10 Link-Building Strategies for Content Marketers (and 5 to Avoid)

Link building can do real work for your content marketing and SEO strategy this year, making everything you publish stronger and more effective. But there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it. Here's what to do, and what to steer clear of, as you build your own approach.

5 link-building moves to avoid

Good link building isn't only about piling on the right things. It's also about cutting the habits that quietly drag your results down. Start with these five mistakes.

1. Don't overdo the links

More links mean more connections and more credibility, right? Not exactly. Adding links can give a page a lift, but pile on too many and it tips the other way. Google's ranking algorithm pays close attention to the kind of links you use, and that shapes where you land in search. As Neil Patel puts it, "five quality links from authority sites will count for more in your favor than ten mediocre links from generic sites."

2. Skip the paid links

Part of building a smart link strategy is knowing where your money should go. Paid links have their place in certain situations, but use them carefully. Make sure the source follows best practices and sticks to Google's advertising and webmaster guidelines. If they don't, you're better off leaving paid links alone.

3. Don't use keywords as anchor text

Some words just don't belong as anchor text. It's fine if a few of them show up inside a link, but never use these on their own:

• The word "link" or "website"
• The URL itself
• The company or site name
• The domain

Pick a relevant phrase that actually catches the reader's eye instead. And keep the keyword you're trying to rank for out of your anchor text. You want people landing on your site when they see that keyword, not getting sent somewhere else.

4. Don't try to game the system

If you're thinking about a tactic that might look shady and you're not sure whether Google will penalize you for it, hold off. Trying to outsmart the system rarely pays off against algorithms that shift and update constantly. Shortcuts to the top usually turn into a fast trip to the bottom. Play by Google's rules and aim for staying power instead of speed.

5. Don't sleep on natural links

You might be putting a ton of energy into reaching out to other bloggers and companies to swap links, and that's fine. Just don't overlook the value of natural links. The higher you climb in Google's results, the more naturally bloggers searching for sources will link to you. These come as your page earns credibility. Don't let them slip past in your rush to build reciprocal relationships.

5 link-building strategies you should be using

Now that you know how to dodge the big potholes, let's get into the tactics worth chasing. Here are five worth a closer look.

1. Learn to monitor your backlinks

It sounds obvious, but plenty of marketers have no idea how to find out who's actually linking to them. Once you know, you get a much clearer picture of where you stand in the blogging world. You'll also spot which posts pull the most traffic and which sites link to you most often.

2. Build links inside lists

According to industry analyses, the content type that tends to earn the most links is the list, by a wide margin over any other format. Infographics came in second. If you want a piece people share and link to, the numbers point straight at images and lists. Bake that into your strategy, and make sure your blog writing service knows it too, so they can deliver what works.

3. Build relationships

Wrote a great post that another blogger mentioned? Nice work, but you're not done. Instead of patting yourself on the back and moving on to the next topic, start building a relationship with that blogger. Reach out, by email or phone.

You can ask for more links, or you can lay the groundwork for a solid back-and-forth by inviting them to do an interview or guest post on your site. That opens your page to a whole new audience of loyal readers.

Content collaborations are another great way to work with established bloggers. Expert roundup posts let you mention several bloggers at once and plant the seeds for a lot of reciprocal relationships.

One relationship people often miss is the one with editors. Keep an open line with the editors at certain sites, and your article has a much better shot at getting picked up and republished.

Before you contact any blogger or editor, look up the site owner's name. A little courtesy goes a long way when you're asking for backlinks. Tell them exactly where you think your link fits on their site, or the topic you think they could guest post about.

4. Make your link building content-driven

You can drop in any kind of link you want, but nearly every marketing manager says the most effective and popular tactic they used was content-based link building. Part of the reason: the sites you link to are far more likely to return the favor when the move actually makes sense, and that won't happen if your link wasn't tied to the content. If you use content writing services, make sure they're on the same page and build the right links.

5. Create client links

You usually want to link with well-known companies, but linking with your current clients is another great way to grow your customer base. Offer past clients an incentive to leave a review, then post it on your site and link to the author. That gets you easy links. If someone gives you a testimonial, they may also be happy to share their words on their own website.

Use link-building strategies that actually work

Better link building can mean more traffic, stronger relationships, and a bump in sales. The key to a winning SEO link strategy is to make a plan and follow the lead of companies and sites that have already nailed their own link-building tactics.

Stick to Google's guidelines and skip any linking strategy that costs you followers or chips away at your credibility. Do that, and you're on track for your best year yet, for you, your SEO, and your whole business.