8 High-Impact Tactics for Gaining Backlinks in 2020

SEO continues to change, with the search engines looking to provide a better experience for searchers. When compared with a typical Google search from a decade ago, the number of low-quality pages has reduced considerably. Content has moved to the forefront, providing searchers an accurate and targeted page based on their query.

Backlinks, however, are still crucial to ranking content on the first page of Google. These links need to be high-quality and authoritative, but you will struggle to rank a site without external pages deeming your content link-worthy. So what are the backlink tactics you should be following in 2020?

Build Comprehensive Foundation Posts 

Google wants to rank content that is the best offering for the chosen keyword. In some cases, searchers only want a quick piece of information. When the search requires more in-depth info, though, a detailed post will be required. Most niches will have a few broad topics that can get developed into long-form pillars that establish the foundation of your site. As long as these posts are better than the competition, you will gradually gain new backlinks.

Be Creative with Your Content 

You may find that the pages competing for a keyword have similar offerings. It may be an article or video ranking, with little to separate the sites. Being creative with your content can help you to stand out, giving websites something unique to recommend to their readers. A quiz, poll, infographic, or statistics list could all be added to the primary content, providing something that other pages don’t have.

Start Guest Blogging 

Guest blogging can be an effective strategy when used in a considered manner. A common issue with guest blogging is that the host sites are low-quality, and the content is not a good match. When you focus on authoritative and relevant websites, though, you can benefit from powerful backlinks. An ideal guest blog will have topical relevance, with a limit on how many bloggers are accepted. Using this approach, you can guarantee quality and satisfy the search engines.

Monitor the Main Competitors in Your Niche 

A critical reason why your competition will rank in the top search positions is due to their backlink profile. In many cases, though, these backlinks can be acquired for your site, making it easier to leapfrog their content. You can track the links for these sites, assessing how they were achieved. You may need to send an email or direct message to the site owner, while there could also be potential for guest blogging or content exchange. A tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help you analyze the backlinks for each page.

Find Broken Links 

Broken links exist across countless sites, with the content getting removed or domains not getting renewed. These links direct users to error pages or dead sites, so the user experience is poor. This issue does, however, offer the potential for link building. You can contact site owners advising them of a broken link, suggesting your content as a replacement. This helpful act will typically offer a high conversion rate when your article is suitable. Ahrefs, or many other alternatives, can help uncover broken link opportunities.

Monitor Unlinked Mentions 

Growing brands will start to get mentioned across blogs and news sites. Unfortunately, though, many of these mentions won’t be linked. To get the benefit of a backlink, you can contact these site owners to thank them for mentioning you and enquiring about adding a hyperlink. The strategy is simple, but it can garner some positive results. A tool like Mention can be used to speed up the research process.

Network with Influencers 

Every industry features influential personalities with an audience. It is common to network with influencers to gain traffic and branding. Additionally, though, you can earn some valuable backlinks from high-powered blogs. You could discuss an influencer in a blog article or video, send them an honest testimonial, and contribute to their blog comments or social media conversations. It will usually take some time to solidify the relationship, but you can eventually gain some links.

Build a Quality Resource Page 

Resource pages can be valuable additions to an industry. There is often a demand for a glossary or description of concepts. Many beginners will consistently ask common questions, so people get frustrated by repeating themselves. A quality resource page solves many of these problems, allowing bloggers, social media accounts, and forum users to link to your page directly. This resource page can then become very powerful, with internal linking helping to pass authority around your entire site.

Backlinks are a critical factor for SEO success. The concept is often compared to a vote being cast in favor of your content by another site. Over the years, though, there has been greater emphasis placed on the authority and relevance of a link. You can no longer focus on gaining backlinks from anywhere, so you need to use a more tactical approach. Using these backlink tactics will ensure you can promote yourself effectively, but the focus remains on quality.

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