Let's talk... SEO
How to build links to your website using outreach
One of the best ways to entice customers to your website and lure them into your online sales funnel is to have a substantial list of quality backlinks.
Your ultimate aim is to increase your visibility and grow sales, right? This blog will explain how you can do this by creating and implementing a cracking link building strategy using clever outreach techniques.
What is link building?
Before we get going, we’d best explain: “What is a backlink?”
The answer is simple: backlinks are links from a page on one website to another. So, if OlsenMetrix links to an article about how millennials made caravanning cool again, The Daily Telegraph now has a backlink from us. If another domain links to an article on our website, then we have a backlink from them.
Link building is about increasing the number of quality websites that include links pointing their readers to your website. When we talk about ‘quality’ here, it is all about Domain Authority (DA). Generally speaking, your aim should be to achieve backlinks from websites with a higher domain authority than yours.
When you are starting out, or even if you’ve had a website for a long time and neglected link building opportunities, you will likely have low domain authority.
DA is a metric first developed by Moz that predicts how likely a domain is to appear in the SERPs compared to its competitors.
Remember, when creating your link building strategy, carefully identify the domains that your target customers visit frequently. You are then far more likely to receive visits to your website from people who are genuinely interested in what you are saying and the products or services you are selling.
While DA ranks from 1 to 100 – the higher the number the better – determining what is a good DA for your business must focus on an analysis of the rankings of your top competitors and a look at where their backlinks are coming from. You can discover your DA for free.
You will then be able to determine your positioning and set about improving it.
The importance of backlinks
Backlinks are noticed by search engines as a signal that your site is being linked to for access to high-quality information on a topic that is available on your website. Your content must be relevant to the site linking to it, so that it gives added value to their readers. In essence, a backlink from a quality website is a digital vote of confidence. It is a kind of third-party endorsement for your brand.
It is essential, of course, that you are populating your website only with informative content that is relevant and helpful to your target audience. This is also essential for your content marketing strategy.
So now your website is seen as having high-quality content, the backlinks you gain will help you obtain higher rankings on Google. The higher you rank on Google, the more people will see your business and (hopefully) click on your website.
Another benefit of having good backlinks is that they will help build your brand. For example, if a high quality, popular website links to yours, then you should benefit from a surge in traffic to your website.
Once their consumers see that a brand they already like is happy to be associated with yours, they will start to show interest in you too. Gradually.
In this way, you should be able to increase your domain authority, gain higher visibility in search rankings, and, ultimately, attract customers who want to do business with you.
How do I get backlinks?
There is no quick fix when it comes to getting backlinks. If you are starting from scratch, be prepared for the long haul.
We have already established that you need to know your target audience so that you only create content that is fresh, informative and relevant to them.
Once you are satisfied that your content satisfies all these prerequisites, you can get going with your link building efforts.
Relevant backlinks can help to supercharge your SEO strategy, and there are many ways to earn excellent links.
Mostly, it is all about ‘outreach’.
What is outreach?
Outreach is a form of email marketing that is highly personalised. It is sent from one person’s email directly to one other person’s email address. It has to be personal, so you must research the person you want to reach so you know what may interest them and what they like writing about.
It must be written in such language that does not candidly promote a product or service. It has to give some form of incentive in exchange for a favour.
In most cases, outreach marketing is done by reaching out to a journalist, blogger, webmaster, or website with a strong following in the area you want to target.
One of the main benefits for businesses is that done the right way, outreach can open up opportunities for gaining backlinks.
How can outreach help me get backlinks?
The first thing to do is to identify the websites that you would like to gain links from. Then, there are various outreach tactics you can use to contact them.
Resource Link Building: This is useful when you have created valuable content that would be a good resource for industry organisations or universities, for example. Find out who their expert on a particular topic is – one that is relevant to what you do – and then produce content that would be a valuable resource for them. Make contact directly with their expert, offering your content for free, in return for a link to your website.
Broken Link Building: This tactic is time-consuming but can be a very effective way to build links. You need to research websites that are of interest to you, identify informative web pages that link to dead pages with a 404 error code. If you can offer an alternative piece of excellent, relevant content, then you have an opportunity to email the site’s webmaster. You will be helping them in two ways: identifying a broken link they may not have noticed – and offering up your content so that the link can be mended in return for a backlink.
Unlinked brand mentions: You can find unlinked brand mentions by using the SEMrush Brand Monitoring Tool. You can set up the tool to monitor mentions of your brand and receive these straight into your email box. When you find unlinked mentions of your company or product, you can email whoever mentioned your brand and politely request they insert a link to your company. To be successful, you’ll need to demonstrate the editorial value. So, if you’ve carried out some original research that has been mentioned online, you can suggest that a link to the full research document would be beneficial to readers as it would give them free access to the entire study.
Digital PR: Every business needs a digital PR strategist to develop news ideas and liaise with their media contacts. Journalists are under enormous pressure to find new things to write about. If your PR specialist can offer them something new and topical, and well-written, you stand a chance of grabbing their attention – and gaining a link in return.
Digital PR can help you build topically relevant links from the most prominent trade publications in your industry. These links can position you as an industry expert and drive targeted referral traffic to your site.
Thought leadership pieces might land well with journalists, especially if you have something controversial to say – so long as saying it won’t damage you or your brand.
How can quality backlinks help my business?
Backlinks are essential for achieving higher rankings in online search engines, making your website easier to find. However, they are also crucial for building relationships.
A person who clicks on a backlink that leads to your website could turn into a customer. They may sign up for your newsletter or answer a call to action on your website, which might become a sale.
By building backlinks relevant to your business, you are also giving your brand greater authority and recognition within your industry. Reputable companies who know how to use backlinks properly will not link to poor quality content or badly designed sites.
If a relevant company links to your website, they show their consumers that you are worth taking an interest in. In return, you must have a wealth of informative content that could benefit them.
Summary
We have explained the importance of backlinks to your business and how outreach techniques can help you achieve them.
It’s worth remembering that there are many platforms for outreach opportunities, from Reddit to forums to guest blogging, and you’ll need to research which of these are most relevant for your brand. Then follow up using the one-to-one direct email tactic, explaining what it is you can offer and the backlink you’d like in return.
Then, in time, the rise in visitors to your website will hopefully convert into a new wave of loyal customers. Not to mention rising sales and profits.
