Link Building: How It Can Help Your Website

Link building is an SEO optimization technique that involves obtaining backlinks from other web resources. These links increase the authority of your site in the eyes of search engines.

Below, we will discuss in more detail what link building is, how to do link building, and what its benefits are.

You can check the link mass, for example, on Yandex.Webmaster

One of the main goals of link building is to attract your target audience. Links placed on authoritative portals within your niche bring in interested users. Besides, link building improves your site's ranking, as search engines consider the quantity and quality of backlinks in their algorithms. Mentions of your resource on other portals also strengthen your brand by increasing its recognition and audience loyalty.

For effective link building, high-quality content is essential—both on your site and on external platforms. Interesting and useful materials encourage other resources to link to them.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Link Building

To achieve top positions in search engines, especially for competitive queries, it is necessary to use proper link building.

However, keep in mind that link building has its pros and cons, like any tool.

On the one hand, quality links from relevant sites increase your site's authority with search engines for a long time. This helps your portal to rank high in search results for targeted queries over an extended period.

Additionally, links from thematic resources bring interested audiences to your site and potentially increase the number of clients.

Another advantage of link building is its cost-effectiveness. You can obtain external links for free, for example, through guest posts on other sites, or for a small fee.

On the other hand, link building requires time investment. Finding suitable resources for link placement and creating quality content for them is a lengthy process.

It's also important to note that the effects of link building are not immediate. Search engines need time to take new links into account when ranking.

Important: The most dangerous mistake in link building is placing links on low-quality or spammy sites. Such actions will lead to penalties from search engines, negatively affecting your site's ranking. For link building to be beneficial, it is important to do it correctly. Focus on the quality of links rather than the quantity. It is better to obtain a few links from authoritative sites than many from dubious resources.

Good Links — What Are They?

Understanding what makes a link valuable for SEO is crucial. Quality links are what elevate your site in search engine rankings. Let's break down what to look for in link building:

Authority of the donor site. The higher the trust in the resource, the more value its backlinks carry. A backlink from a well-known publication can significantly boost your site's positions — the trust that the site enjoys is transferred to you through the link. Check the authority of the resource on "Yandex.Webmaster."

Relevance. Not all links are equally useful. It's much more valuable to get a backlink from a site whose theme is close to yours. For example, if you have a site about CDP platforms, a link from an astrology portal is unlikely to be helpful. It's better to focus on authoritative resources in marketing or related fields. The higher the thematic relevance, the better for your SEO.

Placement of the link on the page. The position of the link also matters. The higher it is placed in the content text, the more weight it transfers to your site. Links hidden in sidebars, footnotes, or the footer of the page are less valuable because fewer users see them.

Anchor. The anchor is the link text that users click on. It is important because search engines, like readers, use it to understand what the target page is about. Therefore, the more relevant and descriptive the anchor text, the better.

There are anchor links (consisting of a keyword or phrase that fits the context) and non-anchor links (using words like "here," "this," and similar).

The blue text here is an anchor link

Type of link. There are two types of links: dofollow and nofollow. The first type passes "weight" to your site and improves its positions in search results. Nofollow links do not directly pass weight but can still be useful. They drive traffic to your site and indirectly improve its SEO metrics. The nofollow tag is used in the page's source code (rel="nofollow").

How to Build Links

The more quality sites link to yours, the higher it ranks in search results. This can be achieved through three main methods:

1. Direct Contact (or Outreach)

Don't hesitate to reach out directly to other site owners. Offer to share your valuable content: articles, guides, research, infographics, case studies, etc.

2. Manual Link Addition

You can add links to your site on other resources manually. For example, post them in social media profiles, business directories, forums, and blog comments.

3. Building Trust

The most effective way is to earn links naturally. Create content that others want to link to: interesting research, unique tools, detailed guides, and high-quality visual materials. Study your competitors' link profiles to understand which content is in demand.

Where to Place Links

Authoritative Sites

Publishing articles on reputable platforms that are thematically related to your site is an excellent way to attract clients' attention and gain valuable backlinks. The key is to ensure that the content is high-quality, useful, and informative, rather than merely promotional. Check in advance if authors are allowed to include links to their own resources and how many backlinks you can place.

An example of a reputable resource is medium.com

Your Blog

Create engaging and useful content on your site that people will want to share with friends and colleagues. Be sure to add buttons for popular social networks under each article to make it easy for readers to share the material. Encourage your audience to share links to your publications, for instance, by running contests or offering valuable bonuses.

Altcraft Blog

Interviews With Experts

Interview well-known individuals and recognized experts in your field. Post the interview on your site and ask the interviewee to share the link on social media. Such content will not only attract attention to your resource but also increase its authority in the eyes of search engines.

Interview with an expert on McKinsey&Company site

Social Media

Post links to your site on your personal page as well as in relevant thematic groups. To improve indexing by search engines, add URLs in the first comment to the post. Some social networks, like VK, allow for creating full-fledged articles within the platform. Use this opportunity to post valuable content with appropriate links to your site.

Altcraft's social media link on the Medium platform

Always remember that links should look natural and be relevant to your site. Avoid dubious link-building methods such as buying links or spamming. Such actions will result in penalties from search engines and negatively impact your site's reputation.

The Most Popular Link Building Strategies

Any strategy begins with defining a long-term goal, typically aimed at promoting a site to the top, increasing its traffic, and enhancing its visibility. There are numerous methods, each with its own advantages and specifics.

Publish Something Useful

Creating high-quality content that people want to share is a foundational link building strategy. Diverse formats such as informative articles, educational materials, entertaining content, research, and guides help reach a broad readership. Don't forget about SEO optimization to ensure your content is found through relevant keywords.

Create News Hooks

Links from high-authority news resources positively impact site promotion. Spread the word about significant events: partnerships, events, new products, charitable projects. Actively engage with news editors rather than waiting for recognition and discussion.

Become the Best

Position yourself as an expert in your chosen field. Publish materials, analytics, case studies, educational projects. Building trust and authority among your target audience stimulates natural link mentions to your site.

Remember: Successful link building strategy is a lengthy process that requires careful planning, meticulous work, and continuous analysis.

Conclusion

Link building is a comprehensive approach to website promotion. Publishing valuable content, building relationships with other web resources, and positioning yourself as an expert all contribute to obtaining natural backlinks that enhance your site's authority in the eyes of search engines.

As a result, you will attract a target audience, increase organic traffic, and thereby achieve your business goals. Remember, link building is a long-term strategy that requires constant adjustments. However, with a strategic approach, it becomes a powerful tool for the success of your website.