Let’s get right into it. Backlinks are the heart and soul of your website SEO. Consider them a "vote of confidence" from one site to the next. If a respected website points to yours, it’s as if they’re like, "Hey, this is some great stuff!". And you know what? Google listens.
Here’s the rub, though: backlinks aren’t all created equal. There are some that are like golden tickets to better rankings, and some of those get you in hot water. Let’s find out which ones are your golden ticket.
Imagine you’re at a party (the internet), and some really popular person (for instance, Forbes or The New York Times) walks up and points to you and says: "This guy knows what he’s doing." People start noticing you. And that’s what a quality backlink does for your site.
91% of all websites do not get organic traffic from Google (that’s because they don’t have backlinks). Yep, backlinks are that important. They’re Google’s #1 ranking factors behind quality content and page optimization. And if they don’t exist, not even the greatest content will catch on.
Let’s not go starry-eyed about any link, though. The attributes of good backlinks are the following:
Here are the best backlinks to hedonists on the internet. Not any links either, the ones that make Google smile and send your website up the rankings. But what sets them apart? Let’s break it down.
1. Connection to Your Niche/Subsector.
Think of backlinks like friendships. The more affine they are to yours, the closer the connection. Links from a site in your field are like your best friend telling you to come check out; it’s so rational! If you’re a travel blogger, for instance, a tourism site backlink is diamonds. But if some tech blog posts about you? That’s a head-scratcher.
2. Power and Reputation of Linking Domain.
If someone off the street or a famous person had to tell you something, would you believe them? Exactly. Links from well-known, quality sites (Forbes, the BBC) mean a lot more than links from inconvenient, low-quality sites. Use resources such as Moz and Ahrefs to evaluate a domain’s authority to see if it’s worth following.
3. Placement Within Content (Contextual Links)
Context is everything. Backlinking in a blog post or article is more SEO sand than the sidebar or footer. Why? Because that’s just in the conversation and is more likely to be clicked by the user.
4. Diversity of Linking Domains
Variety is key! If you have only 1 or 2 backlinks, then that looks dirty to Google. You have a broad backlink profile from blogs, directories, forums, and news outlets, which shows that you are not only popular with one site but also more.
High-Quality Backlinks are the apotheosis. Your site is more authoritative to search engines the more it is. This, in turn, raises your domain authority and pushes you up the rankings chain.
A great backlink is not just about SEO but also a door to new traffic. — Link from a popular website that’s sending lots of traffic your way.
If trustworthy websites link to you, then that’s an affirmation that builds credibility. You’re like, "Hey, these dudes know what he’s doing!" In the long run, this makes your brand more trustworthy and more visible.
Quality backlinks are your website’s allies. They add authority, traffic, c, and trust to make you win the SEO wars. Therefore, pursue relevancy, authority, context, and variety (your rankings will appreciate it).
Content is the new gold when it comes to building backlinks. Those are good, useful content, and links love to attract. Why? Because everyone loves to link to and share anything that makes sense, is helpful, informs, or entertains. You need great content which others can’t resist linking to, if you want those valuable quality backlinks.
Why Content Is Key
Think about it: No one is going to share an average, dead-end blog post. But share something cool, innovative, or beautiful, and people will rush to pass it around. 91% of the content doesn’t get a link from Google (against link value). Producing memorable content reverses the script.
Backlinks thrive on value. When your content solves an issue, is of interest, or gives an innovative thought, other websites will link to it and reference it naturally. You get the two: they add your opinion to their content, and you gain a backlink for SEO.
Everyone loves a good step-by-step tutorial, especially if it takes a big subject and breaks it down into small pieces. Consider them the "How-To’s" of the internet.
Example: An extensive article about "How to Start a Podcast in 2024" might get you links from tech blogs, marketing websites, and business forums.
Tip: Offer tips for action, clear explanations, and pictures to make your guides more digestible and shareable.
Want to stand out? Be a source of original data. By running polls, trend studies, or case studies, you create something no one else will be able to use.
Example: A Report on "Email Open Rates by Industry in 2024" will be the go-to report for marketing executives and bloggers.
Why It Works: Fresh research accretes trust and authority. When other people link to your results, they’re basically endorsing you — and linking to your site.
Infographics are a link-building goldmine. They boil down information into appealing and digestible graphs that people love to share.
Example: A blog, social media manager, or even a news website might give you backlinks to an infographic, "The Future of Social Media."
Tip: Tag your website or URL on the graphic so people can mention you when sharing it.
Lists and guides are the stuff of the internet. They’re portable, digestible, and of short-term value.
Example:
The work of writing great content is not the end. To get backlinks, you’ve got to push it:
Let’s get started with one backlink technique that’s as effective as it is clever—the Skyscraper Technique. And if you haven’t seen it before, fret not. You’ll understand how to apply this technique in order to earn high-quality backlinks for SEO.
Suppose you are on foot in a skyscraper city. All of them are very good, but one is bigger than the others. It gets all the focus, of course. That’s what the Skyscraper Technique is for in the content space.
That’s where you discover good quality content in your industry, tweak that content even more, contact the websites that were linking to the original, and tell them to link back to you. The result? You’re the tallest building in the SEO world.
This strategy works because people love sharing the best of the best, and if you create the best, you are the go-to.
The Skyscraper Technique works by proven demand. If a piece of content has already gotten some attention, chances are that its audience and links will shift to your better version.
Begin by finding content that’s already doing really well. These may be blog articles, articles, or anything with a lot of backlinks.
How to Find It:
Example: If you have a fitness blog, type articles such as "Top 10 Fitness Tips" or "The Ultimate Guide to Weight Loss."
It’s now the good stuff: make your content better, stronger, and taller. Here’s how:
For example, If your original piece is "10 Weight Loss Tips", then your updated one is "25 Science-Based Weight Loss Strategies for Every Body Type".
This is where it gets really interesting. After you have made your soaring stuff, you should promote it to everyone else. Particularly the websites that pointed to the original article.
Check Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker (free) or SEMrush Backlink Analytics to find all the websites that are pointing to the source content.
Need content
Generating new content is great, but are you getting more from the content you already have? Reposting and re-advertising your own content makes it link-worthy and opens new opportunities for it.
Previous articles have old information or don’t have the ugliness of your latest ones. With some upkeep and optimization, you can give these works new life.
Example:
The same old blog post, "Social Media Trends for 2022," can be "Top Social Media Trends to Watch in 2024." Change it with new data, a new look, and maybe even a case study.
After updating, share your new content. Post it on social media, send it out as a newsletter, and (no surprises here) reach out to other websites.
Copy repurposing is nothing but making your old content fit new platforms to appeal to new people. You can imagine it as your content gets an overhaul.
Video content is the rage now. YouTube and TikTok live and die with snack-worthy videos.
For instance, a blog article on "10 Healthy Meal Prep Tips" could be posted on Instagram or YouTube as a short tutorial video series.
We all love to see e and infographics, which are very easily shared.
Copy the main statistics from your blog and make it a visual infographic. Then, share it on Pinterest or embed it into your post for backlinks.
Divide a longer article into mini-bite-sized bites for LinkedIn or Twitter.
For instance, Post every tip in a "Top 10" listicle as a separate post and link back to the original article.
If your article is dialogual, make it a podcast episode. This not only spreads your audience but also creates a new backlink when your episodes are shared.
You can extend the value of your content through reuse and expand to new venues and markets. Also, it helps promote the likelihood of your posts getting noticed and linked.
Outbound campaigns and the reuse of content are two of the most productive ways to get quality backlinks. Outreach is all about making connections and sending empathetic emails. In repurposing, you’re making the most of your existing content to bring in more links and get more traffic.
Combine all these tactics, and you aren’t just accumulating backlinks; you’re creating a long-term SEO strategy.
With the power of these instruments, backlink creation doesn’t have to be tedious, manual work anymore. Whether you’re checking backlinks, doing outreach, repairing broken links, or getting your content out there, these tools will make it easier, more efficient, and, most importantly, more effective. You can finally see better SEO rankings and results with the right plan and the right tools.
If you are struggling or have trouble executing these tips and tools, please don’t hesitate to reach out! We can walk you through it and give you a good, solid backlinks strategy that actually does work. Let’s reach out to us and make your website SEO shine!