Step 6
Sub-Topic 5

Link Building Strategies

Develop effective approaches to earn quality backlinks for your e-commerce site.

Understanding Link Value

Backlinks remain a key ranking factor, but not all links are created equal:

  • Authority: Links from established, reputable sites carry more weight than unknown sources
  • Relevance: Links from sites in your industry or niche are more valuable than unrelated sites
  • Placement: Links within content are typically more valuable than footer or sidebar links
  • Anchor Text: Descriptive, relevant anchor text helps search engines understand your content
  • Link Attributes: Follow links pass more value than nofollow, sponsored, or UGC links
  • Diversity: A natural link profile includes a mix of domains, link types, and anchor texts

E-commerce Link Building Strategies

These approaches are particularly effective for e-commerce websites:

  • Product Reviews: Send products to industry bloggers, influencers, and reviewers for honest feedback
  • Resource Link Building: Create valuable guides and resources relevant to your products
  • Supplier and Manufacturer Links: Request inclusion in "where to buy" sections of brands you carry
  • Broken Link Building: Find broken links on industry sites and suggest your content as a replacement
  • Digital PR: Create newsworthy content to attract coverage from media outlets
  • Expert Roundups: Contribute insights to industry roundups and expert compilations
  • Visual Asset Creation: Develop infographics, charts, and tools that others will want to reference

Avoiding Link Building Pitfalls

Protect your site from penalties by avoiding these risky practices:

  • Buying Links: Purchasing links violates Google's guidelines and can result in penalties
  • Link Exchanges: Excessive reciprocal linking looks unnatural and provides limited value
  • Low-Quality Directories: Avoid mass submissions to generic, low-quality web directories
  • Comment Spam: Mass posting links in blog comments or forums damages your reputation
  • Private Blog Networks: Creating sites solely for link building is against search guidelines
  • Exact-Match Anchor Text: Overusing keyword-rich anchor text creates an unnatural pattern

Focus on creating valuable content and building relationships that naturally attract links rather than shortcuts that may damage your long-term rankings.