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Types of Backlinks for your Small Business

Link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites back to yours. A hyperlink (commonly referred to as links) are a way for users to navigate between pages on the internet. Search engines use links to crawl the web and the links between individual pages on your website. There are a variety of types of backlinks that small business owners should focus on, but we must first ask ourselves the question, why is link building so important for my business? 

Links are a signal to search engines like Google that your website is a quality resource worthy of an online citation. Therefore the more backlinks a website possesses the tendency for it to earn higher rankings online. Before you start just trying to get links from anywhere online, it is important to note that there is a right way and a wrong way to building links for your business. If you care about the long-term viability of your site and business, you should only engage in natural link building tactics. Here are some types of backlinks that are beneficial to your small business, and are verified as the right way to gain links to your website.

Most Common Types of Backlinks for your Small Business

Look for unlinked mentions – Of of the easiest ways to secure links back to your website is by claiming your unlinked mentions online. If you find an article online that mentions your business but does not include a link back to your website, make sure to reach out to the other.

What’s required for you to gain unlinked mentions? A simple email to the author.

Online Directories – Similar to unlinked mentions, online directories are websites that enable you to add your business to their site. Search online for directories that relate to your business field and contact the owner, or submit your business to the site to be added to the list! It takes about 2 minutes to do, and now you are in the link building game!

What is required for you to gain access to online directories? A Simple email or contact form submission.

Work on your internal linking strategies – Another easy way to secure links for your business is through internal linking. We have all seen the online publications that talk about “10 best web designers in…” or “top restaurants in…”. These handy articles are the best way to connect with searches online and are easy to create. Start by writing an online article centered around the 10 best resources for your business and make sure to insert a link to your business as one of the best!

What is required for you? A list of reliable resources and a few short sentences about each.

Get to guest posting – Long considered the best way to gain reliable backlinks to your website, guest posts are a great way for you to boost your SEO score. Start writing articles about your business or industry and submit them to publications with large followers. Often times this leads to you being recognized as an expert in your area, and someone who will provide value and insight for people.

Not all links are created equal

Before you get started on your link building project remember that not all links are created equal. Some links provide your website with more value. There are a variety of factors that can make backlinks to your site more valuable than others, but here are the 3 main factors to consider. 

  1. The Authority of the Linking Site – The most valuable type of backlink is one that comes from a high-quality website. Links from websites that are recognized as top authoritative resources within your industry will send more positive signals to search engines versus links that are low-quality and are from lesser-known websites. To check the authority of a website in question use tools such as the Alexa Domain Ranker.  
  2. Do-Follow Vs. No-Follow Links – When a publisher adds a link to their website they can either code them to be do-follow links or no-follow links. Do-follow links tell search engines to notice and give SEO value to links while no-follow links tell search engines to ignore the links and give them less SEO value. Because do-follow links send better signals to search engines you want to make sure that you target do-follow links for your website.
  3. On-site Link Location – Think of websites as being part of sections, and depending on what section your link is included in, depends on how valuable of a website link you have or no. The most valuable types of links are typically placed within the main body content of a website. Links that may not receive the same value from search engines include links that appear in the header, footer, or sidebar of a website menu.
Types of Backlinks

About MarketKeep

MarketKeep is a digital marketing agency for small businesses and start-ups based in Towson, Md. Our goal is to help small business owners plan, place, and optimize their digital marketing strategies. MarketKeep is proud to offer our clients the following services:

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