The Importance of High Quality Backlinks

Content marketing has become increasingly popular. Providing your customer with knowledge is a great way to convince them you can also provide them with a quality service. Once you make yourself the eminent source on a topic, people are more inclined to do business with you. However, content marketing can be tricky.

Backlinks are one of the many aspects of content marketing. All backlinks are not created equal, however. And the difference between a quality backlink and one of lesser quality can have an impact on your search result rankings.

But what is backlinking? And how can it help a Nashville business’ content marketing impact? We’ll look at the basics of building quality backlinks.

What Are Backlinks?

At its most basic, backlinking is when a website has a hyperlink to your website. These links are not only how people navigate the internet, it is also how search engines navigate the internet. The presence of links to your website builds credibility. The existence of a high number of backlinks implies your webpage’s authority on a particular topic or keyword.

Think of it this way—if you were to come across a blog piece about inbound marketing, and the blog included a link to explain inbound marketing, who would you assume is the more knowledgeable source for information on the subject? This authority is understood by both readers and search engines. And when a search engine is computing the algorithm for search result rankings, the number and quality of backlinks is factored in.

The Inequality of Backlinks

Backlinks can affect your website’s rankings in various ways. The simple existence of a backlink doesn’t necessarily make it a positive factor in your search result ranking.

A bad backlink comes from a website that is either untrusted or unrelated. Why would a flower nursery link to a recycling center? If the association doesn’t make sense, the link loses its credibility.

Likewise, if a website has violated Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, their backlinks can be deemed untrustworthy and have a negative effect on your website.

But why would this matter? The link has to exist for a reason, right? Well, an unfortunate truth of the SEO system is that there are untrustworthy individuals trying to cheat it. These low-quality links can be purchased in an effort to simply build a number of links. There are agencies that offer these shady services and if Google thinks you are using unethical practices, you will be penalized.

On the other hand, quality backlinks come from reputable sites within your niche. Becoming referenced for information is the best way for a similar site to point to your website as an authority on the subject. This communication between websites is rewarded with a higher SEO score.

How To Build Quality Backlinks

Convincing others to link to your website is difficult. This is why it’s rewarded with higher search results when it’s accomplished. But how do you set yourself apart from the overabundance of information on the internet?

Content

Quality content is the best way to get relevant websites to link to yours. However, content that is easily shared can be more advantageous. An engaging infographic, for instance, is a great way to share applicable information in a way others can seamlessly drop into their own blogs and articles. Linking back through this portrays your website as a reputable reference. Videos and image galleries are other examples of content that can be used across various platforms that link back to your website.

Relationship Building

There are many ways you can create a relationship with another website which will make them more likely to link back to your page. One of the more popular methods of doing this is guest blogging. This is when you approach a website and offer to write a piece of content for them. They post your content and you link back to your website. Many sites will also include an area for testimonials. Writing a testimonial and including a link to your webpage is a great way to benefit both websites.

Include Your Own Links

When appropriate, link to other websites in your own content. Try to find reputable websites that legitimately add to your post. Then, shoot them an email letting them know you enjoyed their article and are including it in a post of your own. Remember, every website has a person behind it. And these people are likely to link to other websites they have a good relationship with. Taking the time to connect on a personal level can have benefits down the road.

Benefits of Backlinks

As we said above, backlinks help you rank better in search results. They build your authority in your niche and improve your rankings in search results. These results can have large effects on the success of your content marketing strategy in Nashville.

These campaigns take a lot of work and attention. Nashville companies interested in paying more attention to their content marketing stand to gain a lot from working with a professional marketing company.

Horton Group provides content marketing services in the Nashville area. Our experts can tailor a strategy specific to your needs.