If you’re at all concerned about your site’s SEO and how it ranks in search engine visibility, then you probably know already know who is linking to you and that you need to build backlinks. Backlinks, or links on other sites that link to your own, are an important component of any strategy aimed at increasing site traffic and online credibility. In short, more links = more authority and, therefore, better rankings. Moz.com sums this up in the following sentence:
“A site like Wikipedia has thousands of diverse sites linking to it, which means it’s probably a popular and important site. To earn trust and authority with the engines, you’ll need the help of other link partners.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the ins and outs of backlinks, then I highly recommend checking out their extensive article on the subject. It’s a great primer for anyone who is learning about or is confused by it all, but it’s important to remember that with more traffic comes more backlinks. The following tips will help you to both build your backlinks immediately and as a result of increased traffic.
Not sure how to find your backlinks to see who is already linking to you? Check out this step-by-step guide!
Disqus
Disqus is a commenting system that is available on WordPress and people either love it or hate it, but there’s no arguing about the fact that it can improve your SEO. Each Disqus user creates a profile that links to their website, which means every single comment they leave within the system links back to their site. That means that if you comment on this post, you will get a link back to yours (try it!). They also have their own online community where you chat with other uses and, yes, build your backlinks even more. If you don’t take my word for it, check out this section of the Disqus research findings from 2011:
Link Quality & Volume: It is well known that incorporating inbound links for search rank was one of the keys to Google’s success and remains one of the strongest signals of quality for all engines. As with anything, both quality and volume matter. Normally, inbound links are not very relevant for sites that use built-in comment systems, but a networked system that employs global user profiles and activity streams has a distinct advantage. In addition to the community interaction benefits previously noted, every comment generates a new inbound link back to the publisher’s page, e.g. when Seth Godin replies to a post on the Harvard Business Review. In the case of Disqus, the site’s high Google Page Rank of 8 helps these links actually mean something. – Read the full report
RSS Aggregation Sites
RSS aggregation sites pull content from a variety of sources and compile it in one central location (such as RealClearBooks.com). An aggregated site should truncate your content and/or include a link to the original source, so before you add your content, check to make sure they aren’t pulling any tricks. RSS aggregators are great because they build a backlink for every single one of your posts. Plus, you gain access to new audiences which, of course, builds your traffic.
Advowire
I learned about Advowire from Ashely over at AshleyLamar.com, who swears by it. It’s a free service that rewards you for sharing content by others. Every time you tweet a post, you get points, which can then be redeemed for gift cards or, more importantly, to promote your own posts. This means that complete strangers who have never heard of you or your site will promote your content to their readers, thus increasing your visibility. Because people using Advowire are in the business of promoting their brands, users tend to only share content that is relevant and the site has pretty strict anti-spam policies. Now, this in and of itself doesn’t build backlinks because, from what I found, Twitter links don’t count towards your authority, but it is an easy way to reach a new audience and build a following who will link to you in other ways. If you’re interested in learning more, you can sign up with my affiliate link and join my network!
StumbleUpon/Digg/Reddit
All three of these sits allow users to submit their content and build their backlinks. Personally, I prefer StumbleUpon and Digg because they require minimal time commitment and have generated great results for me. Of the three, my favorite is StumbleUpon and I consistently gain traffic from my links that have been submitted there. Not only do I get the backlinks from the articles themselves, but the same posts that get a lot of attention on StumbleUpon are shared on social, so really it’s just a great way for new people to discover The Book Wheel and add me to their list.
Directories
No matter what you write about, there is a directory for you. Adding your site to them is another way to build backlinks and traffic simultaneously. First, make sure your site is listed with all of the major search engines. Then, do a search for “blog directories” or “small business directories” or “ blogs” and start adding. If your business is local, then add yourself to the local engines, as well. Adding your site is fast and easy and a surefire way to be seen by new readers and build backlinks as you go. If you’re not sure where to start, enter your industry + online directories into the search bar and you’ll be on your way!
Other Great Resources:
- 10 Smart Ways to Earn or Build Backlinks to Your Website (Entrepreneur.com)
- 101 Ways to get Quality Backlinks to Your Blog (ShoutMeLoud.com)