Three Powerful Backlink Strategies That Boost Organic Visibility

Backlinks. They’re the currency of the internet, the digital handshake that says, "Hey, this website is worth your time." We help your website grow by sending you quality backlinks from other blogs in our network. But how do you actually get those coveted links? Let's dive in.

1. Guest Blogging: Showcasing Expertise and Earning Backlinks

Guest blogging is a classic for a reason. It's a win-win. You get to share your expertise with a new audience, and the host website gets free, high-quality content. And, of course, you get a backlink (or two!) back to your site. Simple enough, right? Well, not always.

Finding the Right Blogs

First, you need to identify blogs in your niche that accept guest posts. Don’t just Google "[your niche] guest post." Be more strategic. Think about the blogs that your target audience already reads. Where are they hanging out online? Are there any industry publications that stand out?

• Use advanced search operators: Try searches like "intitle:guest post guidelines [your niche]" or "[your niche] + write for us."
• Analyze competitor backlinks: See where your competitors are getting backlinks from. Are they guest posting on certain sites? This can give you a list of potential targets.
• Network: Reach out to bloggers you already know and admire. Ask if they accept guest posts, or if they can introduce you to someone who does.

Crafting High-Quality Content

Once you’ve found a blog that accepts guest posts, it’s time to pitch your idea. The key here is to offer something unique and valuable. Don't just regurgitate information that’s already available. Offer a fresh perspective, share original research, or provide actionable tips.

Consider these points when crafting your content:

• Know the audience: Tailor your content to the specific audience of the blog you're writing for. What are their pain points? What questions do they have?
• Provide value: Make sure your content is informative, engaging, and helpful. It should leave the reader feeling like they learned something new or gained a new perspective.
• Follow the guidelines: Pay close attention to the blog’s guest post guidelines. Formatting, word count, topic restrictions – adhere to them all.

Honestly? This never worked for me until I started offering exclusive data or insights. Remember the time I spilled coffee all over my keyboard during our last product launch? The sticky keyboard, franticly trying to meet the deadline? I used that anecdote in a guest post about managing stress during product launches and it resonated like crazy.

Securing the Backlink

Alright, you wrote the perfect guest post. It got published. Now, what about that backlink? Usually, it’s in your author bio. Make sure it’s pointing to a relevant page on your website. Don't just link to your homepage. Link to a specific blog post, product page, or resource that aligns with the topic of your guest post.

Guest blogging is a long game. It takes time and effort. But the rewards – increased visibility, improved brand awareness, and valuable backlinks – are well worth it.

2. Broken Link Building: Turning Lemons into Backlink Lemonade

This strategy is ingenious, if a little sneaky. Broken link building involves finding broken links on other websites and then offering your own content as a replacement. It's a win-win: you get a backlink, and the website owner fixes a broken link on their site.

Finding Broken Links

The first step is to find relevant websites in your niche and then identify broken links on those sites. There are several ways to do this:

• Use a broken link checker: Tools like Ahrefs or Semrush can scan a website for broken links.
• Check resource pages: Resource pages often contain a lot of external links, which means they're prime targets for finding broken links.
• Look for outdated content: Websites with outdated content are more likely to have broken links.

Wait—that reminds me…my neighbor, bless his heart, used to have this amazing resource page on his old GeoCities site (yeah, I know, ancient history). Then one day, poof, gone. I bet there are still sites out there linking to that thing. Opportunity knocks, right?

Creating Replacement Content

Once you’ve found a broken link, it’s time to create content that’s a suitable replacement. This content should be high-quality, informative, and relevant to the topic of the broken link.

Consider these factors when creating your replacement content:

• Understand the original intent: What was the purpose of the broken link? What information was it supposed to provide?
• Create something better: Don’t just recreate the original content. Create something better, more comprehensive, and more up-to-date.
• Make it valuable: Ensure your content is valuable to the reader. It should be something they’ll want to share and link to.

Reaching Out to the Website Owner

Once you’ve created your replacement content, it’s time to reach out to the website owner. Be polite, professional, and explain why your content is a good replacement for the broken link.

Here’s a template you can adapt:

"Hi [Website Owner Name],

I was browsing your site and noticed a broken link on [Page Name]. The link to [Broken Link URL] seems to be broken.

I recently created a resource on [Your Content Topic] that I think would be a valuable replacement for that broken link. You can find it here: [Your Content URL].

It covers [briefly describe the content] and provides [mention key benefits].

I hope this is helpful!

Thanks,

[Your Name]"

The key is to make it easy for the website owner to replace the broken link with your content. Be clear, concise, and offer a solution. And don't be afraid to follow up if you don't hear back. Persistence pays off, sometimes.

3. The Skyscraper Technique: Building on the Best

This strategy, coined by Brian Dean of Backlinko (A TechCrunch piece last spring hinted at how effective his strategy is!), involves finding popular content in your niche and then creating something even better, higher, and more "skyscraper-like." Basically, find the best content, then one-up it.

Finding Popular Content

The first step is to find popular content in your niche. This could be blog posts, articles, videos, or infographics. Look for content that has a lot of backlinks, social shares, and comments.

• Use content analysis tools: Tools like BuzzSumo can help you identify the most popular content in your niche based on social shares.
• Analyze competitor content: See what content your competitors are creating that’s getting a lot of attention.
• Look for evergreen content: Evergreen content is content that remains relevant over time. This type of content is more likely to attract backlinks.

Creating Superior Content

Once you’ve found popular content, it’s time to create something even better. This could involve updating the content with new information, adding more detail, or presenting the information in a more engaging way.

Consider these factors when creating your superior content:

• Make it more comprehensive: Add more information, examples, and resources.
• Make it more visually appealing: Use high-quality images, videos, and infographics.
• Make it more user-friendly: Format your content for easy readability. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and visuals to break up the text.

Remember that time I tried to bake a cake that was supposed to be the most amazing dessert ever? I followed the recipe to the letter, but it turned out flat and dry. The skyscraper technique is like that- but instead of a cake, you are building content on an existing foundation to avoid failure.

Promoting Your Content

Once you’ve created your superior content, it’s time to promote it. Reach out to the people who linked to the original content and let them know about your updated and improved version.

Here’s a template you can adapt:

"Hi [Name],

I noticed you linked to [Original Content URL] in your article on [Topic].

I recently created a more comprehensive and up-to-date resource on the same topic: [Your Content URL].

It covers [briefly describe the content] and includes [mention key improvements].

I thought you might find it helpful.

Thanks,

[Your Name]"

The key is to be polite, professional, and offer something of value. Don’t just spam people with your link. Explain why your content is a better resource and why they should consider linking to it.

These are just three powerful backlink strategies that can help you boost your organic visibility. But they require effort. A lot of effort, actually. The digital landscape is ever-evolving, what worked last year might not work this year. Adapt or get left behind! However, the rewards for consistently implementing these strategies are significant. Increased website traffic, improved search engine rankings, and greater brand awareness are all within your reach. So go forth and build those backlinks! You got this!