How do you get more traffic and boost your website’s visibility in the search engines? Link building is a proven way to accomplish both!
It will not only increase the chances that someone comes across a link to your website, but it also adds to your reputation factor in the search engines, giving you a boost in the search engine rankings.
With that in mind, what link-building strategies should your small business use?
Consider the following strategies, all of which can be done with very little resources.
Look for Mentions Without Links – And Claim the Links
Your company is likely mentioned more frequently than you realize. But most of those mentions likely won’t include backlinks. If you find those, you can ask for them to include a backlink. This should be a simple sell, as someone mentioning your brand is already satisfied enough to mention you.
Of course, take the time to look at the mention before reaching out and asking for a backlink. Don’t ask for backlinks from negative mentions; that would be in poor form and potentially counterintuitive.
Support the Local Community
One of the best ways to naturally build links to your website is to be active in the community. If you support or even just volunteer with local charities and nonprofits, they are likely to mention it. At the very least, you can write a press release about it that will be picked up by the local paper. If you go for a larger sponsorship or donation, the organization you help will almost always give you backlinks. Get creative with this, and don’t just focus on local charities. Don’t forget about schools or any other type of local event.
Consider Offering a Scholarship
Another way to support the local community and get some backlinks in return is by offering a scholarship. As a bonus, some of your backlinks will be very high value because they will be from .edu websites. Of course, you will need to budget for this, but it can be highly effective. Ideally, you want to limit applicants to those in the local area. You could also limit it to majors that are relevant to your industry.
Reach Out to Local or Niche Bloggers
Influencer marketing is real, and you can take advantage of it by working with local bloggers popular in your city. Bloggers will be in search of partnerships, however brief, with local businesses. After all, they can only come up with so many content ideas on their own.
Offer to write a guest post for their blog. Or offer a free service or product in exchange for a review or mention. Don’t forget to also create a natural relationship by resharing their content. They will eventually do the same. For the best results, make sure you choose a blogger who is relevant to your business.
Write Guest Posts
Local bloggers are far from the only ones you can offer to write guest posts for. Look for other websites that are relevant to your industry and accept guest blogging. You will have to find relevant websites that accept guest posts and come up with a compelling topic. Then, you will have to pitch the topic and get approval before you can even write the piece.
Promote Your Content
When you write something on your website or blog, go ahead and share it. Promote your content on more than just social media. You can even post on LinkedIn, Medium, and more.
Offer Testimonials or Case Studies
The idea of offering case studies or testimonials may seem a bit odd from an advertising perspective. After all, you want to gather these things for your company, not offer them to others. But most of the time, when you offer a testimonial or participate in a case study, the company in question will link back to your website. The caveat is that there is no guarantee they will backlink. On top of that, you are putting your reputation on the line, so only do this if you believe in the company.
Conclusion
With the above tips in mind, you should be on your way to getting more backlinks for your small business’s website. This, in turn, should lead to an increase in traffic and more sales.