Acquiring Backlinks without Pain: Top-5 Tips for Small Businesses
Google’s Gary Illyes made some comments at SERP Conf’24, which have taken the SEO world by storm. Gary said: “We need very few links to rank pages… Over the years, we’ve made links less important.” This excellent article by Roger Montti describes how Google’s view on links for ranking websites has changed. While links are still important, Google now values other factors like content quality and user experience more. This means that SEO strategies need to focus on overall website optimization, not just on getting lots of links.
Should a small business, which is already running on a shoestring budget and a finite attention span still invest in acquiring backlinks. Yes! We argue that acquiring backlinks is still valuable if you can do it without spending too much money, time, or effort.
Here are five actionable tips that small businesses can employ to get easy backlinks:
Five Tips to Acquire Backlinks
1. Leverage Existing Contacts:
Utilize your existing network to identify potential link-building opportunities. Most people in your direct (customers, friends, family) or extended (acquaintances, parents from kids’ schools, teachers, local shopkeepers, etc.) network are generally very helpful. You’d be surprised by how many of them have an existing website, blog, or social media presence. These channels can provide you with the easiest and most relevant backlinks.
2. Engage the Broader Community:
Religious community centers (churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc.) have active websites, a weekly newsletter, and an events schedule. These have a broad reach across a captive and recurring audience. Securing a backlink on these platforms can significantly enhance your SEO performance. Additionally, collaborating with local community centers and libraries or organizing local events can earn valuable backlinks.
3. Acquire .Edu Backlinks:
Educational websites, such as schools and colleges, carry significant weight in SEO. If your children attend elementary, middle, or high school, collaborating with the school for potential backlink partnerships can yield excellent SEO results. If your child is in college, they likely have the ability to create a dedicated webpage on the college website, which can serve as a powerful backlink source for your business. Finally, if you are an alum of a school that features alumni profiles on its website, consider reaching out to have a link to your business added to your alumni profile.
4. Partner with Local Influencers:
Partnering with influential figures in your community can yield valuable backlinks. These influencers are generally looking for good products that they can talk about and will be happy to provide you backlinks for a nominal fee (sometimes for free, too) as long as you commit to amplifying their content on social media. When reputable local influencers link to your website, it enhances your credibility and drives traffic from their followers.
5. Create Resource Pages:
Establish a Google Business Profile Google Business Profile to enhance your local SEO presence. While not a direct backlink, this profile helps your business appear on Google Maps Google Maps and local searches, improving visibility and accessibility.
Two Pitfalls to Avoid in Backlinks
1. Only use backlinks with a decent domain authority: However, not all backlinks are created equal. It’s essential to prioritize backlinks from websites with high domain authority. Tools like Moz can help assess a website’s authority before pursuing backlink opportunities.
2. Never ever buy backlinks: That can backfire and lead to severe repercussions, negatively impacting your SEO performance.
How eBay lost millions due to harmful paid backlinks.
In 2014, eBay faced a significant setback when it lost $200 million due to a combination of issues related to paid backlinks and Google’s algorithm updates, notably the Panda algorithm. The problem stemmed from eBay’s use of paid backlinks, a practice intended to boost search engine rankings but considered a violation of Google’s guidelines. When Google updated its Panda algorithm to crack down on low-quality content and spammy practices, eBay’s search visibility and traffic plummeted, leading to substantial financial losses. This incident highlighted the importance of adhering to search engine guidelines and the risks associated with black hat SEO tactics. eBay’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for businesses navigating the complexities of online marketing and SEO strategies.
Read more at eBay’s “Paid Search Is Ineffective” Study Gains Buzz And Skeptics, Again
Conclusion
In summary, backlinks remain valuable for small businesses despite Google’s evolving perspective. Leveraging existing networks, engaging with communities, and partnering with local influencers can secure valuable backlinks. However, prioritizing quality and ethical practices, such as avoiding purchased backlinks, is essential to maintain SEO integrity and avoid penalties.
