Link Building Ecommerce Website Strategies for Success

Building a strong link profile is crucial for an ecommerce website's success. Ahrefs found that websites with a higher number of referring domains tend to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Guest blogging is an effective link building strategy, but it's not as simple as just writing a blog post. According to Moz, guest blogging should be done strategically, with a focus on high-quality content and relevant audiences.

Creating high-quality, relevant content is key to attracting links from other websites. A study by BuzzStream found that 72% of marketers believe that content quality is the most important factor in attracting links.

By focusing on these strategies, ecommerce websites can build a strong link profile and improve their search engine rankings.

Intriguing read: Designing Ecommerce Websites

Link building is the practice of getting other websites to link back to your ecommerce site, with each link being a "vote of confidence" that tells search engines your page is trustworthy. This is because other high-quality sites are linking to your pages to give their readers product or service recommendations or extra context.

To grow your link profile with intention, you can create linkable assets, such as infographics or video content, or write guest posts for other sites. You can also distribute your content effectively, build relationships with other businesses and site owners, host contests, giveaways, and sponsored events, or get good product reviews.

Here are some key considerations when evaluating a potential link:

Getting links from high-quality, dofollow sites with a high Domain Rating is generally more effective than trying to get links from nofollow or toxic sites.

On a similar theme: High Quality Link Building

The product feedback technique is a great way to get featured in articles and earn high-quality links. Offer your product to authors in exchange for feedback, and if they like it, ask them to consider including you in their article.

You want to focus on high-quality, dofollow links, not nofollow links or toxic backlinks. Page/site relevance and Domain Rating (DR) are key considerations when evaluating a potential link.

Broaden your view: High Authority Link Building

Here are the top considerations when evaluating a potential link:

Creating linkable assets, such as infographics or video content, can help grow your link profile. Writing guest posts for other sites, distributing your content effectively, and building relationships with other businesses and site owners are also effective tactics.

Publishing curated statistics pages can attract backlinks from bloggers and journalists looking for sources for their articles. You can find out what kind of statistics people are searching for using tools like Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer.

The product feedback technique has helped many businesses earn high-quality links. By offering your product to authors in exchange for feedback, you can increase your chances of getting featured in articles and earning dofollow links.

Suggestion: What Is a Content Farm

You can find stockist pages by searching Google for the brand name with "where to buy" or "stockists" in the title. For example, searching for Hive shows that it has a page listing stockists.

Make a list of brands you stock and search for them using this method. You can also use Site Explorer to find stockist pages by entering a competing store's domain and filtering for referring pages with "where to buy" or "stockists" in their titles.

The value proposition is obvious: being included on their page helps more people find a place to buy their products.

Do a simple pitch to land links on these pages by asking if they have a process for getting listed and if you can be included.

Identify your link-worthy content by creating high-quality, valuable, and informative content on your website that would fit resource pages well. This could include blog posts, articles, tutorials, guides, infographics, tools, or other content types that provide users value.

Infographics, statistics pages, data studies, interactive tools, and video content are all types of linkable assets that can earn links for your website. These types of content are often used by other website owners to add context to their own arguments.

Here are some examples of linkable assets:

The product feedback technique is a game-changer for getting your product featured in articles and driving traffic to your site. It's surprisingly simple: find posts ranking for queries like "best [product type]" where you're not featured, and offer the author your product in return for feedback.

If they like your product, ask them to consider including you in their article. More often than not, if they feature you, they'll link to you.

You can also proactively reach out to websites that publish product roundups and ask them to include your product. They'll either pay you to feature your product or test it and add it to their list if it's good.

The website owner does some of the selling for you, making it more authentic. You can find existing product roundups using Ahrefs Content Explorer.

If the author responds and says they haven't tried your product yet, send them one and follow up in a couple of weeks.

A unique perspective: Google Products Ranking

Creating "bait" content is a great way to attract links to your website. Infographics, statistics pages, data studies, interactive tools, and video content are all examples of linkable assets that can earn you links.

These types of content provide value to users and are often used by other website owners to add context to their own arguments. For instance, when discussing Google's ranking factors, you can link to a comprehensive study like the Backlinko one.

Here are some examples of linkable assets:

Creating linkable assets is an excellent way to keep your link profile natural and grow your credibility. By providing value to users, you increase the chances of earning links from other websites.

Link building is a crucial SEO strategy for ecommerce businesses. It brings new traffic to your website, similar to digital "word of mouth" or an online reputation.

Link building earns you "link juice" that pumps up your domain authority, brings new traffic, and helps you rank better in search results. This boost in SEO earns you more sales.

Niche edits are a great way to earn links back to your ecommerce site. Identify prospects by finding blogs, news sites, and online publications that post content relevant to your industry.

Discover more: Online Presence Management

Link building is the best SEO strategy for ecommerce businesses because it brings new traffic to your website through high-quality, relevant links from other websites. This "link juice" pumps up your domain authority, brings you new traffic, and helps you rank better in search results.

Link building can be thought of as digital "word of mouth" or an online reputation. By earning links from other websites, you're getting more visibility and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

To start building links, identify prospects by finding blogs, news sites, and other online publications that post content relevant to your industry. Scope out their websites to find high-quality content that attracts your target audience.

Niche edits are a great way to earn links back to your ecommerce site. Reach out to webmasters and ask for link insertions, demonstrating value and explaining why a link to your product page benefits their website and readers.

Check this out: Search for Websites That Link to My Website

You can also find unlinked mentions of your brand or product that don't link back to your site. Use Content Explorer to search for your brand or product name in quotes, highlight unlinked mentions, and filter for "one page per domain." This can give you thousands of prospects to sift through.

A simple pitch to win a backlink might look like this:

"Just wanted to say thank you for your love and kind words in this post. It's amazing to see our stockists so proud to carry our products. I saw that you talked a lot about our materials in the post (thanks!), but we have more details on that page. Just thinking it may help your customers/readers decide whether we're the right brand for them."

To make a pitch like this effective, explain why a link to your product page benefits their customers as well as you. Don't just ask for a link to be clickable – ask for a link to a page that makes contextual sense.

Some other link building strategies include:

Here are some examples of linkable assets:

By creating a linkable asset like one of these, you can attract links from other websites and improve your SEO.

Brand mentions are a great way to get links back to your website. You can find these mentions by searching for your brand name in quotes on Google or other search engines.

Unlinked brand mentions are existing articles or webpages that mention your brand name, but don't have an active link pointing to your site. These options work to secure links to the homepage or brand pages.

You can find unlinked brand mentions using Google Alerts or Ahrefs. Type your brand or product name using quotations to get started.

To filter out low-quality mentions, use the "One page per domain" filter setting when exporting your results. This will help you focus on the most relevant opportunities.

For example, if you search for Bellroy, you might find a blog post that mentions the brand multiple times, but doesn't include a link. This could be a great opportunity to reach out to the author and ask for a link.

Here are some tips for crafting a pitch to ask for a link:

By following these steps and being strategic about how you reach out to webmasters, you can turn unlinked brand mentions into valuable links that improve your SEO.

Brand monitoring is a key part of link building for an ecommerce website. You can use Google Alerts to find unlinked brand mentions, which are existing articles or webpages that mention your brand name but don't have an active link pointing to your site.

To find unlinked brand mentions, type your brand or product name using quotations in Google Alerts, click "Highlight unlinked" for your domain, and use the "One page per domain" filter setting. You can then choose "Only pages with highlighted domains" when you export the results.

By monitoring your brand online, you can identify websites, blogs, or social media posts that reference your brand without providing a link. This allows you to reach out to them and kindly request a link to your ecommerce site.

Additional reading: How Long for Google to Crawl Site

Brand monitoring is a crucial step in reclaiming unlinked brand mentions and enhancing your link profile. It's easier than you think to find websites and blogs that reference your brand without providing a link.

You can use Google Alerts to monitor for mentions of your brand name. Simply type your brand or product name using quotations, and then click "Highlight unlinked" for your domain. This will show you a list of websites that mention your brand without linking to your site.

To filter the results, use the "One page per domain" filter setting and choose "Only pages with highlighted domains" when you export. This will help you identify potential link opportunities.

For example, searching for your eCommerce brand name without a link shows you a list of websites you can reach out to and build links from. You can also use the quotes and dash search operators to find results that don't mention a certain keyword or phrase.

Explore further: How to Use Rich Snippets

Regularly checking for unlinked brand mentions can help you identify opportunities to build links and improve your link profile. By monitoring your brand's online presence, you can stay on top of potential link opportunities and make the most of them.

Here are some tips for finding unlinked brand mentions:

By following these steps, you can easily find unlinked brand mentions and start building links to improve your link profile.

A solid link profile changes the game for ecom brands. It's a zero-sum game, where you're either ranking 1-3 for valuable keywords or someone else is taking your potential customers.

SEO is all about building a strong online presence, and a solid link profile is a crucial part of that. You can find thousands of unlinked mentions of your brand or product using Content Explorer, making it a goldmine for link building opportunities.

To make the most of these opportunities, you need to filter the export by DR or website traffic to remove low-value prospects. This will help you focus on the most relevant and valuable links.

Here are some key statistics to keep in mind:

By targeting the right websites and crafting a compelling pitch, you can turn unlinked mentions into valuable backlinks. For example, a simple pitch like "Thank you for your love and kind words in this post. It's amazing to see our stockists so proud to carry our products" can go a long way in securing a link.

Remember, a solid link profile is not just about getting links, but also about building relationships with other websites and creating value for their readers. By doing so, you can send "link equity" to the pages that matter and improve your online presence.

Digital PR and outreach are powerful tools for building high-quality backlinks to your ecommerce website. A good place to start is by launching digital PR campaigns, which involve creating newsworthy stories or events related to your business and pitching them to online publications and news outlets. This can generate buzz and publicity, attracting high-authority backlinks and enhancing your brand's visibility and credibility.

Additional reading: Google Webmaster Tools Check Backlinks

You can also use unlinked brand mentions to your advantage. These are online mentions of your brand or product that don't link back to your site. For example, a mention of iPhone or AirPods that doesn't link to apple.com. You can find these mentions using tools like Content Explorer and then reach out to the webmasters to ask for a link back to your site.

To make your outreach efforts more effective, it's essential to provide value to the webmasters and their readers. For instance, if you're reaching out to a website that has written a whole blog post about why they love Bellroy, you can say something like, "Just wanted to say thank you for your love and kind words in this post. It's amazing to see our stockists so proud to carry our products." This approach shows that you're genuinely interested in their content and willing to provide value to their readers.

On a similar theme: Guest Post Link Building

Crafting a personalized outreach email is a crucial step in building relationships with website owners and editors. A polite and personalized email can help you stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of getting featured on their resource page.

To write a great outreach email, you need to explain who you are and why your content would be a valuable addition to their resource page. Mention the specific benefits your content provides and how it would be helpful to their audience.

A good example of a personalized outreach email is the one mentioned in Example 3, where Josh from [site] reaches out to the person in charge of the Ubidots blog. He mentions that he's a big supporter of open-source platforms and thinks he can give the list a nice revamp. He also mentions that Ahrefs tells him the post's organic search traffic is starting to drop.

Here are some key elements to include in your outreach email:

By including these elements, you can craft a personalized outreach email that grabs the attention of website owners and editors and increases your chances of getting featured on their resource page.

Digital PR campaigns can be a game-changer for your eCommerce business. By creating newsworthy stories or events, you can attract high-authority backlinks and enhance your brand's visibility and credibility.

A great example of this is Logitech, which wrote a press release announcing the launch of their latest mouse product. This created a buzz around the brand, attracting reporters to spread the news further.

You can use tools like Pitchbox to simplify finding potential websites to connect with, automating outreach, and managing relationships. Pitchbox allows you to build a database of sites and filter out irrelevant or low-quality sites using metrics like domain authority (DA).

Digital PR involves creating a ripple effect that spreads online, leading to more mentions, shares, and links. By generating buzz and publicity, you can attract high-authority backlinks and improve your SEO.

Here are some benefits of digital PR campaigns:

To be successful with link building for your ecommerce website, you need to be confident that your product is better than the competition. If bloggers don't agree with you, they're not going to feature or link to you.

Before reaching out to bloggers, brainstorm product categories of products you sell. This is easy enough, but it's essential to get it right. For example, if you sell smart home products, these will be things like smart thermostats, smart speakers, or smart TVs.

The key challenge is to avoid getting penalized by Google, which sees "exchanging goods or services for links" as a link scheme. To avoid this, offer to send bloggers a sample in return for feedback, rather than a direct link in exchange for a product.

To be successful in getting featured on listicles, you need to be confident that your product is better than the competition. This means you've got to have a solid understanding of your product's strengths and weaknesses.

Before reaching out to bloggers, brainstorm product categories of products you sell. If you sell smart home products, for example, these might include smart thermostats, smart speakers, or smart TVs.

Don't straight up offer to send authors your product in return for a backlink, as this is considered a link scheme that could get you penalized. Instead, offer to send them a sample in return for feedback.

Here are the steps to follow:

To craft a effective outreach email, start by acknowledging the blogger's list and expressing your interest in their opinion. For example, you might say, "I just came across your list of the best smart thermostats and noticed ours didn't make the cut."

Driving traffic to your ecommerce site's category, brand, and product pages can lead to greater returns, but earning links to these pages is complicated. Many high-quality publishers prefer to link to informational content, not product pages.

Ecommerce sites often don't build long-form, helpful content because blogs and content hubs tend not to yield direct sales and often take months to rank. In fact, affiliate sites with robust link profiles to long-form content frequently outrank established brands.

Discover more: Content Farm Examples

However, SEOs have found ways to overcome common ecommerce link building hurdles. Here are some effective strategies:

These strategies can help you overcome common ecommerce link building challenges and earn more links to your site.

Link building brings new traffic to your website, think of it like digital "word of mouth" or an online reputation.

Link building has a bigger impact on ecommerce rankings compared to on-site optimization, which is still important but not as effective.

To get the most out of link building, focus on acquiring high-quality, relevant links from other websites. This will pump up your domain authority and bring you new traffic.

A single high-quality link from a relevant website can have a bigger impact than multiple low-quality links. Quality over quantity is key.

Link building earns you more sales by boosting your SEO, which is essential for ecommerce businesses.

Now that you've got a solid understanding of link building strategies, it's time to put them into action.

Make sure to regularly review and update your website's content to keep it fresh and engaging. This will help you attract new links and maintain existing ones.

You've already learned how to use guest blogging to get high-quality links from authoritative websites. Remember to research your target audience and tailor your content to their needs.

Use internal linking to help search engines understand your website's structure and improve user experience. This can also lead to increased dwell time and reduced bounce rates.

Create a linkable asset, such as an infographic or a checklist, to attract links from other websites. Use your existing content as inspiration and make it unique and valuable.

Monitor your website's backlinks regularly to see what's working and what's not. Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to track your progress and identify areas for improvement.

By following these final steps, you'll be well on your way to building a strong link profile for your ecommerce website.