There are multiple variables that influence a company’s search engine optimization (SEO), and one of the ways a digital PR agency will amplify your online presence is through link building. Increasing the number of websites that link back to you—also known as backlinks—is a demonstrated technique for moving your own content up in Google’s search results, but not all backlinks carry the same weight. Understanding where and how to focus link building efforts is imperative because the purpose of digital PR and SEO initiatives is about more than engagement numbers and follower counts. Rather, the optimal end result of link building is lead generation.
What Matters Most
When deciding which websites to target for potential link building, it’s important to consider both their strength and relevance. Quality is just as important as quantity, and high-quality links come from reputable websites. If you’re marketing a subscription box of obscure spice blends, for example, a shoutout on your cousin’s food blog would absolutely be appreciated, but a write-up in Bon Appetit would be substantially more valuable. Along those lines, aim for backlinks from sources that are clearly related to you in theme and content. A link to your spice blends from a high-authority fashion magazine is less appetizing than links from reputable sites about recipes, restaurants, and the like. Similarly, the anchor text used to create the hyperlink has an impact on Google’s ranking signals, so make sure links are placed via keywords when possible.
Another element to keep in mind is whether or not your link is editorially-placed. Editorial links are placed in articles written for newspapers, magazines, or other online publications. These types of links take more work to get, but are more valuable for your digital PR strategy than links on sites where you can create an account and post a link to yourself.
Get Creative
Digital PR services aren’t always top of mind when listing creative fields, but it takes creativity to promote link building. One technique that a digital PR agency can employ is to encourage user-generated content. Text, images, and videos created by users of your product or services are prized content because external endorsements leave an impression of authenticity. Visuals, in particular, are easily shared across social media platforms and can drive up traffic to your website.
Feel free to be inspired by a bit of healthy competition. Look at which websites are linking to your competitors, but aren’t yet linking to you. Chances are high that if a publication is linking to one or more of your competitors, they are a relevant, high-quality link, and they would likely link to you as well. On the flip side, you can differentiate yourself by breaking into territory that you know your competitors haven’t yet been able to reach.In SEO, who you know has a meaningful effect on who knows you. Link building is a relational exercise, so it makes sense to leverage a digital PR agency that has existing relationships and a roster of resources with the potential to provide you high-quality backlinks. Expanding your online presence does more than increase your visibility and name recognition—it also has the tangible effect of generating leads and adding clients or customers. Partnering with a digital PR company that knows the best strategies for raising your ranking in Google search results is a decision that can have a considerable return on investment.