Today I’d like to show you 10 top external link building strategies for better ranking in 2023. You’ll discover how to easily and reliably boost your SEO efforts with minimal time and effort. By implementing these strategies, you can enhance your website’s visibility and climb up the search engine rankings.
Introduction
In 2023, building external links is crucial for improving your website’s ranking in search engine results. External links, also known as backlinks, are links from other websites that point back to your own site.
Search engines consider these links as endorsements of your website’s credibility and relevance, which can positively impact your search rankings. In this article, we will explore 10 top external link building strategies that you can implement to boost your website’s ranking in 2023.
1. Ask People You Know for Links
Reach out to friends and colleagues
One effective strategy to kickstart your link building efforts is to reach out to your friends and colleagues and request links to your website. These individuals are often willing to support you and your business, and including a link to your site on their own website can be a simple yet effective way to build external links. Personal connections can go a long way in establishing these initial links, so don’t hesitate to ask for this support.
Ask for links from industry experts
Another approach is to approach industry experts and thought leaders in your field and ask them to include a link to your website. You can do this by sending them a friendly email or reaching out through social media platforms. When contacting these experts, make sure to highlight the value and relevance of your content and explain how it can benefit their audience. By obtaining links from respected figures in your industry, you can boost your site’s credibility and authority.
Connect with influencers in your niche
Influencers play a significant role in shaping opinions and trends within various industries. By connecting with influencers in your niche and building relationships with them, you increase the chances of them mentioning your website or linking back to your content. This can be achieved by engaging with their content, sharing their posts, or collaborating on mutually beneficial projects. Influencers’ endorsement can bring significant visibility to your website and attract a wider audience.
2. Submit to Blog and Niche Directories
Research and submit to relevant blog directories
Blog directories are platforms that categorize and list blogs from various niches. By submitting your blog to relevant directories, you increase the chances of your website being discovered by a broader audience. Research blog directories in your industry and submit your blog to those that align with your niche. Make sure to follow each directory’s submission guidelines and provide accurate descriptions and tags to optimize your listing.
Submit to niche directories in your industry
Apart from general blog directories, niche directories specific to your industry can provide valuable backlinks. These directories focus solely on websites within your niche, attracting a highly targeted audience. Research and identify niche directories that are well-regarded in your industry and submit your website for inclusion. Again, ensure that you provide accurate and relevant information to maximize your visibility to potential visitors.
Optimize your listings for better visibility
When submitting your website to directories, it’s essential to optimize your listings for better visibility. This can be done by carefully selecting appropriate categories and tags that accurately represent your website’s content. Additionally, craft engaging and descriptive meta titles and descriptions that effectively summarize your website’s offerings. By optimizing your directory listings, you increase the likelihood of attracting more visitors and generating quality backlinks.
3. Get .edu links
Reach out to universities and educational institutions
Obtaining backlinks from universities and educational institutions can significantly boost your website’s credibility and authority. Reach out to professors, researchers, or webmasters in relevant departments and offer valuable resources or content that could be of interest to their students or readers. In exchange, ask if they would be willing to include a link to your website as a reference. .edu backlinks are highly valued by search engines and can improve your site’s ranking.
Offer valuable resources in exchange for links
When reaching out to universities and educational institutions, it’s crucial to provide valuable resources or content that aligns with their educational objectives. This could include research papers, case studies, or informative articles. By offering something of value, you increase the likelihood of them accepting your request for a backlink. The more relevant and valuable your offering, the higher the chance of securing a quality .edu link.
Collaborate with professors and students
Collaborating with professors, researchers, and students can lead to valuable opportunities for both parties. By offering to contribute to their research projects or providing access to your expertise, you can establish mutually beneficial relationships. In return, they may be willing to link back to your website as a way to acknowledge your contribution. Collaborative efforts with educational institutions can generate quality backlinks and establish your reputation within your industry.
4. Guest Posting on Blogs
Identify authoritative blogs in your niche
Guest posting involves writing and publishing articles on other blogs or websites in your niche. It is an effective way to reach a broader audience and build valuable external links. Begin by identifying authoritative blogs in your industry that attract a significant amount of traffic. These blogs should have an engaged audience and a good reputation within your niche. Conduct thorough research and ensure that their content aligns with your expertise and the topics you wish to cover.
Pitch guest post ideas to blog owners
Once you have identified suitable blogs, reach out to the blog owners or editors and pitch your guest post ideas. Craft a compelling and personalized email expressing your interest in contributing to their blog. Clearly outline the topic you wish to cover and how it can benefit their audience. Emphasize your expertise in the field and how your guest post can add value to their blog.
Include relevant links within your guest posts
When writing your guest posts, it’s important to include relevant links back to your website. These links should be inserted naturally within the context of your article and should add value to the reader. Avoid excessive self-promotion and focus on providing informative and engaging content. By including relevant links, you not only drive traffic to your website but also strengthen the credibility and authority of your content.
5. Find and Use Link Roundups
Discover link roundups in your industry
Link roundups are curated collections of valuable content from around the web, typically centered around a specific topic or niche. These roundups are often published weekly or monthly and can attract a significant amount of traffic. Research and discover link roundups in your industry by exploring popular blogs, subscribing to relevant newsletters, or following influencers in your niche. By identifying these roundups, you can leverage them to build external links.
Submit your content to be featured in roundups
Once you have identified link roundups in your industry, submit your high-quality and informative content to be featured in these collections. This can be done by contacting the roundup curators directly or by following their submission guidelines, if available. Ensure that your content aligns with the roundup’s theme or topic and provides value to their audience. If your content is selected, you will receive a valuable backlink and exposure to a wider audience.
Engage with the roundup community for more visibility
To maximize the effectiveness of link roundups, it’s vital to engage with the roundup community. This can be achieved by leaving insightful comments on roundup posts or contributing to discussions within the roundup’s community forums or social media groups. By actively participating, you establish your presence within the community and increase the likelihood of being featured in future roundups. Engaging with the roundup community can lead to more exposure and valuable external links.
6. Get links from Podcasts
Reach out to podcast hosts in your niche
Podcasts have gained significant popularity in recent years, making them an excellent platform to build external links and attract a loyal audience. Identify podcasts in your niche and reach out to the hosts, expressing your interest in being a guest on their show. Explain how your expertise aligns with their podcast’s theme or topic and how you can provide value to their listeners. By appearing on podcasts, you can generate quality backlinks and increase your visibility within your niche.
Offer to be a guest on their show
When reaching out to podcast hosts, offer to be a guest on their show and share your insights, experiences, or expertise with their audience. This can be done through interviews, panel discussions, or solo episodes, depending on the format of the podcast. Be prepared to provide value and engage with the listeners, as this will enhance your credibility and increase the chances of listeners visiting your website through the link provided in the podcast description or show notes.
Include links in the podcast description or show notes
To leverage podcasts for external link building, ensure that your website link is included in the podcast description or show notes. Listeners often refer to these details to find more information about the guests or topics discussed in the episode. By providing a direct link to your website, you make it easy for interested listeners to visit your site and explore your content further. Additionally, these links contribute to your website’s visibility and authority in search engine rankings.
7. Create links in PDFs and Upload to Scribd.com
Create valuable content in PDF format
PDFs are a widely used format for sharing informative content, such as guides, reports, or whitepapers. By creating valuable content in PDF format, you can attract an audience interested in accessing and sharing high-quality resources. Ensure that your PDFs contain unique and engaging content that provides value to the reader. This content should also be relevant to your niche and topics within your industry.
Optimize PDFs for search engines
To maximize the SEO value of your PDFs, it’s crucial to optimize them for search engines. This can be done by including relevant keywords in the file name, title, and metadata. Additionally, ensure that the PDF is visually appealing, well-structured, and easy to navigate. By optimizing your PDFs, you increase the chances of search engines indexing and ranking them, thereby making your content accessible to a wider audience.
Upload PDFs to Scribd.com and include links in the description
Scribd.com is a popular document-sharing platform that allows users to upload and share various file formats, including PDFs. By uploading your PDFs to Scribd.com and including links to your website in the description, you create opportunities for users to discover and access your content. Scribd.com has a large user base and can attract significant traffic, making it an ideal platform to generate external links and increase your website’s visibility.
8. Find Dead Links and Notify Site Owners
Use tools to identify dead links on relevant websites
Dead links, also known as broken links, are hyperlinks on websites that no longer lead to active web pages. These links negatively impact user experience and can harm a website’s search engine rankings. By using online tools, such as broken link checkers, you can identify dead links on relevant websites within your industry. Dead links present an opportunity for you to reach out to site owners and offer your own relevant content as a replacement.
Reach out to site owners and inform them about the dead links
Once you have identified dead links, reach out to the site owners or webmasters and inform them about the issue. Be polite and offer helpful suggestions for replacing the dead links with your own relevant content. Explain how your content can provide value to their website visitors and offer to assist with updating the links. By presenting yourself as a helpful resource, you increase the chances of the site owners accepting your offer and providing a quality backlink.
Offer your own content as a replacement
When notifying site owners about dead links, it’s crucial to offer your own content as a replacement. This content should be relevant, high-quality, and add value to their website visitors. By presenting an alternative to the dead link, you position yourself as a solution provider and make it easier for the site owner to update their content. If they accept your offer, you will receive a valuable backlink and improve your website’s authority and visibility.
9. Find Expired Domains and Register Them
Research expired domains with high domain authority
Expired domains are websites that were previously registered but have not been renewed by their owners. These domains often have existing backlink profiles and domain authority, making them valuable assets for link building. Research and identify expired domains within your niche or industry that have a high domain authority. Tools like Moz, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can provide valuable insights into a domain’s authority score and backlink profile.
Register the expired domains and redirect them to your site
Once you have identified expired domains with high authority, register them and set up redirects to your own website. This can be done using domain registrar platforms or web hosting services. By redirecting these domains to your site, you inherit their existing backlinks, which can significantly boost your website’s authority and search engine rankings. Ensure that the content on your website is relevant and valuable to visitors coming from these redirected domains.
Benefit from the existing backlink profile of the expired domains
The primary advantage of registering expired domains is the opportunity to benefit from their existing backlink profile. These backlinks can drive traffic to your website and contribute to your site’s credibility and authority. However, it is essential to note that the content on your website should be relevant and provide value to the visitors. By leveraging the existing backlink profile of the expired domains, you can enhance your website’s search engine ranking and visibility.
10. Send Testimonials to Site Owners in Your Niche
Identify authority sites in your industry
Authority sites are established platforms with a wide reach and loyal audience within your industry. Identify these sites and determine which ones align with your niche and target audience. Authority sites often have sections dedicated to testimonials or customer reviews, making them excellent opportunities for building external links and increasing your website’s visibility.
Write genuine testimonials for their products or services
Once you have identified suitable authority sites, write genuine testimonials for their products or services. Ensure that your testimonials are authentic, detailed, and emphasize the value or benefits you received from using their offerings. By providing valuable testimonials, you increase the likelihood of your testimonial being featured prominently on their website along with a link back to your own site.
Include a link back to your site in the testimonials
To leverage testimonials for link building, it is crucial to include a link back to your website within the testimonial itself. This link can be placed in your name or within the body of the testimonial if allowed by the authority site. By incorporating a link, you not only provide credibility to your testimonial but also generate valuable external links that can improve your website’s ranking and visibility.
Conclusion
In conclusion, implementing these top 10 external link building strategies can significantly enhance your website’s ranking in 2023. By asking people you know for links, submitting to blog and niche directories, acquiring .edu links, guest posting on blogs, leveraging link roundups, obtaining links from podcasts, creating links in PDFs, finding dead links, registering expired domains, and sending testimonials to site owners, you can attract high-quality external links and improve your website’s visibility and authority. Stay proactive and adapt to the ever-evolving link building landscape to ensure continued success in your online endeavors.
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