Chain in the Shape of 5 - Link Building

Link Building Strategies in 2020: 5 Creative Approaches You Can Take

There are multiple ways to create link building strategies in 2020. The purpose and objectives are the same – however,  sharing information, collaborating digitally with others and leveraging content through more digital avenues has made it an opportune time to focus on building links. 

If you need a refresher on link building, check out this post from several years ago (which we’ve updated)! Many of the tactics we mentioned on this old article can still be utilized in your strategy today. However, there are a few that we didn’t mention, which we’ll dive into in this post. 

5 link building strategies - an infographic

Why does Link Building in 2020 Matter?

If you’re familiar with SEO, you may have heard link building as part of the overall strategy. There are three types of links your website can generate: internal links, external links and backlinks. While all enhance your website’s performance in terms of SEO, backlinks, through link building, offer the greatest value. 

Link building has always been an essential part of SEO, but with more businesses appearing online, this is a great way to stand out from the noise.

Make no mistake – link building strategies is a long-term effort, where there are no shortcuts! But if done properly, businesses can experience immense benefits:

  • Generates Quality Traffic: Referral traffic can occur when credible websites direct their users to other sites like their own. This means a greater likelihood of attracting qualified visitors and familiarizing them with your product and services (leading to sales and conversions).  
  • Establishes Credibility: If you receive an external link from a website with high domain authority, it’s their way of saying that the information your website is presenting is informative and trustworthy. Consider it their “seal of approval”! 
  • Creates Visibility: This tactic is another effective way to compliment your existing efforts in achieving more brand visibility in other channels. 

other link building strategies

Link Building Strategies for 2020

There are a ton of ways that you can expand your website presence using link building strategies. Tactics like building a Google My Business page or registering your website in local directories are quick ways to generate links back to your website. However, there are other ways to link build which can benefit your strategy for the long-term. While it requires more leg-work, the opportunities to link build using these tactics are endless. 

Guest Posts – Guest posts are beneficial for two reasons. When you are writing as a guest contributor for another organization, chances are they will provide an “About Author” section that gives you another opportunity to link back to your website. But being a guest blogger goes beyond the intended purpose of creating links back to your website. Guest posts are different from sponsored content, because you are making the effort to build connections with businesses who own these websites, while also adding value to their existing views. Because of this, you are also solidifying connections and relationships in addition to your main strategy of link building.  

404 and Error Pages – These pages are also known as broken links. A website might possess content that has links that are no longer relevant or even live. If you see this occurring, it might be worthwhile to reach out and see if the webmaster can replace the 404 broken link with a working link to your website. But this is just the start – 3xx and 5xx error pages also provide opportunities, too. 

Infographics – In a world where people are visual readers, infographics are a great way to increase the shareable nature of your content. According to websites like Hubspot, infographics are the fourth most used type of content marketing. When you share content that is visual and informative, it will be shared social channels and can be a great visual to complement a blog. 

“Shout outs” in your own blog post – When you create a blog post with links that drive traffic to other websites (e.g. like writing a top 10 list of the most influential businesses in your sector), it grabs the attention of these businesses. This will increase the likelihood of your content being shared on their social channels. This is also a beneficial strategy to strengthen your relationships with other companies and content creators. 

Blog Commenting – When done properly, commenting on blogs is a great and organic way to add links to valuable pages online. We mentioned this before in our initial post, but if you are going to use this strategy, make sure your comments add value. Anything that isn’t well-thought through might be perceived as spam and can be deleted. 

Here’s one last thought that we’d like to leave you with, and it is that your link building strategies require you to chip away on the progress slowly. 

Provide high-quality content that users would be interested in by illustrating your expertise on the certain subject. 

So, take the time to create content that is relevant to your target audience. Make sure that the information that you’re sharing is new, fresh and is evergreen (meaning, the information will still remain relevant, regardless of the current times). 

If you’re still wondering what the best approach is with regard to link building, let us help you along the way! Feel free to fill out our form and book a consultation with our team.