7 Ways to Earn Links That Will Stand the Test of Google and Time

Backlinking is still vital off-page SEO if you want your website to rank. The only difference from a few years ago is that it's all about quality rather than quantity. The latter does matter, but only if all your links come from relevant, quality sources.



Try spamming article directories with subpar content, or building a gazillion Web 2.0 properties linking back to your site now, and you'll end up hurting your site more than helping it. In the best case scenario, those links will be ignored.

Even if you don't link the articles and Web 2.0 properties direct to your money site and use buffer sites instead, the amount of work required to make them look legit enough for those links to qualify as semi-good quality links - they'll never be considered high quality - is simply not worth it. You'd probably find it easier to earn links from truly legitimate sources and those links will provide you with many more benefits over the long term.

So, nowadays, it's all about earning links rather than building them. At least if you're looking to build a long-term, sustainable business that won't crash and burn every time Google makes an algorithm change.

Make Your Life Easier by Creating Great Content

The easiest way to earn links is to great outstanding content. The better your content, the easier you will find it to get those links you want. And really awesome content will eventually earn links without you having to do too much. As long as you focus on providing a great experience for your audience, the links will come to you. Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be a little proactive in the meantime, either.

Get to the Top and You'll Earn a Surprising Number of Links

When you get to the top of the SERPs, you'll earn a significant number of links just for being at the top, which will reinforce your position.

But getting to the top is the problem, right? That's why you need to work backwards, as it were. Instead of focusing on your main keywords, you need to first rank for long-tails. They can be really, really long-tail phrases, for which you will need a lot of in-depth content on your site. Then, it will be a snowball effect as more and more long-tails rank and draw in links, it will be easier for you to rank for other terms too.

Go a Little Off Topic

Sometimes, going a little off topic is not a bad thing. It can help you earn a good number of links, especially if the off-topic content is time-sensitive and news related. The idea isn't to go way off base, but taking a break from your regularly scheduled program to discuss a news story that is in some way relevant to your niche - or that might have an impact on your niche -- can attract links from authority sites that might not have otherwise linked to a site in your industry.



Interview People Relevant to Your Niche

Interviewing high-level influencers in your niche could be complicated, at least if you're just starting out and don't have much traffic. However, if you target the mid-listers, i.e. people who have good sites with a decent amount of traffic, you'll often find they are quite happy to allow you to interview them. In fact, many will be tickled pink that someone is interested in them.

Once you post the interview, the interviewee will naturally link to it from their site. Not only will you earn link juice, but also more traffic and exposure, which will eventually make it easier for you to get interviews with the top names in your space and links from sites with greater authority.

Also, consider branching out into related niches with your interviews. If you run a baby shower site, for example, you might interview some of the mid-lister mommy bloggers for tips, but you could also consider interviewing an event planner on theme ideas, a florist on flower trends or even a caterer on menu ideas.



Write Guest Posts

Writing guest posts is one of the most effective ways of earning links but can also be one of the most difficult and time-intensive, especially if you are targeting large sites. However, if you start a little lower on the totem pole, it can be a little easier as many webmasters will be grateful for fresh, quality content. Once you gain a little more experience, you can target larger sites.

Open Up Your Site for Guest Posts

Opening up your site for guest posts is also a good way to earn links. Of course, the more well-known the writer of the piece is, the more powerful the link from their site will be. However, that doesn't mean you should turn down authors who are lower on the totem pole.

For one, not all of them will be stuck in the same position and their sites may grow, which means the value of their link will grow, too. Plus, it's still an organic link from a relevant, quality site. Just make sure it is a quality site and not some spammy deal and you'll benefit from every link you obtain.

And once you have a decent level of traffic, you'll be able to approach bigger names in your industry and ask them to share their knowledge, which will generate even more traffic and more powerful link juice.

Guestographics a la Brian Dean


Brian Dean describes a great method of earning links through the use of infographics. The essence is to create a relevant and interesting infographic and post it on your site, then reach out to relevant sites and offer to do a mini-guest post if they show interest in posting your infographic to their site. To see how Brian Dean does it, check out his guide here.

The key to a great link building strategy that will stand the test of time and be relatively immune to Google's algorithm changes is to not build links but to earn them. You might be tempted to use some of the tactics that worked once upon a time to build thousands of links quickly, but, in the long-run, you'll be doing your business more harm than good. Plus, you'll often find the weight of these links is less than one quality link while the investment of time and money is greater.