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Are backlinks still relevant?

The answer is yes, as SEO research suggests that a site’s link authority directly affects its search position. In other words, the more backlinks a site has, the higher it comes in the search results. However, the quality of the links is more important than quantity. So, firstly, create content that is worth linking to.

Knowing your subject- expert led linkbuilding

The key to getting linked to from other sites is to provide useful information. Publish AI slop or generic information, and no one wants to know. Therefore, become an expert in your field or pretend to be (just kidding).

Most businesses are sitting on knowledge that customers want to know, and this is the best way to get inbound links from other sites.

Provide useful information and link this to your money pages.

The quickest way to get inbound links is via social media sites. However, linking directly to products in social media groups and the like is frowned upon. Therefore, you should post a link to useful content and use this content page to feed your money pages. This also builds site authority.

Find backlink ideas from your target industry

In this case we are researching the best content to attract backlinks for a site that sells art prints.

There are several (usually expensive) tools for checking a site’s backlinks. Semrush being the main one. However, there are some free ones that provide limited information, such as Ahrefs’ backlink checker.

As an example, we will research the backlinks to a site named ‘Artuk’. In this way we can see what is being linked to and create content in a similar area. This site has a high domain authority and nearly 6000 backlinks. Notably, inbound links from art gallery sites are prominent. So maybe a page on famous paintings would encourage links from galleries? That is the thought process to use when developing a content plan.

Run multiple sites – own the ecosystem

If you are a web developer, you will probably be managing various sites and social media accounts. For example, I look after a history site and a history-related Facebook group. The Facebook group, via posts, provides a lot of inbound links and traffic to the history site. Additionally, I look after an online print shop that sells framed historic photos. Cross-linking from the Facebook History group and the history site provides backlinks to the print shop.

Research user signals

Researching user signals involves using sites such as Reddit to find what people are talking about in your target industry. This information can then be used to create relevant content.

Search for art prints on Reddit, and you will see some very useful data. For example, relevant communities are on the right. Moreover, ‘Why do people buy art prints?‘ is an obvious title for a content post to create.

Linkbait ideas

Ranking pages

Animated info graphics

Promoting your content to get backlinks