To boost your ecommerce site's visibility and drive more sales, consider these 7 link building tactics:
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Get Customers to Share Product Reviews
- Ask satisfied customers to share positive reviews with links to your product pages
- Offer incentives like discounts or free products in exchange
-
Pitch Guest Post Updates
- Find outdated blog posts and offer to refresh them with new content
- Include a link back to your site in the updated post
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Utilize HARO (Help a Reporter Out)
- Sign up as a source and respond to relevant journalist queries
- Provide insights and include a link to your website in your response
-
Create Shareable Infographics
- Design visually appealing infographics on topics relevant to your business
- Optimize for sharing and include links back to your site
-
Digital PR Campaigns
- Develop high-quality content and pitch it to relevant sources
- Get backlinks from reputable websites that publish your content
-
Affiliate Marketing
- Partner with affiliates who promote your products in exchange for commissions
- Affiliates link back to your ecommerce site, driving referral traffic
-
Broken Link Building
- Find broken links on other websites and offer replacement links to your content
- Get backlinks by providing a working solution to broken links
| Tactic | Difficulty | Time Required | Link Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Reviews | Easy | 1-2 hrs/week | Good |
| Guest Post Updates | Moderate | 2-3 hrs/week | Very Good |
| HARO | Moderate | 1-2 hrs/week | Very Good |
| Infographics | Moderate | 2-3 hrs/week | Good |
| Digital PR | Hard | 5-10 hrs/week | Excellent |
| Affiliate Marketing | Moderate | 3-5 hrs/week | Good |
| Broken Link Building | Moderate | 2-3 hrs/week | Very Good |
Consider combining multiple tactics for a diverse, effective link building strategy tailored to your goals and resources.
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1. Get Customers to Share Product Reviews
What is it?
This tactic involves asking happy customers to share their positive experiences with your products. By getting customers to write reviews and link back to your product pages, you can build trust and credibility with potential buyers.
How to Do It
1. Identify customers who left great reviews or feedback on your products.
2. Reach out and thank them for their kind words.
3. Ask if they'd be willing to share their review on their own website, blog, or social media, with a link back to the product page.
4. Optionally, offer an incentive like a discount or free product in exchange for their help.
Difficulty: Moderate
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Time Required | 2-3 hours per week |
| Potential for Quality Links | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 |
2. Pitch Guest Post Updates
What is it?
This tactic involves finding outdated blog posts and offering to update them with fresh content, while also including a link back to your website. It's more effective than regular guest posting because you can target posts that already have backlinks, resulting in a stronger backlink for your site.
How to Do It
- Use tools like Ahrefs' Content Explorer to find non-competing, outdated posts related to topics you have content about.
- Set filters to focus on pages with at least 50 referring domains and a Domain Rating (DR) of 40 or higher.
- Reach out to the site owner with a personalized pitch, highlighting how updating the post can improve organic rankings and traffic.
- Offer to refresh the post with new information and naturally incorporate a link to your site.
Difficulty: Moderate
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Time Required | 2-3 hours per week |
| Potential for Quality Links | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 |
3. Utilize HARO
What is HARO?
HARO stands for "Help a Reporter Out." It's a platform that connects journalists with sources for their stories. As a source, you can respond to queries from reporters and provide insights, potentially leading to high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources.
How to Use HARO for Ecommerce Link Building
- Sign up as a source and create a profile on HARO.
- You'll receive daily emails with queries from reporters seeking input on various topics.
- Respond to relevant queries within your area of expertise.
- Provide detailed yet concise answers.
- Include a brief bio about yourself and a link to your website.
Benefits of Using HARO
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Improved SEO | Backlinks from HARO strengthen your website's SEO efforts by increasing its authority. |
| Increased Brand Exposure | Appearing as an industry expert in media publications builds credibility and awareness among potential customers. |
| Networking Opportunities | Connecting with journalists through HARO can lead to future collaborations or speaking engagements. |
Difficulty Level: Moderate
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Time Required | 1-2 hours per week |
| Potential for Quality Links | 9/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 |
4. Create Shareable Infographics
Infographics are visual representations that use graphics to explain information or data in an engaging way. Creating shareable infographics is an effective link building tactic for ecommerce sites.
Why Use Infographics?
Infographics make complex information easier to understand. They are visually appealing and highly shareable, making them likely to be linked to and shared across the web. This can help you attract high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources.
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Shareability | Infographics are easy to share, increasing the chances of getting backlinks. |
| Visual Appeal | Graphics make infographics engaging and attention-grabbing. |
| Simplify Complex Info | Infographics break down complex topics into easy-to-grasp visuals. |
How to Create Shareable Infographics
1. Choose a Relevant Topic
Pick a topic related to your ecommerce business that your target audience cares about.
2. Design an Engaging Visual
Create a visual that tells a story and conveys key messages clearly.
3. Optimize for SEO
Include relevant keywords and meta descriptions to help your infographic rank in search engines.
4. Share and Promote
Share your infographic on social media, email, and other channels to increase visibility and backlink opportunities.
Difficulty Level: Moderate
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Time Required | 2-3 hours |
| Potential for Quality Links | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 |
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5. Digital PR Campaigns
Digital PR campaigns help ecommerce sites gain visibility and attract links from trusted sources. They involve creating and promoting useful content to reach your target audience.
Benefits of Digital PR
| Benefit | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Brand Awareness | Increases visibility and recognition for your ecommerce brand |
| Credibility | Establishes trust and authority with potential customers |
| Quality Backlinks | Attracts high-quality links from reputable websites |
| Website Traffic | Drives more visitors to your ecommerce site |
| Better Rankings | Improves search engine rankings for your products and content |
How to Run a Digital PR Campaign
1. Find Relevant Sources
Research journalists, bloggers, and influencers in your industry who can help promote your content.
2. Create Valuable Content
Develop high-quality, relevant content that provides value to your target audience.
3. Pitch Your Content
Contact the sources you identified and pitch your content to them.
4. Promote Your Content
Share your content on social media, email, and other channels to increase visibility and attract links.
Difficulty Level: Moderate
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Time Required | 3-5 hours per week |
| Potential for Quality Links | 9/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 |
6. Affiliate Marketing
Difficulty Level: Moderate
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Time Required | 3-5 hours per week |
| Potential for Quality Links | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 |
Affiliate marketing is a powerful way for ecommerce sites to get backlinks. It involves partnering with affiliates who promote your products or services. In return, they earn a commission for any sales they bring in.
Here's how to get started with affiliate marketing:
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Choose an affiliate network: Look for a reputable network that fits your ecommerce business. Popular options include Algo-Affiliates, ClickDealer, and MyLead.
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Create an offer: Develop an attractive offer to incentivize affiliates. This could be competitive commission rates, exclusive discounts, or early access to new products.
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Recruit affiliates: Reach out to potential affiliates through social media, email, or content marketing. You can also use affiliate networks to connect with interested affiliates in your niche.
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Provide marketing materials: Give affiliates banners, product images, and copy to help them promote your products effectively.
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Track and optimize: Monitor your affiliate program's performance and make regular improvements.
Affiliates can be influencers, bloggers, or content creators. They promote your products to their audience, driving traffic and sales to your ecommerce site. In return, you pay them a commission for each sale they generate.
7. Broken Link Building
Difficulty Level: Moderate
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Time Required | 2-3 hours per week |
| Potential for Quality Links | 9/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 |
Broken link building is a link building strategy that involves finding broken links on other websites and offering a working link to a similar page on your ecommerce site as a replacement. This tactic helps you build high-quality links from relevant websites.
Here's how to get started with broken link building:
-
Find broken links Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to locate broken links on other websites. You can also use online broken link checkers or Chrome extensions like Check My Links.
-
Identify relevant links Filter the broken links to find ones that are relevant to your ecommerce site. Look for links that point to content similar to what you offer.
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Create a replacement link Create a high-quality page or content that is similar to the broken link. Make sure it is relevant and valuable to the target audience.
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Contact the website owner Inform the website owner about the broken link. Offer your replacement link as a solution and ask them to update the link.
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Track and optimize Monitor the performance of your broken link building campaign and make regular improvements.
Comparing Link Building Tactics for Ecommerce
When choosing a link building strategy for your online store, it's helpful to understand the pros and cons of each tactic. Here's a comparison of the 7 tactics based on factors like difficulty, time commitment, resources needed, potential for high-quality links, and scalability:
| Tactic | Difficulty | Time Required | Resources Needed | Link Quality Potential | Scalability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Feedback Technique | Easy | 1-2 hours/week | Basic SEO tools | Good (8/10) | Fair (7/10) |
| Pitch Guest Post Updates | Medium | 2-3 hours/week | Advanced SEO tools, content skills | Very Good (9/10) | Good (8/10) |
| Utilize HARO | Medium | 2-3 hours/week | HARO subscription, content skills | Very Good (9/10) | Good (8/10) |
| Create Shareable Infographics | Medium | 2-3 hours/week | Design skills, infographic tools | Good (8/10) | Fair (7/10) |
| Digital PR Campaigns | Hard | 5-10 hours/week | Advanced SEO tools, PR skills, outreach budget | Excellent (10/10) | Very Good (9/10) |
| Affiliate Marketing | Medium | 2-3 hours/week | Affiliate program setup, content skills | Good (8/10) | Fair (7/10) |
| Broken Link Building | Medium | 2-3 hours/week | Advanced SEO tools, content skills | Very Good (9/10) | Good (8/10) |
From this table, you can see that Digital PR Campaigns offer the highest potential for acquiring top-quality links, but they also require the most time and resources. In contrast, the Product Feedback Technique is an easy tactic that can still yield decent results with minimal effort.
When choosing a link building approach, consider your goals, available resources, and the strengths and weaknesses of each tactic. For example, if you have limited time but want to steadily build quality links, tactics like Pitch Guest Post Updates or Broken Link Building may be a good fit. If you can invest more resources for maximum impact, a comprehensive Digital PR Campaign could be the way to go.
Key Takeaways:
- Digital PR Campaigns offer the best link quality but are resource-intensive
- Product Feedback Technique is easy to implement with basic resources
- Tactics like Guest Post Updates, HARO, and Broken Link Building strike a balance between effort and link quality
- Consider your goals, budget, and team's skills when selecting tactics
- A diverse link building strategy combining multiple tactics is often most effective
Conclusion
To sum up, the 7 ecommerce link building tactics covered in this article offer various ways to boost your online store's visibility and drive more sales. From leveraging customer feedback to creating shareable visuals, each tactic has its own strengths and weaknesses.
For maximum impact, it's wise to diversify your approach and try different tactics. Consider your goals, resources, and each tactic's pros and cons to determine the best fit for your ecommerce business.
A diverse link building strategy can help you:
- Increase your online store's visibility
- Attract more traffic and sales
- Improve search engine rankings
- Stay ahead of competitors
| Tactic | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Product Feedback Technique | - Easy to implement - Minimal resources needed |
- Limited link quality potential - Scalability challenges |
| Pitch Guest Post Updates | - Good link quality - Scalable |
- Moderate time commitment - Advanced SEO tools required |
| Utilize HARO | - High-quality links - Scalable |
- Moderate time commitment - Subscription fee |
| Create Shareable Infographics | - Visually engaging - Simplifies complex info |
- Design skills needed - Moderate scalability |
| Digital PR Campaigns | - Excellent link quality - Highly scalable |
- Time-intensive - Requires PR skills and budget |
| Affiliate Marketing | - Good link quality - Scalable |
- Moderate time commitment - Program setup required |
| Broken Link Building | - High-quality links - Scalable |
- Moderate time commitment - Advanced SEO tools required |
FAQs
What is the best link building plan for online stores?
There is no single best link building tactic. The most effective approach combines various strategies:
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Digital PR Campaigns: Earn high-quality backlinks from respected publications. This requires a budget and PR skills but can yield excellent results.
-
Affiliate Marketing: Partner with relevant affiliates to promote your products and link back to your site. Moderately time-consuming but scalable with good link quality.
-
Broken Link Building: Find and replace broken links on relevant sites with links to your content. Requires advanced SEO tools but can secure high-quality backlinks in a scalable way.
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Influencer Product Reviews: Send products to influencers in your niche for reviews that often include backlinks to your site. Drives targeted traffic and quality backlinks.
How to build links for SEO?
-
Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords and create content around those topics to attract backlinks.
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Shareable Content: Develop high-quality, informative, visually appealing content like guides, infographics, and videos that others will want to link to.
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Guest Blogging: Contribute posts to relevant blogs and publications in your niche, including backlinks to your site.
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Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers to promote your products and secure backlinks from their platforms.
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Monitor Brand Mentions: Find instances where your brand is mentioned without a link, and request a backlink.
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Competitor Analysis: Analyze competitors' backlink profiles to identify potential link-building opportunities.
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Build Relationships: Establish connections with relevant websites, brands, and industry players for mutually beneficial link opportunities.
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Consistent Effort: Regularly implement a diverse range of link-building tactics as an ongoing SEO strategy.
| Link Building Tactic | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Digital PR Campaigns | - High-quality links - Highly scalable |
- Time-intensive - Requires PR skills and budget |
| Affiliate Marketing | - Good link quality - Scalable |
- Moderate time commitment - Program setup required |
| Broken Link Building | - High-quality links - Scalable |
- Moderate time commitment - Advanced SEO tools required |
| Influencer Product Reviews | - Targeted traffic - Quality backlinks |
- Product costs - Influencer outreach |
| Guest Blogging | - Relevant backlinks - Builds relationships |
- Content creation effort - Limited scalability |
| Monitor Brand Mentions | - Claim existing mentions - Low effort |
- Limited opportunities - Outreach required |
| Competitor Analysis | - Identify new opportunities - Low effort |
- Limited direct link acquisition - Ongoing monitoring needed |
