The Complete Guide to Build Link Popularity for SEO Success

Building link popularity is a crucial aspect of SEO, and it's essential to understand the basics to achieve success. Acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites can significantly boost your website's ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Link popularity is a measure of the number and quality of links pointing to your website. It's not just about the quantity of links, but also their relevance and authority. For instance, a link from a popular news website is more valuable than a link from a low-quality blog.

To build link popularity, you need to focus on creating high-quality content that attracts links naturally. This can be achieved through guest blogging, content marketing, and PR efforts. By doing so, you'll increase your chances of getting links from authoritative websites.

A well-planned link building strategy can lead to significant improvements in your website's ranking and visibility.

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a way to drive organic traffic via search engines, especially in competitive industries. Link building plays an important role in this, and can be super effective when combined with strong technical SEO foundations.

Google views links from other websites as endorsements, and treats certain kinds of links like backlinks as a sign of a website's authority. The higher the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to your site, the more trustworthy it can seem.

In fact, 8 of the top 20 ranking factors that Google considers relate to backlinks. This means that having a strong backlink profile can give you a competitive edge in search.

The BBC website, bbc.co.uk, has a strong backlink profile with over 1 million domains linking to it, including reputable sites like cdc.gov and microsoft.com. This is likely to help it rank well in relevant search results.

To build link popularity, you need to focus on acquiring the right kinds of links, rather than just any links. This means prioritizing quality, relevance, and authenticity over low-quality, spammy link building techniques.

Building link popularity is all about creating content that's worth linking to. You can start by creating digital marketing assets like infographics, interactive content, and complete guides that have high sharing potential.

To increase the chance of sharing, focus on creating content that's easy to understand, engaging, and brings new and original data. For example, a research report like Semrush's blog post on content marketing statistics has backlinks from over 2.5K domains.

Here are some examples of linkable assets that you can produce:

Remember, quality content is the number one rule, and great content supports your link building strategy by earning quality links for you.

Building link popularity is all about relevance. It's usually better to build SEO links from sites that are highly related to your own, as it suggests you're well-respected by experts in the field.

The type of content your backlink appears within is also crucial. A backlink within highly relevant content carries more SEO weight than one that's unrelated.

Let's look at an example. Suppose you have three backlinks to your basketball shoes range. Backlink 1 appears on a gardening website in an article about growing plants. It's unlikely to carry much SEO weight because the site and topic are so unrelated to you.

A backlink on a sports blog in a post about cardiovascular exercise, like Backlink 2, could carry some SEO weight because the site shares your niche.

But a backlink on a sports blog in a basketball shoes buying guide, like Backlink 3, could carry a good amount of SEO weight because it suggests your page is highly relevant to the topic at hand.

Here are a few scenarios to illustrate the importance of relevance:

Placement is key when it comes to getting the most out of your backlinks. A link's placement on a page can affect its value for SEO, with more prominent links being more valuable.

Google's "reasonable surfer model" suggests that links are more likely to be clicked based on their location on the page. Links in sidebars, footers, and low on a page's content may not be worth as much as those higher in the page's body.

A link in the content block gets more clicks because the content block gets the most attention from visitors. This is a general rule of thumb.

Links higher on the page are more likely to be clicked than those lower down. Readers are more likely to click the links at the very beginning of the article rather than the ones at its very end.

Here are some general guidelines for link placement:

Successful link building means playing the long game and playing it well, so it will take some time to start seeing results. But once you do, one of the places they’ll show up is in your traffic records.

A successful backlinking campaign will eventually show a gradual uptick in the number of referring domains pointing back to your site. You can expect this trend to pick up speed as you continue to establish and build relationships with peers in your industry.

To monitor your referring domains, you can use tools like Ahrefs, which allows you to track changes in your backlinks over time. This will give you a clear picture of how your link building efforts are paying off.

Here are some key indicators to look out for:

By tracking these indicators, you can get a better understanding of your link building progress and make adjustments to your strategy as needed.

Creating Assets is a crucial step in building link popularity. To create assets that attract links, you need to come up with an idea for a link-worthy page. Start by brainstorming based on the list of linkable asset types, such as surveys, statistics, experiments, online tools, and guides.

You can survey your industry about something, like Aira's "The State of Link Building Report" that brought them backlinks from over 600 different websites. Or, you can calculate meaningful statistics from the data your business has access to, like Semrush's content marketing statistics that have backlinks from over 2.5K domains.

To increase the chance of sharing, invest in creating linkable digital marketing assets. This means creating content that has high sharing potential, such as infographics, interactive content, posts with lists, complete guides, and research results. For example, Authority Hacker's video on YouTube explaining how they use surveys to create linkable content is very actionable.

Here are some examples of linkable assets:

Regardless of the format, quality content is the number one rule. Don't forget that even the best linkable assets have to be promoted in order to attract links, because people can't link to things they don't know exist.

You can use various tools to explore and find link building opportunities. Ahrefs is a powerful tool that offers features like Site Explorer, Content Explorer, and Alerts. Site Explorer allows you to search any web URL to learn about its backlinks profile, while Content Explorer helps you find good link building partners by searching for sites related to a given keyword.

Link Explorer, a tool offered by Moz, is another useful resource for link building. It analyzes any page you choose and reports on backlinks, competitors, broken links, anchor texts, and link building opportunities. The free version of Link Explorer has some limitations, but it's a great starting point.

To find the best link building partners, you can use the Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) indicators of Link Explorer. These indicators simulate how Google's algorithm views search results based on several ranking factors, giving you a score from 0 to 100 that reveals a page or domain's chances to reach the top position in search engine results.

Here are some key features to look for in a link building tool:

By using these tools and features, you can explore and find link building opportunities that will help you improve your website's ranking and drive more traffic to your site.

Creating linkable assets is a crucial part of building link popularity. A linkable asset is a piece of content that has good potential to earn backlinks naturally, such as a tool, research report, or in-depth guide.

To create a linkable asset, you can start by brainstorming ideas based on the types of linkable assets that work well, such as industry surveys, studies and research, online tools and calculators, and how-to guides and tutorials. For example, Aira's annual "The State of Link Building Report" has brought them backlinks from over 600 different websites.

You can also study the websites of your competitors and figure out what types of linkable assets worked for them. Remember that even the best linkable assets have to be promoted in order to attract links. People can't link to things they don't know exist, so make sure to promote your content.

Here are some examples of linkable assets that you can produce:

These types of content are easy to understand, engaging, or bring new and original data, making them more likely to be shared and linked to.

Creating linkable assets is a crucial step in content creation. It involves crafting content that has the potential to earn backlinks naturally. This can take many forms, including industry surveys, studies, research, online tools, awards, rankings, how-to guides, definitions, and infographics.

A good example of a linkable asset is a tool or calculator that provides valuable information to users. Semrush's blog post on content marketing statistics has backlinks from over 2.5K domains, making it a highly linkable asset.

To get started, brainstorm ideas for linkable assets using a list of types, such as surveying your industry, calculating meaningful statistics, or creating a free online tool. You can also study your competitors' websites to see what types of linkable assets worked for them.

Here are some examples of linkable assets to consider:

Regardless of the format, the quality of your content is the number one rule. Create content that is so good, so relevant to the public, that it spreads out independently, without you having to struggle to generate links.

Content promotion is a crucial step in getting your content seen by a wider audience. To promote your content effectively, you can use various tactics such as advertising, influencer outreach, and building a following.

One easy way to promote your content is through advertising. This can reach thousands of relevant people, but it may require a significant budget. On the other hand, influencer outreach involves reaching out to active thought leaders in your space and sharing your content with them. If you're lucky, they might share it with their followers.

Building a following is also essential. Start by building an email list and being active on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn. Consistently publishing quality content will help you attract more followers, and some of them might even link to your content.

Another way to promote your content is by repurposing older content. Mention your older content in your newly published content to breathe new life into it. As Ryan Holiday said, "Creating more work is one of the most effective marketing techniques of all."

Here are some ideas for linkable assets that can help you attract links:

Off-page SEO refers to all search engine optimization strategies that are applied beyond a site's pages. This includes building a network of links to strengthen pages' authority.

Link building is a crucial part of off-page SEO, but it's not the only thing that matters. Building a network of links involves receiving external links from other sites and adding links on your pages. This process can't be controlled entirely, as the decision to link to and mention your site is not directly within your control.

Here are the key components of off-page SEO:

By understanding these concepts, you can create a solid off-page SEO strategy to boost your link popularity.

Off-page SEO refers to all search engine optimization strategies that are applied beyond a site's pages.

Off-page SEO encompasses backlinks received from other sites, part of a link building strategy, as well as brand mentions without links, which are an additional ranking factor for Google.

You can't just look beyond your site when building a network of links to show Google your relevance - you need to consider both on-page and off-page SEO.

The decision to link to and mention your site is not directly within your control, but you can influence off-page SEO.

Here's a key difference to keep in mind:

In a nutshell, links are like votes - when other websites link to your page, it tells Google that your page is important.

Google evaluates links based on a multitude of factors, including link evaluation. This evaluation goes far beyond quantity, considering the quality of links based on various criteria.

Links are essentially votes, telling Google that a page is somehow important. The more high-quality backlinks a page has, the higher it tends to rank in Google.

Google's algorithm uses a multitude of factors to rank pages, including link evaluation. The evaluation of links is a strong signal that influences search rankings.

The quality of links is based on various criteria, and it's essential to create material that is truly relevant to the audience. This will help you get high-quality backlinks that boost your page's authority in the eyes of Google.

To boost your target page's ranking, you want to see your star content pieces showing up within the top 3-5 search results. Keep track of those search positions and watch for evidence that your pages are rising in SERP results for your target keywords and search terms.

Link building is a crucial aspect of increasing your online presence, and it's essential to use effective strategies to achieve this goal. Some link building tactics can be very effective, while others are no longer working and will only waste your time.

There are many different link building tactics and strategies out there, but some of the most effective ones include using email outreach and building a strong network of links. Successful content creators receive many backlink requests, so an intelligent approach to email outreach is crucial.

To build a strong network of links, it's essential to keep Google's link evaluation factors in mind and focus on both quantity and quality. This means using link building techniques that will help you rank higher in search engines.

Some backlinks are more valuable for your SEO than others.

The value of a backlink depends on the quality of the website giving you the link.

Some backlinks don't have any effect at all, and ones acquired using spammy practices can be harmful.

Toxic backlinks are sometimes known as backlinks acquired using spammy practices.

Backlinks acquired using spammy practices can be harmful.

Link building is a crucial aspect of SEO, and understanding how to build better links can make a huge difference in your website's visibility. To start, it's essential to learn about putting link building into practice with tools like Moz Pro.

Anchor text is a clickable snippet of text that links to another page, and it's used by Google to better understand what the referenced page is about and what keywords it deserves to rank for. In fact, Google's original PageRank patent talks about this quite explicitly.

The quality of anchor text can make or break a backlink. Descriptive anchor text like "basketball shoes" clearly indicates what the linked page is about, whereas generic anchor text like "click here" gives no useful context. You can check your backlink anchor text with the Backlink Analytics tool.

To leverage anchor text when building links, it's better to let the author of the linking page decide how they want to reference your page. Trying to control how different pages link to you and shoehorn all the "right words" into the anchor text can lead to manipulation and penalties.

Replicating your competitor's backlinks can be a great way to start building links. If someone is linking to your competitor, there's a good chance that they might be open to linking to you too. You can study who links to your competitor's homepages and pages with the most links using tools like Site Explorer.

Here are some common types of pages that bring links:

Setting up a backlink alert can help you stay on top of your competitors' new links and reach out to them to try to get yourself added on the same page. This can be a goldmine of great link opportunities.

There are many different link building tactics and strategies out there. Some of them can be very effective, while others no longer work these days and will most likely just waste your time.

According to observations, there are 9 Best Backlink Building Tactics that are still effective today.

To develop a link building strategy, it's essential to keep Google's link evaluation factors in mind. This will allow you to build a strong network of links to your pages regarding both quantity and quality.

You can use tools like Ahrefs to help you identify partnership and linking opportunities, or recognize problems to correct. Ahrefs is a key SEO platform, focused on off-page SEO, and offers plans starting at $99/month.

Majestic's focus is on analyzing backlinks from other sites, and it's arguably the most complete tool for this. Unfortunately, it's not free – subscriptions start at £39.99/month.

Tracking your link building efforts is crucial to understanding what's working and what's not. You can run monthly link building audits using Semrush's Backlink Audit tool.

To keep track of earned links, lost links, and overall backlink quality, it's essential to use a tool like Semrush. This will help you identify potential issues, such as backlinks you've lost or links to broken pages on your site.

The Semrush Backlink Audit tool allows you to recrawl your site at a scheduled interval, giving you a clear picture of your backlink profile. You can choose to recrawl your site once a month and receive an email every time an audit is complete.

Monitoring your site's Authority Score is also crucial, as it will increase as your backlink profile strengthens. However, be aware that even small increases can represent a lot of work and links.

Tracking your Google Search Rankings is key to measuring the success of your link building efforts. You want to see your target page's ranking on relevant Google SERPs improve over time.

Building link popularity is a crucial part of SEO, and it's not as hard as it seems. You don't need to be a genius to make friends with other websites and get them to link back to yours. There are many link building tools that can help you find potential partners and opportunities.

Ahrefs' Free Backlink Checker is a great tool to start with. It shows the top 100 links pointing at any website or URL, giving you a good idea of where to begin. Google Alerts is another useful tool that notifies you whenever a specific word or phrase is mentioned on a newly published page, which can be a great way to source relevant link prospects.

Ahrefs' Site Explorer is a powerful tool that shows you all links of any website or URL, allowing you to sort and filter them by important SEO metrics. Ahrefs' Content Explorer is a unique link prospecting tool that helps you find thousands of relevant websites for link requests and guest posting. It also helps you discover linkable assets on any topic from all around the web.

Here are some popular link building tools that can help you send personalized emails at scale:

Remember, building link popularity is like making friends - you need to be interesting and generous. Your website needs to offer something useful or interesting for others to link to it.

To build link popularity, you need to know the main link building techniques. These techniques will help you create a strong network of links to your pages.

Using Moz Pro can help you build better links. With it, you can learn more about putting link building into practice.

To put link building techniques into practice, you need to keep Google's link evaluation factors in mind. This will allow you to build a strong network of links to your pages regarding both quantity and quality.

The main practices we recommend include using Moz Pro to learn more about link building.

Creating linkable assets is a crucial step in building link popularity. A linkable asset is a piece of content that has good potential to earn backlinks naturally, such as a tool, research report, or in-depth guide.

Semrush's blog post on content marketing statistics has backlinks from over 2.5K domains because it's a useful source to cite when writing about the importance of content marketing.

Linkable assets can take many forms, including industry surveys, studies and research, online tools and calculators, awards and rankings, how-to guides and tutorials, definitions and coined terms, and infographics.

To create a linkable asset, start by brainstorming ideas based on the list of linkable asset types, such as surveying your industry, calculating meaningful statistics, conducting an experiment, or creating a free online tool.

The folks at Aira, a digital marketing agency, run an annual "The State of Link Building Report" by surveying hundreds of leading industry professionals, which has brought them backlinks from over 600 different websites.

Here are some examples of linkable assets to get started with:

Great content is the key to earning links. Focus on creating high-value posts that people can't help but mention and share with their own followings.

To promote your content, you can use various tactics, such as advertising, influencer outreach, and building a following. Don't forget to promote your older content by mentioning it in your newly published content.

Creating more work, as Ryan Holiday said, is one of the most effective marketing techniques of all.

Digital PR is a process of gaining online coverage for your brand, often involving creating an interesting story and sharing it with relevant reporters via a press release. This can lead to press coverage and backlinks from reputable sites.

Reporters may credit you with a link to your site, as seen with Parkdean Resorts' mini holiday park for hedgehogs, which gained press coverage on sites like Lonely Planet. This is a valuable way to earn links.

Guest posting can be a way to build links, but it's often frowned upon due to overuse, making it seem spammy. Even Ahrefs Blog allows guest contributions, but only if they're relevant and well-written.

To get your content published on top blogs, pitch them a compelling article idea, like using the Content Gap tool to find topics that bring traffic to competitors' sites but not to the blog you're pitching. This can be a hard sell to resist.

You can also find underperforming articles on a blog and offer to rewrite them from scratch, improving their ranking and bringing more search traffic. Use the Top pages report in Site Explorer to find these pages.

Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to pages on your website, and its purpose is to boost the "authority" of your pages in the eyes of Google.

Think of links as votes, and the more high-quality backlinks a page has, the higher it tends to rank in Google.

You can't just look beyond your site when building a network of links to show Google your relevance.

Here's a key distinction to keep in mind: link building involves building a network of links to strengthen pages' authority, while off-page SEO encompasses all search engine optimization strategies that are applied beyond a site's pages.

Off-page SEO includes brand mentions without links, which is an additional ranking factor for Google.

To plan a link building strategy, you need to look at both on-page and off-page SEO, and one characteristic of on-page SEO is that it's under your control – you can edit your pages and optimize your internal links to best suit your objectives.

But remember, off-page SEO is not directly within your control, as the decision to link to and mention your site is up to other websites.