Backlinks are when another website links to your website. Backlinks are important to your SEO because it helps Google determine how much authority your website has with people and, subsequently, how it should be ranked.
The more popular and important a site is the more links from that site matter. So, a website like Wikipedia is very important and gets a high ranking. Universities, government websites, and nonprofit organizations represent examples of high-trust domains. Even if the linking domain doesn’t have the high authority it should at least be relevant to your business. So, for example, if you are a therapist, a link from Psychology Today matters more than one from a site about car sales. This is why it is important not to just go out and buy links, they need to be earned.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Do some guest blogging
- Write testimonials
- Donate to nonprofits who will put your logo and a backlink to your website
- Get interviewed by your local news
- Add your contact information to directories like Manta, Yelp, YP, Expedia, and Trip Advisor
- Create an infographic. This works because you include embed code so others can share your infographic which creates a backlink to your website.
Help a Reporter Out
I also subscribe to Help a Reporter (HARO) which is a system that helps reporters find authority figures to comment on pieces they are writing. They send me an email three times a day with topics reporters are trying to cover. If I see a topic that I think a client might be able to respond to I send it to them. This is a free service (for respondents) and you should take advantage of it.
Suzi Wilson is the author of this piece. You can visit her website at www.Gulfcoastwebnet.com
