How to Build Backlinks—Say Goodbye to the Cold Email

Off-page SEO and backlinks are some of the most important components of search engine optimization (SEO), but getting high-quality backlinks remains an elusive part of the job. Below we share tried and true tips for capturing high-quality backlinks and boosting your SEO.

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Why are Backlinks Important?

When search engines rank a page, they want to make sure that the content on that page is both helpful to the user and contains trustworthy information. One of the ways SERPS rank trustworthiness is through a website ranking factor called “domain authority.” A site’s domain authority relies heavily upon whether other trusted websites link back to the site. Basically, if other high-ranking sites are linking back to your site, it signals that users can also trust your site, boosting your site’s overall reliability.

You probably can’t just reach out to the New York Times and ask them to create a link to your site, so how do you go about getting backlinks? Often, the answers are right in front of you—Where is your brand already being mentioned online? Who are your partners? What publications feature professionals and companies from your industry?

Backlinks from Collaborators & Partners

Partners are a great place to start building backlinks. You’ve already built relationships with the people at these companies, so asking for a backlink should be an easy lift. The key is to find ways to make the ask something that’s simple and that provides benefits to your partner.

Simple asks for backlinks from partners can include:

Testimonials—Offer to write them a testimonial and ask them to link it back to your site.
Client logos—If you are one of their clients, they may already have your logo displayed on their site. If so, ask them to link it back to your site.
Partner directories—Does their website list out a directory of trusted partners and providers? Ask them to link your mention.

TMD pro tip: Backlinks are most helpful to users when they link to a specific page. Try not to link to your homepage, but instead to a relevant page within your site.

You can also review partner sites for mentions of your brand, and ask them to link wherever it makes sense or ask them to share a piece of content that is relevant to their users.

Here are some sample scripts of how you can ask your partners for a link:

Hi [name], I noticed that you mention [business] in your list of [product/service]. Would you be willing to link that mention to businesswebsite.com/[relevant page]? It would really help us out.
Hi [name], we value your partnership and appreciate that you choose our business for [product/service]. We have a white paper/content created on [topic] that is relevant to your work. Would you be interested in including it as a resource on your site and linking back to businesswebsite.com/[relevant page]. We would be happy to include you and a link to your website on the [case study description/partner page/…]

Create Shareable Content

One way to get sites to link to your site is to create content that brands want to share. Whether that’s a useful case study, a white paper, an infographic, or other resource. For our clients in the energy space, tools such as energy and bill calculators are popular resources that can be useful for members and partner companies alike.

One thing we like about this content strategy is that it allows you to spend your resources—time, energy, labor—on pieces that will directly benefit your brand instead of outreach. This way you create high-quality content for your brand and let other people share.

Update Old Backlinks & Mentions

Broken Backlinks

You can run an analysis and go after broken links. If a site links to your site, but the link is broken, you can reach out to the site manager and ask them to update the link to a current one.

Competitor’s Broken Backlinks

With a service like SEMRush, you can also find broken backlinks directed to your competitors’ content. You can reach out to the publishing sites and suggest that they update the link to a piece of your content—be sure to have a link to a high-quality resource ready for them to swap out.

Brand Mentions

You’ve already done this for partners, but you can also search online for brand mentions and reach out to site managers asking for a link. If you have something to offer them in return, it will make the ask easier!

PR Opportunities

Having other people, especially influential ones, talk about your brand is one of the best ways to get the word out IRL, and the same rules apply online. Getting your brand mentioned and linked on a high-quality publication builds trust for both customers and web crawlers.

How to Pitch Publications

Here are some tips for pitching your story to publications:

Find editors and papers who cover stories in your industry.
Read their work (this is important because you’ll want to tailor your pitch to each editor).
Think about an angle about your company that is relevant. Remember, this is not a sales pitch! Think about pieces of your company’s journey that would make a good story, from the founder’s beginnings to a problem that your service is a solution to or a unique industry insight that can only come from your team.
Send the editor an email outlining your story idea. Keep in mind that even if it is a good story, it may not fit into what they’re working on. So, ask, and check in every once in a while (but don’t be too annoying)—is there anything on the horizon that your founder could offer insight on? Offer them as an expert for future stories.

Pitch Your Execs to Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to garner backlinks. Not only do you get to share your story with podcast followers, but hosts usually link back to their guests’ sites in the show notes, and syndicated episodes on Apple or Spotify can increase backlink opportunities. Podcasts are often about human stories, so think about who on your team has insight they can share with industry podcasts.

Speaking Engagements

Presenting as an expert speaker is not only a great way to get out in front of potential clients, it can also help you get backlinks from the event website. If you provide a link to great content, you could also expect backlinks from attendees who want to share your resources.

What to Look for in a PR Firm

If you want to hire a PR firm, make sure to do your research. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you vet agencies:

Do they have experience (a.k.a. contacts) in your industry?
Can you get a firsthand review from one of their current clients?
Are you a little fish in a big pond? Meaning, if you hire a bigtime firm and are one of their smallest clients, you won’t get as much attention as you may want.
Make sure to give them time to produce results. PR is about relationships, and great relationships aren’t built overnight.

Become a Guest Contributor

Another way to get links back to your site is by creating and publishing content on other sites. Seek out sites that focus on your area of expertise. Remember that real people run these sites, so reach out to them as if you are speaking to a colleague— share a bit about your expertise, alongside some work samples, and ask if they allow contributing articles. Keep in mind that you’ll want to save your energy for contributing to websites that have a higher domain authority.

Building high-quality backlinks doesn’t happen overnight. Just like building up trust in your community IRL, web crawlers and users need time and consistent signals to trust you and your product or service.

Let the Experts Handle It

Feeling overwhelmed trying to navigate the ever-changing SEO landscape? Contact the SEO experts at The Marketing Dept. for a Discovery Call today.

How to Build Backlinks—Say Goodbye to the Cold Email