Backlink Your Way to Business Growth

By now you know that SEO, or search engine optimization, is a critical element in making your business more visible to the hundreds of millions of consuming web visitors. Through careful, strategic placement, you can up the odds of landing in a new client’s browser by loading your web pages with key words they are likely to be looking for.

It sounds straightforward, and in some ways it is. But consider this: you are up against an unwieldy number of businesses and websites that are basically similar to yours, and there’s no guarantee you will appear ahead of them.
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Here’s where an intriguing option opens up. The concept of backlinks is something every ecommerce marketer must know. Backlinks are links to your site that appear on other sites. They are incidental referrals. And they can be extremely lucrative—provided the host site intends them to be.

Make it count.

Code characters determine whether a site is directly endorsing your product or business, or merely referencing it. You have little control over how they handle it, but a strong backlink will generate more power in search engine rankings. Weaker “no-follow” links will not.

Before you can cash in on any backlinks, there are steps you’ll need to take. First, clean up your page and be sure there are no errors or sloppy links. Technical glitches can render your site unusable and waste a valuable backlinked referral. Then, make sure your site structure is built for efficiency. Finally, ensure that the content on your site is high-quality and valuable. All the external referrals in the universe won’t generate confidence if your site is a mess.

Here are some tips to start the process of being backlinked:

1. Create enticing content that’s irresistible. Multi-media helps here, and if it fits with your business, construct a high-quality video piece that will attract attention.
   
   
2. Ask for product reviews. Bloggers in niche industries are eager to weigh in and offer input to their readers. If the blogger likes what she sees, she will provide a direct backlink.
   
   
3. Offer guest blog posts. Bloggers like time off, too, as well as fresh content for their page. Writing a guest blog post places your name and business front and center, and backlinks directly to your site.
   
   
4. Get media coverage. Appearing in a press publication, large or small, leads to backlinks by osmosis. A simple press release can accomplish this, and be sure to make personal contact by phone or follow-up email to be sure an editor understands the benefit of your business.
   
   
5. Hit up your manufacturer. Do you resell products from a known manufacturer with its own website? Perfect. Use that connection to politely ask for a reference on its page. Many provide visitors with a “where to buy” section. If you’re in there, your page will be backlinked.
   
   

It takes a village to grow a business, and in the vast cyberspace universe, you can find the help you need. Just be sure your house is in order with a compelling, clean website, and then go to work finding avenues of backlinking through other sites. You’ll be hooked in no time.