Should I do link-building in the first place

Most people who have a growth motivation will find the pursuit and acquisition of backlinks crucial. This checklist is designed to clarify and simplify the entire process for anyone with a website or business. Drawing from lessons learned from building over 1,000 backlinks, one critical aspect often overlooked is knowing when it is essential to obtain valuable backlinks.

Understanding Backlinks: What They Are and Why They Matter

You don’t need another beginner’s guide on backlinks—you need actionable insights that fit into your busy entrepreneurial life. Backlinks are essential, not just any backlinks, but high-quality ones that genuinely matter. If you’re analyzing your SEO strategy, it’s crucial to determine if link-building is right or even necessary for your business at this time. So let's get started!

Building a Network: Passive vs. Active Link Building

Some industries, like e-commerce, travel, real estate, health & wellness, and tech, naturally attract backlinks. These are passive acquisitions. But for others, active strategies—like link exchanges or guest blogging—are necessary.

How Backlinks Enhance Local SEO, Visibility, and Credibility

High-quality backlinks give you a competitive edge in SERPs, helping you outperform rivals and achieve better rankings. They also drive traffic from reputable sites, increasing your online presence and potential conversions. Remember, link-building isn’t just about SEO; it’s about building connections and growing your influence locally and beyond.

Focus on Types of Backlinks

Do-Follow

These are the gold standard of backlinks. They pass authority from the linking site to yours, significantly boosting your SEO efforts. Google sees these as votes of confidence, and they can propel your rankings higher.

No-Follow

While these links don’t pass authority, they aren’t without value. No-follow links can still bring referral traffic and diversify your backlink profile, contributing to a natural link portfolio.

UGC (User-Generated Content)

Found in forums, comments, and user submissions, these links generally do not pass authority. However, they can indicate an engaged community and can drive niche traffic.

Sponsored

These are paid links and must be tagged to indicate their nature. While they are usually no-follow and don’t pass authority, they are essential for transparency and comply with Google's guidelines.

Three-Month Strategy for Link Building

First 3 Months: Structure

Begin by optimizing your website’s internal structure. Ensure all technical SEO aspects are in place, from site speed to mobile optimization.

Next 3 Months: Content

Focus on creating and publishing high-quality, shareable content. This will naturally attract backlinks and establish your site as an authority in your niche.

Final 3 Months: Link Building

Start actively reaching out for backlinks. Leverage guest posts, fix broken links, and build relationships with influencers in your industry.

5-Step Guide to Running a Successful Link-Building Campaign

1. Audit Your Site: Ensure your website is technically sound. Fix any issues that could hinder your SEO performance.
2. Create Quality Content: Develop high-value, shareable content that others will want to link to.
3. Identify Prospects: Find relevant websites and potential link sources. Focus on sites with high authority and relevance to your niche.
4. Outreach: Contact site owners with personalized requests. Make sure your outreach is genuine and adds value.
5. Monitor and Adapt: Track your results and refine your approach. Use analytics to see what’s working and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Backlink outreach email template

Key Metrics to Monitor Pursuing Backlinks

Domain Rating (DR) and Domain Authority (DA)

These metrics help assess the quality and authority of the websites linking to you. Aim for links from high-DR and high-DA sites to boost your own site’s authority.

Linking Domains

The number of unique domains linking to your site is crucial. A diverse backlink profile with links from various sources is more beneficial than multiple links from a single domain.

Conclusion

While DA is a useful metric, it should not be the sole focus. The ultimate goal is to drive organic traffic, conversions, and reliable metrics that measure your website’s performance. By following these strategies and focusing on high-quality, relevant backlinks, you can significantly enhance your website’s SEO performance and achieve long-term success.

Linkbuilding FAQ's - 15 Most asked questions about backlinks

Why Are Backlinks Important? Are Backlinks Good for SEO?

Backlinks are crucial for SEO as they signal to search engines that your content is valuable and credible. They help improve your site’s ranking and visibility in search results.

Which Backlink is Most Powerful?

Do-Follow backlinks are the most powerful because they pass authority from the linking site to your own, boosting your SEO efforts.

Do Backlinks Affect My Rankings?

Yes, backlinks significantly impact your rankings. High-quality backlinks from authoritative sites improve your search engine rankings.

How Does Link Building or Backlinks Help with Website Discoverability?

Link building increases your site’s visibility by getting more sites to link to your content. This helps search engines find and index your pages, improving your discoverability.

What is the Difference Between Referral Links and Backlinks?

Referral links come from any site that directs traffic to your site, while backlinks specifically refer to links that influence search engine rankings.

What Makes a Good Backlink?

A good backlink comes from a reputable and relevant site, has a do-follow attribute, and is contextually placed within quality content.

Do backlinks need to be relevant?

The relevance of the linking site to your content is crucial for the quality of the backlink. Relevant links are more valuable and improve your SEO.

What is a Good Authority Score for Backlinks?

A good authority score is generally above 50. The higher the score, the more beneficial the backlink is for your site.

Do Backlinks Increase Domain Authority?

Yes, acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites can increase your domain authority, signaling trust and credibility to search engines.

Do Backlinks Generate Traffic?

Yes, backlinks can generate traffic by directing visitors from the linking site to your own. Quality backlinks from relevant sites can bring significant referral traffic.

What is an Example of Link Insertion?

Link insertion involves adding a backlink to your site within existing content on another site. For example, updating a blog post to include a link to your relevant article.

What is the Difference Between Follow and Nofollow Backlinks?

Follow backlinks pass SEO authority to your site, boosting your rankings. Nofollow backlinks do not pass authority but can still drive traffic and diversify your link profile.

How to Check Backlinks

You can check backlinks using various SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush.

Checking Backlinks in Google Search Console Possible?

Yes, Google Search Console allows you to view your site’s backlinks under the “Links” section.

What is the Best Anchor Text Ratio for Backlinks?

There is no one-size-fits-all ratio, but a good practice is to use a mix of branded, exact match, partial match, and generic anchor texts to keep your link profile natural and diverse.