Backlinks are the number one way to build authority for your start-up. This authority is a must if you’re serious about improving your rankings in Google and other search engines. In this article, we’ll discuss what backlinks are, why they are important, some key metrics and 3 strategies to build high-quality backlinks.
What are backlinks?
A backlink is a hyperlink from one page of your website to another page of your website. When another website links to one of your pages, it’s like saying, “I trust this website as it provides great content.” This is a sign of trust in the eyes of Google and builds authority.
For a start-up, building authority is very important to become a respected and trusted website in the specific niche.
Why are backlinks important for your website?
As discussed above, backlinks build authority for your website. When lots of high-authority websites link to your website, your website will rank higher.
Apart from the authority you build by acquiring these backlinks, you also increase visibility with clicks from the websites that link to yours. This way, your website becomes more known in the industry.
Perhaps the most important advantage of building high-quality backlinks is the partnerships and relationships you develop with other websites and important people.
Key metrics to decide if a backlink is worth it
Before deciding whether a backlink is worth it, you need to know some metrics.
Domain authority (DA)
Domain authority is a score between 0-100 that indicates how trustworthy a website is. A score of 0 means not trustworthy or a starting website, while 100 is as trustworthy as a website can be.
As a start-up, your website won’t have high authority, that’s why it’s important to target websites with an authority between 15-40. This would be a great start to acquire some backlinks of this level.
Here is why DA matters:
- Higher DA means stronger trust signals for search engines.
- Backlinks from high-DA sites help your pages rank faster.
Monthly visitors
Monthly visitors show how many people visit the website each month. This gives you an idea of how many people may see and click the link to your website.
As a start-up, try to aim for websites with:
- Consistent traffic over time.
- Topics or audiences that overlap with your niche.
- Engagement rate (comments, shares, …)
Organic traffic
Organic traffic gives an indication of how well a website ranks in search results. When you receive a backlink from a website that has a lot of organic traffic, you benefit from its SEO strength.
You can check this by using this free Ahrefs tool that checks the organic traffic of a website.
3 strategies to acquire high-quality backlinks
There are many strategies to acquire high-quality backlinks. These three will give you the best results (most of the time):
- Guest posting
- Broken link building
- Sponsorships
Guest posting
Guest posting is by far the most effective strategy to build high-quality backlinks and position yourself as an expert in your industry.
Guest posting is simply writing an article for another website, and you’ll get a backlink in return. This may be in the content or in the author bio, this depends on the website you’re writing for.
You don’t need tons of guest posts to build authority. Just a few relevant, trustworthy websites give you a solid foundation.
Here is how you get started:
- Create a list of websites accepting guest posts in your niche. You can use Google searches like “write for us” + “niche.” The search results will show you all the write for us pages with opportunities to publish guest posts.
- Check the credibility of the websites (keep the key metrics in mind).
- Pitch your guest post request/submission to the website.
- Write high-quality, valuable content that will really help the audience.
- Include a natural backlink where it fits in the context (or in your bio).
Guest posting works best when you build real relationships. Try to stay connected with the people you have contacted. This will give you even more opportunities in the future.
Some years ago, most guest posts were free. Nowadays, people know how valuable a guest post can be, and most websites charge a fee for a guest post. Keep this in mind to have a budget for your guest posting campaign.
Broken link building
The broken link building strategy consists of finding broken links (404-links) on other websites, and then reaching out to the websites to replace them with your content. It’s a win-win, as broken links hurt a website’s SEO and you’ll get valuable backlinks.
Here is how to apply the broken link building strategy:
- Start by finding broken links. You can use a paid tool like SEMRush or a free Chrome extension like “Check My Links.”
- Check the content that was linked to (you can do this by checking the URL), and create or reuse similar content on your website. Make sure it’s up-to-date, and has more value than the original.
- Reach out with your replacement. Tell them you found a broken link and offer your content as a replacement.
A little tip here is to help first, ask second. Try to be as personal as possible, offer genuine value, not just some cold request. If you focus on what they gain from it, they are more likely to link to your replacement.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships are an underrated strategy to gain backlinks. If you sponsor an event, podcast or small organization, it’s likely that your logo with a clickable link will be listed on the website.
If you sponsor the right event, it can deliver high-quality backlinks and brand exposure. It also shows your start-up actively supports the industry, which improves visibility and trust.
Here is how you find the right sponsorship opportunities:
- Find relevant opportunities. Search for local charities and events connected to your industry.
- Check the SEO value of their website (key metrics).
- Reach out to them. Ask if they feature a logo with a backlink on their website or list it as a condition to start sponsoring.
- Offer something valuable, this could be money or products/services you offer.
Sponsorships give you high-quality backlinks, but they also offer offline benefits. People will see your logo during the event, and you’ll become even more trusted and known.
Conclusion: Start building high-quality backlinks today
You can’t start soon enough building high-quality backlinks for your most important pages. I recommend starting with guest posts, as these are the most accessible for start-ups. An important note is not to build 50 backlinks in the first month, start building backlinks slowly. In the first month try to acquire 5, the following month another 5, the next month you can start trying to acquire 10, and so on.. To help you even better, I’d recommend downloading this complete SEO checklist that covers every element from on-page SEO to off-page SEO to technical SEO to actually start ranking. This way, you’ll never overlook any element for your pages, and you can create unity across your website.
