How to Build Links Yourself

To rank on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) websites need backlinks. As Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko, says, “… backlinks are basically votes from other websites. Each of these votes tells search engines, “This content is valuable, credible and useful”.” The more links a site has, the higher it will rank in Google, along with competing search engines like Bing and Yahoo. And despite the thousands of changes made to Google’s algorithm over the years, backlinks remain their #1 ranking signal, followed by content and RankBrain. That means getting backlinks for your site is vital if you’re to rank on SERPs for your keywords.

Getting backlinks is easy, but before you rush off and buy a bunch of backlinks on eBay — yes, you can buy backlinks on eBay — it’s important to understand that not all backlinks are created equal. Some backlinks can make a huge difference to your rankings, some a small difference and others should be given a wide berth — like those on eBay — as they can cause more harm than good. Good backlinks come from authoritative websites with high DA (Domain Authority) which is a Moz metric used to denote the authority of a website. When you begin your backlink building quest, focus on getting backlinks with a high DA from relevant websites.

Originally the local pack appeared down below the organic listings and showed 7 businesses:

From buying cheap backlinks on eBay to building your own backlink profile with links from outdated sources, there are many ways to get backlinks to your site, with some methods better than others. Here’s a quick look at your options:

Publish ‘skyscraper’ content — This technique is backlinking best practice and involves building links from ‘authority’ sites. Creating skyscraper content involves identifying a webpage that ranks well and has generated loads of backlinks, then creating a similar piece of content that’s significantly better (more comprehensive, better written, more engaging, etc.) and then actively promoting it.

While this is a highly effective ‘white hat’ backlinking technique that can deliver phenomenal results, it’s time-consuming and many non-writers struggle to produce content that’s engaging enough (for other sites to link to) to make their efforts worthwhile.

Build your own links from outdated sources — This is an interesting backlinking technique known as “The Moving Man Method”. Start by identifying sites in your industry that have either changed their name, moved to a new URL or shut down. Then, using a backlink checking tool like Moz’s Site Explorer, identify the link sources with the highest Domain Authority (DA).

Once you’ve identified the most suitable sites to link to, reach out to the webmasters, letting them know the link is outdated and politely suggest they link to your article instead (here’s a great article about crafting your email pitch).

Naturally, you will need to create an awesome article that’s just as good or better than the outdated link if you’re to have any chance of success with this technique. Also, bear in mind that even if you’re successful, the skyscraper technique can be quite time-consuming, and that it can prove really disappointing if your efforts don’t bear fruit.

Buy backlinks online — Buying backlinks is an option, but the backlinks you purchase must come from trusted sources, so buying backlinks on eBay really isn’t an option at all.

No matter how cheap they are and what you’re promised, you put your long-term SERP (Search Engine Results Page) rankings at risk when you buy cheap links from unknown sources. Keep your backlink profile clean and bear in mind that it’s better to rank on the second page than not at all due to being hit with a Google penalty, either manual or algorithmic.

Hire a freelancer to build your backlink profile — Another backlink building option is to hire an affordable overseas freelancer to build your backlinks for you. This an economical option that many businesses have used, but when you hire someone overseas you risk getting low-quality backlinks from sites with low trust scores.

Many of these sites exist solely to provide backlinks and often contain poor quality, duplicated content, links from comments sections or overseas sources that don’t look natural, and contain over-optimised anchor texts. Backlinks from such sites won’t improve your rankings (you may get a short-term rankings boost but it won’t last) and will, ultimately, only hurt your SEO efforts.

As you can see from the examples above, building a solid backlink profile can be complicated and time-consuming, not to mention dangerous if you choose to buy cheap backlinks on eBay or use an overseas freelancer. If you’re a business owner who values your time and understands that you’re better off doing what you do best — running your business — leave backlinking to the SEO specialists at Bambrick Media in Brisbane.

Backlink profile building is included in every Bambrick Media SEO package. And for your assurances, all of the backlinks we arrange for our clients come from reputable sites with healthy Domain Authority (DA) scores. If you’d like to learn more about our backlinking and SEO services, please contact Bambrick Media’s Brisbane-based SEO team.

Image Credit — Mihail Ribkin