Building Inbound Links: 3 Creative Ways to Build Backlinks for SEO

Inbound links to your site are part of the secret sauce you need for great SEO. They also serve another essential purpose: they’re a great source for qualified leads.

If you don’t already know, inbound links (or backlinks) are links on another site that direct readers back to your site. You want them because when other people add your links to their content, it shows Google that your site matters. In other words, it demonstrates authority.

Do you know how to get inbound links? Here are three creative tools guaranteed to land you a link or two.

1. Contribute to Stories and Blogs

Guest blogging is an old-school way of getting your links out there. It’s still an effective method, but it takes a lot more work in 2020 than it did back in 2015.

Today, you’ll get more traction by finding your way into sites full of up-to-date content, like news sites.

If you have a timely link, email journalists and ask them if they’d like to you use as a source on a story.

When you score, they’ll add you and your inbound link as a contributor.

You can find journalists on Twitter or by email, but you’re more likely to get great traction through dedicated resources like Help a Reporter Out (HARO).

2. Build a Big Backlog of Content

So you don’t have much money and your niche sort of falls outside of the scope of the news. Not to worry. You can take the DIY method by building content.

SEOs refer to this strategy as “skyscraper content.” It involves taking popular topics and writing them in a way that’s better, i.e., more informative or comprehensive. Once your articles or blog posts are live, promote them to people who you think want to see them as well as to the people and personalities you mention within your content.

If you play your cards right, you’ll become an authoritative source on your topic, and you’ll send traffic straight back to your site.

3. Play with Infographics

One of the best ways to ramp up your inbound leads is through infographics.

Infographics are fun and they’re inherently shareable, which is all you can ask for when trying to get your link out there.

Your infographic should be as informative as it is eye-catching. Ideally, it will go along with your pillar content, which will give your link more authority and attract more shares and views.

Remember to keep it relevant and make sure it follows a narrative. An infographic tells a story: it doesn’t just spew trivia.

Get Your Inbound Links Flowing

Inbound links are a core part of your SEO and digital marketing strategy. Thankfully, you don’t need to resort to being spammy or spend a lot of money to get your links out there.

The best inbound links are those that appear right where they’re supposed to, i.e., in a spot where they add to the conversation on the page. You can do that by creating your own authoritative content as well as contributing to the content authored by other people.

Did you learn something in this guide? Check out the rest of our content marketing archive for even more helpful how-to’s.