It’s easy to get wrapped up in expensive link building. Websites with high domain authority that will give you backlinks can help your rankings but sometimes the investment can outweigh the benefit. Instead of just going for the big fish (Forbes, NyTimes, Etc.), there are many other link building options that are more budget-friendly. We will go over some of those options and give you the best ways to go after that low hanging fruit.
Directories
Gone are the days when you had the big yellow directory delivered to your front door every year. Since most of all search for local businesses happens online, you need to be present in the local directories. What does that all mean for your link building efforts?
- Trustworthy, Authoritative Links – Online directories are set up to list the businesses to whatever niche or industry. The best practice is to list yourself in all directories that are related to your business ( Plumber = Home Services directories ). Most of these directories have trust with Google, which makes them great a way to gain some votes for your site. Outside of making sure the directory is relevant is to make sure your name, address, and phone number match perfectly.
- Reaching Your Customers – Directories typically include reviews in addition to sorting businesses by location or niche. Potential customers can find your business easier and have all the information they need to contact you right away.
- They Don’t Hurt Your Wallet – There really is no other more cost-effective way to link build then through directories. Some of the biggest online directories such as Yelp and foursquare will list your business for free. Be wary of social media type links as they list your business but don’t always give you link equity.
Guest Blogging
Yes, we know blogging can be painful. This can be especially painful if you are blogging for an entirely different website just to get a link back to you. The truth is, if you are trying to save money in your marketing efforts, guest blogging is the way to go. Not only are you getting a link back to your website but you are also creating brand awareness and affirming yourself as the expert in your industry. There are hundreds of websites that are accepting free guest blogging right now.
Budget-friendly Link Building Tools
If you are trying to link build yourself, then making sure you are effective is the name of the game. Here are some of the best, inexpensive tools to help you in your link building.
- Bright Local – A great tool that you can enter your business information into and it will assist you in building links/citations.
- Guest Post Tracker – This tool is an up to date directory of websites that accept guest bloggers. This can prove to be extremely helpful as it takes out a large amount of time to find websites that are accepting guest posts.
- Buzzstream – Buzzstream provides many valuable tools for your SEO. Their link building tool provides you pre-vetted lists of link prospects and gives you all you need to outreach to them.
- Moz Link Explorer – Having a competitive advantage is everything. Using link explorer allows you to check your competitor’s links and help narrow down your link prospecting. Chances are if your competitors get a link from a certain website, you should be able to do the same.
Anyone Can Link Build
It’s true, anyone can link-build on a limited budget. By using the tools above and making sure you have a clear direction on what industry you want to represent, you can build links the right way and reap the ranking benefits.
