Link Building 101: Understanding Backlinking & Outreach

The supreme currency of authority, value, and relevance for a website, Backlinks are one of the easiest and most widely-used methods to bump up your search engine rankings. 

In fact, the foundation of Google’s original algorithm “Page Rank” was based on the foundational principles of backlinks. And even today, after thousands of algorithmic updates, Google still values organic backlinks as one of the key indicators for finalizing search rankings. 

What is the Purpose of Backlinks in SEO?

In simple terms, backlinks are key indicators of the popularity of your website with both end-users and search engines. They are also called ‘Inbound Links’ as they are simply diverting traffic from the external website to your website. 

To understand how backlinking improves your ranking it’s important to understand the concept of on-page and off-page optimization. On-page optimization refers to all the practices, processes, and strategies used to produce valuable, quality, and relevant content for both search engines and end-user. 

Contrarily, off-page optimization refers to all the methods and procedures that signal that your website offers considerable value to third parties. And the best way to do that is backlinking. Confusing? Don’t worry. Let us break it down to understand how this can help your website. 

How Do They Help Your Website?

Suppose Google’s algorithm is making an impartial assessment of two websites based on its pre-defined quality parameters. For the sake of convenience consider two fictional websites, Website A (nannycamspro.com) and Website B (jennycamsolutions.com). 

Let’s assume that Website A has 100 backlinks while Website B has 20 from other websites that have similar authority. Now, which of the following will rank higher on Search Engine Result Pages (SERP)?  Take a pause and try to objectively answer the question. Not there yet? 

Well, the answer is as obvious as it sounds. The website with more links will have more authority on SERP than a competitor having fewer backlinks. So, here Website A would be the obvious winner on the search and will have more authority on search than its competitor website. 

However, these are not the only variables as the situation can completely change if Website A is connected with low-quality backlinks and Website B is connected with highly authoritative backlinks. In this case, there is a possibility that Website B will outrank Website A. 

The point being the quality of the backlinks is as important as the quantity. There are also other variables such as value, relevance, and credibility that help you secure more points in terms of rankings. However, the ultimate game is to get as many backlinks from quality websites. 

What is Link Building & Outreach? 

Link Building refers to the process through which you secure an inbound link or backlink. High-powered, well-respected, and authoritative websites usually don’t require backlinks as relevant sites want to connect with them all the time. 

However, if you are relatively new and still have miles to go before reaching that stage then outreaching is one of the best ways for you to secure backlinks from authoritative webmasters. Getting scared that what kind of complex puzzle is going to unravel now? None. 

Outreach is simply reaching out to other websites via email and requesting them to publish your content for link-building purposes. It is as simple as that. However, there are also other ways of securing backlinks that come in the ambit of black hat practices and can simply get your website blacklisted.  

In terms of strategy, some best practices for outreach emails, include providing quality content, personalizing the pitch, and offering something special to the website’s audience. Recent studies reveal the frequency and personalization of your outreach is directly proportional to your success. 

Limitations

An unsecured network is one of the biggest concerns in link building. For instance, if the conversation you are having with the webmaster is not secure and vulnerable to attacks from external threats then both sites are at a considerable risk of data leaks and downtime, which can ultimately damage your credibility with the search engines as well as the audience.  

Also, slow internet can result in late deliveries as well as time consuming loading. Avoid this by choosing a fiber internet near you, and sort things out beforehand.

Wondering what the best possible solution is? 

One way is having an intelligent and dedicated cybersecurity system that can automatically parse incoming threats, but that can be a really expensive acquisition. So, the best way is to install a secure internet that comes with added security features. 

In Short,

Gathering relevant, authoritative, and quality backlinks will not only enhance your SEO game but at the same time improve your website’s rankings on SERP.