Let us be honest — link building is not easy.
Of course, you can buy links in bulk but that’s a black hat SEO tactic that you don’t want to get involved with. Google considers link building as one of the most important ranking factors. And a study by Moz found that it still penalizes websites that seem to have questionable links added to them.
It’s evident that building links is important. But if you really want it to boost your SEO efforts, you need to focus on building quality backlinks.
Remember: Quality over quantity.
That brings us to the next question: How do you get quality backlinks? Content creation and marketing are the way to go about it.
If you do it right, it opens up a plethora of opportunities for link building. In this post, let’s talk about the best content creation strategies that you can leverage to build a great link profile.
How to Get Quality Backlinks Through Content Creation and Marketing
Before we go into the details, you should know that content creation and link building both require a lot of patience. So, do not expect overnight results with any of the strategies mentioned in this post. To see real change, you have to be in the game for the long term.
Now that we have it cleared, here are some strategies that you can use to build more backlinks:
1. Create Case Studies
Is your business doing great? Don’t be shy! Tell the world that you’re doing well. Creating a case study can be a great way to educate your audience and let others know what is working for you.
Whether you have amassed a high number of followers on social media or managed to get great website traffic, it can make for a great case study topic.
What’s more, creating case studies is a great way to establish your brand as an authority in your niche. Publishing such data-driven and insightful content can give you an edge over your competitors.
That’s all about building brand authority.
But how can you earn backlinks from case studies?
You can send them to different publications in your industry. If your content provides value to their audience and meets their quality standards, they are likely to publish it.
If you get published on websites with high domain authority and traffic, you can reach out to a broader audience and get high-quality backlinks.
Alternatively, you can also reach out to other companies whose software programs you may have used to grow your business.
For instance, Grubhub’s growth story was published on Zendesk’s website since their tool aided in the growth.
Image via Zendesk
2. Leverage Expert Roundups
Have you heard of expert roundups? Typically, they are a compilation of quotes from industry experts on a particular topic. Such posts can provide great insights and actionable tips to the reader. What’s more, you can leverage this post format to even earn some quality backlinks.
For this strategy to work, you’ll need to figure out an area of specialization. Whether it is SEO, influencer marketing, or any other niche, make sure you pick an area that you can confidently talk about.
This strategy works well for those who have already carved a name for themselves in their field. If you think you can be considered an “expert” in your field, you should leverage expert roundups.
Think of it as a way to share your knowledge while also building your authority. It’s almost like getting an ego boost while earning links at the same time.
When you get featured in any post as an expert, they are likely to mention your designation and company. Sometimes, the publication may also include a blurb to go along with the expert roundup.
You can earn a backlink in the section.
However, don’t be eager to get featured on any website that has expert roundups. If you really want to focus on quality backlinks, you should also shortlist only those websites that cater to your target audience.
Want some inspiration?
Here is an example of how customer service company GoMoment earned a backlink through an expert roundup.
Image via Forbes
3. Make Infographics
Infographics are easy to create and extremely share-worthy. What’s more, they provide great insights in a format that is visually appealing. The best part is that you don’t require a lot of time and effort in creating infographics.
Once you have made an infographic, you can share it on different social media channels and get it published on different websites.
If you are planning to leverage this strategy to get quality backlinks, make sure your infographic is unique and valuable. Simply converting a listicle into an infographic may not get you published on high DA websites.
Try to include actionable takeaways and the latest statistics to make your infographic more engaging and informative.
Here is an example of how ProfitBricks earned a backlink on Business 2 Community through an infographic:
Image via Business 2 Community
4. Publish Whitepapers
Another great to earn high-quality backlinks while educating your audience is through whitepapers. Whether you are a B2B or a B2C company, this strategy can help you gain more visibility.
Of course, you may have to spend some time understanding which topics are worth conducting research on. Additionally, you will have to utilize time and money to get data and analyze it. If you’re in a position to do all this, it’s a great way to earn links in your industry.
To cut down on expenses and the overall time investment, you can also collaborate with university students or a complementary brand in the same niche.
Data visualization software program, Tableau has an entire section dedicated to whitepapers on their website. It’s a great way to educate your audience and build authority.
Image via Tableau
But how can you get backlinks from whitepapers?
It’s quite straightforward. Once your whitepaper is ready, just reach out to other publishers or submit it in the press. If your study has great insights and accurate data, you can earn a significant volume of quality backlinks.
5. Appear on Podcasts
One of the best ways to boost your brand awareness is to appear as a guest on other podcasts. Not only it is a great way to create meaningful relationships with others in your field, but you can get a ton of publicity easily. Whenever the podcast host shares your episode, you can earn backlinks from their website.
For this strategy to work, you’ll need to be an authority in your field whose opinions are valued. You could talk about the latest trends in your industry or discuss your company’s phenomenal growth story.
There are many stories you can pitch for a podcast. Before you reach out, make sure you analyze the topics that they usually discuss. It can give you a sense of what they are likely to accept.
Popular podcasts may receive a ton of emails on a daily basis. So, it is a good idea to pitch to them based on what their audience might like.
You can appear on multiple podcasts too if you want to earn more backlinks. Here is an example of how serial entrepreneur Liam Martin earned multiple backlinks from his appearance on Jeff Bullas’ podcast.
Image via Jeff Bullas
6. Collaborate on Content Campaigns
If you want to earn links without much effort, consider collaboration with another brand for a content campaign. This way, you can double up your resources and reach a much broader audience.
Just make sure that you choose a brand that is complementary and not a competing one. For instance, a clothing brand can work with an accessories brand to create a great content campaign. With such an arrangement, both brands can highlight what they have to offer without taking away the focus from the other one.
The best part is that your partner brand will also promote the campaign on multiple platforms. This way, you can both reach out to each others’ audiences and earn quality backlinks. It’s a mutually beneficial strategy.
Even if you don’t have a big budget, you can partner with another brand for publishing guest posts for a content campaign. For example, the collaboration between a remote software technology company, Daxx, and online collaboration tool, Chanty.
Both brands make it easier for remote teams to collaborate and stay connected. Their guest posting knowledge exchange on each others’ sites was a hit. In fact, Chanty’s infographic was the top-performing post for link acquisition on Daxx’s site.
Image via Rebrandley
7. Get Featured in Multiple Publications
This is the oldest public relations strategy in the book. Whether you are launching a new product, hosting an event, or simply running a big discount, spread the word about it via local newspapers and magazines.
Typically, local publications are stretched thin for resources. So, they are likely to welcome any ideas that may give them fresh content ideas. While news coverage can be great to attract eyeballs, it has a limited shelf life. You can only get backlinks whenever there is an article about your brand.
If you want to earn quality backlinks on a regular basis, you should strive to write a weekly or monthly column.
8. Publish In-Depth Guides
Publishing long-form content is a great way to reach the top of SERPs. Since they are immensely resourceful, Google tends to value them, especially if they are written keeping the user intent in mind.
One of the biggest content marketing benefits of writing such detailed guides is that you can earn multiple links from it. If you have shared great insights, chances are others writing blog posts on the same topic may link back to your guide.
To increase your chances of getting backlinks, make sure you have plenty of graphs and charts in it. Such resources can be easily added to other posts, making it easier for you to earn backlinks.
The best part is such guides can give you backlinks for years. In fact, Backlink’s detailed guide on link building was published three years ago. They have mentioned on their website that their 4000+ word post still gets backlinks for it in 2021.
Image via Backlinko
Keep in mind that writing a detailed guide requires a lot of work. It is also important to plan your outline in advance so that you know which sub-topics you want to cover. It can also help you in creating a logical flow to your content.
9. Conduct Interviews
Till now, we’ve discussed strategies that focus on getting your name out there. You can reach out to publications and podcast hosts to get featured. On the other hand, you can also conduct interviews with experts in your field to earn backlinks.
Here’s how:
When you interview a guest and publish a quote by them, they are likely to share it with their audience. Since they are spending their time and energy, they would want to share their views with more people and boost their brand awareness.
When they talk about it on their own website or their social media handles, you can get backlinks as well as visibility.
But there is a catch here.
Top-tier celebrities and experts in a field are very particular about the brands that they get associated with. If you don’t have a big audience, they may not want to agree for an interview.
However, there is a way out.
You can approach online publications in your niche and ask them if they would like to publish a post wherein you interview experts in the field. If they agree, you can interview an expert and publish a post based on it.
10. Update Old Content
A clever way to generate new backlinks through previously published content is through a quick upgrade. Find posts or reports that you haven’t updated in a while. Also, carefully check how many backlinks that particular post has. If there are many publications that are referencing this content, you’re in luck.
Go ahead and create an updated piece with the latest statistics and content. When you publish this version with changes, reach out to publishers or journalists who may have linked to the old version of the content.
It’s not a sure-shot way of getting backlinks but there is no harm in trying. Sometimes, you may get backlinks within days of reaching out to publishers. Once you get a response, you can also ask them if they would like to collaborate for a campaign or would like a guest post. Think of it as an opportunity to grow your business.
Are You Ready to Get More Backlinks?
Along with boosting brand awareness, visibility, and engagement, content creation can also be a great tool for link building. If done right, it can give a huge boost to your overall SEO efforts. For the best results, use multiple strategies from the above-mentioned list simultaneously.
Regardless of the link-building strategy you’re using, keep one thing in mind: You should provide value. Ready to start link building?
Do you have any questions on how to get quality backlinks through content creation and marketing? Please mention them below in the comments section.
Read more:
- Benefits of Backlinks in Addition to SEO
- Top SEO Marketing Tools
- Best SEO Software: Top SEO Tools for Keyword Research, Linkbuilding and Competitor Analysis
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Sumeet Anand.
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