Updated on Nov 20th, 2024

Building your backlink profile is an important part of improving your website authority.

And it’s that authority that’s going to help boost your website’s ranking on the search engine results page (SERP).

Every time you receive a link to your site, you’re getting an endorsement from the site linking to you. In some cases this happens naturally, with people and websites linking to content you have written or products you are selling. However, you can also help grow your link profile by being proactive and finding even more opportunities for links.

Quality backlinks are one of the most important ranking factors in Google’s algorithm

Wondering how to build quality backlinks? Check out these quick link-building wins that you can explore for your own website.

Here are 9 Tactics to Kickstart Your Backlink Profile

1. No-link business mentions

One of the easiest ways to build up your backlink profile is to search for mentions of your business that appear on other websites without a link back to your site. This is a perfect opportunity to take advantage of and gain that backlink.

With the use of some advanced search qualifiers a quick Google search will show you everywhere your business name appears. 

You can use this query string to search for mentions of your website name and other related company information. Keep on the lookout for websites with reasonably high domain authority (DA) scores. The higher the DA score of the website, the more authority it will pass through to your own site.

2. Local Business Directories

Directories are another quick way to earn backlinks to your website. Starting with the basics is usually a good way to go. Make sure your business is listed on websites like the Yellow Pages, canpages, canada.ca, and other similar sites.

An added bonus to adding these listings is that you’ll also be helping improve your local performance in the SERPs by giving search engines more information about the location, hours, and contact information of your business.

3. Industry-Specific Directories

You can also look for linking opportunities on business directories specific to your industry. These directories can be a bit more elusive than general business directories, but they’re a great find for potential backlinks since they’re highly relevant to your website.

In some cases, these directories will require registration to submit a link to your site so they can review and verify your business. Don’t let that scare you off. This is actually a good sign — it means this is a legitimate directory that does a little extra to make sure only relevant industry sites can join.

Submitting these directory listings can take a bit more time and effort, but the benefits are definitely worth it.

4. Review websites

Similar to directories, review sites are a great way to build your backlink profile. Some major examples include Yelp and BBB. Just like directories, making sure your business is listed on these websites is one of the lowest-hanging link opportunities you can take advantage of.

Even better, making sure your business is listed on these review sites will also get your customers to post their reviews — something search engines (and other potential customers) always like to see.

5. Brand or supplier websites

Another basic backlink-building strategy particularly suited for retailers is to build links from the websites of brands that you sell or your product suppliers. Many times these will be big websites that have a large amount of authority and power behind them — a great opportunity to pass some of that authority on to your own site.

Start by making a list of all the brands you sell and seek out the manufacturer's website, and send an outreach email for more information about whether getting a link to your site is possible.

6. Look at where your competitors are

Finding out where your competitors are receiving backlinks is an easy way to kickstart your backlink strategy.

You can use a backlink checker tool to run your competitors’ domains and create a list of websites to start outreaching out to. Sidenote: When it comes to link building, a good backlink checker is your best friend.  My personal favourites are Ahrefs and Moz’s Open Site Explorer.

Using this tactic, you might come across some great industry directories you haven’t pursued before or even opportunities with bloggers that have linked to your competitors. And just like that, you’re making your competitor’s backlink strategy work for you!

7. Broken link hunting

Broken links are a great opportunity to take advantage of to help build your link profile. You can use a Chrome plugin like this one that will show you if there are any broken links on a web page.

Start prospecting websites that are relevant to your industry and/or content you’ve created and check them for any broken links. When you come across a link send a quick email to the webmaster letting them know about it and offer your link as a replacement. You can also use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to take an in-depth look at where your competitor’s backlinks have been ‘dropped’ by sites that used to link to them — a perfect opportunity to turn that link into one that points to your website instead.

Moz’s Broken Link Building Bible is a really great resource that guides you through the entire process of broken link building.

8. Outreach content pieces

If you’re creating share-worthy content pieces for your website (and you should be!), why not take advantage of them to gain some links?

One way to do this is to look for websites that are linking to content pieces that are similar to (but definitely not as good as) the content you’ve created. Then all it takes is a bit of outreach to these websites to tell them about this updated and improved content piece you’ve created.

It’s always a good idea to personalize these outreach emails. The purpose here isn’t to beg for links, but to share your content with people who will find it interesting and useful.

9. Form partnerships with bloggers

I know what you’re thinking, “guest blogging is dead!”. True, spinning subpar articles isn’t going to get you far. But creating awesome content by partnering with experts and enthusiasts in your industry is a great way to share your expertise and reach more people.

Forming relationships with bloggers can be a useful link-building strategy for businesses both big and small. Start seeking out bloggers in your industry and find guest post opportunities where you can share your opinion or knowledge on a topic. It’s a great way to expand your audience reach and create relationships for your brand.

Similarly, but with a bit of a twist on the idea, you can also find bloggers who are willing to write guest posts for your website. More often than not, they’ll share the article with their readers — it’s all about mutual benefits.

Bonus tip! Don’t underestimate the power of a Google search when you’re looking for these backlink opportunities.

Make use of advanced search operators to find opportunities to build your backlink profile, from unlinked mentions of your business to directories where you can list your website. You can find an exhaustive list of advanced search queries here. All you need to do is add the keywords that will help you find the opportunities most relevant to your website.

Once you’ve mastered these advanced Google search skills, you’ll find even more hidden backlink opportunities!

Now Go Start Building Your Backlink Profile!

Off-page SEO tactics are always trickier to manage than on-page factors, but off-page factors are an important piece of the puzzle of search engine rankings.

Creating a backlink-building campaign should be a part of your overall SEO strategy so your site is continually building its authority and dominating the SERPs. Taking advantage of all these opportunities does require a bit of a time investment, but in the end the payoff of a strong backlink profile is worth the effort.