Why Link-building is Important for SEO: Build Links This Way

Some believe in using other tools and algorithms for SEO instead of link-building. But, according to link stats from Ahrefs, link building is very important for generating organic traffic in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) strategy. Google rates back links as one of the top 3 search ranking factors in link building and research has shown that the more back links are on a page, the more organic traffic a website will receive from Search Engines. In addition, 92% of marketers consider that links will be an important ranking criterion in link building for the next five years. 

What is Involved in Building a Link?

Link building is a tool used in digital marketing to make other websites link to yours. Building links involves making your business known through various digital platforms.

When you link other websites to yours, your website increases incoming traffic via back links. When used effectively, link building in digital marketing enables websites to rank higher in a search and offers quality user experiences. When a website has several back links from what others consider authorities in their particular market – eg businesses and publications – that website will perform better in SEO.

Building links: the Basics for Back Links

Building links involves acquiring natural back links from quality, reliable sources that are happy to link to one’s website content. When Google notices that other websites see you as an authority in your subject and link to your website, you will rank higher in a search via every link you have. To do this, your first step is to create content that is of exceptional quality, information that people enjoy reading and that makes them return to the website time and again. When you do that, other websites will be happy to link to you.

5 Important Methods of Building Back Links

1. Resource Page Link Building:

   According to Semrush, this type of link building is one of the simplest and most effective methods of building links. Resource pages are reference pages that offer links to websites for particular subjects – anything from SEO tips to listing the best pet groomers and everything in between. To be featured in a link on these pages, you just fill in a form, and within minutes, your website is included as a back link. You can find other resource page opportunities for building links, according to Google, “by looking at which pages already link to your competitors”. Semrush even has a Back Link Analytics Tool, a back link checker that evaluates and compares link profiles when you enter a domain name.

2. Look for Every Broken Link:

   Semrush describes broken links as “dead links on other websites”. The trick is to convince web admin to replace a broken link with a working link to your website. The most common broken link is one that gives you an error code – ‘404 Not Found’, which shows that the page has been deleted. Other examples of broken links, or hyperlinks that don’t work, include those where the URL hasn’t been formatted correctly, or when the structure of a website, or its URL changes.

3. Using the Skyscraper Technique for Building a Link:

   This involves creating content that is far better quality than other content that currently ranks high in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). When you can outrank a website, you’re basically the higher skyscraper and you will replace that website as a back link. Website SEOClarity.net describes the process in 3 steps:

• Step 1: Finding relevant content that ranks high and has a number of back links.
• Step 2: Bettering the existing content by providing updated information, research and/or visuals as a link.
• Step 3: Creating an email campaign that secures back links to your new content.

4. Checking out Your Competitors’ Back Links:

   Semrush has a Back Link Gaptool where you can enter the domain names of up to 4 of your competitors.

5. Asking Customers to Provide Testimonials:

   Customer comments are read avidly by prospective clients, so make sure you have several positive testimonials on your website and use each as a. back link. You can also make sure you let websites know every time you link them in a blog or other website copy.

6. Link Your Suppliers to Build Credibility:

   Link any suppliers you use in your business on your website – this is a great link building tool. If your company has won any awards, link those associations that have given you the awards, too. For instance, our sister website maake lists that we are ‘Winner of the 2023 awards for Most Ethical Fabric & Best Custom Printing’. We also provide links to all our trusted customers, which include the BBC, Netflix, Burberry and many more. Remember: every link counts!

Link Quality Versus Quantity

Before you build links, make sure you do plenty of research so that you know how to build a link correctly. The higher the quality of your back link, the more authority and trust the website has, the more likely your link building is to be effective. The aim is to make Google see your website as an extension of your business, and consider you as showing that you are an authority in your field.

You also need to build good relationships with other websites that have similar status to yourself and link them on your website. Make sure these websites are reputable before you link them. Beware of spam. Remember: even if you can only find one authentic, reputable website link, that’s fine. Google will reward you accordingly.

Link Building in 2024

Yes, back links aren’t the same as they used to be, and these are likely to change going forward. As SEO algorithms change, so will link building. Let’s take a look at what to expect when it comes to link building this year, and going forward:

• In July 2023, Google Analytics 4 shifted its focus from page views and bounce rates to looking at users and how they react and behave when they visit an app or a website.
• Google Analytics 4 uses 3 User metrics: ‘Total Users’, ‘Active Users’ and ‘New Users’. Its aim is to look at how many users visit an application or website, how engaged they are and how they behave when they visit that URL or app.
• That tells us that Google Analytics considers every link important, as each link is a way of communicating with the reader and giving them additional information.
• As you can use a back link as part of business content strategy, you need to make sure that every link you provide is relevant to what you’re saying.
• Every link has to be bold enough to engage the reader. This is why it’s important to only supply quality links that will make the user’s experience more worthwhile.

Important Points to Remember When Building Links:

1. Content is Still King

Content quality remains the focus when building every link. Search engines evaluate the information based on its quality and relevance, how it engages the user and how organic back links can be created as a result.

2. User Experience is Wery Important 

User Experience (UX) is vital in every back link strategy. Search Engines are focusing on websites that are reached via a link that provide an entertaining experience for users. The more pleasurable the experience, the more back links it will attract.

3. Consider Mobile Devices

Sure, we all have computers, but many people are using their mobiles. Websites need to take this into account and be designed accordingly so that building every link is designed to cope with a mobile device. This offers an incredible opportunity for cultivating many more back links.

4. The Importance of Social Media

We all know how Social Media influences every aspect of our lives – business included. The more your app or website receives audience attention on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, the more back links it is likely to receive.

5. The Power of Video Content

Let’s not forget how powerful video content can be. When you use video content on your website, you can receive back links that are video-related. This invariably results in improved Search Engine rankings.

Link Building Tools to use With AI

These days, AI does more than just help you write effective copy and give suggestions for improving SEO. It’s also designed to help you with back links. How does it do that? It looks at your website to see which content is trending, how users are reacting to your content and what your competitors are doing.

This way, it can help you create content that your users and search engines will respond to and link to their own websites. AI is robotic, which is why you must ensure you never lose that human element, as this will affect your brand’s authenticity.

Remember: like link building, AI isn’t going anywhere. So, it’s best to use the various valuable AI tools available to your advantage, including with link building. Use them to assist you, not to take over. Let’s check out just a few of these, although you’ll find a wide selection to suit your business when you start to search…

• BuzzStream assists you in identifying prospects for link building as well as their contact details. This particular tool also helps you build a list of prospective websites for link building and the people to contact there by email. It offers a 14-day trial period during which you can test the tool to see if it works for your business.
• Link Hunter is known to be simple to use and quick. It helps you find relevant websites fast, shows the SEO value of each and who to contact with an email address. Built-in email templates make it easy to compile and submit personalised emails. They offer a 7-day trial before payment.
• Monitor Back links with SEOptimer is a merged platform that helps you with back link research and monitoring. Helps you track down new and lost links and shows you how to build a great link profile.
• LinkWhisper’s AI capabilities help you find relevant internal links while you’re writing marketing content in WordPress. As the tool becomes familiar with your likes and dislikes, it starts to suggest internal links related to the content you create. This can be of great help when link building. 

Building Links in the Future

As technology reinvents itself and progresses, we can expect plenty of easier link building methods and tools. We’ll have more AI tools as well as other interactive tools available. Here are a few predictions of future link building trends:

Using Interactive Content in a Link:

If you include different content formats like VR, infographics and other interactive tools in building links, this would increase the likelihood of your website being linked to others, and would also increase the amount of people visiting your site. It’s a good idea to be more interactive on your website, as this will make the links you are building on your website more likely to be used as references.

Using Video & Visuals in a Link:

Video marketing has become a popular tool because of its effectiveness, and, according to 2024 statistics, 96% of marketers in 2023 were using this tool for link building in their marketing strategies, and 51% were more likely to share videos than any other content type.

Many businesses are now using video as their main form of content for link building marketing campaigns. The video content they are using for link building is also being SEO-optimised. Marketers are using relevant keywords and other means to cultivate video content, to increase the likelihood of people sharing the videos.

Catering to Voice Search Queries in Links:

More and more website users are using smart speakers and voice search. As a result, marketers need to consider using link building strategies that focus on this. Audio formats, SEO that reacts to voice search through long-tail keywords and voice-activated content are all likely to be used in link building.

So, start now when you are building links to make sure your content is created so that it answers specific questions that searchers are likely to ask.

Collaborating with Influencers:

Influencer marketing is being used by many businesses to build brand awareness and expand their audience. And this is likely to improve in the future. After all, influencers have a distinct, very loyal following, who engage with them constantly.

This can certainly help a website that partners with these influencers and provides links on its websites to them. This can help you build top-notch back links that authenticate your authority and build a trusted audience through recommendations.

The Importance of Content Quality in Link Building

Content quality has always been important when building links, and it’s likely to be even more important in the future. Search engines will concentrate on choosing websites where the content is relevant and the quality of the material it offers is top-notch.

The more well-researched your website, the better. The more relevant your material is to the subject matter and the more your content engages the audience, the better. This is how your website will reach top rankings in search engines and attract back links. So make sure that the information you include on your website is exactly what your audience wants, and that it shows you’re an authority in your subject.

What to Focus on With Every Back Link

We know that the future of back links will change on the Internet. So, when building links, make sure you focus on:

• The quality and relevance of your content.
• The user experience that your website offers.
• Emerging trends like using mobiles instead of laptops, Social Media, voice search, videos, and other interactive content.
• Keeping ahead of the pack so that you drive more traffic to your website and also increase your rankings on search engines through SEO.

What Does the Future Hold for Link Building?

The more aware you are of what is likely to change, and the more you’re prepared to ready yourself to make those changes when building links, the more likely you are to stay abreast of link building trends and keep your website optimised. Take heed of the changes in link building that are currently transforming websites, be prepared to take chances on link building. Keep your website real and offer your readers value. If you do this, the future is bright.