Inbound Marketing SEO & PPC Blog | OneIMS

Backlink Strategies: A Cheat Sheet for Small Businesses

Written by Samuel Thimothy | May 9, 2014 7:00:51 AM

 

Google’s algorithm changes have refocused on quality, which has impacted the way backlinks are built. Quality backlinks are favored by Google, while the use of old techniques may lead to steep penalties for small businesses, including a de-indexed website.

Simply stated, a backlink is generated when another site links to yours. In the old days of SEO, a low quality backlink could be generated easily.

Today, however, inbound marketers must work diligently to gain quality backlinks. Fortunately, these five tips make the process easier for small businesses.

Guest Posting

Lending your talent and expertise to another website in your industry can result in high quality backlinks pointing to your brand. The key to making guest posts work for your brand is choosing which sites best relate to your brand, have a similar audience and receive a significant amount of traffic.

When a guest post is hosted on their site, it can result in more traffic and attention for your brand.

Videos

Another way to gain backlinks is through the creation of video. A branded YouTube channel with original video content can help generate quality backlinks to your brand’s website, particularly if content is shared through other social media sites. When creating branded video, review your distribution options and choose the best, most appropriate channels for your specific audience.

Webinars

Between social media, a branded website, and shares your content receives, webinars can generate an abundance of quality backlinks. Planning a webinar should involve a thorough examination of your audience’s pain points, top questions and interests.

Successful webinars address these three key items to ensure content is relevant to their audience members.

Infographics

Pairing relevant data and a visually pleasing design into an infographic creates an interesting, shareable piece of content your audience will enjoy viewing. Because they are packed full of helpful information, infographics receive higher engagement and share rates than other forms of content.

As a bonus, the distribution of infographics can result in quality backlinks for your brand.

Social Sharing

As with any form of content your brand produces, social sharing is a crucial element of building brand awareness, attracting leads and gaining quality backlinks. Choose your social media platforms wisely to accurately target your audience.

Which backlink strategies do you plan to include in your inbound marketing campaign? If you’re unsure, you can get help from the inbound marketing experts at OneIMS today.