I actually just came across an article that says Google’s reliance on links are diminishing. Now, why is this point relevant to your question? Because I want to emphasize that links, while useful, are no substitute for creating great content.

That’s my first tip.

Great content means you earn links that go back to your own site. The more high-quality sites that link to your page, the higher your search ranking can potentially be. 

However, on the premise that you’re already producing great material, you should know that link building is an effective way to give your content a boost. To that end, here are four more techniques that we’ve personally tried and have been proven to deliver great results:

1. Try guest blogging

Blogging on your own site is a priority and should be done consistently. On top of this, you may want to try expanding your reach by posting on relevant, industry-specific sites. Doing so gives you the chance to establish yourself as an authoritative voice on a particular subject, and a way to easily draw traffic back to you site through links.

If possible, make sure you guest post on high-profile sites. This is the fastest way to attract more people to your site that you otherwise wouldn’t have reached. Additionally, make sure you put a lot of thought and effort into creating your article. Remember, you want an article worthy of guest posting on that website. It should be enticing enough so that readers feel compelled to find out more about what you have to say.

2. Be sure to mention top influencers in your post

Mentioning influencers and experts in an article make it so much easier for you to organically build links out to their site. And because the influencer that you linked to will likely share it, it’s very likely that you will get more links out of it as well.

Listicles about “what so-and-so experts have to say about a specific topic” are great catch-all topics that make it easy to mention multiple experts in a single post. Here’s a great example published by Content Marketing Institute.

When you mention someone in an article like this, you do so on the premise that they are leading voices on a particular topic. Lumping them in with other thought-leaders sends a very power message to them and their audience. This makes it more compelling for them to share your post.

3. Try prospecting for broken links

This is a little more tedious than other techniques; but still a pretty effective one. Here’s how it works:

When you come across a broken link on an industry blog or post, make an effort to email the administrator about it. Once you inform them about the link, you subtly pitch the possibility of using your own blog to replace the link.

Of course, this means you may have to spend a lot of time sweeping and scouring industry blogs for the opportunity, which can take a lot of time. However, more often than not, instead of troubling themselves trying to find a replacement for the broken link, they will be happy to use yours.

4. Use infographics to boost engagement and shareability of your posts

Visual content is very effective for audiences who generally prefer to skim rather than read a thousand-word wall of text. Infographics are a great way to compress relevant information into a single page that combines artwork and text.

Infographics happen to be one of the most shareable and engaging pieces of content you can create. In fact, HubSpot notes that infographics are shared and liked three times more than other forms of content online.

There you have it.

I know this went on a little longer than usual, but hopefully these tips help give your blog posts a good push. If you’d like a more in-depth discussion on what we can do for your brand, feel free to reach out to me personally. I’d be happy to answer any questions that you may have.