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MUSINGS AND MILLION-DOLLAR STRATEGIES

Maximize your SEO in 2023 with these 6 essential backlink types

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When it comes to Search Engine Optimization, backlinks are like gold dust. These little hyperlinks can greatly impact your rankings by getting your website noticed by search engines.

Get ready to up your backlink game! From editorial backlinks to niche edits links, we've rounded up the six most valuable backlink types to help you increase your site's visibility and credibility.

They include the following:

  • Editorial backlinks
  • Guest post backlinks
  • Resource backlinks
  • Pillow backlinks
  • Niche edit backlinks
  • Free tool backlinks

Let’s dive in!

Editorial backlinks

Editorial backlinks, also known as "natural" or "organic" backlinks, are backlinks earned through the quality and value of the content on a website. These types of links are often the most valuable because they are seen as an endorsement of the content on the linking website.

To earn editorial links, a website must create high-quality, valuable content that other websites want to link to. This can include blog posts, infographics, videos, and other types of content that provide provable value to the reader or viewer.

How to earn editorial backlinks

Before anything else, it’s important to note that editorial backlinks cannot be bought or traded and must be earned through the quality of the content.

One way to earn editorial backlinks is to create shareable and engaging content. This could include infographics, videos, or interactive tools that are easy to understand and provide value to the reader.

Once you share this content on social media and other platforms, it’s more likely to be seen by other websites and bloggers interested in linking to it.

Another way to earn editorial backlinks is to write high-quality, informative blog posts or articles that provide unique insights on a specific topic. You can then include relevant keywords and phrases in it, which makes your content more likely to be found by search engine crawlers and attract backlinks from other websites.

Pillow links

Pillow links are often used to establish a website's indexation and provide a buffer against potential ranking fluctuations on search engine results pages. They are called "pillow" because they are meant to be a supportive foundation for a website rather than high-powered, in-your-face links that might attract unwanted attention or scrutiny.

Several types of backlinks can fall under the category of pillow links. Some common examples include:

Citations

These are mentions of a website's name or URL on other web pages without necessarily including a hyperlink. Citations can help establish a website's presence and credibility on the internet and may also be used by search engine algorithms to signal the website's relevance and authority.

Social media profiles

Many social media platforms allow users to create profiles and link to their websites. These links can be considered pillow links, as they are typically not as powerful as links from other types of websites. However, they can still be useful for building brand awareness and driving traffic to your website.

Forum posts

Participating in online forums and including a link to a web page in a signature or post can be another way to acquire pillow links. These links may not have a lot of value on their own, but they can help to establish a website's presence on the internet and may also drive some referral traffic.

Press releases

Press releases are articles or announcements distributed to media outlets and other websites. Many press release distribution services allow users to include links in their releases, which can be considered pillow links.

While these links may not have a lot of value from an SEO perspective, they can be useful for building brand awareness and generating media coverage.

Niche directories

Many niche-specific directories allow websites to submit their URL and other information for inclusion. These links can be useful for building a website's presence in a particular industry or niche.

Blog comments

Many blogs allow users to leave comments and include a link to their website. In addition to helping you build links, blog comments can help build relationships with other bloggers and drive some referral traffic.

Factors to consider when building pillow links

There are a few key considerations to keep in mind when building pillow links, including:

Timing

Pillow links are typically most effective when they are acquired at the beginning stages of a website's development, as they can help to establish a foundation for future link building efforts. However, it's also important to continue acquiring these links on an ongoing basis as they can help to maintain a website's presence and credibility on the internet.

Diversity

While pillow links can be helpful in certain circumstances, high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources are generally more valuable and can have a greater impact on search rankings.

As such, it's best to use pillow links as part of a balanced SEO strategy that includes a mix of different types of links.

Anchor text

When building pillow links, it's important to vary the anchor text and avoid using the exact phrase repeatedly. This helps create a more natural link profile and avoid raising red flags with Google and other search engines.

Guest post backlinks

Guest posts are one of the most reliable sources of backlinks, which explains why they are so popular in SEO circles today. At Profit Engine, we use them as part of the comprehensive link building strategy for our client's websites.

We do guest posting by identifying high-quality, relevant websites in our clients' industries or niches and pitching guest post ideas to the website owners or editors.

Once a website accepts a post, we ensure that the backlink to our client's site is properly formatted and placed in a prominent location in the blog post. We also ensure that the anchor text is relevant and includes the target keywords for our client's website.

To maximize the value of a guest post backlink, we ensure that the post is high-quality and informative. The goal is to provide good value to the target website's audience by sharing a well-written post with proper grammar and spelling.

In addition to writing and publishing guest posts, we promote them on social media and other platforms to increase their visibility and reach.

Finally, we monitor the performance of the post and the resulting backlink to ensure that it provides value to our client's websites.

Resource backlinks

Resource backlinks are different from traditional editorial backlinks in that they are often used to link to educational or informative content, such as infographics, whitepapers, or case studies.

To build these backlinks, here are a few strategies you can use:

Do keyword research

Keyword research is an important part of any link building strategy. By targeting the right keywords, you can increase your chances of getting your resource found by the right people and improve your overall link building efforts.

There are several ways to do keyword research, but one of the simplest is using a free online tool like Google's Keyword Planner. Just enter a few seed keywords related to your topic and it will generate a list of related keywords and phrases.

You can also use paid services such as Ahrefs or SEMrush. These tools provide more detailed data than the Google Keyword Planner and can be worth the investment if you're serious about building backlinks.

Create high-quality content

This is the most important part of building resource backlinks. After all, you must create something valuable that other websites want to link to.

Assuming you now have a list of relevant keywords, it's time to start creating content targeting them. This could be anything from super-detailed cornerstone blog posts to infographics to videos.

Whatever form of content you create, ensure it's high-quality and informative, as this will help convince other websites to link to it.

Reach out to other websites

The next step is to reach out to other websites and ask if they would be interested in linking to your content. It's important to ensure that the content you offer is relevant to their audience and adds clear value to their website.

Participate in industry forums and online communities

Another way to get your resource noticed is by participating in industry forums and online communities related to your niche. By contributing valuable insights and resources, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and increase the chances that other websites will link to your content.

Leverage social media

Social media platforms can be a great way to promote your content and attract resource backlinks. Start sharing your content on platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to increase the chances that it will be discovered by other industry professionals and potentially linked to.

Add internal links to spread link equity

One of the most underrated parts of building resource backlinks is on-page optimization and in particular internal linking. By linking to other pages on your site, you're helping to improve your site's navigability for users and giving search engines an easy way to discover and index new content.

Internal links are also valuable to help spread link equity around your website. Link equity is the value passed from one webpage to another through a link. The more link equity a webpage has, the more valuable it is.

There are a few different ways you can go about adding internal links. One way is to simply add them into the body of your content whenever it makes sense. For example, if you're writing an article about SEO and you mention the term "link building", you could add an internal link to our guide on link building.

Another way is to use a plugin or tool like Link Whisper which will automatically add internal links for you based on certain keywords or phrases.

Whatever method you choose, ensure that you're always conscious of how much link equity each page on your site has and try to spread it around as much as possible.

Niche edits

Niche edits, also known as link insertions or content inserts, are a type of backlink inserted into existing content on a third-party website. These links are typically targeted towards a specific niche or industry and are meant to be relevant and valuable to the audience of the website where they are placed.

Niche edits can be an effective way to build backlinks because they are often more powerful and valuable than other links, such as pillow links or directories. This is because they are placed in contextually relevant content, making them more attractive to search engines and valuable to users.

It's important to note that niche edit links are not always easy to obtain, as they require the website owner's or editor's approval. As such, try to be respectful and professional when requesting these links and provide clear and compelling reasons why a link to your content would be valuable and relevant for their audience.

How to acquire niche edits links for better SEO rankings

There are a few steps you can follow to build quality links using niche edits:

Identify potential opportunities

This can be done by searching for relevant keywords and looking for websites that cover similar topics or are in the same industry. It can also be helpful to use tools like Ahrefs or Majestic to identify websites that have linked to similar content in the past.

Approach the website owner or editor

Once you have identified potential opportunities for niche edit links, the next step is to reach out to the owner or editor of the website and propose a link exchange or paid link placement. As we mentioned, always remain respectful when making this approach and be clear about the benefits the link will provide to both parties.

Negotiate the terms

If the owner or editor of the website is interested in adding a link to your website, the next step is to negotiate the terms of the link placement. This may include discussing the anchor text (the visible text used to link to your website), the location of the link within the content, and any payment or compensation that may be required.

Monitor and track the link

Once the link has been added to the website, monitor and track it to ensure it's working as intended. This may involve using tools like Ahrefs or Google Search Console to track the link's performance and assess its value.

What to consider when building niche edits backlinks

There are a few key factors to consider when building niche edits links:

Quality

Niche edit links are most effective when added to high-quality, authoritative websites. As such, focus on building links from reputable sources rather than lower-quality websites that may not provide as much value.

Relevance

The goal is to ensure that the content the link is being added to is relevant to the website or topic being linked to. This can improve the link's value and increase the chances that it will be effective in improving search rankings.

Placement

It's generally best to include the link within the main body of the content rather than in a header, footer or sidebar. 

Payment

Many website owners and editors will require payment or compensation in exchange for adding a link to their website. As such, be prepared to negotiate these terms and be clear about the link's value to both parties.

With this in mind, it can be helpful to have a budget in mind when approaching potential link partners and to be open to negotiating mutually beneficial terms.

Free tool backlinks

Free tool backlinks can be obtained by offering a useful tool or resource for free to other websites or users. These types of backlinks are typically acquired by creating a tool or resource that is valuable and relevant to a particular industry or niche and then promoting it to potential link partners or users.

Here are a few steps you can follow to build free tool backlinks for your website:

Come up with an idea for a useful tool or resource

This is the most important step in building free tool backlinks, as the success of your strategy will depend on the value and usefulness of your tool or resource. To come up with an idea, consider what your target audience needs and how you can solve a problem or meet a demand in your industry.

For example, if you are a financial planner, you might create a retirement calculator that helps users determine how much they need to save to retire comfortably.

Research your competition and identify gaps in the market

Before you build your tool or resource, try to understand what other options are available in the market and how you can differentiate yourself. The goal is to determine what your competitors offer and look for areas where you can offer something unique or better.

Design and develop your tool or resource

Once you have an idea for your tool or resource, it's time to bring it to life. This may involve hiring a developer or using a no-code platform like WordPress to create a custom plugin or application. Make sure to focus on usability and user experience to ensure that your tool is easy to use and understand.

Make your tool or resource available for free on your website

This could be as simple as creating a page with a form for users to fill out, or it could involve integrating your tool into your website using JavaScript or another programming language.

Promote your tool or resource through social media, email marketing, and other channels

You'll need to promote your tool or resource to the right audience to attract high-quality backlinks and increase your online visibility. For example, you can start sharing it on social media, your email list, or reaching out to other websites and bloggers in your industry to ask them to share your tool with their audiences.

Monitor the performance of your tool or resource and track the backlinks it generates

To see how your tool or resource is performing and whether it is generating backlinks, you'll need to track your metrics using a tool like Google Analytics. This will help you see how many people are using your tool, where the backlinks are coming from, and what areas you can improve.

Consider offering additional resources or support for your tool or resource

To encourage more people to use your tool and to generate more backlinks, consider offering additional resources or support for your tool or resource. This could include documentation, video tutorials, or a user forum to help users get the most out of your tool.

The idea is to demonstrate your expertise and build trust with your audience, which can ultimately lead to more backlinks and improved search engine rankings.

Examples of free tool backlinks

Here are a few examples of free tools you can offer to acquire high-quality backlinks for your business:

  • A mortgage calculator that helps homebuyers determine how much they can afford to borrow. This tool could attract backlinks from real estate websites, financial blogs, and other relevant sources.
  • A free version of a commercial software application such as a photo editing tool or project management software. This could attract backlinks from review websites and tech blogs, among other sources.
  • A nutrition calculator that helps users determine how many calories they need to eat based on their age, weight, height, and activity level. This tool could attract backlinks from websites focused on health and fitness.

We can help develop an effective search engine optimization strategy for your business

Overall, you must focus on acquiring the right backlinks to take your website to the next level and dominate the search engine rankings. With this in mind, the best types of links are those that come from authoritative, relevant, and high-quality websites. 

We recommend exploring our guest post and niche edit services to maximize your website's visibility on search results. Our SEO agency has a proven track record of helping websites secure these valuable backlinks, and we'd love to do the same for you.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your website thrive in the search engine landscape.

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