Let’s talk links. Like a well-made chain, your website can accomplish so much more when it’s properly linked. In the rush to produce high-quality content (hey, that’s important too!), we understand that it’s easy to neglect link building. But don’t fall into that trap, as linking is an essential part of optimising any website!
Here’s a quick rundown of what website links are and why they matter.
Remind me…why do links matter so much?
When it comes to website content, you’ll hear about internal and external links. Internal linking is when you link from one page or blog post on your website to another page on your site. External links are those on your website that link to a website that isn’t your own.
Backlinks are a link from an external website to your website. It’s all in the name: they’re linking back to your site from theirs. Backlinks are of particular importance, so it’s great to keep your eyes peeled for backlink opportunities whenever you can.
What is a quality backlink? Generally, quality backlinks are links coming from an established, well-trusted website that has a high domain authority score and ranks well on Google. Even better if it’s a well-known brand or company, such as a newspaper or prestigious online publication.
Networking can be one of the best ways to get those sweet, sweet backlinks.
Why are backlinks good for SEO?
So, how does link building help SEO? In a nutshell, backlinks signal to search engines such as Google that your content is interesting, relevant, and of high quality.
Backlinks establish your website as an authority on your topic in the eyes of search engines, so over time, this helps your site rank higher. Links are a big factor used by Google when ranking sites, so it’s crucial to put some time and effort into backlink building (more on this below!).
Anchor text (the text in which the link is placed) is also great for SEO. Say you’re a wedding photographer in Melbourne and you internally anchor link your homepage as ‘best wedding photos in Melbourne’ – that’d sound a bit cocky, right? But if someone else says that about your business, it sounds way more legit!
How can I get backlinks to my site?
Ah, the million-dollar question: how do you get these valuable backlinks? To be frank (yep, you can still be you), the best way is through networking. Reach out to people in your industry (but not your direct competitors!) and ask if they will host a blog you wrote with a quality link. This is called writing guest posts, and while it’s a bit of work, it can 110% pay off in the long run!
As you write and publish awesome content, you’ll also start to notice that you get backlinks organically, as other publishers come across your content, like it, and include it in their own articles.
You’ll also often see backlinks offered for a price. If you’re wondering, “Should I buy backlinks?”, we recommend against it. They’re almost always poor quality (often done using black hat SEO techniques), and this will be detrimental to your website in the long term.
Yes, it takes time and patience to build backlinks legitimately – but it’s DEFINITELY worth the effort!
Centre image by Stephen Phillips – Hostreviews.co.uk on Unsplash
Featured image by Jackson Simmer on Unsplash
