A Comprehensive (Beginners) Guide to SEO
Our 8 part guide on all aspects of SEO, from how search engines work to the effects of UI and UX.
Several key factors determine your website’s ranking on Google, and backlinks, links from another website, are still critical when it comes to getting onto the first page for your desired keywords. However, you should never fall into the trap of going for quantity over quality. Quality backlinks are what will deliver the results, and you can indeed be penalised for poor, irrelevant links.
As one of the leading SEO companies in Bangkok, we always emphasise quality and only use authoritative links from trusted sources. In this article, we will give you some ideas on how you can get quality backlinks. Some of the strategies you may use already, while others could be the solutions that you need to boost your ranking on Google.
- Resource Pages
Arguably, one of the best ways to naturally build quality backlinks is by creating quality content that others want to reference. Of course, you may want to ask other businesses to create links to your site, so keeping it relevant is essential. If you run a florist business, getting links from a wedding planner resource page would be great, whereas, from a DIY site, it is unlikely that there would be any genuine relationship.
- Guest Posting
Writing a guest posting for someone else’s website allows you to not only introduce your business to a new audience, but it gives you the chance to build a quality link back to your website. Some sites openly ask for guest bloggers, while you may have to approach others. Remember, the article must be relevant to both your business as well as the website’s owner. It can’t be stressed enough that this should be unique and high-quality content to capture the reader’s interest.
- Guides
One excellent way to build quality backlinks is by creating “definitive” or “top X” guides. Naturally, the guides need to include valuable information that users will search for. For example, if you are a restaurant, you may want it to be included in a guide to the best restaurants in Bangkok, or if you run a travel business, be included in a definitive guide to Bangkok or Koh Chang. The link should take the reader to a page on your website where they can gain more information.
- Directory Submissions
Local directory submissions are another great way to increase the profile of your business. It is a relatively simple way of building backlinks and enforcing your local presence by including the Name Address and Phone Number (NAP), but it is important that the guides are of sufficient quality and relevant to your business sector and equally portray the correct image.
- Case Studies
Compiling a case study is time-consuming, but it is a superb way of proving that you are an expert in your field. Becoming an authoritative source and having content that is valuable to others is a sure-fire way to get noticed by a wider audience as well as by Google. A starting point could be to search for something connected to your business sector and find content that contains statistics that are out of date. It is an easy sell to business owners who can merely alter an existing link to something more recent.
- Make Use of Broken Backlinks & Ask For Links Where Your Business is Already Mentioned
Lots of content that is available online was written years ago, and, as such, links to a competitor’s website might be broken. It means that the link is irrelevant to both the website owner and the blogger, so you could approach them and ask if they can link to your site instead. It is a win-win scenario, and again, something that is relatively straightforward. Another way to build links is to request a link when your business is already mentioned in an article. It is a technique known as reclaiming mentions and can also be used for images.
- The Skyscraper Technique
The skyscraper technique is a frequently used method of creating new content. Essentially, it involves finding existing, popular content and improving it. It may include adding more content, including a video, or making it more relevant to your business sector. The easiest way to find this content is by searching on Google for guides and choosing ones that are on the first page. From here, you can recreate (not plagiarise) the content and duplicate some or all of the backlinks.
- Testimonials
To some degree, all businesses need others to be successful, so by writing a glowing testimonial for a company in returning for a backlink to your site is beneficial for both parties. While it may seem a little shallow, it will help their business grow while also creating a quality link. Testimonials are now hugely influential online and can help with conversions. Testimonials provide social proof and are frequently referred to, but you must be honest and only write testimonials for products or services you use. False testimonials can be damaging to both parties’ reputations.
- Credits
Credits are particularly important for web designers who will have created large numbers of websites, each one being an opportunity to build a backlink. Just having your site mentioned in the footer will do little to promote your business, but if you also include a backlink, it helps drive traffic to your own website and help you climb the organic rankings. Of course, not all sites will wish you to include a link which is fine, and you may not want to include a link on a site that is deemed by Google to be a low authority.
- HARO
ARO (Help a Report Out) is a platform used by journalists to obtain feedback that they can use in their articles. It helps you to gain backlinks while also helping the journalist write meaningful content. All you need to do is sign up to HARO, send out a few requests, and if a journalist is interested, they will get back to you. Potentially, it could give you the opportunity to gain links from some extremely authoritative websites.
- Podcasts
Although this isn’t for everyone, agreeing to be interviewed for a podcast about your business sector is another excellent opportunity to build links. Of course, if you are a little nervous in front of a microphone, this may not work, but if you are confident talking about your industry, you can quickly gain a reputation as an expert. Naturally, you will need to approach podcasters and explain why their listeners will be interested in what you have to say.
- Create Infographics
Infographics are increasingly frequently used as they are a fantastic way of breaking up content as well as presenting information in a different manner. Of course, they should be insightful and contain relevant information that explains a point in a simple and concise way. The infographics should be easy to share, and they should include embedded code, meaning that they will appeal to businesses or like-minded people.
- Keeping things fun
How many times have you been on Facebook and see that a quiz has been shared, generating numerous hits and further shares? Buzzfeed has vast numbers of quizzes available, covering a wide variety of topics and genres. They are easily shared and can quickly go viral if they manage to capture people’s interest. Again, you must select quizzes that are relevant to your niche and have some relationship with your business sector.
- Link Intersect Tools
Brand loyalty is something that every business wants to build, but it can often be bought! Many of your competitors will have fans who frequently post information about products or services. Using intersect tools, you can find out who they are and ask if they will do something similar for your website. Try to look for sites that link to your competitors but not to you, and just ask the question! Once they know about you, a significant number will be more than happy to link back to your site.
- Associate Links
Whatever industry you operate in, you are likely to have business associates and suppliers. As you already have a business relationship, they are probably more willing to include links to your site. However, there must be a genuine reason why users would want to link back to your site rather than it being merely to “help a mate out”.
- Natural Links
Finally, the best way to build links is naturally, and that means creating awesome content that other sites want to link to and share when they a creating content of their own. How many times have you heard the phrase “content is king”? It is at the forefront of everything related to SEO, and creating excellent articles, images, case studies, or infographics will inevitably increase the likelihood of it being shared. Anything that is shared naturally will be more relevant to users, which is what Google is trying to achieve. Anything that is forced or unnatural is likely to start alarm bells ringing and not get the desired result.
