While many forms of search engine optimization have come and went over the more than two decades that search engines have existed, some tactics remain in use. Many are familiar with the use of keywords in content as one example – though the techniques for including them are exponentially more refined.

Another example is the act of building links: search engine algorithms assess the credibility and quality of websites using hundreds of metrics, but the number of links pointing to a website is one crucial metric. As such, building inbound links remains a viable and vital strategy for brands seeking to increase their visibility in search results.

Today, we’ll talk about what you should be aiming for when building these links, and which opportunities are worth pursuing.

Quality Content

The very first element you should consider when building inbound links is the quality of what you are providing. Websites and blogs want to link to and/or work with individuals who produce high quality content above all else. Writers who are simply pinging noise at audiences in an attempt to build their content portfolio are wasting their time – and not just when it comes to building links.

Whether you are publishing guest posts on a website or soliciting bloggers to evaluate your content in pursuit of a link, putting your best foot forward is essential. The quality of the content not only makes it more likely to earn inbound links organically, but high-quality guest posts and the like will also ensure you are invited back in the future for further contributions.

Strong Rankings

While the number of inbound links does matter to a degree and there is a correlation between quantity of links and overall rankings in search, this isn’t the full story. Search engines like Google value link quality over link quantity: having 10 inbound links pointing from websites that have strong domain authority is better than having 20 inbound links coming from unknown entities.

As such, you should be searching for opportunities to build links from websites that have stronger rankings and overall performance than your own website. While this isn’t always possible, dedicating your efforts to focusing on the bigger digital fish will ensure greater returns on investment per link earned.

Fleeting Opportunities

One other major aspect to look for when assessing opportunities to build inbound links involves assessing temporary mistakes or mishaps on other websites. Some may already be familiar with the broken link building tactic, where websites that have links to content that have since stopped functioning are approached with alternatives for replacing the links.

This is a highly valuable and effective strategy, and can put your blog or website in a good position to earn inbound links from websites that have stronger domain authority. No website wants to have broken links that are pinging noise at audiences and letting them down. Many tools exist that make finding broken links on any website easy: simply use these, find relevant broken links, create (or use existing relevant) content and approach these websites about linking to your pages instead.

Building inbound links requires some focus and persistence, but there’s no reason to wait around hoping you earn these links organically. By looking for temporary opportunities, creating high quality content and targeting websites that have more prestige than your own, you can build incredibly valuable inbound links regardless of your topic or niche.