While the practice of inbound linking may be referred to in different ways, an integral part of a successful website is the site’s reliance on inbound links. Inbound links—also known as links, backlinks, and inbound marketing—are essential search engine optimization tactics. Inbound links refer to links on your webpage that direct users to another webpage. These links should direct your users to websites that are similar to your own or give your readers useful, contextual information.
While these links are to external sites, the caliber and reputation of the websites are important. Who you partner with to execute your inbound link SEO strategy is a depiction of your business and your brand. Do your due diligence and research the websites you’re including within your inbound link strategy. This allows you to avoid linking to spam sites, duplicate sites, or any sites that search engines may deem untrustworthy.
Why Does My Website Need Inbound Links?
Inbound links are crucial to SEO. Roughly 50% of your website’s ability to rank high within search results is based on the quality and quantity of inbound links that direct to your website. This means without inbound links or by including multiple poor inbound links, the chances of your website reaching the top of the search engine rankings becomes rather small.
For example, an article on a blog that includes inbound links from more established websites encourages the algorithms to push the blog higher and establishes relevancy for that particular blog. The links from established websites solidify the veracity of that blog in the eyes of the algorithm. The algorithm’s preference for inbound links from established websites is known as link authority.
Link authority is based on the number of trusted pages that link both to the website’s domain and specific pages the website also hosts. If a page has high link authority and is linked to another website, it passes on some of that authority. Your website becomes more trustworthy through the association. Think of each link as a digital vote.
How To Get Inbound Links For Your Website
Become A Guest Blogger
Guest blogging offers you an opportunity to network within your niche and expand your blog’s audience through inbound links. Be selective when reaching out to blogs; you want them to be within your niche and have access to clients that would be interested in what you have to share.
Review Items For Amazon
Amazon reviews offer a great way to build a credible reputation as a reviewer. You can display a profile with a link to your website within your reviews. This means if you work to review niche items that apply to your brand you can easily garner interest from amazon shoppers.
You can use your amazon reviews as almost an extension of your website or blog, where you highlight the pros and cons of the items. If you decide to go this route, it’s important not to use the reviews for blatant self-promotion. Don’t spam the comment section. Have a meticulous plan that can help encourage your website’s growth.
Publish Blogs or Articles
Think about publishing articles or blogs outside of your website. These forums and databases allow you an “author bio box” that can be used to share links to your website. This way, any interested readers or users who come across your work can find your website, creating an inbound link. These author bio boxes can easily be misused and there are plenty of examples of people keyword stuffing author bios. It’s important to use the author bio box for brand visibility rather than brand marketing.
Comment on Blogs or Forums
Taking time to comment on other blogs and forums within your niche can be beneficial for increasing your inbound link numbers. Comments and forums offer a great opportunity to share your expertise. You can offer helpful hints or comments that the blog may have not mentioned, or expand upon the thoughts and arguments the post made. At the end of your comments, include links to your blog or relevant articles. I
This is a great way to connect with a wider audience that has an interest in what you’re offering but may not have known where to find you previously. Make sure you aren’t spamming comment sections and keep your comments friendly and informative. Interacting with other blogs and forums encourages you to form relationships with the writers and runners of these blogs and websites. You can even ask them if they’d be interested in exchanging links.
