How to Get Backlinks: 5 Proven Tactics
( Part 2)
Link building is not rocket science. There is no secret club where only a few elites learn how to build links. Anyone can do this.
But without proven tactics to lean on, it's harder than it needs to be.
Here are 5 proven ways to get backlinks:
1. Pursue link gaps
A link gap analysis reveals the websites linking to multiple competitors, but not you. It’s often easy to replicate these links because if someone’s linking to multiple competitors, it might make sense for them to link to you too.
How to do it
To run a link gap analysis, plug your homepage into Site Explorer (use the “Exact URL” mode), go to the Link Intersect report, and add a few competing homepages in the empty fields (set these to “URL” mode too).
2. Get stockist links
Stockist links come from companies whose products you stock and sell. These links are easy to get if you stock products from companies that list stockists on their websites.
How to do it
To find relevant stockists pages, find the websites of all the companies whose products you stock, then run this Google search for each of them: site:brand.com intitle:"stockists" OR intitle:"where to buy". You should see it in the search results if they have a stockist page.
3. Utilize existing memberships
Organizations, communities, and clubs that you’re already a part of are arguably the lowest-hanging fruit in link building. This is because they often have a team or advisory board pages where they’ll happily mention and link to you if you ask.
How to do it
To find opportunities, make a list of all organizations, communities, and clubs you’re a part of. This can be anything from a school parent advisory board to a local charity, to a law association.
Next, find their websites and run this Google search for each one: site:theirwebsite.com intitle:team OR advisory.
It should pop up if they have a relevant page.
4. Pitch link roundups
Link roundups are curated lists of the best new content in an industry, usually from the past week or month. The authors of these posts are always on the lookout for worthy content to feature in their next roundup, so this is an easy way to build links to new content.
How to do it
To find roundup posts, search Google for your topic followed by intitle:2022 intitle:"roundup" OR intitle:"round up".
As there’s no point in pitching discontinued roundups, filter for search results from the past three months (Tools > Any time > Custom range > select the last three months on the calendar).
5. Internal backlinks
Internal backlinks are links from other pages on the same website. Many SEOs neglect internal links, which is a big mistake because they’re a powerful way to funnel “authority” to the pages that need it. You also have full control over them—unlike external backlinks.
How to do it
To find pages that would benefit most from a boost, look for those that rank in positions #2–4 for their target keyword. You can do this in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer. Just plug in your site, go to the Organic Keywords report, and filter by position.
Next, go to your project in Site Audit, click the Link opportunities report, paste your page’s URL into the search box, and switch the dropdown to “Target page.”
You should now see relevant places on your site to add internal links to your page.
Final thoughts
Most of these tactics aren’t new or exciting, but they work—and that’s what counts. Just don’t try to do them all at once. Start with one, learn from it, perfect your approach, and build from there. Leave me a comment in the Comment Box if you have any questions.
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