cheatsheets
– Toolkits
Another great thing about giving away freebies is that you can use those freebies to further establish your brand. For example, you could include your company’s logo or branding on the freebie itself. This is a great way to get your brand in front of more people and improve brand awareness.
To get the most out of giving away freebies, be sure to promote your resources. You can do this by sharing them on social media, emailing them to your list, or even reaching out to other websites in your niche and asking if they would be interested in linking to your resource.
Hire A Professional Link Building Agency
Link building is a time-consuming and tedious process. If you don’t have the time or patience to do it yourself, you can always hire a professional link-building agency to do it for you.
There are plenty of agencies that specialize in link building, and they can help you get the high-quality backlinks that you need to rank higher in search engines.
When hiring an agency, be sure to ask about their link-building methods. You want to make sure that they’re using white hat methods that will help improve your website’s ranking. Additionally, be sure to ask for reports so that you can track the progress of their work.
A professional link-building agency can be a great way to get high-quality backlinks that can rank your website on Google in no time.
The Bottom Line
These are just a few ideas for how to get started with link building. Remember, the most important thing is to focus on quality over quantity. It’s better to have a few high-quality backlinks than a bunch of low-quality ones.
If you’re not sure where to start, hire a professional link-building agency to help you out. They can help you get the high-quality backlinks that you need to rank higher in search engines.