Link Acquisition Strategies for SEO Benefits

That’s right, technical and on-page SEO are absolutely important. But they just get you indexed and ranked somewhere. That could very well be page 12 or page 75.

The tiebreaker between your domain and others in your niche is the domain rating / domain authority score first and foremost, followed by page authorities, anchor texts, etc.

So basically, you need links. A lot of them, and from authoritative, relevant domains.

This post will help you understand the most common ways to build links, so you can finally see your pages and posts start to drive organic traffic.

What, Exactly, is Link Acquisition Anyway?

So when I say “link acquisition,” what does that mean?

It’s all about obtaining backlinks from other websites, i.e. links on their domains that each point at a URL on your domain.

This is how you boost domain rating like I mentioned previously. Over time, it represents more than half of the actions you’ll need to take for your content to rank better.

So you’ll need to decide between building links internally or hiring someone like Return On Now to do it for you. But if you want to rank, you’re gonna need links my friend.

Link Acquisition Strategies

You’ll quickly learn that there are nearly limitless possibilities for building links.

But some are one-off tactics, while others represent an actual long-term, repeatable strategy.

These are the ones you’ll want to focus on in the long term, for example:

Strategy	Description
Content Marketing	Creating valuable content to attract natural links
Guest Blogging	Writing posts for other websites to earn backlinks
Influencer Outreach	Collaborating with influencers to promote your content
Broken Link Building	Finding and replacing broken links on websites
Resource Page Link Building	Getting featured on curated resource pages

White-Hat vs. Black-Hat Techniques

SEO has been around for decades now, and in many circles it has gotten a bad rap.

Why? Because a lot of SEO professionals have decided that tricking the algorithm is better than doing everything within Google and Bing’s respective guidelines.

This trickery is what we refer to as black hat SEO. And I recommend you NEVER engage in these techniques.

White hat SEO, on the other hand, is safer because you’re operating within the guidelines. All five of the examples in the table above would qualify as white hat SEO tactics.

They are safer because the search engines always eventually catch on to black hat SEO and issue penalties against the violators.

And once you’re penalized, your domain could very well be done for good. It’s extremely difficult to dig back out of that sandbox.

I highly recommend you click through to the blog post hyperlinked in this section and learn more about black hat SEO.

Content Marketing for Link Acquisition

If you want to enhance your link acquisition efforts, content marketing is one of the most effective strategies.

By creating valuable and engaging content, you can attract attention from other websites and encourage them to link back to you.

When your content resonates with your audience, it promotes organic sharing, driving traffic and improving your SEO performance.

Use different formats such as blog posts, infographics, or videos to diversify your approach and reach a broader audience.

Creating Link-Worthy Content

Before you start producing content, try to identify what makes content truly link-worthy.

Focus on topics that are relevant to your niche and provide unique insights or solutions to common problems.

Research trending subjects and analyze what performs well on other sites.

Use this information to craft compelling content that not only captures your audience’s attention but also encourages others to reference and link back to it.

Guest Blogging and Collaboration

Guest blogging and collaboration represent two of the most effective strategies for link acquisition.

By contributing to other websites in your niche, you gain access to their audience while earning valuable backlinks to your site.

This mutually beneficial relationship allows you to showcase your expertise and drive referral traffic.

And the website owner gets high quality content on a topic they may or may not be able to cover on their own. Even better if that content ends up ranking and driving traffic for them.

To get started, reach out to webmasters and propose relevant topics that align with their content. Be sure to highlight how your insights can add value for their readers.

To maximize the impact of guest blogging, try to establish relationships with website owners before pitching your ideas.

Engage with them on social media or comment on their posts to create rapport.

Once you’ve built a connection, tailor your pitch to their audience and offer unique, high-quality content that meets their needs.

This strategy not only increases the likelihood that they will accept your post.

It also enhances the credibility of you and your website, ultimately contributing to your overall link acquisition success.

Outreach and Relationship Building

By forging genuine connections within your industry, you increase your chances of gaining valuable links to enhance your website’s authority.

Here are some tips that will help you move forward confidently.

Effective Outreach Techniques

Your outreach efforts should be personalized and targeted.

Start by identifying potential link partners, then tailor your communication to reflect their interests and needs.

Use tools to track responses and ensure follow-ups to maintain the momentum of the outreach process.

Network within Your Niche

When you engage with professionals in your niche, you have a good shot at opening doors to collaborative opportunities.

Attend industry events, join online forums, and participate in social media groups to strengthen your presence and connect with influential individuals ready to support your link-building efforts.

Not only does a network within your niche enhance your link-building potential, but it also positions you as a thought leader in your field.

By actively participating in discussions and sharing valuable insights, you can establish your expertise and build trust.

This trust will then encourage others to link to your content, recognizing its value to their audience.

Embrace these networking opportunities and watch your link acquisition efforts flourish.

Capitalizing on Social Media for Links

All social media platforms offer tremendous potential for acquiring valuable backlinks.

By actively sharing content and engaging with your audience, you not only build a community but also create opportunities for other websites to link back to your content.

With the right approach, you will be able to boost your content visibility and drive more traffic via social media.

Social Signals and SEO

While they don’t drive domain authority directly, social signals still play a key role in a successful SEO effort.

These signals, derived from engagement metrics such as shares, likes, and comments, show search engines how popular and relevant your content is.

Strong social signals are highly beneficial to showing search engines that real users like your content.

When you’re able to engage your visitors successfully, it will indirectly help your content rank better over time.

Promote Content Through Social Platforms

With effective promotion on social platforms, you can amplify your content’s reach and attract more backlinks.

Always use tailored posts for your audience and the platform you’re using. This approach can further boost engagement and encourage others to share your content.

And by all means, participate as much as you can. Be present and active, interact and engage, and share your content.

This will help you get in front of more people who might opt to link to you.

Don’t just share your own content. You can establish topical authority by sharing content from other websites as well.

And if or when they notice you sharing their content to boost its footprint, they may very well invite you to contribute to their domain without you even asking!

I know because it has happened to me in the past, so this isn’t just a pipe dream. It really does happen.

Conclusion

If you’ve been thinking you can survive on technical and on-page SEO alone and failing to see progress, it’s time to reset.

Every domain needs links, but not any links, the right links. Done properly, link acquisition can drive fantastic results for you.

So make a decision to build backlinks starting immediately. If you can’t take it on in-house, we are here to help. Just say the word, and we will share our approach for you to review.

Thank you for reading, and happy link building!

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Tommy Landry

President at Return On Now

As Founder and President of Return On Now, Tommy Landry provides the vision behind our SEO and SEM methodologies. With over 25 years of business experience and a deep understanding of modern internet marketing techniques, he spends his time providing hands-on consulting, insightful content, and engaging public speaking appearances to Online Marketers of all skill levels.