In this era of online shopping, competition among e-commerce stores is fierce. But good search engine rankings can make a difference. Link building is a pivotal aspect of any successful SEO strategy as it directly impacts a website’s visibility as well as authority in search engine results. Surprisingly, many online store owners either overlook the importance of link building or are unaware of its significance.
Here, we will explore why link-building is crucial for e-commerce brands and the challenges they face in this endeavor. We will also discuss seven effective link-building tactics tailored specifically for e-commerce businesses, backed by real-world examples.
Why Link Building is Crucial for E-commerce
E-commerce link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. These links serve as endorsements for search engines like Google, affirming your website’s credibility as a reliable source of information or products. Here’s why link-bools or building is vital for e-commerce brands:
Boosting Organic Visibility
Being an e-commerce owner, you will probably be aware of the fact that online shops rely heavily on organic traffic. When you are able to get high-quality backlinks to your site, you improve its authority as well as relevance in search engine result pages. This eventually gets your website on the top results of the search engine and increases its visibility. This way, more potential customers can find your online store.
Enhancing Domain Authority
Link building contributes significantly to your website’s domain authority, which is a crucial ranking factor. A higher domain authority makes your website more trustworthy in the eyes of both search engines and users. This trust factor can lead to higher click-through rates as well as more conversions.
Challenges in E-commerce Link Building
Before diving into the tactics, let’s address the challenges that e-commerce brands face in the realm of link building.
Product-Centric Content
E-commerce websites primarily focus on showcasing as well as selling products. This often results in a lack of diverse, informative content that can attract backlinks. Most e-commerce sites need to think beyond product listings to create link-worthy content.
Intense Competition
The e-commerce landscape has become highly competitive, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. These days, numerous businesses are vying for the same keywords and backlinks. It can be challenging to stand out in this crowded space and secure valuable backlinks.
7 Link-Building Tactics For E-commerce Brands
Now that we’ve established the importance of link building for e-commerce and identified the challenges, let’s delve into seven effective tactics to overcome these challenges and develop quality backlinks.
Publish High-Quality Blog Content for Specific Keywords
Creating informative as well as targeted keyword-rich content is an effective way to attract backlinks naturally. But before crafting any blog post or article, you are required to identify relevant keywords related to your product as well as the industry. It is better to use keyword research tools like Semrush, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer, and Google Keyword Planner to accomplish this crucial task.
For instance, if you sell fitness equipment, target keywords like “best home gym setups” or “tips for staying fit at home.” Do not promote your product directly in writing. The blog post must be informative and useful for the readers whom you want to target.
Also, your content must be original and not copied from other sources, as this can harm your reputation as well as your SEO efforts.
EXAMPLE: Real Example: Peloton, a leading fitness equipment brand, maintains a blog with articles on fitness, health, and workout routines. By producing valuable content, Peloton attracts backlinks from health and lifestyle websites, enhancing its SEO efforts.
Use the Product Feedback Technique
Another way to create quality and genuine backlinks is by encouraging satisfied buyers to share their experiences as well as feedback on your product. The user-generated testimonials are a valuable source of backlinks. Try to connect to customers who have posted good reviews and express your gratitude to them. Politely ask if they would be willing to take an additional step by linking back to the specific product pages they reviewed on your website.
EXAMPLE: Amazon, Flipkart, and other big giants in e-commerce leverage this technique by allowing customers to leave reviews and ratings. These reviews often include links to the product pages, boosting Amazon’s backlink profile.
Organize a Creative Campaign for PR (Public Relations)
Launch creative and attention-grabbing campaigns related to your products or industry. Unique campaigns can attract media attention and coverage, resulting in valuable backlinks from news articles and blogs.
To start, you need to brainstorm and develop a unique and compelling marketing campaign. You can also take ideas from the successful creative campaigns of others.
EXAMPLE: Dove, a well-known personal care brand, launched the “Dove Real Beauty Campaign” to celebrate diversity and promote body positivity. As part of the campaign, Dove released a thought-provoking video that showcased how women perceive themselves compared to how others see them. The video went viral on social media and received extensive coverage in news outlets, blogs, and social media platforms. This, in turn, generated numerous e-commerce backlinks from news outlets and social media.
Ask Partners to Link to Your Site
If you have business partners or suppliers, reach out to them and ask for backlinks. Since these partners are already connected to your industry, their links can carry significant weight in search engine algorithms.
However, it is vital to provide them with clear instructions on how to link to your site. Also, ensure that the link is relevant to the context and aligns with your branding.
EXAMPLE: A clothing brand could ask its textile supplier to include a link to its website in the supplier’s list of clients or partners. When visitors explore the supplier’s website and come across the list, they can click on the clothing brand’s link to learn more about the collaboration. This not only provides referral traffic but also contributes to the clothing brand’s SEO efforts by gaining a backlink from a relevant and industry-related source.
Craft Shareable Product Features to Amplify Your Brand
Develop interactive features related to your products that users can share on their websites or social media. For instance, if you sell kitchen appliances, create a recipe generator that users can embed on their cooking blogs.
EXAMPLE: Blendtec, a blender manufacturer, created a “Will It Blend?” campaign where they blended unusual items. The viral videos generated a massive number of backlinks and social shares.
Embrace Video Marketing
Video content is shared a lot as well as can attract backlinks when done right. Create product demonstration videos, how-to guides, or behind-the-scenes looks at your e-commerce operations. Host these videos on platforms like YouTube and Vimeo and optimize them for search engines.
EXAMPLE: IKEA, a furniture and home goods retailer, creates video tutorials demonstrating how to assemble their products. These videos are not only helpful for customers but also frequently shared on home improvement and interior design websites.
Collaborate on Unboxing and Review Videos
Partner with influential bloggers in your niche to create unboxing and review videos of your products. Send them your products in advance, and let them share their honest opinions and experiences on their channels.
These videos provide an in-depth look at your products and can generate backlinks when other websites and blogs reference and embed them in their reviews or product roundups. This not only boosts your SEO efforts but also enhances your product’s credibility through third-party endorsements.
EXAMPLE: Fashion Nova, a fashion brand, gained widespread popularity through collaborations with influencers, including celebrities like Kylie Jenner. In one such collaboration, Kylie Jenner created an unboxing and try-on video featuring a selection of clothing items from Fashion Nova’s collection. Her immense social media following and influence led to millions of views and shares of the video, ultimately creating a plethora of e-commerce backlinks.
Final Words
The importance of SEO in e-commerce success cannot be overlooked, and link building is a vital factor when it’s about taking your site to the top of SERP. By understanding its importance and addressing the associated challenges, e-commerce brands can build a robust backlink profile.
Implementing these seven effective tactics, such as creating high-quality blog content, leveraging product feedback, and embracing video marketing, can help e-commerce businesses improve their organic visibility, enhance domain authority, and ultimately drive more sales.
Remember, success in e-commerce link building takes time and persistence, so stay committed to these strategies and adapt them to your unique business needs. GeekTech can help you build high-quality backlinks that drive traffic and boost your rankings. Contact us today to supercharge your SEO strategy.
