As the nature of SEO continues to change continuously, webmasters and business owners with an online presence must continue to adapt with the changing times. In years past, there were very few penalties for webmasters who used what we call “black hat SEO” tactics to build websites and ascend the rankings of Google, Yahoo and other search engines. Today, however, we must all be very careful of how we build links – as well as what content we publish – if we want to be taken seriously by search engine algorithms. With that being said, we have dug up three effective strategies that you can use to build website links in an organic and honest way, and we’ll explain each below.

Find Mentions

If your brand has been around for a while and you already have a presence, then there is a good chance that you will find others who have mentioned or referenced you elsewhere. You can use the “intext” command in Google Search to find websites who have mentioned you; simply input your company or brand’s name (and be sure to exclude mentions from your own website), and you’ll be able to see a list of sites that have said something about you. Assuming the commentary is positive, you can then reach out to the webmaster via email and request that they link back to you. In most cases, webmasters have no problem doing so, but merely ask for a link and don’t request specifics.

Peruse Directories

In years past, pinging networks like directories with links back to your site was a sure-fire way to boost rankings. This became viewed in some respects as spammy as search engine algorithms improved, but legitimate directories do still exist and there is some benefit to be had from using them. We recommend looking for directories that cater either to a local area (if your business is a localized business) or those that help people find websites in a particular niche. It is definitely a good idea to steer clear of those directories that try to offer everything in one place, as these can hurt your rankings. Google and other search engines want to see relevant backlinks to your site coming from trusted sources.

Be Helpful

A broken link on a website can be a terrible thing for both the webmaster of that site and the site to which it is linking. Most people do not have the time or the patience to assess all the links on their site on a consistent basis; sometimes, sites cease to exist, and other times, the link was never correctly typed. If you can find relevant sites in your niche, help them out by scouring their sites in search of broken links. Notify them that you have been pinging networks in search of broken links and in exchange, ask if you can receive a link back to your site for your troubles. Many webmasters are more than willing to provide this exchange for someone who has a quality website and did something beneficial for them without a guaranteed reward.