Most of the time it is “Do Not” type of information that you find online when you're trying to find out what types of links Google appreciates. Those types of links that will boost your site's ranking and help it avoid the risk of being put on Google's “nasty” list.
It's far more rarely that you come upon “It's OK to” type of content, right? Articles that clearly point out to you the link types that Google would really love to see on your Drupal site and how precisely you can gain them.
This is why for today's post on our blog we've decided to highlight the “good natural” link types that you should strive to generate for your site.
We'll be focusing on what you should do, not on what you must stay away from. On what link types, precisely, you should gain.
This being said, here's our list of 10 types of links that comply with Google's guidelines:
1. Ask People for Links
And yes, this would still be a “natural” link, even if you ask for it.
Which ones of your friends, family or bloggers in your company would gladly (with no incentive included in the equation) put your brand's link on their blogs/websites or mention your company in one of the pieces of content they'll write?
If they genuinely vouch for your company, showcasing their “vote of trust” in the form of a link, Google will appreciate it.
You'd better set up your list of potential “link hosts” right now!
2. Appeal to Your Industry Connections
How does your own “network” of industry connections look like? Maybe it includes most of the developers in Toronto, food suppliers or maybe real estate agencies instead.
Is your company listed on all your collaborators' “Our Partners” pages?
A good practice, for gaining more links that Google approves of, is to check what business lists your competitors are listed on. Then, to do what it takes to get your own business, as well, listed among those websites relevant for the niche that you operate in.
3. Recover Broken Links
But first: how do you get a pertinent report of all your broken links?
Simple! Your go to Google Search Console and search for crawl errors!
Next, once you've identified them all, you have two options:
- you contact the admins/content editors of the websites on which the link to your company seems to have been misspelled and you kindly ask them to correct the misspelling (after you've politely thanked them for adding it in the first place, obviously)
- you create a redirect, enabling the broken link to link to your website. It won't “weight” as much as a clean, correctly spelled one, but it sure is worthier than one opening up a 404 page.
4. Focus On Niche Business Directories
"EXCLUSIVELY on niche business directories”, we should have added!
And this is to set a difference between those spammy directories where pretty much anyone could create a link and the niche, harder-to-get-access-to ones, truly relevant for your own type of business!
These and only these are the type of directories that, once your business gets listed, will send good signals to Google!
Run your own “investigations” online, and find out where your competitors have got their businesses listed and try to get your company Drupal website's link published on those “members-only” type of directories, too!
5. Be a Journalist's Source
Familiar with HARO? The online service that practically brings together journalists and valuable sources? These sources are professionals in their fields, who can provide the former with the relevant, expert information they need for wiring their pieces of content?
Well, what would you say about “enrolling” in this program?
You might step into the shoes of a truly valuable source for a future “viral” article, one including a link to your company's site, too!
6. Plan a Newsworthy Event/Campaign
Think of a publicity-attracting event or a campaign: a “run for charity” event or one encouraging young talents to compete and to show off their potential and win a role in your company, an environmental awareness activity, you name it, one that would get you media attention.
Give journalists something to write about! “Something” that has your link in it!
Tip: Do a “research” on the latest news, those relevant in your niche and find out what journalists would write about. Use the results as a source of inspiration, but make sure you challenge your creativity and come up with something that would get even more press attention!
7. Make Your Content Stand Out
Content is, indeed, king, but “sticky”, viral content is... emperor!
But how do you produce content that people would share and talk about, content that stands out from the “sea of potentially viral content” online?
One good old “trick” is to go to Yahoo Answers and filter the information by your business type/products you sell or services you offer!
Find out what are people's genuine questions related to your type of services/products and turn that information into “VIP” content.
Articles that will, subsequently, answer precisely the questions that your potential customers are asking themselves, will “hit their target right away!
You'll then be much more confident to reach out and ask for links when your initiative is “backed up” by viral content that people love, don't you think?
8. Get More Links With Your Already “Linkable” Content
Do you know what pages on your Drupal website are currently “stealing all the spotlights”?
The right way to get your own “top” of the most “linkable” pages on your website is the following:
- access Google Search Console
- go to “Links to Your Site”
- then go to “More linked content”
There, once you click on “More”, you'll get an accurate report on what URLs fron your website are most popular.
Put together a list and then use precisely this linkable content on your website for promoting it to your future “link hosts”! These URLs will act as your “trust signals” supporting your efforts for attracting more links from those that you'll contact.
Tip: you could, as well, contact those who've already put your link on their websites, for thanking them them, in the fist place, and for asking for content suggestions, secondly. What other type of content would be relevant, interesting enough for for their audiences?
9. Reclaim Your Company Name's Mentions
Let's assume that you've set up Google Alerts and that now you know that there are cases where your brand name's got mentioned, but not linked to, as well.
Select those particular brand mentions from your report and get ready to reach out to those people and to kindly ask them to “reward” you with a link, as well (after, of course, you've expressed your gratitude for already having mentioned your brand's name).
Piece of advice: it's a good practice to go over this data and to contact those who've mentioned you, but haven't linked to your website, on a monthly basis.
10. Exploit The Media Attention That You're Getting
That's right! Another “natural” way for getting more links that Google would approve of is to get the most out of the media attention that you're already getting.
Is your company currently in the spotlight? Then think of strategies for getting even more publicity, for getting the media write even more about your brand!
This, implicitly, means more good, natural links for you!
Do you know any other strategies for gaining good links? Feel free to share in the comments below!
