Organic Link Building Essentials for SEO Growth

Organic link building is a crucial aspect of SEO growth, and it's not just about getting any link, but about getting high-quality links from relevant sources.

To start building a solid foundation, it's essential to create content that resonates with your target audience. According to our research, content that is informative and provides value to the reader is more likely to be shared and linked to.

Having a strong online presence is also vital for organic link building. This includes having a professional website with high-quality content, as well as being active on social media platforms.

SEO is all about getting your website to rank higher in search results. It's a way to increase your online visibility and drive more traffic to your site.

Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to determine which websites are most relevant to a user's search query.

These algorithms consider many factors, but backlinks from other websites are a major ranking factor. In fact, 8 of the top 20 ranking factors relate to backlinks.

A strong backlink profile can make your website seem more trustworthy to Google. This is because Google treats certain kinds of links from other sites like endorsements.

Google's algorithm takes the quality and quantity of backlinks into account when determining how high to rank a website. This is why websites with many high-quality backlinks tend to rank higher in search results.

For example, bbc.co.uk has over 1 million backlinks from reputable sites like cdc.gov, microsoft.com, and britannica.com. This strong backlink profile likely contributes to its high ranking in search results.

A good link is like a vote of confidence from another website, and the more relevant the link is, the more value it carries. This means that links from sites that are highly related to your own are usually better than links from unrelated sites.

Relevance is key, so it's better to build SEO links from sites that are closely related to your niche. If you have a website about The Paleo Diet, a link from an authoritative site about unicycles won't count as much.

A site's authority matters, but so does its relevance. According to an ex-Googler, "relevance is the new PageRank." This means that a link from a high PageRank page about unicycles is less valuable than a link from a lower PageRank page about The Paleo Diet.

To get the most value out of a link, it should appear within highly relevant content. For example, if you have a website about basketball shoes, a link on a sports blog in a post about basketball shoes buying guides is more valuable than a link on a gardening website.

Here are some examples of link value:

Link building is a crucial part of organic SEO, and it's essential to understand the fundamentals to succeed. To start, you need to evaluate your existing backlinks and identify the best link building tool for your campaigns.

To gain target organic traffic and referral visitors, it's essential to build links to the right pages. Homepages, for example, usually account for 40-60% of backlinks, whereas there's almost no reason to build backlinks to your contact or service pages.

When choosing pages for link building campaigns, consider the following aspects:

A good link is one that comes from an authoritative source, such as a PageRank powerhouse. In fact, the authority of the page linking to you matters more than any other factor. You can easily check a proxy indicator of PageRank using Semrush.

To build a network of backlinks, create linkable assets, such as tools, research reports, or in-depth guides, that have good potential to earn backlinks naturally. For example, Semrush's blog post on content marketing statistics has backlinks from over 2.5K domains.

To attract organic backlinks, you can create engaging, shareable content that has the potential to go viral. Here are a few tried-and-true ways:

There are several types of links that can be used for organic link building, each with its own unique characteristics and uses.

Guest blogging links are acquired through writing high-quality content for other websites, often in exchange for a link back to your own site.

This type of link is considered valuable because it's often accompanied by editorial content, which can increase its credibility.

Resource links are used to point to other websites that offer valuable resources or information, and are often used to build relationships with other site owners.

These links are typically used to provide additional information or context to your own content, and can help to establish your site as a trusted authority in your niche.

Bookmark links are acquired when other websites include your site in their bookmarks or favorites list, often because they find your content particularly useful or interesting.

This type of link is often used to showcase your site's expertise or to provide a quick reference for readers.

Forums and discussion boards often use links to connect to other relevant websites, and can be a great way to build relationships with other site owners.

These links are typically used to provide additional information or context to your own content, and can help to establish your site as a trusted authority in your niche.

Reviews and testimonials often include links to the businesses or products being reviewed, and can be a great way to build trust with potential customers.

These links are typically used to provide social proof and credibility to your site, and can help to increase conversions and sales.

Link building tactics are crucial for organic link building. You can earn links by creating high-quality content that people want to link to, such as visual assets, original research, online tools, and in-depth guides.

Here are some effective link building tactics:

These tactics can help you build a strong backlink profile and increase your website's visibility, authority, and credibility.

Placement is key when it comes to link building. The location of a link within a page's text can significantly impact its effectiveness in increasing the page's ranking.

Google ranks the quality of link placement on web pages based on how likely users are to click links in different places. This is called the "reasonable surfer model."

Links that are in sidebars, in footers, and low on a page's content may not be worth as much as those higher in the page's body. Generally, it's best if your backlink appears early on in the main body content.

Here's a rough guide to link placement:

This is because Google may consider the likelihood that a reader will click on a link based on where it's located. For example, links that are in sidebars, in footers, and low on a page's content may not be worth as much as those higher in the page's body.

Here's the article section on "9 Best Tactics" for the article about "Link Building Tactics".

Building links is a crucial part of SEO, and there are many effective tactics to try. Here are nine of the most effective options.

1. Earning links is a cost-effective way to build links, as you don't need to ask for them. You can create high-quality content that people want to link to, such as visual assets, original research, online tools, and in-depth guides.

2. Broken link building is a great tactic, where you add value to someone's website by replacing a broken link with your own content. This is a win-win, as you're helping the website owner and getting a link in return.

3. Link inserts are another effective tactic, where you place links to your website into existing content on another website. You can find opportunities by doing a Google site search and then cross-checking the traffic of the pages.

4. Link reclamation is a simple yet effective tactic, where you find unlinked mentions of your brand and ask the website owner to turn them into links. You can use tools like BuzzSumo to find these unlinked mentions.

5. Reverse image search is a great way to find sites that are using your images without attribution. You can use Google reverse image search to find these sites and then ask them to add a link to your website.

6. Tier 1 vs Tier 2 link building is a strategy that involves linking to a third-party website to increase the PageRank value of the donor website with your backlink. This can be done by creating a link pyramid with three tiers: Tier 1 backlinks (point to the main website), Tier 2 backlinks (point to the Tier 1 links), and Tier 3 backlinks (point to the Tier 2 links).

7. Resource page link building is a tactic where you find resource pages that link out to awesome content on a given topic. You can then reach out to the website owner and ask them to add your link to their resource page.

8. Internal link building is a strategy where you create internal links to connect to other subpages and content silos. This can be done by using anchor text that connects to other subpages and content silos.

9. Link intersect is a tool that helps you find sites that link to more than one of your competitors. You can use this tool to find potential linkers and then reach out to them to ask for a link.

These are just a few of the many link building tactics out there. By trying out these tactics and experimenting with different strategies, you can find what works best for your website and improve your search engine rankings.

Defining your link building budget is crucial for successful campaigns. This involves estimating costs and setting realistic goals.

The price of link building can vary greatly, from $100 to $20,000 per month, depending on quality and volume. It also depends on the competitive landscape.

Analyzing competitor activity can help you understand what you need to do to catch up with rivals and overtake them. This includes discovering how much money you should spend.

Content writing is the most expensive part of the link building process, with some sites even charging for text editing. Many SEOs spend money on outsourcing.

Several factors impact link cost, including content quality, relevance, and value. Your brand strength and link quality also play a role.

Industry-specific prices can vary significantly. For example, finance and casino industries often demand higher fees, while charities and education tend to be lower.

To get a good feel for prices in your niche, research the approximate cost of links. This will help you plan your link building budget effectively.

Here are some factors that impact link cost:

Competitor analysis is a crucial step in organic link building. Analyzing competitor backlinks helps you replicate link building tactics that work for your rivals. You can use Semrush's Backlink Analytics tool to enter a competitor's domain and identify top-performing pages.

These pages often have patterns in topics, style, length, and format that earn them backlinks. For example, if your competitor's most-linked pages contain videos, you might decide to incorporate video into your content marketing strategy.

By analyzing competitor backlinks, you can also identify types of content that tend to earn the most backlinks and who's linking to others in your niche. This can help you create superior content that attracts links from quality websites.

Here are some key metrics to pay attention to when performing a competitor analysis:

By comparing your competitors' backlink profiles with your own, you can create a strong list of websites to get links from and improve your own link profile.

To find brand mentions, you'll want to use the Brand Monitoring app, which allows you to quickly identify unlinked brand mentions. This can be done by filling out the "Monitor this brand" and "Track backlinks" sections.

You should add your brand name and any variants to the "Monitor this brand" section, and your domain to the "Track backlinks" section. This will help the tool know what text to look out for and whether you received a backlink.

Once you've set up the app, you can see a list of all the mentions found. To focus on unlinked brand mentions, go to the left-hand menu and select "Mention details" > "Backlinks", then click the circle next to "Without backlinks."

You can then reach out to the page's owner or author to kindly request a backlink.

Analyzing your competitors is a crucial step in understanding how they're building their link profiles. You can use tools like Semrush's Backlink Analytics tool to analyze competitor backlinks.

To start, enter a competitor's domain and go to the "Indexed Pages" tab. This report shows a table with all of your competitor's pages sorted by number of referring domains. Click through to the top-performing pages and look for patterns in topics, style, length, and format.

For example, if your competitor's most-linked pages all contain videos, you might decide to incorporate video into your content marketing strategy. Emphasize the quality of your videos when reaching out to backlink prospects.

You can also use SE Ranking's SERP Analyzer and Backlink Checker to perform competitor research. Make a list of your main target keywords and use SERP Analyzer to round up your top organic competitors.

The Backlink Checker will show you major metrics like Domain & Page Trust scores, ratio between dofollow and nofollow backlinks, and complete list of the site's backlinks and most common anchor texts. Compare your competitors' backlink profiles with your own, or use their metrics as the basis of your own backlink strategy.

By analyzing your competitors, you can create or improve your backlink profile. Look for quality and relevant websites that collaborate with your SERP competitors. Consider the DT indicator available in the Backlink Checker – you need quality backlinks that will pass link juice and be valuable for Google.

Here are some key metrics to pay attention to when analyzing your competitors' backlink profiles:

By examining these metrics, you can get a better understanding of how your competitors are building their link profiles and identify opportunities to improve your own strategy.

Doing a backlink gap analysis can reveal websites linking to your competitors but not to you. This can be a game-changer for your link building strategy.

Start by using Semrush's Backlink Gap tool, which allows you to add your domain and your competitors' domains. Click "Find prospects" to get started.

The "Best" tab shows domains that link to all your competitors but not to you. These are the strongest backlink prospects.

You can see how many backlinks each competitor has on a particular site by clicking the arrow next to the number. This will give you details about the backlinks, including the anchor text and target URL.

By doing a backlink gap analysis, you can identify potential link building opportunities that can improve your Google rankings.

Digital PR is the process of gaining online coverage for your brand, often by creating an interesting story and sharing it with relevant reporters via a press release.

Reporters who cover your story may credit you with a link to your site, as seen with Parkdean Resorts' mini holiday park for hedgehogs, which gained press coverage on several sites, including Lonely Planet.

By leveraging digital PR, you can earn high-quality backlinks that drive traffic and boost your online presence.

Digital PR is the process of gaining online coverage for your brand. It typically involves creating an interesting story and sharing it with relevant reporters via a press release.

Creating a unique and newsworthy story is key to successful digital PR. Parkdean Resorts did just that with their mini holiday park for hedgehogs.

Sharing your story with the right reporters can lead to press coverage and valuable backlinks to your site. Reporters may even credit you with a link to your site.

A well-executed digital PR campaign can lead to coverage on multiple sites, including major publications like Lonely Planet.

By internally linking from a page with many external links to a page without any, you can transfer some of the reputability from the more-referenced page.

This is similar to the "You Might Also Enjoy" section on news websites and blogs, where readers are directed to relevant content based on their interests.

Internally linking in this way can help distribute reputability across your site, making it more likely that users will find valuable content.

For example, if a page with many external links is linked to a page with no external links, the reputability of the first page can be transferred to the second page.

Creating high-quality content is key to attracting organic backlinks. This type of content has the potential to go viral and earn links naturally.

To create such content, consider publishing studies that provide unique data and insights that others can't find elsewhere. For instance, you can conduct a poll on your website or social media and convert the results into a study.

Infographics are also an effective way to attract links, as they are visually appealing and easy to share. They are typically well-received among users and can be used to present complex information in a simple and engaging way.

Sharing interviews with niche experts can also help you attract more organic backlinks. Content creators often take quotes from interviews to back up their points, providing you with valuable data to create content that has a high chance of being linked to.

There are four types of content that tend to generate the most links: studies, infographics, interviews, and podcasts. These types of content are useful, valuable, and engaging, making them ideal for link building.

Here are some tips for creating useful content:

By following these tips, you can create high-quality content that attracts organic backlinks and helps you build a strong online presence.

To find prospects to reach out to for backlinks, use Semrush's Link Building Tool. Open the tool and click "Create project" to get started.

Enter your domain and give your project a name, then click "Create project" to proceed. After adding your keywords, click on "Competitors" at the bottom of the pop-up.

Click "Start Link Building" to analyze the data, and then click "View prospects" to see the sites you can reach out to for backlinks. You can reject prospects you don't want to reach out to by clicking the trash can icon.

To contact prospects you do want to reach out to, click the "To In Progress" button and they'll be added to the "In Progress" tab. From there, you can customize your emails to make your pitch specific to the prospect.

After sending your emails, the "Status" column shows whether your email was sent, received, opened, or replied to. You can also click the check mark in the "Actions" column after you receive a backlink.

To find a Likely Linker's email address, use Hunter.io or VoilaNorbert. Hunter.io is perfect for reaching out to small sites and one-person blogs.

Sending out feeler emails before asking for a link can help you get better results and save you time. This two-step process can help you personalize your outreach messages and increase your chances of getting a link.

Guest blogging is a popular method of getting high-quality backlinks. It involves creating a blog post for another website that includes a backlink to your own.

You can find guest blogging opportunities by searching for "Write for us" pages, checking competitors' backlinks, or joining guest blogging communities. Matt Cutts, former head of Google's Webspam team, once said, "So stick a fork in it: guest blogging is done; it's just gotten too spammy."

However, publishing a mind-blowing guest post on an authoritative, relevant site can still help you rank. You can insert a link in the blog copy with target keywords as anchor texts or in the author bio.

To get started, you need to research the content and audience of the website you want to guest post on. This can be time-consuming, but it's worth it to build relationships with editors and deliver great content.

Here are some red flags that can make guest posting spammy:

To get guest posting backlinks, you should:

1. Look for websites that accept guest posts and weed out your list to make sure the websites are worth the time you'll spend planning and writing a blog post.

2. Create content ideas for your pitch and craft a pitch email that introduces yourself and mentions some articles on their blog that you enjoyed.

3. Offer topic ideas and share links to three of your most recent and successful guest posts to show that you're a real pro.

The four fundamental ways to build links are not all created equal, and some work much better than others.

There are three battle-tested strategies for building lots of quality backlinks, including the Skyscraper Technique, which involves publishing high-quality content and using email outreach to build relationships and get links.

What makes a backlink "good" is a combination of factors, including relevance, authority, and relevance to the content it's linking to.

To start building a network of backlinks, you need to create high-quality content that attracts links organically, or develop relationships with other websites and communities through content development.

The Skyscraper Technique works well because it's as much about building relationships as it is about building links, and people won't link to your content unless they know it exists and you've told them about it.

You can use search strings to find pages with lots of outbound links and Check My Links to find links that aren't working, and then email the person in charge of that content to give them a heads up about broken links.

Matt Lawry, an ecommerce site owner, used content to generate links to his website by publishing a high-quality piece of content and promoting it via email outreach, which resulted in many people offering to link to his guide.

In a highly competitive industry, guest posting is key. Writing posts for authoritative websites should be prioritized in your link building strategy. It is critical to create a good anchor plan here with a list of pages to focus on.

For a highly competitive industry, don't forget to include other types of links to diversify your backlink profile (e.g., use relevant local directories, try crowd marketing, etc.). Keep in mind that a highly competitive niche necessitates a high budget and a lot of work to outrank your competitors.

In a middle/low competitive niche, link building can be done passively and by combining different types of backlinks. A good On-Page SEO strategy might be able to help you more, and you'll need a lower budget for successful promotion.

Regularly monitoring your results is the key to success. It gives you a bird's eye view of the current situation with your Off-Page SEO. The more often you monitor your progress, the greater the likelihood that you will succeed.

Only close monitoring and deep analysis can help you understand how successful your current link building strategy is and what you need to improve the next one.

Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) helps identify link opportunities that drive traffic.

Some links perform better than others for various reasons. To measure their performance, you need to track the right metrics.

There are 5 key metrics to measure link performance. These include tracking the number of clicks, conversions, bounce rate, time on site, and cost per click.

Identifying the right KPIs is crucial to determine which links are driving traffic and which ones need improvement.

Link building best practices are essential for a successful organic link building strategy. Focus on building links that will actually improve your Google rankings.

A good link is one that comes from a high-quality source, such as a reputable website or a trusted community. According to example 3, a good link is distinguished by several main factors that the Google algorithm considers when deciding what kinds of content to rank highly in search engine page results (SERPs).

Some key characteristics of a good link include relevance, trustworthiness, and authority. A balanced anchor list is also crucial, as mentioned in example 8.

To avoid low-quality and harmful links, steer clear of untrustworthy or spammy sites. As example 7 notes, links from these types of sites can actually hurt your digital presence and may even indicate to Google that your site is untrustworthy.

Here are some key best practices to keep in mind:

High-quality links are tough to get, but they're well worth the effort. They can actually improve your Google rankings.

Links from untrustworthy or spammy sites can hurt your digital presence. In some cases, a link from an untrustworthy site could indicate to Google that your site is untrustworthy.

Maintaining integrity and only generating authentic backlinks is crucial. This means avoiding inauthentic link building practices, such as mass purchasing links.

These practices will do more harm than good to your site. Any short-term success will be met by long-term obstacles or penalties.

A balanced anchor list is a must. It's essential to focus on building links that will actually improve your Google rankings, rather than trying to game the system.

Here are some key differences between good and bad links:

Link building is a crucial aspect of digital marketing, and understanding its importance can help you create a solid strategy. High-quality backlinks can increase your brand recognition, ranking, and overall digital presence.

A thorough SEO strategy should include different methods for acquiring these links organically, whether through high-quality content or community development. This can be achieved by creating a network of backlinks.

Getting high-quality backlinks is essential, as they can help boost your website's trust, improve rankings, bring in referral traffic, and improve brand awareness. A balanced anchor list is also a must.

To acquire quality backlinks, you can use tools like Semrush's link building tools, which can help you identify relevant prospects and streamline the outreach process. With these tools, you can also analyze competitors' backlink profiles and find domains that link to your competitors but not to you.

However, it's equally important to avoid low-quality and harmful links, which can actually hurt your digital presence. These links can indicate to Google that your site is untrustworthy, leading to long-term obstacles or penalties.

In addition to external links, internal link building can also help improve a site's search engine rankings. This makes it easier for search bots and users to navigate a website and boosts important pages without many external links directed to them.

Here are some key benefits of internal link building:

Measuring the success of your organic link building efforts is crucial to understanding what's working and what's not.

You can track key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify link opportunities that drive traffic. This will help you determine whether your link building strategy is contributing to the growth of your website or not.

To measure the impact of your link building strategy, you can use metrics such as domain authority growth, organic traffic and keyword rankings growth, lead growth, and referral traffic.

These metrics are essential in determining the quality of your backlink profile and the whole website. For example, domain authority growth is a great metric for determining the quality of your backlink profile.

You can use tools like our Domain Trust Checker to understand your domain authority. If the metric has improved, the link building strategy yielded good results.

Organic traffic and keyword rankings growth are also important metrics to track. The success of your link building strategy has a direct impact on your rankings.

Here are the key metrics to track:

Remember, some results can take at least two weeks, if not a month, so don't rush into a final decision.

To keep track of earned links, lost links, and overall backlink quality, run monthly (or more frequent) link building audits using tools like Semrush's Backlink Audit tool.

Link building is the process of acquiring links from other websites to improve your online visibility, and it's still important for SEO in 2024. This process is also called Off-Page SEO, which refers to actions taken outside of your website to impact its online visibility.

A good link building strategy is essential, especially in highly-competitive niches, as it directly impacts rankings and helps your website become more significant to search engines. To get high-quality backlinks, you need to create quality content, such as blogs, infographics, and case studies.

Here are some common link building strategies used by SEO specialists:

These strategies can help you acquire backlinks from high-authority websites, which are essential for improving your website's trust, rankings, and brand awareness.

Link building is the process of acquiring links from other websites to improve online visibility. By getting links back to your pages, you win votes that tell Google your website deserves attention.

Link building is also called Off-Page SEO, which refers to actions taken outside of your website to impact its online visibility. This directly impacts rankings and assists the website in becoming more significant to search engines.

Link building is still important for SEO in 2024, and a well-thought-out link building strategy is crucial, especially in highly-competitive niches. Your website will usually not be able to reach the top of Google's SERP without one.

Common link building strategies include guest blogging, PR campaigns, and creating linkable assets. These strategies can help increase your brand recognition, ranking, and overall digital presence.

Visuals are super-duper easy to link to, making it simple for others to share your content and link back to you. This powerful relationship works because people are more likely to share images than text-based content.

A grey hat technique is buying an expired or live site with a strong backlink profile and redirecting it to your site. This can give you a boost in search rankings, as seen in the example of Canva using this technique.

Domain Authority (DA) is a crucial aspect of link building. Moz developed the metric, which rates sites on a scale of 1 to 100, with the higher the grade, the more authority and trust the site has.

Aim for relevant sites with 40+ DA, as this will give your backlinks more credibility. Moz's DA metric takes into account factors like domain age and the number and quality of links.

Here's a breakdown of the DA scale:

Keep in mind that DA is just one aspect of link building, and it's essential to consider other factors like relevance, authority, and quality to build a strong backlink profile.

Link building tools can be a game-changer for your website's visibility and credibility. Free tools, like Surfer's SEO Chrome extension, can attract authoritative links and traffic to your website.

Many SaaS companies release free tools to create valuable linkable assets, and this approach can lead to a ton of backlinks from high-quality websites. It's a low-maintenance way to get started with link building.

To make the most of your link building efforts, it's essential to check the backlinks you already have. This will give you an idea of your website's current link profile and help you identify areas for improvement.

SE Ranking's Backlink Checker is a great tool for evaluating your backlink profile. It provides data on significant metrics, including Domain & Page Trust scores, the ratio between dofollow and nofollow backlinks, and a complete list of your website's backlinks.

Here are some key metrics to look for in your backlink profile:

By using SE Ranking and other link building tools, you can gain valuable insights into your website's link profile and develop a solid link building strategy.

Creating high-quality content is key to getting high-quality and relevant links to your website. This is the best way to attract organic backlinks that are used naturally in an authoritative website's content without having to make a request.

To create unique and valuable content, consider publishing original research and studies, creating infographics, or sharing interviews with experts. This will help your website gain high-quality backlinks.

The success of backlink building is relative and depends on the niche. What may be considered a great result in one niche may be a failure in another, so closely observe the actions of the market's leading players.

In a highly competitive industry, guest posting is key. Writing posts for authoritative websites should be prioritized in your link building strategy, and it's essential to create a good anchor plan with a list of pages to focus on.

For a middle/low competitive niche, link building can be done passively by combining different types of backlinks. A good On-Page SEO strategy might be able to help you more, and you'll need a lower budget for successful promotion.

Regularly monitoring your results is the key to success in link building. It gives you a bird's eye view of the current situation with your Off-Page SEO, and the more often you monitor your progress, the greater the likelihood that you will succeed.

Here are some nuances to consider depending on the niche: