How to Get More Backlinks for Your Small Business Website Infographics, media coverage and online tools are some of the strategies you may not have considered to obtain backlinks.
By Syed Balkhi Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As the owner of a small business website, you may find it hard getting your site noticed online when it's up against the big guys, especially if you're not an SEO master.
Related: How Real Marketers Create Backlinks That Matter
While you may know that you need more backlinks pointing back to your website, actually figuring out how to get those links is another story.
Of course, creating great content like useful blog posts is a solid way to grow organic search traffic. But guest-posting content on other websites is just the tip of the iceberg of strategies to boost your rankings.
In fact there are other ways to get more backlinks for your small business website you may not have considered. Plus, with many of these tactics, there's no need to bother with complicated SEO if that's not your forte.
Here are those ways to get more backlinks for your small business website.
Create infographics.
Infographics are one of the most widely shared forms of content online. Not familiar with infographics? Infographics, Wikipedia says, are "graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly."
Because infographics are so easy to consume and so fun to look at, they get shared a lot on social media. Plus, other companies and bloggers in your niche/industry will add your infographic to their own content, linking back to your website. In fact, according to Hubspot, infographics can increase web traffic by up to 12 percent.
As an example, one of the most shared infographics online is this one from Nationwide Insurance (which a local pet store could easily replicate for a viral response online):
Image source: Infographic Design Team
You can create an infographic on pretty much any topic. Choose one related to your business that's also interesting and entertaining to your target audience. No design skills? Don't worry, there are a number of free online tools that make it easy to create an eye-catching infographic.
Related: How to Build SEO Backlinks: A Beginner's Guide
Get media coverage.
Local media coverage is not only great for promotion and getting new customers through your doors, but it can help you get more quality backlinks for your small business website as well. For instance, if your business is participating in a local event or holding a giveaway, let local news outlets know about it. They might pick up the story for their websites and include a link back to your website.
Aside from sharing your company news, you can also do a little "newsjacking." Newsjacking is when you seize breaking news opportunities to inject your own business story. For example, if there's a record-setting snowstorm about to roll in, a local snow removal company might provide expert advice on the subject in a news article. So, start building relationships with the local media to get your business splashed all around the web.
Offer a free online tool.
Another way to get a lot of backlinks and traffic to your website is by offering a free online tool.
For instance, CoSchedule offers a free headline analyzer targeted towards marketers and content creators.
Image source: CoSchedule
This tool is linked to in many articles about how to write better headlines. So, if you can create a free online tool on your own website, it could potentially get linked to in many related articles online as well.
Importantly, your online tool doesn't have to be this complicated. If you own an accounting business, for example, you could offer a simple income tax calculator. Example: A fitness center could offer an online calorie counter. Tools like these will be extremely helpful to your target audience and get a lot of shares online.
Create content with customer data.
Data and statistics boost the credibility of blog posts, and many writers use them to strengthen their arguments. What if those many writers could use data provided by your business? That would get you a ton of potential backlinks. Don't have any customer data? Create some!
You can easily create your own original research by surveying the people on your email marketing list. Choose a survey topic that is not only useful information for your audience, but relevant to your industry as well. You can present this original data in an infographic or a blog post or report that includes some easy-to-understand graphs and charts.
Related: 5 Tips for Getting High Quality Backlinks In 2016
Over to you
The topic of SEO can overwhelm many small business owners. But, with these easy and actionable tips for how to get more backlinks to your website, business owners can enjoy a boost in search engine rankings. The more users online that discover your business through these types of content, the more potential leads you'll have.
