Many digital marketers forget to include link building in their search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. In addition to the technical aspects of SEO, there is incredible value to link building.

Link building, simply put, is the process of getting other websites to link back to your website. … Building links is one of the many tactics used in search engine optimization (SEO) because links are a signal to Google that your site is a quality resource worthy of citation.

Wordstream

If Link Building is Important Why is it Overlooked?

Technical SEO mostly takes place on the backend of your website and is an individualistic endeavor. By contrast, linking strategy is a relationship building exercise and requires interacting with other people. Yes, it takes time and results in fewer successes, but it’s invaluable to Google.

Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines put a great deal of importance on the concept of E-A-T — an acronym for expert, authoritative, and trustworthy. Sites that don’t display these characteristics tend to be seen as lower-quality in the eyes of the engines, while those that do are subsequently rewarded. E-A-T is becoming more and more important as search evolves and increases the importance of solving for user intent.

Moz

Getting Started

Okay, so if link building is so important, how can you get started? The first thing you have to do is create linkable content. Remember, this is content that is useful to your target audience, or your target link posters.

Pro Tip: Backlinko gives great examples of highly linkable content in their recent report about link building – check it out here.

Once you have your content created, start by targeting the low-hanging fruit – your customers and vendors who know, like, and enjoy doing business with you. If at all possible, reach out to them in person or over the phone. An email is an impersonal vehicle for requesting link backs, and it’s easier to say no via written communication compared with in-person interactions. If you’re at a loss about who to target for your links, Search Engine Journal shares some great insight in this blog post.

In Conclusion

Link building is a highly effective part of a robust SEO strategy and it shouldn’t be overlooked in favor of technical optimization tactics.

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