How to Generate More Traffic With Backlinks
Today, many people won’t even recognize why we call the internet’s information system the “worldwide web.” Have you tried putting some thought into it? Have you ever wondered why it’s called ‘Web’?
If you perform quick research, you’ll see that the world wide web is defined as a collection of websites and webpages linked by hypertext links. Take note of the keyword “linked.” In this day and age, links and networks create new opportunities for companies and individuals. On the internet, the same principle applies.
In this article, we’ll talk about one of the most important strategies used by many SEO experts today. It’s called backlinking. We’ll discuss how it works, how to choose them, and how to use them effectively. Let’s begin!
Defining Backlinks
A backlink is a link between two websites. If you’re expecting a fancy definition, there’s no other way to best define it, but why is it called a backlink? First, a link is a connection between two websites, your website and another website. It’s called a backlink because it goes back to something. In our case, it goes back to your website.
It helps people access your website without using the search engine. It’s like an alternative route. Everything on the web today is interconnected. Sometimes, there are longcuts (i.e., search engine results) and shortcuts (i.e., backlinks). Either way, we want people to find us.
Importance of Backlinks in SEO and Your Business
Why is backlinking so important? If you’ve been reading closely, you’ve already seen the answer. It’s simple. We want people to find us. Whether through the search results or backlinks, that’s our goal. In SEO, search engine algorithms check backlinks to determine the relevance of your content. In return, it may increase your ranking.
From a customer’s perspective, backlinks are shortcuts to your website. If you see someone link a website, you’ll probably check to find some answers. That’s why it’s vital to establish good backlinks for SEO and your target market. We’ll discuss in the next section how to choose them.
Choosing the Best Backlinks
Backlinking isn’t a 100 percent solution to your poor web traffic problems. No SEO technique in this world gives a 100 percent success rate. Every method, including backlinking, has its strengths and weaknesses. However, a wise and strategic SEO expert knows how to use backlinking to its advantage.
Here are some ways to choose the best backlinks for your website:
Linking to Authority Websites Only
The presence of a link doesn’t improve your website’s relevance. Google uses complex algorithms that can spot the quality of your backlinks. In whitehat SEO, authority sites are trusted websites. These sites are the standards of all websites in the industry. However, who determines who’s authoritative and who’s not?
It’s the search engine.
Google, Bing, and the others hold the reins in determining the authority of a site. As to how no one knows because algorithms aren’t revealed to the public. Unfortunately, linking to authority sites is easier said than done. Some websites ask for a high price just for one link. Others impose strict guidelines in guest posting. After all, if it’s the reward you’re after, the cost of getting it is irrelevant.
Inserting Links to Anchor Texts
Keywords in SEO play a vital role. It helps your website rank on the search engine by capitalizing on the people using such keywords. A great way to amplify it is to use it as an anchor text. An anchor text is a phrase or word in a web article that holds your backlink. Whenever you see a term underlined and in blue, that’s probably an anchor text.
Anchor text that uses your keywords has a higher chance of being clicked. More so, search engine crawlers will see your website as a relevant one. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone.
Choosing Related Websites
When people click backlinks, they want to see related content. For example, John has a real estate website. Would a real estate website link with a fitness website? No way. Users will be upset at being redirected to a site that doesn’t provide them related information. Hence, even if the website is popular and authoritative, it doesn’t mean that it’s okay to link with them.
Best Practices in Backlinking
Backlinks do not guarantee anything. If appropriately used, backlinks can boost your website’s traffic and search engine rankings. Let’s check out the best practices of SEO experts in terms of backlinking.
Fix Broken Links Promptly
Whenever a link goes to a 404 error, it means that the link is broken. Users who don’t have a lot of patience will not like broken links. Part of your daily or weekly maintenance is to visit the websites where your links are present. Click those links and see if they’re working. Broken links affect customers and your site rankings. So you better make sure that all links are working.
Conduct Outreach Activities Like Guest Posting
Guest posting is the practice of asking authoritative websites to publish your content. Of course, you’ll include a backlink there. However, guest posting is not as easy as it sounds. Authority websites aren’t going to let poor content be published on their website. You have to comply with their editorial rules and scrutiny. Hence, get the best writers and content producers.
Using the Skyscraper Technique
Brian Dean of Backlinko invented the Skyscraper technique. What you do is first find popular content linked to other sites. Then, you create better content based on the existing content. Finally, you publish it on your website and promote it with the right people. Creating something better from the best isn’t easy, but it is doable. Careful planning and brainstorming are needed to make better content than your competitors.
In Conclusion
Backlinks form one of the backbones of SEO. Without backlinks, it would be hard to rank on the search engine and to build authority. Through backlinks, you can expand your brand to newer places and newer markets. Get your website’s links fixed and working.