Top Link Building Tactics
for 2023
By: Michael Johnson
A Google results page is essentially a popularity contest. Winning Google’s popularity contest requires a lot of work. The goal is to establish a site that everyone knows and will talk about. A site that gives you a better chance of ranking first. You want to get other sites to mention yours. So how do you tell Google your site should be a reputable source?
There are many ways to become that authoritative source, but one of the most common methods is link building via backlinks.
What Are Backlinks and Why Do They Matter?
Backlinks are links posted on a website that takes the reader to a different domain. Backlinks can be cited sources, links to videos, and referenced pages throughout an article.
But why are backlinks so sought after? What impacts do backlinks have on your website?
Search engines like Google love backlinks and see them as external validation for a website. The more high-quality backlinks a website can secure, the more Google will view it as an authoritative source.
Securing backlinks for your website from other authoritative sources is one of the best ways to improve a site’s reputation and rank. Here are the best link building tactics for 2023.
Start With Keyword Research
Before securing backlinks, websites need to know what keywords work best for them. A medical supply company won’t want to rank well with keywords such as “scented candles” or “apartments near me.”
Understanding what people are searching for will help a company discover its keywords. What is the most likely word or phrase someone will type into a search bar when trying to find your specific good or service?
Those are the keywords and phrases you should focus on when creating content for your site.
Guest Posting/Blogging
Guest posts are when you publish your articles, with backlinks to yourself, on other blogs. Once your article goes live on someone else’s blog, you’ve secured a backlink.
Guest posting and blogging enable companies to dictate the types of websites their backlinks appear on. This can help with keyword rankings and validation from authoritative sources.
When hunting for sites to guest post on, it is important to ensure the site meets a certain standard of quality. Higher DA, natural traffic flow, and quality content will place more value on any backlinks you can get posted with them.
Unlinked Brand Mentions
When a company or brand becomes well-known, people start talking about them. Blogs and websites within a similar niche will mention the brand, and related services, in their articles. Oftentimes, without linking to them. Unlinked mentions can be a bountiful source of untapped backlinks for your business.
These mentions show that the blog is already aware of you and the services you provide. This makes outreach and backlink insertion easier and more natural.
Keep in mind, these organic brand mentions likely won’t be occurring for smaller, mom and pop shops.
Finding unlinked brand mentions is as easy as searching for your brand in niche-related articles and blogs. Once you’ve found one, outreach the blog and secure those linked brand mentions.
Link Reclamation
There are many times when a website will link to your brand or blog incorrectly. There are some links that used to point to your website but, for whatever reason, no longer do. Links that are broken or have been removed from a blog need to be reclaimed to get the full power of a backlink.
It could even be beneficial to reclaim your competitor’s broken links. Offer your own, updated, content to the blogs as a replacement. Finding these broken links is as simple as using a link auditing tool to check the status of each backlink.
Link reclamation is pivotal in ensuring your business is getting the full recognition from Google that it deserves. Finding broken links and reclaiming them with functional and updated ones is as important as securing a backlink in the first place.
Digital PR
Digital PR is when you write your own press releases or news stories related to your business. Then, distribute those press releases to media sites or journalists within your niche.
Press releases should include positive news and information about your company and a backlink to a webpage. By posting your own Digital PR, you’re placing your content in the hands of journalists who could share your story, thus sharing your backlinks.
Podcast and Invite Influencers in Your Niche
Podcasts might not be the first thing you think of when you plot your link building campaign. How can an audio format build links back to your website? There are a couple of ways in which podcasting can be a lucrative platform to help drive traffic – and links – to your company.
If you’re the guest on a podcast, then it can be as simple as receiving a backlink in the notes section of the episode page. Being a guest on a popular podcast will showcase you as an authoritative source to a broad audience.
When hosting the podcast, then it’s all about who you have as your guests. Guests on your show will likely share the episode they featured in on their socials and blogs. These backlinks can be incredibly valuable, especially if your guest is an influencer in your niche.
Consider Influencer Marketing
Speaking of influencers, another way to boost backlinks and site traffic is through influencer marketing. Having influencers within your niche mention your site will create high-quality backlinks for your business.
Influencers have a grasp on a large number of people within your niche. When the influencer links to your site, their audience is more likely than any organic traffic to check out what you have to offer.
These backlinks can be more credible with the niche’s audience. You now have an influencing force within that community validating your business.
Create Visual Assets
Another important factor addressed by link building services is user experience. If your website is filled with long-winded, draining blog posts with no visual aid, the editors aren’t going to want to link to your content.
Creating visual assets that help break up text and surmise information will help improve your user experience. When readers enjoy the content you put out, they’re more likely to return to your site.
Visual assets like infographics, videos, and other creative elements help improve your content and the readability of your pages. The more user-friendly your content is, the easier it will be to secure backlinks with external blogs.
Create Visual Assets
Another important factor addressed by link building services is user experience. If your website is filled with long-winded, draining blog posts with no visual aid, the editors aren’t going to want to link to your content.
Creating visual assets that help break up text and surmise information will help improve your user experience. When readers enjoy the content you put out, they’re more likely to return to your site.
Visual assets like infographics, videos, and other creative elements help improve your content and the readability of your pages. The more user-friendly your content is, the easier it will be to secure backlinks with external blogs.
Include Local SEO
Whenever you search for a Chinese restaurant for dinner, Google is using local SEO to send you the best options. You’re not getting restaurants from a different state that do SEO well – you’re getting results that are local and accessible to you.
Restaurants and businesses use local SEO to optimize their website. This helps them rank higher on Google for local devices. Setting up a Google My Business Listing lets people know where you’re located and when you’re open.
Information like store hours, addresses, and phone numbers will help improve local SEO. Localized content places you first when audiences are looking for localized services.
Maintain Best Practices for Mobile SEO
According to Oberlo, 49.78% of total web visits in late 2022 were from mobile phones. If your website and content are not optimized to translate to a mobile device, you’re missing out on half of your potential audience.
There are a few things you need to check to ensure your site is mobile-accessible:
- Fast loading speed
- Mobile design
- Optimized titles and H2s
- Accessible images and coding
- Responsive Web Design
- Fast loading speed
- Mobile design
- Optimized titles and H2s
- Accessible images and coding
- Responsive Web Design
Editors aren’t going to want to give you backlinks if your site doesn’t work on mobile devices. Ensuring user experience (UX) for mobile traffic can make all the difference when growing an audience. Having a mobile-accessible website works hand in hand with backlinks to boost your DA.
Link Exchanges
Link exchanges are when you offer to post a link on your blog as long as the other website posts your link on theirs. You’ve exchanged links and now both sites can benefit from the backlink service.
This is becoming common practice for many blog owners as backlinking becomes more popular. It’s becoming more and more difficult to find blogs that will let you post links or articles at no charge. Link exchanges can be a bargaining chip in your toolbox to use when an editor is unsure about giving you a backlink.
Competitor Analysis
All’s fair in love and war (and SEO,) right? Competitor analysis can be one of the most lucrative forms of link building. It helps you get a leg up on your closest competitors.
Competitor analysis is when you find what ranks well for other sites and create your own updated version of that content.
Once your content is ready, find blogs where your competitors have backlinks. Outreach the editors and pitch your own updated content as a replacement backlink.
Conclusion
Backlinks are a labor of love. Sending out a couple of guest posts and getting a few backlinks will not be enough to see meaningful and lasting results. Each tactic discussed works in tandem with one another to help boost your DA and site quality.
Keep an eye on your current backlinks while seeking out new backlinking opportunities. Focusing on the SEO you already have in place while continuing to grow makes the most out of a link building campaign.
Maintenance and expansion are what makes link building work.