You probably are well aware that links, alongside content, are the most important ranking factor. However, acquiring high-quality backlinks is not an easy feat.
Many people ask, "How to get backlinks?" only to be met by a barrage of overly complex answers that blur the picture.
Because of that, they often delegate the task of getting links to link-building agencies — with mixed results.
If you are in a similar position and searching for a reliable link-building company — reach out to us! We would love to discuss how we can help achieve your goals and shine a spotlight on your website.
Conversely, if you prefer to build links yourself, this article will clarify the matter and provide easy-to-understand advice.
Let's jump right into it.
Key Takeaways
- Trusted link building companies can be beneficial for your company.
- Use your suppliers to link to you.
- Helping reporters and bloggers is a cost-effective way to get backlinks from authoritative websites.
- Other than that:
- Use your suppliers to link to you
- Earn business association links
- Publish "skyscraper" content
- ... Read the rest of the article to learn 9 more ways to get links easily!
Use Trusted Link Building Companies
If you're out of time or your own resources don't get in the way of scaling your business or agency, the easiest and most common ways to get links is to use trusted link building companies.
And yes, we know this is gonna sound like product placement (well, it is), but you just have to get in touch with us to talk about your link building needs. To say, that it's going to be beneficial for your company is an understatement because what can be more beneficial than a free stuff that helps you grow, ha?!
Get in touch for your FREE link strategy!
Screenshot of huskyhamster.com
Become a Source For Reporters and Bloggers
Helping reporters and bloggers is a cost-effective way to get backlinks from authoritative websites.
How does it work?
Many people working for news websites need specific information. If you possess this information, you can share it using a free service called Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and receive high-quality backlinks in return.
There is a lot to like about this method.
Firstly, it gives you access to highly respected media outlets like The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times.
Screenshot of https://www.helpareporter.com/
Working with businesses of this format provides your website with unmatched exposure and immediately boosts its trustworthiness in the eyes of Google.
Secondly, it does not require much leg work.
You simply visit the site, choose a free or paid plan, and type in your email address.
Screenshot of https://www.helpareporter.com/
After signing up, you will receive three emails a day, from Monday to Friday. Your job is to respond to relevant queries from your field of expertise. If a journalist likes your response, they will contact you for more details and list you as a source in their article.
Here is how the authors explain the whole process themselves:
Screenshot of https://www.helpareporter.com/sources/
While you will be unable to answer every query and land a citation each time you send your pitch, this opportunity is not to be sniffed at.
Sure, it might not be as straightforward as leaving your link-building process in the hands of professionals from a company like Husky Hamster, but it is still a valuable method to explore.
Use Your Suppliers To Link To You
Supplier links are a special type of backlinks you receive from companies that manufacture the products you sell at your store.
The way it works is that you find the manufacturer's website, check whether it has a "where to buy" page that features a list of retailers and ask people from the company to add a link to your site.
Suppose you run a shop in the UK that sells products made by GIGABYTE (motherboards, monitors, laptops, etc.). In this case, you can visit their site to quickly find out they have a whole section dedicated to their retail partners.
Screenshot of https://www.gigabyte.com/uk/WheretoBuy/Consumer
If your business is absent from the list, you could contact the company to address the issue and earn a valuable backlink.
The best thing about this method is that it benefits everyone involved. The manufacturer gets to demonstrate that their product actually sells and is popular while you draw more attention and organic traffic to your site.
Earn Business Association Links
Acquiring business association links works similarly to the previous method. The only difference is that you leverage your business connections instead of contacting the manufacturers that produce the items you sell.
Whether you are a member of a local business group or an international organization, you can use these connections to earn high-quality backlinks.
Let's illustrate this point with an example.
ChamberofCommerce.com is an online platform that assembles businesses from across the United States and helps them grow by promoting their products on the website.
Screenshot of Screenshot of https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/
Being a member gives you access to the site's tools to promote deals and content. Additionally, it lists your business as a Chamber of Commerce partner, providing additional publicity.
On the website, people can easily find your business if they look for a particular service or check the map of their region.
Here is a map of Philadelphia with marked locations of the premium members of the Chamber of Commerce:
Screenshot of https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/united-states/pennsylvania/philadelphia/
As you can see, clicking on the marked location provides the user with more details about the business, including its address, phone number, and review rating.
In the above example, HiShine Cleaning Service's high review rating can convince more people to use their services, leading to increased revenue.
But that is not all.
If you scroll down the site presenting this data, you will find a list of all businesses from the region that are Chamber of Commerce members. You can then filter those businesses by selecting one of the categories on the left.
Here is what it looks like for businesses in Philadelphia from the automotive industry:
Screenshot of https://www.chamberofcommerce.com/united-states/pennsylvania/philadelphia/
If you are a member of such an organization and do not see yourself listed on their "partners" page, send a request to get added.
On the other hand, if you are not a member of a business association yet, find cooperation opportunities and chase these links. It will be worth the effort!
Publish "Skyscraper" Content
The Skyscraper Technique introduced by Brian Dean in his link-building case study remains one of the most creative methods to earn backlinks from quality sites.
The gist of it is that people are naturally attracted to the best. They do not care which building is the eighth highest in the world; they care only about the number one — the tallest skyscraper.
In other words, regardless of whether we are looking for a pie recipe or a news website, we always want to discover the most valuable resource.
So, to make your blog post rank high on Google, you need to make it the best of the best.
You need to build the tallest skyscraper.
This method boils down to three steps:
- Find blog posts on a particular topic that earned many backlinks.
- Create an epic post on the same issue that blows them out of the water.
- Pitch your content to the people who linked to the original pieces.
Although it is challenging to do, the skyscraper technique can land you more links than other methods combined. Moreover, it can boost your website traffic like crazy and establish you as an expert in your niche.
In the study mentioned above, Brian Dean managed to amass a substantial amount of referring domains in a relatively short time span (i.e., achieved high link velocity).
Example growth of referring domains using skyscrapper technique (graph from Ahrefs).
It shows that hard work really pays off.
Still, it is worth pointing out that the post you create must surpass other content in virtually every metric, so you may want to go the extra mile and create engaging video content alongside it or sprinkle it with case studies and other resources that add value. Otherwise, you will fail to build the tallest skyscraper.
Your blog post needs to:
- feature relevant keywords,
- be longer and more in-depth than other pieces,
- be up-to-date,
- feature high-authority, relevant links (both external links and internal links matter here),
- be well-designed and well-written.
Completing all of these elements takes a lot of time and requires hands-on knowledge that not everyone has. If you are a part of this group, you might be better off passing over your link-building efforts to a reliable company like Husky Hamster.
Use Content Formats Proven To Generate Links
Not all content is created equal.
Some content formats are more engaging than others, attracting more people than the competition. The transition from newspapers to radio to TV is an excellent example of this principle at work.
Nowadays, new mediums are growing in power, with podcasts and short-form videos taking the lead.
Nevertheless, it does not mean you are forced to rely solely on these two formats to get more backlinks.
Other valuable types of content include:
- how-to posts,
- infographics,
- why posts,
- what posts.
Besides that, long-form content tends to outrank shorter articles consistently. It can even drive more conversions!
As mentioned in this article by Search Engine Land, according to the 2012 study by serpIQ, the average content length of each of the top 10 results at the time was more than 2,000 words. It suggests that creating in-depth, relevant content is the way to go.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/seo-user-science-behind-long-form-content-230721
The 2015 HubSpot study brings even more evidence in favor of long-form content.
There, the authors present several data points suggesting that longer pieces of content earn more links, social shares, and organic traffic.
Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/seo-social-media-study
Writing even one 1,500-word blog post can make a significant difference.
Use this tactic, and never worry about how to get backlinks from relevant websites ever again!
Publish Ultimate Guides
This strategy is very much like creating skyscraper content, but there is a twist to it that takes it in an entirely new direction.
While your skyscraper article was the best take people could find on a popular and well-covered topic, this time around, the goal is to publish a blog post on a subject with a lot of ranking potential that has not yet been explored in greater detail.
The goal here is to create the ultimate guide.
Creating such a guide begins with a simple Google search. Pick a suitable target keyword, put it in the search box, and press enter.
Screenshot of Google Search for keyword "SEO tools"
As you can see above, searching for "SEO tools" provided us with a few articles. Now, our task is to browse through these articles and check if they are comprehensive.
Only then can we decide if creating an ultimate guide on this subject is a goal worth pursuing.
If you find a unique angle worth exploring in detail and conclude the articles on the first page of Google are anything but ultimate, write a fantastic piece of content and get backlinks by promoting it to the right people!
However, if you see others have already pointed out most — if not all — of what there is to say about a topic, you are back to square one.
When writing your guide, remember that it must be the ultimate. As such, it has to include numerous subtopics and cover everything from top to bottom. You could also add sites you cite or a few links leading to studies that back up your claims.
No shortcuts allowed — only the best, well-researched content will help you generate links to your own website.
After some time, you will discover many sites linking to your ultimate guide — even without pushing your content too much with marketing. This is the power of high-quality and relevant content.
Having the definitive resource on a particular topic will grow your site's referral traffic and boost your other rankings.
Get Listed on Authority Resource Pages
Resource link building is a staple of numerous link-building campaigns.
Why?
Because resource pages have a direct incentive to add outbound links to resources they advertise.
After all, if the authors like something so much that they mention it in their article, why not help the readers use this tremendous resource by adding a link to it?
In fact, resource pages exist for this specific purpose — listing valuable tools and resources in one place. They serve as resource hubs for people interested in a particular topic.
Here is an example of a resource page you may come across on the internet:
Screenshot of https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/top-social-media-sites
Whether you want to promote a keyword research tool or sell CBD, you can use these pages to get backlinks and stand out from the competition.
If you find your name mentioned among the industry leaders on such a page — you struck gold. As the article's popularity grows, you will get backlinks from more and more websites, including those high-rated ones.
The true challenge is to have your name come up on the resource page in the first place.
To make it happen, you need to follow this two-step method:
- Find resource pages related to your field.
- Reach out for a link by pitching your service or product.
The first step is pretty straightforward.
Again, doing a Google search is a good idea. Just type "useful resources" followed by your area of interest.
Let's say you want to promote an article about blogging. In that case, you could enter the following query:
Screenshot of Google search for term >"useful resources" blogging
In just a few seconds, you have found several potential backlink opportunities!
Now, all that is left is to pitch your content to site owners and hope for the best.
Personalize your message, be respectful, and you might just enrich your website's backlinks with a few high-quality ones.
Turn Brand Mentions Into Quality Backlinks
While searching for new link-building opportunities, you might find websites that mention your business but do not link to it. These so-called "unlinked brand mentions" are a highway to backlinking heaven.
Take, for example, this link-building guide published by Forbes.
Its author mentions HARO in the text but does not provide a link to the service:
Screenshot of https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2022/07/27/how-to-create-a-scalable-solution-to-link-building/
If people from HARO reached out to the author of this article or the site owner, they would land an impressive backlink.
Best of all, you can do the same and transform your unlinked brand mentions into more backlinks for your site!
You can track down these mentions using a brand monitoring tool or doing manual research. After that, all that is left is to write a friendly email with your request.
More often than not, site owners will have no issue adding a link to your site. This way, you can get some authoritative websites linking to your site.
Send "Feeler" Emails
Sending feeler emails is about getting permission to ask for links before doing so. It is like giving someone a heads-up call, asking if you can call them back later with an offer.
Most importantly, it is a polite thing to do, and site owners appreciate it.
In your first email to the publisher, mention what excites you about their post. You can also write a sentence or two about the article you created and why it would be the perfect addition to the page.
But do not link to it yet!
Only if the publisher shows interest in your article, send a link to it.
If done right, this technique can be a very effective way to earn quality backlinks. Try it out to see for yourself if it is a viable option!
Perform Link Gap Analysis
If you ask the most prominent SEO experts for advice on how to get backlinks, a great part of them will encourage you to conduct a link gap analysis.
This technique is frequently used because it allows you to identify sites that link to your competition but not you. Thanks to it, you can get the same backlinks as your competitors or even edge them out.
For instance, you can refocus your guest blogging efforts to get more outbound links from relevant forums.
If you provide a solid reason why a site should link to you alongside (or instead of) your competitors, it may yield significant benefits.
On top of that, you can use a backlink gap tool to speed up the process.
Usually, you will need to enter the website URL of your domain and those of your top competitors. Then, the tool will compare your site's backlink profile with others and offer a list of sites that link only to your competition.
Build Links From Outdated Resources
Greek philosopher Heraclitus once famously said that "everything flows." His statement holds true to this day, as not many things are set in stone in today's era of passing trends and rapid improvements.
The internet is also an ever-changing environment.
During a 2021 study of links in 1996-2019 New York Times articles, researchers discovered that only 25 per cent of the links were accessible. Moreover, 13 per cent of the active links led to different content than initially.
Source: https://www.cjr.org/analysis/linkrot-content-drift-new-york-times.php
It shows that links are fragile and can quickly go out of date.
It also presents an excellent opportunity to earn more backlinks.
If you find a broken link or one that leads to outdated information, you can contact the publisher and pitch them your link that leads to relevant, up-to-date content!
Be on the lookout for websites that change their name, stop offering a service, or move to another address. These are the sites that will leave hundreds of people linking to outdated URLs.
Your only job is to track these broken links and provide publishers with resources to replace them.
Very nice.
Engage in Broken Link Building
The broken link-building method works out basically the same as the strategy mentioned above.
First, you identify broken links. You can use a backlink checking tool to find sites still linking to the old URL without hassle.
For example, Ahrefs offers a free tool that you can use to find broken links leading from and to the website.
Screenshot of https://ahrefs.com/broken-link-checker
Next, you should direct your attention toward dead pages to which you have similar content.
Filter the results to find the right match, and offer an alternative page from your site to which the publisher can link.
If they agree to your request, you have just acquired a backlink!
It is a win-win situation. The publisher turns broken links into valuable resources, and you get referral traffic without pursuing paid links or guest blogging.
Use Branded Strategies and Techniques
Remember The Skyscraper Technique mentioned earlier? One of the reasons it is so memorable is due to its catchy name.
Without it, Brian Dean would probably receive less credit for coming up with this unique link-building approach and miss out on some great backlink opportunities.
The lesson to learn here is: always name your ideas.
And believe it or not, it can sometimes be even more challenging than discovering these ideas.
You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, you just need to think of something you can change or improve to bring a brand new quality to your industry.
Stay in the loop by reading the news and attending webinars to get your creative juices flowing. You could also meditate or simply go out and do something fun.
Sometimes, the best ideas strike us when we least expect them.
Give Testimonials
Finally, another excellent way to earn backlinks is to write testimonials and reviews for other websites.
The basic idea here is to write reviews of the products and services you love and inform their creators about your positive experience.
In return for your feedback, they may add a link to your page or promote the post on social media.
Many sites use this technique, with some even specializing in creating this type of content.
For example, PCMag has a whole section of its website dedicated to reviews.
Screenshot of https://www.pcmag.com/reviews
Leverage this opportunity to land more links from authoritative sites you hold in high esteem!
The Bottom Line
Now, you know how to get backlinks! Although we did not cover every single method you can explore, the ideas presented above will serve you well in your link-building endeavors.
The best tactics in your case depend on your unique circumstances, niche, competitors, and other factors.
It might be wise to work with a professional link-building agency like Husky Hamster to save yourself the time and effort you would otherwise have to spend building backlinks. Contact us to see what services we can offer!
And remember — it takes only a few quality links to make an impact.
FAQ:
How do beginners get backlinks?
The easiest way to acquire backlinks that rank is to get in touch with an experienced company like Husky Hamster. Thanks to it, you can sleep soundly, knowing you will receive high-quality and relevant links delivered to the specs.
Other than that, the methods outlined above make for a good starting point to familiarize yourself with effective link-building strategies.
How can I get backlinks for free?
Valuable backlinks always come at a cost — you either need to pay someone to build these links for you or spend time and effort creating them yourself.
That said, you could explore some of the ideas mentioned above to get quality links at little to no monetary cost. For example, using HARO and publishing ultimate guides requires in-depth knowledge rather than significant financial investments.
How do you gain backlinks?
You can use many methods to gain backlinks for your site. They range in scale and complexity, though. Additionally, not all of them offer evergreen results.
To stay on the safe side, you should grow your link profile naturally — or leave it in the hands of experts like us.
Methods worth exploring include:
- collecting brand mentions from industry leaders,
- creating informative content with well-placed links leading to your website,
- performing time-tested forms of backlink outreach, including guest posting and niche edits.
What are SEO backlinks examples?
Backlinks come in many shapes and forms.
Just to name a few, you can add a link leading to your website in the form of:
- a banner,
- a hyperlinked text,
- a naked URL,
- an infographic,
- a video.
How do I create a link for SEO?
Every backlink is a connection between the referring page and the target page. Your backlink profile is like a portfolio of all the connections you made.
You can establish these connections by various means, including building long-lasting relationships with website owners, paying others to publish blog posts with links to your site, or promoting your services on social media.
The easiest method, however, is to contact a link-building agency like Husky Hamster to build links for you, saving you from the headache of securing backlinks on your own.
How do I manually build backlinks?
Building links manually requires a great deal of patience and skill. It is not something anyone can do at the drop of a hat.
To succeed in this endeavor, you must follow white hat link-building principles and learn the difference between a high-quality and low-quality backlink.
On top of that, you need to get out there and put your back into it.
You will have to pinpoint relevant sites where you can publish your guest posts and articles, create engaging content, and perform outreach, among other things.
All of this can take up the better part of your day and bears more similarities to a regular nine-to-five job rather than something you can practice in your free time.
Does Pinterest count as backlinks?
Every link leading to your site counts as a backlink. However, links from Pinterest are usually no-follow, and search engines ignore them.
It is best to use Pinterest as a platform to grow your online presence and post links on pins related to your particular niche. This way, you can get some valuable link juice even from these kinds of links.
Are backlinks still important in 2022?
Yes, backlinks continue to play a significant role in online marketing and SEO.
Even though Google's algorithm underwent numerous changes in the last few decades, links remain one of the most significant ranking factors. You need an excellent link profile to rank well on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Are backlinks expensive?
Not all backlinks are created equal. Consequently, how much you will have to pay for your backlinks depends on their quality and other factors that impact your PageRank, such as your niche.
You can find many reliable agencies out there that can build high-quality backlinks for a fair price.
At Husky Hamster, we aim to make our services affordable for as many people as possible. Check out our link packages if you are interested in getting powerful backlinks!
Do backlinks help SEO?
Yes, building backlinks can take your SEO efforts to the next level. Let's illustrate this point with an example.
Imagine you landed a backlink from a highly respected site like The New York Times.
It is easy to consider the backlink you acquired as just a link — yet, it is much more than that.
This link is also a vote of confidence in your site, its content, and — by extension — your products and services. It is a direct recommendation that shows Google that other people value your website, encouraging the search engine to promote it further.
Does backlinking still work?
Boosting your SEO by getting backlinks from relevant websites is still very much alive and kicking. While adding spammy links will not do you any good, following a sound link-building strategy is a straightforward way to land on the first page of search results.
Can backlinks hurt your site?
Unfortunately, backlinks can hurt your site. If you earn links from unknown sources and unreliable providers, you can see a steep decrease in organic traffic or even receive a penalty from Google.
To avoid this fate, always work with companies that use white hat link-building methods and have a long history of satisfied clients — like Husky Hamster.
Are backlinks worth it in 2022?
Yes, they are! Backlinks continue to play a pivotal role in online marketing.
Whether you plan to build up a new site or grow one already established for many years, creating a backlink strategy for success should constitute the lion's share of your efforts.
What is a good number of backlinks?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. How many backlinks you need depends on your unique circumstances.
In fact, it is much better to focus on the quality of the links you acquire rather than their volume. Google's John Mueller shares the same sentiment, as he has stated in the past that the total number of backlinks does not matter.
Can you rank in Google without backlinks?
Ranking high in search results without backlinks is possible — at least from the technical point of view. But it is far from easy.
Although quality content should speak for itself in theory, it is rarely the case. More often than not, even the most engaging and relevant pieces of content require at least some level of link-building efforts to find an audience.
Simply put, online marketing is almost indispensable in today's highly saturated market.
How many backlinks should I create per day?
There is no limit on how many backlinks you can build in one day.
That said, it is wise not to overdo it. Otherwise, Google might determine that your links are spammy and ignore them or lower your ranking.
What do backlinks look like?
Most backlinks are hyperlinks added to the text that transfer the user from one page on a website to another page on a different website. For example, this backlink leads to Google's guide on article schema markup.
How do I add backlinks to my website?
You can add backlinks to your site through various means. The most popular and effective methods include guest posting, niche edits, and broken link building.
How do I get backlinks from YouTube?
YouTube link building allows you to drive more traffic to your website and improve its SEO.
Here is a brief step-by-step guide on getting backlinks from YouTube:
- Create your YouTube account.
- Add backlinks to your channel "About" page and banner.
- Create engaging video content that is relevant to your niche.
- Add backlinks to your video descriptions and comments (beware of overdoing it, or your account will get flagged).
How do I create backlinks in Blogger?
Acquiring backlinks from Blogger is similar to getting links from other websites. Yet, these types of links are usually not worth the effort to pursue.
It is much better to contact a reliable link provider like Husky Hamster that can build links for you.
How long do backlinks take to work?
There is no foolproof formula to estimate when your backlinks will start pushing your page higher on Google.
Typically, search engines need a few weeks to index the new links and correctly estimate their value.
What are the different types of backlinks?
While surfing the web, you may encounter different types of backlinks.
The most frequently used types include:
- editorial backlinks,
- guest post backlinks,
- acknowledgement backlinks,
- guest post bio links,
- comment backlinks,
- press release backlinks,
- authority links,
- PBN links,
- contextual links.
It is worth noting that the above examples are not always mutually exclusive. For example, it is not unusual to see authority guest post backlinks.
To ensure your links are of the highest quality, it is worth cooperating with a reliable link-building company, such as Husky Hamster.
How do I get more referring domains?
Getting more referring domains can be troublesome. Even if you use efficient methods, such as writing shareable content, building links from outdated resources, and tapping into PR networks, you may fail to achieve the wanted results.
This is why it is best to leave your link-building efforts in the hands of professionals. Contact us to see what we can do for you!
