How to Implement a Backlink Strategy for SEO (with FREE worksheet)

Creating backlinks to your website is a digital marketing strategy that’s part of the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) mix. It’s a key part of SEO and is something every business owner with a website should be getting to grips with. Why? Because backlinks help to drive traffic to your website and you’ll also get precious brownie points with Google (and other search engines).

Just in case you are wondering what a backlink is, a short explanation follows. For the uninitiated, a backlink is simply a link from another website to a page or resource on your business website. Having a strong backlink profile is something to aim for to drive more traffic to your website.

How Does Implementing a Backlink Strategy Drive Traffic to your Website?

Increases Brand Awareness

Featuring on a different website will expose a new audience to your website, acting like an advertisement or online PR for your business. The more backlinks, the more brand awareness increases. If that link is on a website with a large number of users, then your business could potentially be found by lots of new people.

Improves Domain Authority

Not only do backlinks get more eyes on your business, but those links also lend more authority to your website in the eyes of Google (and other search engines). Strong backlinks show your website/business is trustworthy, genuine and an expert in your field. All of these elements boost the authority of your domain, which in turn pushes your website up the SERPs.

For the full lowdown and more info on backlinks, read: What Are Backlinks and How Do They Drive Traffic to My Website

How To Create Backlinks & Types of Link Building

Creating backlinks is an off-page SEO strategy. This means an action that’s taken OUTSIDE of your own website, to impact and improve your ranking within the SERPs (search engine results page). Whilst you have less control over off-page techniques (as opposed to on-page which is an action taken on your own website, like adding keywords and optimizing copy), it’s still possible to have some control over creating backlinks on other websites.

Backlinks can be gathered from different sources and websites, including:

1. Listings in Online Business Directories
2. Google My Business account
3. Press & PR articles
4. Guest blog posts

Gaining listings in online business directories and starting a Google My Business account is a quick, easy way to gain backlinks. Many directory sites offer a free listing with a backlink to your website – they act as a modern-day/digital version of the Yellow Pages and potential customers use them to search for services they need. All you need to do is complete the ‘submit a site’ form on the different sites, verify your listing, and boom you’ve got yourself a backlink.

Getting a backlink in a press article or featured in a guest blog takes a little more work and will depend on the decision-making of people outside your business. So, these types of links are harder to achieve (but not impossible) but can be targeted with the right long-term planning. The process would be something like this:

1. Research best press/PR sites in your business niche. Make a list of the best ones.
2. Find out how to submit press releases to them and/or start cultivating a relationship with them.
3. Offer to write a guest blog post or press piece.
4. Ensure any press piece or guest blog features a backlink to your website. If it’s missed, be sure to ask your contact to add one.

So, creating backlinks should be approached in different ways, depending on what kind of backlink you are hoping to achieve. 

Link Building Plan with FREE Worksheet Template

Building backlinks isn’t super-complicated but it does require some planning, organisation and patience! To save you some time and effort, I’ve put together a FREE Backlink Tracker Worksheet, so you can see what needs to be done and record your progress.

What’s in the Link Building Plan Worksheet?

This template is a worksheet giving you more information on how to create backlinks and a framework to create a backlink strategy that works for your business and marketing needs. It’s in excel sheet format that you can research and work through in your own time, but guides you through the backlink building process and helps get you clued up about creating different types of backlinks.

Included in the FREE Backlink Tracker Worksheet:

• Introduction to the Backlink Tracker Template and clear instructions on how to use it
• A space to store your key company info for submissions to online business directories. There are some repetitive tasks involved so getting the data down in one place makes life just that little bit easier.
• Worksheets with information and space for recording your progress on the different places to get backlinks. These include:
  • business directories
  • local area listings and news
  • event directories
  • trade, industry, or niche
  • business associates
  • other directories

The Backlink Tracker Worksheet includes details of the different types of backlinks your business could be targeting. Use it as a guide and template to get organised and track your own backlink-building progress!

Download a copy of the FREE Backlink Tracker Worksheet now to get started on creating backlinks for your business website. Link building is a long-term, on-going SEO Strategy so the sooner you get going, the sooner it will start showing results for your small business website.  Just pop your email in the box below and it’ll be on the way to you!