Link building, which is a process of getting hyperlinks from other websites to our website, is important in improving how we rank in search engines and in raising awareness about our brand.
This SEO technique can be crucial to the success of our website. To viewers, if we have a lot of websites linking to ours, the content we share is valuable and our company is trust-worthy. All business owners can benefit from link building and should include it in their marketing strategy. If you want to increase your site’s authority, you came to the right place. Here we explain how to create an effective link building campaign.
Basics of link building
There are many ways to secure links to our website. While some links are deliberately built for SEO, others are obtained accidentally, for example, when a blogger mentions our product they liked. Acquiring links that we did not have to ask for is the ultimate goal but, for it to happen, we first need to put some work into making sure our site ranks well in search engines. To do that, we can use a range of link building techniques.
When securing back links, we want to get high quality links. To do that, we should be trying to get links from sites with a lot of authority. There are many online websites that allow us to check a site’s authority by simply pasting its URL. Links from no-name bloggers and new websites are not likely to improve our SEO much so we should target high authority pages.
Another important aspect to make sure we get high quality links is the site’s relevance. When reaching out to pages that can possibly include our hyperlink, we should make sure that their content is, at least partially, relevant to things we specialise in.
Best link building techniques
When creating your link building campaign, you should consider using the following link building techniques:
- Guest blogging – you should offer blog posts and articles to various websites and include a link to your page in the piece’s body or in the author’s bio. To increase the chances of securing a link, make sure that the content you offer them is relevant to topics they cover.
- Send samples to influencers and bloggers – when you send samples of your product to people who create content online, they might review it and link to your website.
- Be active on social media – if you share a lot of content on social media and interact with people there, you will improve your business’s visibility and people might start talking about your company, thus linking to your page.
- Check links of your competitors – if you see that a company that operates in the same industry as you ranks better in search engines, you could check their backlinks and try reaching out to the same websites.
These strategies can help you secure links for free but you might also consider allocating some budget to paying for backlinks. There are plenty of websites that offer to insert backlinks for a fee. Before you commit, make sure to discuss prices with numerous sites and choose the one that has the most competitive rates and the highest authority.
No follow vs do follow links
For your link building campaign to be effective, you need to understand the difference between no follow and do follow links.
| No follow | Do follow |
| Do not pass the authority of the origin site to the website the page is linking to | Pass the authority of the site where the link is placed to the destination site |
So, for SEO purposes, you want to be securing do follow links. Generally, most links are do follow but some pages might change that if they charge for placing backlinks as part of their advertisement campaign.
Side-product marketing explained
Side-product marketing involves creating a stand-alone product or service designed to attract potential customers to your business. Acquiring new customers is the main goal of side-product marketing so if you want to focus on retaining your existing customers or generating revenue, this solution is not the right one for you. If, however, your main focus right now is expanding your client base, keep reading. Here we explain in detail what side-product marketing is and how you can make it work.
Examples of side-product marketing
When it comes to side-product marketing, there is no right answer as to what product you should create. It depends on the services your company offers, the industry you operate in, and your target audience. What is worth noting is that your product does not have to be a thing that clients can physically touch and see. On the contrary, side products are often accessible only online.
Some ideas that can help you get started include:
- Courses
- Podcasts
- Blogs
- Quizzes
- Games
- Calculators
- Checklists
- Forums.
You can be creative when choosing what your side product will be but make sure to take into consideration what your specific audience might be interested in. And, ideally, your side product should be related to your main offering to maximise its advertising potential and guide new clients towards your services.
Of course, if you prefer, you can also use physical products as your side project. You can send them to potential clients but that can often mean reaching less people than if creating an online project. And, with distributing physical products for free, you might find yourself spending more money than if you create an online side-product.
What are the benefits of side-product marketing
While getting new customers might be the main advantage of using side-product marketing, there are other benefits of applying this strategy. Side project marketing helps you create brand awareness and adds credibility to your business. Thanks to side project marketing you can directly address the needs of your target audience, which can lead to more sales and more profit.
In addition to that, thanks to side-product marketing, you will quickly see increased traffic to your website and better engagement with content you share online.
Side projects are audience-oriented and they allow you to reach people who are already looking for a product like the one you offer. Thanks to your side product, you can guide them towards purchasing it from you. As side project marketing offers projects that are good matches for the target audience, it tends to be very effective.