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The Complete Guide to Link Building for Your eCommerce Site

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Link building is one of those things that you’ve probably heard of, and that you know you should be doing — but what exactly does it mean to build links? Is it as simple as it sounds? And why exactly do you need to build links for your eCommerce site?

We explore the answers to these questions and more in our guide below.

What Is Link Building?

Link building is more or less exactly what it sounds like — building links from other sites to yours. Now since you can’t just jump onto someone else’s website and add a link to yours, this means that you have to earn those links. This can be done naturally by creating high-quality content that other people will want to link to, or by reaching out to request that a site link to yours. While in the past it was possible to rank highly by buying a bunch of random links, today, Google values the quality of the links more than the quantity.

When talking about quality links, there are three things to consider: authority, relevance, and trust. 

Authority: There are several factors that affect a page’s authority. We won’t get into the nitty-gritty here, but it basically measures how successful a site is within its market. In the world of eCommerce, a site like Amazon would have very high authority.

Relevancy: Does the link have anything to do with your business? For example, if you sell skincare products and a dermatologist links to your website, that would be relevant. An online casino linking to your site? Not so much.

Trust: How trustworthy is the site that is linking to yours? How long have they been around? Do they follow Google’s best practices? 

The Importance of Link Building

You probably already know that you need SEO for your eCommerce business. Link building is just one critical component of a solid SEO strategy. When Google looks at the sites that are linking to yours, it uses those links as part of its evaluation of your page’s overall ranking. One way to think of it is like this: a site that’s linking to yours is essentially giving it a vote, telling Google, “Hey, this content is so good, I added a link to it!” Therefore, the more high-quality links that you have from other sites, the more valuable your content will appear to search engines. 

Strategies for Building Links to Your eCommerce Site

Now that you understand why building links is critical to your SEO strategy, let’s look at a few ways that you can start earning backlinks:

Maintain a Blog

Many website platforms allow you to easily add a blog page to your site. A blog gives you a platform to write content that would be relevant to your target audience. You can answer common questions about your product, explain key terms, and showcase what makes your products exceptional. The idea is to create content that is both engaging and informative to encourage people to share a link!

Generate Interest with Seasonal or “Extreme” Products

You know that one product in your catalog. Yes, that one. The one that was met with raised eyebrows when you showed it to your parents. The one that’s just a little different. The ultra-premium, hand-spun, hand-knitted, Peruvian vicuna wool and genuine gold-threaded socks… for example. It might not exactly be representative of the rest of your store, but it certainly turns heads.

Okay, maybe it’s not that extreme. But by promoting one of the standout or seasonal products you have in your store, you can generate interest for a wider audience and increase the likelihood of picking up a backlink. 

Take Advantage of Partnerships

Do you have existing partnerships with suppliers or organizations? If you have a good relationship, it might not take much to get a backlink to your site. Sometimes all you have to do is ask!

Find Influencers and Create Brand Ambassadors

Depending on the type of products that you sell, reaching out to influencers can help you get more exposure for your brand. From self-proclaimed fashionistas to mommy bloggers, there are plenty of people that have a degree of influence with a certain audience that you may be able to take advantage of. By sending a free sample of your product, you can get a review that people will see as trustworthy, earn some backlinks, and maybe even get a few loyal customers in the process.

Start Building a Solid Foundation with Quality Links

If it sounds like link building could be a full-time job — well, it practically is! That’s why plenty of eCommerce sites seek out professional help to come up with a comprehensive SEO strategy

Want to find out how your eCommerce site could benefit from link building and other search engine optimization techniques? Contact us today to learn more!

About the Author:

Sabrina Lopez is the Managing Editor at 1SEO whose passion for grammar is surpassed only by her love for her avian companions. When she is not chasing her tiny human offspring, she may be found basking in the purple glow of her PC or watching a fantasy flick with her husband.

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