In terms of SEO audit, there’re so many ways you can earn links organically and even surprise those SEO webmasters who’re on top of the game. But, no one ever said that there’re link-building tactics that are easier than others in these SEO streets. Why? Because it is not!
As a matter of fact, the link-building tactics that we should be using continue to evolve each day. Every now and then there are new tactics and ways to earn links organically from both new and pro SEOs alike. Not forgetting, at jmexclusives, we are also discovering new methods and tactics to use each day too!
My hope is that: by having a whole host of approaches at hand, you can easily ensure you are building a diverse link profile. While maximizing opportunities that come from all different angles. After all, if you become a better link builder, you’ll be in very high demand. Happy link-building!
What Is Organic Links Building?
Organic Links Building or Natural Link Building is the process of attracting links without having to go and generate them yourself – such as through guest posting, outreach, or buying links. The idea is that your website, content, and marketing are so awesome that other website owners just can’t resist linking to you.
Easier said than done, perhaps. I recommend combining natural link-building methods and strategy into your existing link-building tactics to take a completely holistic approach. The benefits of natural link building versus traditional link building are different.
Whereby, the main benefits include better rankings, more traffic, and increased brand visibility. The key is making your content irresistible and marketing your site across multiple platforms. If no one has heard of you, they won’t link to you. To stay ahead of others, you need to make your website, content, and brand hyper-visible.
A few pros to put into consideration include:
- Industry Recognition: Getting your website mentioned in a popular industry publication increases your own brand’s visibility.
- Exponential Link Growth: When your website attracts links from some of the big-name authority sites, it increases your chances of generating even more natural links from industry blogs.
- Social Shares: There’s a strong correlation between content that attracts natural links and a high number of social shares.
- Relationship Building: Gaining natural links can present opportunities for you to start conversations with other people in your industry, which can then lead to beneficial relationships in the future.
- Confidence Buildup: There’s no better feeling than to discover that your website has attracted 100% natural links. This can encourage you to up your SEO efforts even more.
Natural link building can pay off in more ways than just traffic and rankings. Plus, it’s a great feeling to attract high-quality links with no outreach and little marketing spend.
The Best Tactics To Earn Links Organically In Simple Steps
In the first place, it’s the tactic that most SEOs find most difficult, and any other proven success you can showcase makes you all the more valuable candidate to potential clients or employers. Secondly, in order to succeed in your own link-building strategy and earn links organically, you need to have the crucial SEO tactics at hand.
For instance, let’s consider your website data as one of the key metrics to consider. Before even working around the general tactics that you’ll need at your fingertips. Using data means that you are sharing unique stories that are backed by findings from a study or research piece. And journalists absolutely love this!
Resource Reference: The Definitive Guide To Selling On Amazon FBA In 2022
Data sources to use in your campaigns can range from your own internal data to trusted third-party public data sets. Such as those from data.gov — the US government’s home of open data. For inspiration, check out this study on the world’s hardest-working musicians that has more informative details.
It’s a study by a music college that analyzes tour date data from Setlist.fm as their source. For the most popular Billboard artists to reveal which artists toured the most and played the higher number of shows. And this is what leads to our first link-earning tactic — Digital Online PR — a great start for all those SEOs who want to earn links organically for their site.
Tactic #1. Digital Online PR
Notably, Digital Online PR Management is fast becoming one of the topmost go-to link-building tactics for many SEOs. Digital PR came about as a way to earn high authority links from press publications by using PR tactics.
And, there’s a very good reason for this! Quite simply, it is the most effective way to naturally earn links organically — a significant number of high-quality editorial links, at scale. It involves creating engaging linkable content assets and using PR pitching and outreach. In order to persuade journalists to cover these stories in their articles and link back to the source.
But, there is more than one way to run a successful Digital PR Campaign. When you build a Digital PR campaign around data, you are ensuring that you have got a wealth of engaging stories. More so, something tangible that you can easily pitch to the press. The most attractive stories and pitches to journalists are those that include something that they couldn’t easily do themselves.
So, why does it matter? Simply, because they’re busy people, often tasked with writing 7 or 8 articles per day;— and that includes sourcing quotes, and images, producing copy, and more.
Tactic #2. Content Marketing
The foundation of any great link-building strategy is creating content worth linking to. With traditional link building, you may be able to incentivize sites to link to you in exchange for a guest post or the like. But, with natural link building, it doesn’t work like that.
Building out evergreen content is your best bet when it comes to attracting links from high-authority sites – especially if you are able to get that content to rank with SEO. If your content is routinely at the top of the SERPs and is a highly valuable resource, it becomes the obvious choice for sites to link to.
Furthermore, actively marketing your content across platforms increases your visibility, versus simply waiting for SEO to do its thing.
Tactic #3. Social Media
Your personal and business profiles on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn present you with several opportunities to include links to your website. For instance, Twitter gives you two fields – the Web and Bio – to include links.
While these may not do much for your website authority, they do allow you to generate traffic to your site. Similarly, LinkedIn gives you three links within your profile. You can even add media like videos and documents. These are all opportunities to capture traffic, generate leads, and increase the visibility of your content.
Beyond these rather set-it-and-forget-it links in your profiles, social media marketing helps you get your content in front of more eyes. Share highly relevant, engaging content and it may entice other website owners to link to it of their own accord.
Tactic #4. Infographics
By definition, Infographics (a clipped compound of “information” and “graphics”) are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge. Thus, they’re intended to present information more quickly and clearly.
A few years ago infographics made it really easy to earn links from top-tier press publications. In fact, even simple ‘how-to infographics’ could relatively easily pick up significant numbers of links. With just a little bit of outreach effort.
But, times have changed! And as a result, you’re unlikely to see much of an impact with simple advice-led and opinion-led infographics (think how-tos and listicles, etc.). But that doesn’t mean infographics aren’t still effective.
Things to Remember:
- There just needs to be a story.
- The infographic should be used as a simple way to visualize your content in an easy-to-share way.
- An infographic is just a format, but when used as a way to tell a story, you can still see success.
As an example, there’s this simple sample infographic (of the Too Hot To Handle cast) that reveals the potential Instagram earnings. It has even been featured in top-tier publications. Including Daily Mail and OK. Of course, Yes!
It would be so great if we could all (as marketers) create infographics as simple as writing regular old text-based blog posts. Unfortunately, making visual content like this usually takes a lot more time and even effort. But, let’s all face it — skill — than the written word.
Tactic #5. Video Marketing
For those wanting to earn links organically, video SEO is also becoming increasingly hot right now. Whereby, SEO pros are thirsty for more video content. But, not everyone has the time or budget to create their own videos. Often, they venture to YouTube to find valuable videos to feature in their blog posts. That’s why video marketing is yet another great link strategy.
You can create valuable video content and publish it on YouTube to increase your chances of other websites featuring your videos. Not only will this direct traffic to your videos, but it also gives you the chance to ask for a feature. If you discover that another website has referenced your video, you can ask them to give credit to you via a website link.
Learn More: Video Marketing | The Simple Steps To Create Effective Content
Even if they decline, you can still direct users to subscribe to your channel. Or simply visit your website via a link in the video description. By the same token, you should also not underestimate the value of a good ol’ conversation. By building real relationships with people in your industry, you can uncover a wealth of opportunities to collaborate.
If people like you, they are far more likely to share your content. This can work both ways. If you link to their content, feature them in articles, or ask for their expert advice, they may think to do the same. Just remember to do it for the right reasons. Instead of with the intention of being self-serving. People can typically see through that.
Tactic #6. Paid Surveys
In this case, paid surveys are very interactive assets & tools. Therefore, if you’re looking for a way to launch a Digital PR campaign that gets people talking, Paid Surveys can be a very good start. It’s a great way to find out the public’s perception of a topic.
Aligning more to traditional PR tactics, yet still, a way to land coverage and earn links organically from the press. And as such, you can poll the public through platforms such as OnePoll and Pollfish. But just be sure to write up your findings (and ideally visualize them) as a content asset.
Get Started: Start Making Money From Paid Online Surveys By Swagbucks
Rather than simply just pitching out the results as a press release. Of course, as a way to ensure you earn links organically and not just brand mentions. If you have the resources to do so, launching interactive assets and tools can be a fantastic way to earn even high-quality links from the press in impressive numbers.
Just check out this simple tool that lets you calculate your potential earnings on Instagram as an influencer. Not to mention, as of today, it has been linked back more than 300 times. Realistically, whenever you create engaging content, interactive tool, or piece of content, you’re essentially making your link an essential part of that story too.
Tactic #7. Editorial Links
According to WordStream, an editorial link is a naturally-acquired link that occurs as a result of great content and marketing. In most cases, given back freely as resource references, editorial links tend to carry a lot of authority and legitimacy. Why? Because they typically involve a feature in a major publication.
A great way to attract these links is to publish content about current events and trends. That’s because high-authority sites like Forbes and Entrepreneur prefer to reference reputable sources. As well as fresh, expert-generated content. You can find these topics by watching trends online.
Some great tools for this are:
Editorial Links are backlinks on another website that points back to your website, typically on a large publication but they can also be more niche sites. These types of links come from publishing valuable content that people find trustworthy while marketing your brand to a broader audience.
In order to earn links organically, simply write your own expert take on a trending topic and share it across multiple platforms to generate some momentum. If you are ahead of the curve, you have a good chance of ranking organically for the topic before other sites hop on the trend. Then, other sites are likely to link to you.
Tactic #8. Newsjacking, Case Studies & Testimonials
Reactive PR, or as it is also known as Newsjacking, is a technique used by PRs which involves reacting to breaking news stories quickly, and spotting opportunities where you or your client can provide credible comments on that topic or story. The term “newsjacking” was popularized by David Meerman Scott.
Basically, it involves brands ‘piggybacking’ off news stories. More so, in order to direct attention to a particular piece of content, or to earn coverage or links for a brand’s homepage. In other words, Newsjacking is all about being quick to react (See 5 Brand Marketing Examples). And then again, ensure that you are not trying to shoehorn a comment.
Or any other piece of content to relate to a news story that isn’t relevant to your brand. By the same token, try also using case studies and testimonials. It can be a great way to earn links. Simply by writing a short summary of why you love the product or service.
This tactic is often based around existing relationships and offering to share your thoughts on their offering to help them to sell more or even just giving their permission to feature you. But in doing so, you will often land a link in return, with a great example being the customer testimonial pages on Squarespace.
Tactic #9. Resource Pages
While we’re on the topic of irresistible, high-value content, let’s discuss resource pages. In layman’s language, resource pages (also sometimes called pillar pages) are typically evergreen pages that list a variety of high-value resources. Including but not limited to elements like PDFs, videos, downloadables, guides, tools, and interviews that help users in some way.
Essentially, it’s a tool kit for your target audience. Too often, other sites limit their resources to individual blog posts. But, if you build out a more robust resource hub, that’s an incentive for other industry websites to link to you. For one thing, they’ll see that their users can find everything they need all in one place. Typically, these pages will include a variety of helpful links.
Learn More: Resource Page Link Building By Backlinko
A resource page is often optimized for several keywords that relate to key topics — they offer more of a macro view of the topic. In addition, they are also great when it comes to targeting keywords like: “how to ___” “_____ guides” “_____ tips,” etc. Users who are looking for an answer to a question or a guide on how to solve a problem will benefit greatly from them.
Knowing this, other sites will see the value in linking to your page and you’ll definitely earn links organically. Similar to a resource page, you can create a valuable tool and host it on your website. If your tool is one-of-a-kind and helps users in some way, other industry sites will find it valuable as well.
Some useful tools include:
- Free SEO audit tools.
- Budget calculators.
- Surveys.
- Formulas.
- Blog topic generators.
- Meta title counter tools.
Think of a tool that would be beneficial to your audience, preferably a tool that doesn’t currently exist. Then, you should be able to work with a developer to create a tool for your website.
Tactic #10. HARO & #journorequest
If you are not monitoring HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and the #journorequest hashtag on Twitter, you could be missing out on so many opportunities. Especially, to land press coverage (and links) for your client or business. Every day, journalists and content creators turn to these platforms to find sources for their articles.
They are looking for businesses just like yours to add value and expert-led insights into their content. And therefore, it’s a tactic that you should be taking advantage of too. With HARO, you will receive three emails each day — specifically, Monday to Friday.
Whereby, the three emails will include categorized requests. Or those just from a category you have requested to receive notifications for. If you believe that you could provide a great response to the request, go ahead and send it over. Although you won’t find all of your responses used.
But it’s a relatively low-effort tactic (learn more) that can drive big results in terms of landing authority links. Just make sure you are only responding to requests where you can truly provide expert comments. At the same time, #journorequest works in a similar way. Rather than journalists using the hashtag on Twitter to obtain sources.
Tactic #11. The Skyscraper Technique & Reverse Skyscraper Technique
Eventually, the Skyscraper Technique is a tactic to earn links organically that was coined by Brian Dean of Backlinko. And it has gained immense traction within the SEO and link-building community in recent years. Oftentimes, it’s based on creating the best piece of content on any given topic.
And then thereafter, leveraging it to steal links from those whose content you have improved upon. But, what is not often covered when people talk about the Skyscraper Technique? It’s what could be referred to as the reverse Skyscraper technique.
It involves three steps:
- Finding link-worthy content that has performed well.
- Producing a piece of content that is even better than the original.
- Reach out to people who covered it and ask them to link to your improved resource.
It’s based on a similar principle as the reverse Skyscraper technique. But, rather than finding content that performed well, why not look for content that didn’t perform well but that has the potential to? Essentially, pieces that could be great, but that were executed badly.
Then, go ahead and create the best piece of content around this topic. And also tell relevant webmasters and publishers about it. You can read a full tutorial on how to use the Skyscraper Technique and tactic.
Tactic #12. Ego Bait Content
When we talk of “Ego Bait,” it’s a form of content that banks on the idea of “I scratch your back, you scratch mine”. It involves creating content that highlights one or more industry experts. And then encourage them to “thank you” with a link (without asking, of course).
Ego bait content can be a part of your regular link outreach methods, or you can simply create the content and wait to acquire the links naturally. The idea is that whoever is featured in the content is so honored that they are inclined to link to it. And then after that, share your content saying, “Hey, look how awesome I am!”
Some ideas for ego bait content include Expert roundup posts, Interviews, Awards, “Best of” articles, Expert directories, etc. You can even check out this guide on ego-bait content for even more ideas. You should also consider eBooks in your strategic plan too.
Got an awesome writer on your team? If so, it may be worth writing an industry-leading eBook to generate natural links. An ebook can be a great authoritative piece of content that sets you apart in your industry. Like any other piece of content, the more value you provide, the better.
If your eBook stands the test of time, it can generate natural links for years to come. You can check out the complete ebook library from SEJ for some examples.
Tactic #13. Content Round-Ups & Interviews
Have you created a great post as part of your content marketing strategy? It is not uncommon to find content round-ups in pretty much any industry. In fact, there are even monthly round-ups in the digital PR and SEO industry, such as Content, Curated, and The Weekly SEO.
Essentially, round-ups are just lists of the best content in a sector over a given period of time. And they are often pretty easy to find using search operators on Google. Such as “Keyword” + intitle: “weekly roundup”, “Keyword” + intitle: “roundup”, “Keyword” + inurl: roundup, or even “Keyword” + “best blogs of the week”.
You’ll need to make sure you have already created great content. That’s worth being featured and reach out to suggest it for inclusion. While on the other hand, if you’ve got an industry expert within your business or your client’s business, securing interviews with industry-specific publications can be a great way too.
Not only to earn a relevant link but also to position them as thought leaders within the space. Google search operators are a great help in finding these opportunities and don’t just limit yourself to written interviews. Videos and podcasts are also great and will often be accompanied by a link back to the guest’s website.
Tactic #14. Expert Round-Ups
As I said, SEO tactics are bound to change with time. Despite being a tactic that was done to death a few years back, expert round-ups can still be a great way to earn links. But you’ll need to round up a series of experts within your industry. It’s almost like a reverse content round-up, where you are the one creating the content.
And then pose a series of questions to them. After that, turn it into an engaging piece of content that collates the opinions and insights of industry leaders. Once you hit publish, go ahead and let everyone who contributed know that it is ready for viewing. And then, pitch key headlines and insights to the press and other relevant publishers.
Naturally, you’ll find that some of the experts who contributed will link to it from their ‘as seen in the press page or similar. And they’re also often interesting angles and debates that industry publications love. It also helps to position your brand as a thought leader. So long as you choose the right experts — with a good level of credibility — it’s still one of the greatest tactics.
Tactic #15. Quora & Reddit
Another great way to earn links organically is by the use of Quora and Reddit web publishing platforms. Herewith, Quora is a Q&A site where users can share their knowledge and find answers to their questions. Quora gets 200,000+ unique visitors per month. In order to attract natural links via Quora, the key is to focus on providing value.
Many users use Quora for link-building purposes. So, if you simply drop a link, most users can see right through your intentions. Find and answer questions related to your industry. Offer your expertise and contextually include a link to a valuable resource within your response. If a user finds your response to be authentic and thorough, they may be inclined to visit your site.
And even link to the page themselves. Likewise, Reddit isn’t just for r/rants and r/politics. Redditors also flock to the platform for news, to seek answers to their questions, and to share their own knowledge. That means there is ample opportunity for you to provide value, answer questions, and even get a link.
For this tactic to work effectively, we recommend creating an account that has nothing to do with SEO. Simply act like a typical user. Then, subscribe to subreddits that are related to your industry. Answer user questions, build up your Reddit “karma”, and share value. Occasionally, you can drop links to your own resources that may be of value to the community.
Takeaway,
Finally, now that we’ve given you a detailed insight into the link-building tactics that work and those that do not, it is time to get started. If you have never built links before, hopefully, you are now eager to get started. And, one thing is for sure, you’re also looking forward to landing your first link. On that note, request our Web Tech Experts Taskforce to give you a free link.
On the other hand, if you have been building links for years, hopefully, you have been inspired to try out a new tactic. So, are you ready to start reaping the benefits of SEO while you focus on your business? Well, you can Contact Us online for more help and support. You can even call us today at 072-494-4456 to speak with one of our SEO strategists too.
Bear in mind, that you’re also free to share your additional opinions, thoughts, suggestions, contributions, or even questions (for FAQ Answers) in our comments section below. Likewise, don’t forget to Donate in order to support what we do — online research blog articles and other ongoing projects — as well as motivate our creative team. We hope to see you at the next one.
