If you’re running a website and don’t seem to be making headway, you might be wondering, “how do I rack up high-quality backlinks?” Along the same lines, a news site owner would ponder over an effective approach to adding quality newspaper backlinks to their site.
If you’re in such a similar predicament, you’re not alone. Here are some strategies you can use to help your site keep up with the top names in your industry.
1. Snag Some Outdated Resources
Depending on the sector or industry, your initial step is to search for sites or firms that have either changed names, closed shop or ceased providing a particular service. Still, look into sites that may have moved or changed their URL. Perhaps an example would help drive the point home.
Let’s suppose you’ve recently learned about a site that has shifted to a new URL after a firm rebrands or due to other reasons. Do your homework by establishing some links that still point to outdated URLs. Use your preferred link-building or backlink-checking tool to do this.
Several link opportunities will pop up. But, keep an eye out for sites with a high domain authority- the higher, the better. Lastly, reach out to sites that still link to outdated URLs. By spreading the word and giving site owners a heads up about the link in question, you can get them to include your link to their sites (a subtle nudge works in some cases).
Most people wouldn’t mind adding your link to their site once you offer them a valuable resource. In the end, it’s a win-win for both parties, as you get to build some high-quality backlinks while they maximize the outdated resource.
2. Format Your Content Like a Pro
I have some bad and good news. The bad news is that online visitors ignore most of the content online. But wait, it gets worse: the bulk of the content you find online gets zero links. Zilch!
Onto the good news: content generated using particular formats generates more links. Interestingly, such content appears to outperform the rest. More specifically, you can get backlinks by doing the following:
- Creating “why” posts
- Using visually unique infographics- charts or illustrations
- Incorporating videos in your content
- Focusing on “what” posts
Does that mean you should churn out “why” posts and wait for the magic to happen? Far from it… First, you need to create compelling content to get high-quality backlinks. But, by zeroing in on content with a ‘proven track record’ online, you may raise your odds of snagging quality links.
3. Leverage Skyscraper Content
How do you create skyscraper content? For starters, look for content that appears to perform well- in terms of backlinks- in the industry you’re in by searching for specific keywords online.
Since backlinks are an essential ranking signal, search results on page one are a clear pointer that lots of other sites have linked to them. Find out the sites that have linked to or shared the successful content.
While at it, evaluate the top results for outdated or inaccurate information, broken links, and other loose ends. Once you’re armed with this info, go into overdrive by reverse-engineering the successful content you found. Provide up-to-date content, and use a fresh format to create valuable and unique content. Generally, your post should do the following:
- Address a genuine need- add value, which doesn’t necessarily imply creating a longer post.
- Find a unique angle- focus on improving the reader’s experience by providing a personal account, a new point of view, or an inventive take on an existing problem.
- Offer value- create more valuable content that’s accessible by incorporating easy-to-follow videos, infographics, or interactive tools into your content.
4. Generate Evergreen Content
If you want to build links naturally, publish evergreen content- posts that stay relevant and fresh over time. While some posts or trending topics can quickly become stale or outdated, evergreen posts offer valuable content long after publishing them.
Besides, if your posts are evergreen, the odds are your content would rank higher. In turn, it would attract more backlinks. Simply put, focus on link-worthy content.
So, how do you generate content that’s hard to beat? Start by researching keywords with a consistently high search volume- a keyword research tool comes in handy at this stage. After that, create a ten times better post than the number one search result for the keywords in question. Doing so takes a lot of time and effort, but the results could be worth it.
Once you’ve published your content, and it appears to generate leads organically, remember to stay on your toes. Over time, a post can tank due to various issues, including neglect. Ensure to audit and update your content regularly to ensure relevance, especially if you notice a downward trend in natural traffic. That way, you can keep your content at the top of the pile.
Essentially, generating quality backlinks requires a multi-pronged approach- simply adopting one strategy won’t deliver the goods. Plus, it would help if you were consistent by creating valuable content every time, updating it, relaunching your posts, and more. That way, you can get all your ducks in a row and hopefully maintain the top position for specific target keywords. To that end, I hope these strategies point you in the right direction, whether you’re looking for newspaper backlinks or other types of quality links.
