Search engine traffic generation is an important part of every small business marketing plan, and if you want to excel in search, you need backlinks. Unfortunately, many small business owners don’t know what backlinks are, let alone where to start. Here’s what you need to know about backlinks a few ways to get them.
What is a backlink?
A backlink is a hyperlink on another website that leads to your website. When one website links to another website, it’s likely because the content on that page is seen as valuable by humans. Google understands this and counts a backlink as a sort of vote for the linked webpage so that search engines can learn what content searchers will find useful.
Essentially, you can think of websites linking to you as them endorsing your or your content as helpful or legitimate resources for browsers. When this happens, Google takes notice and will push your content higher up in the search results.
However, not all backlinks are created equal. While a link from your friend who owns a similar business will help a bit, backlinks from more authoritative sources are better. For example, a link from your local government website will likely count as a bigger endorsement as far as Google is concerned.
That’s not to say that you should pass on a link from your friend’s site, especially if you are in related industries, just that the quality of the backlink and in relation, the boost it gives you will vary based on Google’s opinion of that site’s authority.
Why do businesses need backlinks?
While it is possible to rank your content without backlinks if you are careful with your keyword research, you’ll never rank for competitive terms without them. In addition, without backlinks, all of your search engine rankings are constantly at threat of being taken by competitors!
With the huge number of backlink tools out there, it’s easy for them to spy on your best keywords and take them. So, what do you do? Well, by having a good backlink strategy in place, you can hold on to those valuable search positions.
Try to think of backlinks as a traffic retention strategy for your business. The more backlinks you have, the harder it will be for competitors to swoop in and take away the search-related market share that you’ve worked so hard to acquire.
How can small businesses get backlinks for their website?
Create useful content
One of the best ways to get backlinks naturally is to start a blog for your business website. While this is a long game, it’s a far more sustainable method than trying to constantly buy link, which comes with its own pitfalls or beg people to link to you. As a bonus, posting useful content positions you as an authority in your niche, and the traffic which will begin to trickle in from your blog can lead to new customers.
Share your expertise with HARO
HARO (Help A Reporter Out) is a service that connects journalists with professionals who have relevant experience and knowledge they need for stories. If you sign up, they’ll send you emails from journalists who are seeking commentary on various topics in business, healthcare, finance, etc. Respond to relevant queries, make your pitch, secure new backlinks, and get valuable press.
Sponsor local events
Any time you sponsor an event, you will draw attention from journalists, media, bloggers, and other trusted sites. In turn, they will be more than happy to link back to your site and mention you in their articles.
Not only will you receive a lot of publicity, but you will also receive those valuable backlinks from high authority websites.
You can sponsor anything, like:
- Charity events
- Sports games
- Local community events
- Meetups
- Running events (i.e., 5ks, 10ks, etc.)
Building Brands Marketing is a full-service marketing consulting firm located in Victoria, TX serving businesses from Victoria to Katy, and the entire Gulf Coast region in between. Our process is designed to empower your brand and outfit your business with the marketing tools needed for you to succeed. We work with you to understand your business objectives and we offer strategies that will achieve your marketing objectives. Our team of SEO experts hold a variety of certifications in Google and Bing. To discuss a local SEO strategy for your business, schedule a free consultation with a member of our team today.
