Ecommerce Link Building Guide
In the dynamic landscape of online commerce, a robust ecommerce link building strategy is a necessity for ventures looking to grow their brand.
Below, we discuss the benefits of link building for ecommerce. We’ll also tackle a few eCommerce link building strategies tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by online retailers.
So, get ready to delve into the world of ecommerce link building, where strategy and digital prowess intersect to propel your online store to new heights.
What is Link Building and its Benefits?
Link building for ecommerce is the strategic practice of acquiring high-quality and relevant external links from other websites to your online store’s web pages.
These links, called backlinks, are crucial in improving your website’s SERP visibility, authority, and overall online reputation. In fact, Databox says that external links are the third most important factor in having an SEO-friendly website, next to content and keywords.
Factors in having an SEO-friendly website (Source: Databox)
Here are a few benefits of ecommerce link building:
Higher Search Engine Rankings
Backlinks are one of the most crucial factors search engines use to determine the authority and relevance of a website. Quality backlinks from trusted websites can increase search engine rankings, making your website more visible to prospects.
Improved SERP rankings can result in higher organic traffic to your website. When your website appears on the first page of search results for relevant keywords, more users will likely click through to your site.
Brand Exposure and Awareness
Backlinks from reputable websites present your brand to new audiences. This exposure can increase brand recognition and awareness among your target market.
Receiving backlinks from websites in the same or related niche reinforces the relevance of your brand. These links indicate that your brand is considered valuable and relevant by peers and experts in your field.
Improved Credibility
When authoritative websites link to your content, it lends credibility to your brand. Users are more likely to trust and engage with your website if it’s associated with respected sources.
In addition, backlinks signal that your brand is seen as an expert in that field. Users are more likely to view your brand as a knowledgeable source, which can significantly influence their perception of your credibility.
What are the Most Effective Link Building Strategies?
Here are some effective link building strategies for ecommerce.
Create High-Quality Content
High-quality content serves as the foundation of ecommerce link building. Creating content that offers genuine value to your target audience creates opportunities for other websites to link back to your content.
As other ecommerce businesses, bloggers and industry experts find your content valuable, they are more likely to reference it with backlinks, boosting your link building efforts.
However, it must be noted that quality content must be paired with optimal page speed to improve your SEO score.
To illustrate how crucial page speed is, a study by Portent shows the highest ecommerce conversion rates occur between one and two seconds, with a 3.05% conversion rate at one second.
Ecommerce conversion rate (Source: Portent)
Guest Posting
Writing guest posts for reputable blogs, websites and industry publications is another smart ecommerce link building tactic that should be part of your SEO and SEM strategies.
Guest posting allows you to showcase your expertise and knowledge within your industry. You position yourself as a thought leader by crafting helpful, insightful, and well-informed articles.
This builds your credibility and extends to your ecommerce brand, making it more trustworthy in the eyes of your target audience.
Resource Pages and Link Roundups
Resource pages are collections of links to valuable and relevant content, tools, or websites within a niche. Link roundups, on the other hand, are curated lists of recent articles, posts, or resources that are often published on a regular basis.
Since these pages serve as valuable hubs for readers seeking information, getting an external link from them can help your ecommerce link building efforts. Reach out to the owners of these pages and suggest your ecommerce site as a valuable resource to be included.
Broken Link Building
This tactic is considered an advanced ecommerce link building strategy, but you can certainly use it at any stage of your SEO journey.
Start by identifying websites within your industry or niche with content relevant to your eCommerce offerings.
Use tools or browser extensions designed for finding broken links, those that lead to non-existent pages, resulting in a “404 Not Found” error. Then, create high-quality content directly relevant to the topic or subject of the broken link.
Email the website owner and explain that you came across a broken link on their site and have created valuable content that can be a replacement.
Here’s a sample email you can use:
Subject: Broken Link Replacement for [Website Name]
Hello [Website Owner’s Name],
I hope this email finds you well. While browsing your website, [Website Name], I noticed a broken link on [Page URL]. It appears to lead to a non-existent page, resulting in a “404 Not Found” error.
I’ve created a resource that could serve as a replacement for this broken link. The broken link was related to [Topic or Subject], and my content provides [Brief Description of Your Content’s Value]. You can find my replacement content here: [Your Content URL].
My content could enhance your page’s value and user experience. By replacing the broken link with my resource, you can provide your readers with accurate and helpful information.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Contact Information]
Influencer Collaboration
Getting help from influencers is also a good ecommerce link building strategy, especially if you’re targeting the younger market.
HubSpot’s 2023 Social Media Marketing Report says that 32% of Gen Z social media users purchased something based on an influencer’s recommendation. Though the numbers slightly go down for older generations (21% for Millennials and 18% for Gen X), it can’t be denied that influencers attract audiences.
Influencer driven purchases (Source: Hubspot)
Identify influencers within your niche and invite them to collaborate on content like reviews, unboxing videos, or product tutorials. Influencers’ websites or social media profiles can provide valuable backlinks to your store.
As part of your ecommerce link building strategies, reach out to bloggers and websites that review similar products. Offer to send them samples in exchange for an honest review.
Positive reviews can often lead to backlinks as well as increased visibility.
Blending influencer marketing with affiliate marketing is among the most effective link building tactics for ecommerce brands. Structure the collaboration as an affiliate partnership – influencers not only receive payment for their content creation but also earn a commission on the sales generated through their unique affiliate links.
Create Shareable Visual Content
Infographics, charts, and diagrams help simplify complex information, making it easier for your audience to understand and retain.
As people are likely to share visually appealing and info-loaded content, creating shareable visual content must be part of your ecommerce link building tactics.
To gear your content for ecommerce link building, design them so that it’s easy for others to embed on their websites or blogs. Include an embed code or clear guidance on how to share your content while providing credit to your ecommerce site.
This encourages other websites to use your content, which can result in valuable backlinks.
Social Media Engagement
A solid social media strategy can lead to natural backlinks, boosting your ecommerce link building approach.
Regularly share valuable content on your social media profiles. This includes blog posts, videos, images, infographics, product updates, and industry news.
Remember, your content should provide value, entertain, educate, or solve problems for your audience.
Press Releases
When you have noteworthy updates, product launches, or newsworthy events, distribute press releases as part of your ecommerce link building strategies.
Online PR distribution services help you reach a wider audience by disseminating your press release to various news outlets, industry publications, journalists, bloggers, and influencers. You can get backlinks from these pages if they pick up your press release.
Sample press releases (Source: Einpresswire.com)
Ecommerce Link Building FAQs
What is the best link building strategy for ecommerce sites?
The “best” ecommerce link building strategy can vary depending on your goals, industry, competition, and resources. Ultimately, it’s all about the value you offer to partners and the target market.
How do I create backlinks for ecommerce?
Link building for ecommerce sites requires a combination of informed planning, content creation, outreach, and relationship-building. These may involve a combination of the approaches mentioned above.
Whatever you do, focus on building natural and organic backlinks. Also, avoid spamming tactics like buying links, which can harm your website’s reputation and SEO.
The Lowdown
Ecommerce link building is a major factor in search engine algorithms. Backlinks tell search engines that your site is relevant and authoritative.
Websites with a strong backlink profile are more likely to appear higher in search engine results, driving organic traffic and visibility.
Author
Carla Bauto Dena
Carla Bauto Deña is a journalist and content writer producing stories for traditional and digital media. She believes in empowering small businesses with the help of innovative solutions, such as e-commerce, digital marketing, and data analytics.
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