10 Proven Ways to Get High-Quality Backlinks and Boost Your SEO

Want to rank higher in Google and get more traffic to your website? Then you need to focus on building quality backlinks.

Backlinks from authoritative sites act as endorsements that signal to search engines that your site is valuable and deserving of higher rankings.

This guide will show you 10 white hat strategies to earn backlinks that will actually move the needle.

Why is this blog post worth reading?

Because having a strategic backlink acquisition plan could be the difference between your site languishing on page 10 or dominating the first page for your most important keywords.

I'm going to break down link building tactics that are working today to push your site up the search rankings.

Let's get started!

What Are Backlinks and Why Are They So Important for SEO?

A backlink is when another website links to your site. Getting quality backlinks is critical for SEO because Google sees each backlink as a vote of confidence in the quality and relevance of your content.

However, not all backlinks are created equal. A link from a spammy, low-authority site won't move the needle. You want to focus on earning backlinks from trusted, niche-relevant websites with high domain authority.

The more quality backlinks you have from authoritative domains, the higher Google will rank your pages in the search results. That's why an effective link building campaign is essential for SEO success.

How Many Backlinks Do You Need to Rank Higher?

The number of backlinks needed can vary based on your industry's competitiveness.

Generally speaking, the top ranking results will have both a higher total number of backlinks and a higher number of referring domains linking to their site.

Using a tool like Semrush, Ahrefs or Ubersuggest, you can analyze the top ranking pages for your target keywords to get an idea of how many quality backlinks they have.

This competitive analysis data can guide your own link building goals and efforts.

For example, I'm using Semrush to look at the backlinks for the top 10 ranking pages for "best accounting software."

The top results have anywhere from 500-5,000 backlinks from 200-1,000 referring domains.

To outrank them, I'll likely need 1,000+ quality backlinks from 500+ unique websites.

10 Proven Link Building Strategies to Get Quality Backlinks

Now that we understand the importance of backlinks, let's dive into 10 effective tactics to build high-quality backlinks to your website:

Guest Posting on Relevant Blogs

One of the best ways to get quality backlinks is by guest posting on blogs that are relevant to your niche or industry.

When you create awesome content for their site, you'll usually get an authoritative backlink in return.

To find guest blogging opportunities, use search queries like:

"your keyword" + guest post "your keyword" + write for us "your keyword" + guest blogger "your keyword" + guest author

You can also use tools like Google Alerts to monitor for guest posting opportunities matching your target keywords.

Broken Link Building

Broken link building is the process of finding broken links on other websites and letting the site owners know so they can replace the dead links with links to your relevant content.

Since they already had that link on their page, many will be happy to replace it with your working link.

Use a tool like Ahrefs to find broken links on pages that are related to your niche. Then send outreach emails politely letting site owners know about the broken link and suggesting your content as a great replacement.

Link Outreach to Brand Mentions

Using a tool like Mention or Google Alerts, you can monitor the web for brand mentions of your company name, product names, etc.

Whenever you find an unlinked mention, reach out and ask the webmaster if they wouldn't mind adding a link to your site.

Since they've already referenced your brand, they'll often be happy to include a link back, giving you an easy backlink opportunity.

Resource Page Link Building

Many websites have resource pages that link out to useful tools, products or pieces of content related to their industry.

You can find these by searching:

"Your keyword" + resources "Your keyword" + links "Your keyword" + useful links

Then do outreach introducing your valuable resource and politely asking to be added to their links page. It's a win-win since you get a backlink and they get to provide extra value for their audience.

Create a Superior Resource That People Will Want to Link To

If you really want to attract backlinks organically, you need to create the best, most comprehensive resource on a given topic that other websites will want to link to as a reference.

Ideally, it should be a piece of content that becomes an authority resource for your target audience.

This takes significant time and effort, but the payoff can be huge if done well. The Skyscraper Technique from Backlinko is a great framework for this.

Find a popular piece of content, make something even better, and then promote it for backlink opportunities.

Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

Journalists and bloggers are constantly looking for expert sources to quote and link to in their stories.

Sign up for HARO (https://www.helpareporter.com/) to get daily emails of queries from reporters needing sources related to your industry.

When you see a relevant opportunity, quickly submit a high-quality pitch to earn some authoritative backlinks from major media publications.

Become an Influencer and Get Interviewed on Podcasts/Blogs

Building your personal brand and getting established as an influencer in your niche is an excellent way to get a steady stream of backlink opportunities.

As an authority figure, people will routinely quote you as a source and link to your website or content.

You can become an influencer by speaking at industry events, guest posting on popular blogs, starting a YouTube channel, launching a podcast interviewing leaders in your space, and promoting your insights on social media.

Build Relationships with Bloggers and Journalists in Your Niche

The right connections can open doors to backlink opportunities you'd never find on your own.

Make a list of influential bloggers, journalists, and publishers that cover your industry. Follow them on social media, comment on their content, politely introduce yourself via email, and look for ways to provide value to them before asking for anything.

When you build genuine relationships and earn their trust, they'll be far more open to linking to your site and sharing your content with their audiences.

Monitor Your Brand Mentions and Ask for a Link

Just like finding unlinked brand mentions, you can monitor the web for mentions of your name, products, business name, etc. with tools like Google Alerts, Mention, etc.

Whenever you find one of these references that isn't a backlink, simply email the site owner and ask them politely if they'd add a link back to your website.

Since they're already talking about you, it's an easy win to convert those mentions into quality backlinks.

Become a Source That Journalists and Bloggers Quote

Finally, you can earn authoritative backlinks by becoming a go-to source that bloggers and journalists want to frequently cite and quote in their content.

You can make yourself available as an expert source by submitting your credentials and contact info to sources like HARO, ProfNet, BloggingPro, and ResponseSource.

When journalists and bloggers are working on content related to your industry, they'll reach out to you for quotes, data, graphics and other insights they can link back to your site.

In Summary: Important Things to Remember About Building Quality Backlinks

• Focus on earning backlinks from authoritative, relevant websites in your niche
• Look at your competitor's backlink profiles to guide how many quality links you'll need
• Use a mix of link building tactics like guest posting, resource page link building, broken link building, and becoming a source for journalists
• Prioritize creating extremely valuable content that others will want to link to
• Build genuine relationships with bloggers and influencers in your industry
• Monitor for existing brand mentions and turn them into backlinks
• Be patient and persistent - quality link building takes consistent effort over time

With the right link building strategy and execution, you can steadily increase the amount of quality backlinks pointing to your website. This will help increase your site's authority and rankings, driving more targeted organic traffic from search engines.

While it takes work, earning authoritative backlinks is one of the most effective levers for improving your SEO performance. The time invested into smart link building will pay dividends through increased online visibility and revenue for your business.

Need help implementing an ROI-driven link building campaign? Consult with the SEO experts at Brandoze (www.brandoze.com) to craft a custom white hat link

Frequently Asked Questions About Building Backlinks

How do I get backlinks for my website?

There are several ways to get backlinks, including guest posting, broken link building, resource page link building, creating superior content that naturally attracts links, becoming an influencer that people want to cite, building relationships with bloggers, and monitoring brand mentions to turn them into backlinks.

What is the best way to build backlinks?

The best way to build backlinks is to create high-quality, authoritative content that provides immense value to your target audience.

This makes other website owners want to link to your pages. You can also use white hat link building techniques like guest posting.

How can I get high-quality backlinks?

To get high-quality backlinks, focus on earning links from authoritative, relevant websites in your niche.

Look at your competitor's top ranking pages to see what kind of high-authority sites are linking to them, and try to get links from similar domains.

What is the ultimate guide to link building?

The ultimate guide to link building would cover all the most effective white hat link building strategies, tools to use, how to analyze your competitor's backlinks, setting goals, tracking success metrics, avoiding penalties, and advanced tips from experienced SEO professionals.

What is a backlink and why is it important?

A backlink is when one website links to another website. Backlinks are important for SEO because Google views them as votes of confidence/endorsements for the linked-to website's content.

The more high-quality backlinks a page/site has, the higher Google will rank it.

What is the best way to build links to my site?

Some of the best ways to build links to your site include guest posting on relevant blogs, finding and replacing broken links on other websites, getting listed on quality resource pages, creating exceptional content that attracts natural links, and monitoring brand mentions to turn them into links.

How do I build links from other websites?

To build links from other websites, you need to create content that website owners will actually want to link to.

You can also use link outreach and ask other site owners to link to your pages by pitching the value it provides their audience.

How do I get backlinks to my website?

Effective ways to get backlinks include guest posting, broken link building, creating data-driven studies/visualizations, building an outreach list and getting featured on resource pages, monitoring and converting brand mentions into links, and interviewing influencers who will link to you.

What are 10 ways to build quality backlinks?

10 ways to build quality backlinks:

1) Guest post

2) Broken link building

3) Resource page link building

4) Create exceptional content

5) Get interviewed/quoted as a source

6) Build relationships with influencers

7) Monitor brand mentions

8) Use HARO

9) Internal linking

10) Visual asset link building

How can I build backlinks to my ecommerce website?

For an ecommerce site, you can build backlinks by optimizing product pages for link-worthy content, creating comprehensive buyer's guides, building out a resource center with linkable assets, partnering with influencers for reviews/giveaways, and using tools like Semrush to find link building opportunities.

What are the best ways to build backlinks in 2024?

Top link building strategies for 2024 include guest posting on authority sites, creating data-driven visual content like studies and infographics that attract natural links, using HARO and SourceBottle to get featured as an expert source, hosting giveaways/contests requiring a link to enter, and building relationships with relevant bloggers.

How do I start building quality backlinks for SEO?

To start building quality backlinks, first analyze your top ranking competitors to understand their backlink profiles and set a target number of links/linking domains to aim for.

Then, prioritize creating exceptional content before doing outreach and promotion to earn links from authoritative, relevant sites.

How important are link building efforts for SEO?

Link building efforts are extremely important for SEO, as backlinks remain one of the top ranking factors for how Google evaluates and ranks websites.

Having a consistent link building strategy is essential for increasing your site's authority and getting more organic search traffic over time.

How do I get the right links for my website?

To get the right links, focus on relevancy - earn backlinks from authoritative websites that are closely related to your niche/industry.

These relevant, niche-specific links will have a much greater positive impact on your search rankings compared to general, low-quality links.