12 Best Free Backlinking Strategies for Your Business This Month
The best things in life are supposedly free.
However, as an online marketer, you discover new expenses every week.
You pay monthly or annual subscription fees to premium data services.
You are spending money on PPC networks.
Additionally, you might have considered purchasing backlinks on top of all that.
Paying for backlinks quickly becomes very expensive.
If you use SEO services, you can easily pay $100 to $500 each backlink.
If you have a significant budget to work with, that strategy might work well. However, what if you have more time than money?
You’re fortunate! Free backlinks will soon be available.
All you need is imagination, the appropriate equipment, and the motivation to put yourself to work.
You can return to this post every week to use these tactics if you save it as a favourite.
Why Free Backlinks Are Valuable in Terms of Time and Work
You must decide whether to spend time or money on marketing. Spending time on something will help you gain free backlinks.
Even better, the time and work you spend into obtaining backlinks pays off in the long run. Pay attention to these four advantages:
• A better comprehension of your market. You will have a better understanding of your target market’s demands and preferences through the process of conducting market research and obtaining backlinks. Regardless of whether you decide to focus solely on SEO or run paid traffic initiatives, that information will be helpful.
• A wider professional network. Occasionally, growing your network could be aided by obtaining free backlinks. The best business prospects come from your network (including high paying jobs and unadvertised joint venture opportunities). Respectful interactions enable you to keep and expand such connections for potential opportunities in the future.
• Better understanding of SEO. Online marketing experts should always strive to get better at what they do. If you make the effort to get free backlinks, you’ll stay current.
• High probability of long-lasting backlinks. Today, if you invest $1,000 in Facebook ads, that traffic will come and go. It’s a good approach to test a new offer and an efficient way to obtain a quick rush of visitors! Earning backlinks, however, will continue for many months or even years.
Let’s get to work and obtain some free backlinks for you right away!
12 Ways to Get Free Backlinks for Your Business This Month
1. Examine your current backlink profile (using the “second serving” method).
Is your website a fresh venture? If so, you must proceed to the next method.
Your website will begin to gather free backlinks in a few months (or sooner if you aggressively market it). Let’s start with bringing you more of the same to boost your confidence.
I used Monitor Backlinks to examine the backlinks of cospot.com, as seen in the screenshot below.
The website has already acquired a number of backlinks from reputable websites, I immediately observed.
To find out when the backlink was published, look at the Date column. You may fairly properly request another backlink, or another serving of SEO juice, if it was more than a few months ago.
This free backlink can be requested in one of two ways.
Send them an email thanking them for the previous backlink and offering a new backlink if you are close with someone at the website.
Kai Davis, a specialist in outreach, advises keeping opening remarks like this brief—strive for no more than 150 words. The outreach message ought to be more concerned with the recipient than with you.
You can still use the outreach technique if you don’t already know that person, but it will need more work and possibly have a lower probability of success.
To get in touch with a specific person who has published on the internet, I advise setting aside around 10 minutes (i.e. the website owner, the editor or a regular contributor).
2. Request backlinks from your friends (the Right Way)
On the similar note, let’s return to your network and ask for more unpaid backlinks. But in order for this process to work, the right strategy is required.
• Done incorrectly: requesting backlinks from unrelated websites or old friends who hardly remember you. I had had a former coworker who hadn’t spoken to me in three years suddenly show up and ask for help with a job application. I assisted him, but not without pausing for a while. Yet another error? asking for links to your main website rather than a particular tool or item. More persuasive requests tend to be more specific.
• The Right Way: When requesting a backlink, provide value. When your new infographic mentions House Lannister and your friend is a fan of “Game of Thrones,” for instance, you have a winning combo. Alternately, connect your request to a goal that both you and your friend share.
Just like with the first technique, you will send an outreach message to request the backlink, such as an email, Facebook message, LinkedIn message, etc.
If you’re sending many requests, take your time to make sure each message is flawless.
Making mistakes with the details is the worst.
Use your professional relationships as well! Have you earned your college or university degree? If so, you may occasionally ask the organization’s alumni page for free backlinks.
3. Contact industry magazines and websites
Everyone wants to be written about in the New York Times, CNN, or Fox and receive a free backlink. But 98% of us aren’t prepared for that chance.
These sizable, broad interest newspapers aren’t specialised in your niche, even if you’re ready for it. You can achieve greater success by investigating 3-6 publications that are more particularly pertinent to your industry than spending weeks pitching to the Times.
Although you might not be able to appear on Forbes or Fortune, there are a number of journals in specialised industries where you might gain backlinks. Here is an illustration of how to use this tactic in the project management sector.
I was able to successfully obtain free backlinks from over twenty domains when I was developing my project management website. I followed a three-step process:
Step 1: Find blogs and articles using Google search
Use terms like “project management blogs,” “project manager blogs,” “project management guest post,” and “project management magazines” in your searches.
A few years ago, I came across websites like Arras People, ProjectManagement.com, ProjectManage.com, and PMTips.net.
Step 2: Go to the websites that you discover in Step 1
Visit the website, and if it seems like a good fit, add it to your list of websites to get in touch with. The best approach to keep track of these prospective free backlink chances is via a straightforward spreadsheet.
Step 3: Begin the outreach procedure to request unpaid backlinks.
You can offer to write a guest post or request a backlink to a pertinent URL on your website. Excellent guest blog posts have produced the best results.
4. Use Your Content Again
Making content is difficult job!
Imagine producing one piece of content that generated three different backlinks. As an illustration of how to do this, consider the following:
- You create a well-read blog post that generates a lot of traffic and backlinks. When you discover one of these winners, it’s time to fan the flames!
2. Produce an associated piece of content on another platform that covers the same subject matter as the original blog article.
If you wanted to cover the important topics in a two to three minute YouTube video, all you would need to do is pick out the three most intriguing points and have your speaking notes prepared. Or perhaps you’re a presentation master? Make a slide show and upload it to SlideShare.
3. Post links to the YouTube or SlideShare presentation and the original article in social media updates.
Depending on your abilities, you could employ this tactic repeatedly to share the same message.
The first time you use content repurposing, it could feel difficult. But persevere!
5. Participate as an expert on podcasts
Speaking for myself, I enjoy writing, but I am aware that other individuals find speaking to be more engaging.
The good news is that you can acquire high-quality backlinks by promoting your website and making relevant podcast appearances.
Interviewing new guests is the basis for many podcasts. If the podcast host runs out of topics to interview, there will be problems. You may help by assuming the role of a visitor.
To get the finest free backlinks from podcast appearances, make some early preparations.. The theme of the podcast and a couple of topics you feel comfortable talking about for 20 to 30 minutes should overlap.
Here are the procedures you must take in order to obtain free backlinks from podcasts, in brief:
1. Produce a few content pieces that are incredibly valuable.
Make sure you’ve put up an opt-in page to provide a gift and collect email addresses.
2. Lookup industry-related podcasts on Google
For instance, I would look for podcasts that discuss SEO and web marketing in order to sell a piece of software like Monitor Backlinks. It would be OK to use podcasts like Webcology, Internet Marketing: Insider Tips and Advice for Online Marketing, Search Engine Nerds, and Search Talk Live Search Engine Marketing & SEO Podcast.
3. Participate in a podcast episode with a visitor.
You can get a sense of the host’s style and the kinds of questions that are frequently posed by listening to a podcast episode. Make some notes during the podcast as to what you appreciated the most.
4. Check out the podcast’s website to learn how to appear as a guest.
You can submit your application to be a podcast guest on certain podcasts’ “apply to be a podcast guest” pages. On the website for The Nice Guys on Business Podcast, there is an illustration. If there isn’t such a page on the website, you’ll have to email your pitch.
5. Take part in the podcast as a guest.
You might have a few chances to provide links to your website throughout your appearance. If you’re stating a URL, such as your domain name, it must be succinct and simple to pronounce. A 50-character URL won’t be heard by most podcast listeners, nor will they be remembered!
6. Request in the show notes that the podcast host include connections to your website.
For each episode of a podcast, there are typically “show notes” blog posts. These blog entries include links to the resources cited in the podcast episode, summarise it, and invite readers to listen.
7. Post insightful remarks on websites
While not always passing along SEO juice, these backlinks aid in connection building and drive higher-quality visitors to your website. This strategy also expands your network and creates opportunities for guest posts in the future.
I advise combining this backlink technique with the other advice in this post for the best results.
Is leaving blog comments still worthwhile? The answer is yes if you approach it with the intention of establishing a rapport with the website owner.
Make sure your comments are valuable; avoid writing 2- to 3-word comments like “nice post.”
Spend some time highlighting one or two ideas from the reading that particularly interested you and explaining why. Another strategy is to clarify a point in the content by posing a question.
When you leave comments, just where does your backlink enter the picture? There are two chances available.
First, many commenting systems on blogs allow you to include your website in the website area. One location where you can get a free backlink is there.
Here is an illustration from the website of Tim Ferriss, author of “The 4-Hour Workweek” and other books:
In rare circumstances, you can also include a pertinent URL in your comment’s body. However, website owners may not always enable you to include URLs in your comment. The aforementioned example demonstrates how Tim Ferriss’ comment guidelines prevent that behaviour.
Where do you look for websites to leave comments? Create a list using the Google search technique described in the above strategy. Focusing your efforts on websites that permit comments is the one caveat.
When Neil Patel left 249 blog comments, he made $25,000 using this tactic. The case study was done in 2014, however the ideas still hold true today.
9. Make use of your social media accounts
It’s simple to win here! Ensure that your URL appears on the social media pages for your company. You can obtain free backlinks from social media in three different ways.
• Your profile on social media: On the front page of your profile on the majority of social networks, you can add your URL. Enter the URL of a landing page to collect leads to make the most of this online space.
• Updates and posts on social media: The majority of your postings on various social media websites can contain unpaid hyperlinks to your website.
• Social media updates and posts made by third parties: Even if you have no control over it, you can ask or encourage individuals to share links to your content.
Unsure of which social media platforms to use? I advise using Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook at the very least. Join YouTube as well if you have video editing skills.
Advice: In addition to the major social media platforms, there are numerous specialised websites to consider. Goodreads is a good option if, for instance, you’re advertising books there. Discover some of the less well-known social media platforms where you can get free backlinks by reading “60+ Niche Social Networks Marketers Should Know About.”
10. Draw Insight from Your Rivals
A tried-and-true tactic is to research your competitors for free backlink possibilities. Enter the domain of your rival in Monitor Backlinks to begin going.
Imagine you ran a website that was rival to cospot.com. By selecting the “Competitor Links” tab, you can check the backlink status of their rivals in the screenshot below:
A new report similar to this one will appear when you click on your selected competitor:
How do you determine which of these backlinks you may obtain without paying anything? Your network and the website you’re advertising will determine the answer. Free Backlinking Strategies
Use Domain Authority as a general guideline. Avoid chasing backlinks with DA 50 or higher unless you currently have at least one high authority (DA 50 or higher) backlink. Otherwise, concentrate your efforts on prospects for lower DA backlinks.
Do you want to win a backlink quickly? Concentrate your research on web pages that include your competition as one of several resources.
Look for resource pages, pages with suggested tools, and the like. A website owner may be open to adding you if they have made a page that lists five, ten, or more websites in a particular category. Free Backlinking Strategies
Here is an illustration of a sales funnel broker resource page that lists several marketing tools and resources.
11. Convert Brand Mention Backlinks
Established websites looking to obtain free backlinks should use this strategy. You’re more likely to receive brand mentions once your website has been live and actively pushed for 6–12 months.
Take the following steps to get these very important branded backlinks:
1. Come up with a list of pertinent brand references that people could use to refer to your website.
That could incorporate the names of your founders or directors as well as your real brand name.
2. Create Google Alerts for the terms you chose before.
You will be given the choice of receiving alerts at various frequency. I suggest starting with daily alerts and switching to weekly if you start getting too many responses. Free Backlinking Strategies
3. Examine the brand mentions that Google Alerts returns.
Consider whether the mention of your brand’s keywords represents a prospective free backlink each time. If someone is praising your website and items, that’s excellent because it may lead to a backlink. You can still attempt to obtain a backlink even if the brand mention is unfavourable, but your chances of success will be decreased.
4. Begin the process of outreach
Explain that you came across their website and saw that they highlighted your brand in your outreach messages to the website owner. Simply express your gratitude for the mention and request that they link to your website.
12. Speak with an industry professional
Interviewing a subject matter expert brings a number of benefits.
First, you get to learn from and connect with an authority in the field. Second, that individual is probably going to link to and share the published interview on their blog and other social media platforms. Free Backlinking Strategies
Oh, and did we mention that it aids in network building?
Use the following checklist to prepare for and conduct your initial interview:
1. Select the interview format.
The written, audio, and video formats are the three most used ones. To feel assured, pick the format in which you have the most experience.
2. Take inspiration from popular interview podcasts for your interview technique and topics.
If you’ve never conducted an interview before, you may be wondering how to craft effective questions. I advise you to study effective online interviewers and adopt their style as an example. Free Backlinking Strategies
Start with Entrepreneurs on Fire, Mixergy, and The Top Podcast as a few examples.
3. Compile a list of a few business authorities.
It’s simple to compile a concise list of sector specialists. I advise starting with internet influencers you already follow. Whenever you need to expand your list of names, take the following action:
Search on Google. Use search phrases like “top [niche] experts” or “best [niche] experts” to define your sector.
Amazon. Look up the best-selling authors for the topic of your website (such as SEO) in the online bookstores.
Podcasting registries. Find the top 100 podcasts by visiting directories like the Stitcher List.
4. Request an interview by contacting authorities.
Make contact and request an interview using your cold emailing abilities. Include facts about your website’s amazing statistics in your pitch if they boost the likelihood that you’ll be granted access (for example, 100,000 unique visitors per month).
5. Hold the meeting.
I suggest utilising Skype for the interview; you may record the session for free with the MP3 Skype Recorder. Another excellent paid alternative is Zoom, which enables you to record video calls.
Check read Pat Flynn’s essay, “Top 10 Tips for Conducting an Exceptional Interview,” to learn more about the craft of conducting high-quality interviews.
6. Make the interview public, market it, and request backlinks.
It’s time to publish the interview on your website after it’s finished. If the interview is on video, you can upload it to YouTube to gain another backlink.
Ask the interviewer to link to your interview in a last email to them.
Do you wish to publish the interview as a written article? If so, did you record the interview as an audio file? You can either do the transcribing yourself or hire a service like Rev. Before you post a raw transcript, keep in mind that it will still need some editing for clarity. Free Backlinking Strategies
11. Make use of broken links
Broken backlinks degrade the web’s quality. By correcting them, you can improve everyone’s quality of life. Then how do you locate such broken backlinks?
Follow these steps:
1. Make a list of three to five websites from which you’d like a backlink.
2. To discover broken backlinks on their pages, use the Broken Link Checker. I discovered the following using the Broken Link Checker on the Canadian news website CBC.ca:
3.Evaluate the relevancy of each of the broken backlinks to your website. To decide if you have a URL that would be a good replacement for a broken backlink, you must apply your best judgement.
Nothing about marketing or SEO was mentioned in the CBC.ca example above. Because of this, there aren’t many opportunities to employ this tactic on this particular website.
That’s fine. Not every time you look for broken backlinks will be a goldmine.
4. Get in touch with the website’s owner and ask them to substitute one of your URLs for the broken one on their site.
Keep in mind that you need to be diplomatic and tactful when asking a website owner to replace a broken backlink. You don’t want to appear to be charging them with carelessness. Free Backlinking Strategies
Make your request brief and courteous; you found a broken link and provide a suitable resource. Make this request privately rather than publicly, such as in a Tweet, as doing so could cause the website owner to feel humiliated or irritated.
12. Write Content About Your Favorite Consultants, Vendors, and Software
Did your accountant give you advice on how to cut your tax bill? Alternately, did a developer significantly speed up your website? Make content about them, such as a blog post or video. Free Backlinking Strategies
I advise getting in touch with the vendor and finding out what they would like you to cover in your review for the greatest outcomes. Here are some ideas to start the conversation if they’re unsure:
• An innovative service. Does the seller wish to advertise a new service? You can advertise it in your review if you’ve used it.
• SEO essential phrases. Are they attempting to rank for a certain group of keywords? If so, you are free to link to their website using those keywords.
• Differential selling point. What special skills does your seller have? A marketing expert, for instance, can promise 10 leads within 30 days or your money back. You could mention the guarantee in your article if you’ve used the service and found it useful.
Create the content on your website and publish it there now that you are aware of the vendor’s objectives. Request a free backlink from your seller after it has been published. Free Backlinking Strategies
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