Gathering links should be in every SEO strategy but there are a few things you need before you start building links. These points are based on my own experience and how I failed miserably when it came to building links for my first blog.

After reading this you’ll know exactly what you need to be successful in building links. Now let’s get into it.

1. A decent amount of high-quality content

Before you start contacting websites about linking to your website there should be content to link to. Just having a home page and a few blogs of mediocre quality aren’t going to cut it.

Even if you just have one piece of quality content on the blog and you succeed in getting backlinks it might affect your content in a negative way.

If people immediately leave your website after looking at just one page your bounce rate will go up which signals to Google the rest of your website doesn’t have enough content that people view as valuable.

2.Non-amateurish looking website

A few years back I was watching a keynote from one of the founders from digitalmarketer.com named Perry Belcher and he was talking about that people won’t buy a product if it lowers their societal status in some sort of way.

This is very important to keep in mind when building links. No website is going to link to your content if your website looks like a mess. They might think your content is incredible but endorsing a website that looks amateurish isn’t good for their image.

3.Learn some sales and negotiation skills

When you start contacting websites to built links you’ll notice that some people will ignore your emails and others will reply and say they’re not interested. You’re not the only one that’s trying to build links.

High authority websites get mailed daily by people wanting links. You need to know how to sell yourself and make clear why linking back to you is a win for both parties involved.

Just emailing and asking for a link will not cut it.

4. Adequate experience in your niche

I remember a few months ago someone emailing me about adding her article to my resources page. I have no problem with adding other people’s content to my resource page but the content at least has to contain correct information.

Coincidently it was an article about SEO for beginners. For the most part, the article looked good until she started talking about some facts about do-follow links that clearly showed her inexperience.

I guess Perry Belcher's theory about the psychology behind sales and your societal status affected me in that situation.

5. Methods to find websites that are willing to link to you

Not every website is willing to link back to you and some you don’t even want to link back to you. This is why it’s important to have a method to separate the websites you want linking back to you from the ones you don’t.

Here are some things you need to take into account.

The niche of the website

Links aren’t going to do anything for you if they aren’t from websites in the same niche.

The authority of the website

Linkbuilding is about gathering quality links not quantity. One link from a website with high authority can do more for you than 10 low authority website links.

What kind of website

Some websites offer do-follow links to everybody. An example of such a website is a directory website. Google knows that so these links will have less effect on your rankings most of the time.

These are my tips. Take them into account when building links and I’m sure you’ll be successful.