32 Quick Ways to Boost Your Backlink Strategy

Want to build backlinks, fast?

You’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I’m covering 32 tried and true ways to build backlinks to your website.

There are two very important reasons to develop a backlink strategy for your website:

1) Backlinks bring in human traffic

2) They help your website rank better in search engines (which, ultimately, brings in more human traffic).

In fact, Google still lists backlinks as one of the top three ranking signals. So if you’re even remotely serious about SEO, you should take backlinks building seriously.

Keep in mind that there are two types of backlinks: dofollow and nofollow. The dofollow links are great for SEO and driving traffic to your site. 

On the other hand, nofollow links don’t do much for SEO (because the Googlebot doesn’t follow them as it crawls the web), but they can still bring in human traffic. 

For example, really big sites like Forbes or Inc.com have nofollow links. But, when you get a link on that site it turns into usually 20 or 30 more links, some followed and some unfollowed, because people steal/syndicate their content. 

As a rule of thumb, it’s best to have a mix of dofollow and nofollow links so as to make everything look natural to Google’s algorithm.

When crawling a website, Google tries to understand which links are relevant for a website and how much each of those individual links should weigh. Another best practice is to include a few links that are better quality, rather than a lot of links that are poor quality.

Fortunately, the Internet provides a wealth of do-follow and no-follow backlink opportunities. Here are some of the best ones.

Backlink Strategy And SEO

1. YouTube

If you’re looking for a fairly “easy win” in the backlink strategy department, go with putting a link on a YouTube video description. That’s useful for a couple of reasons.

For starters, YouTube is owned by Google. So it makes sense to create a backlink on a web property owned by the very company that’s responsible for ranking your site.

Second, YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. You’d be surprised at how many people might find your video with a simple YouTube search.

Of course, you’ll need to create a video to post on YouTube. In this day and age, though, that’s not too complicated. Modern technology makes it easy to create great videos.

Also, keep in mind other video sites like Vimeo and DailyMotion that offer great opportunities for backlinks.

2. LinkedIn

You probably have a LinkedIn profile. You can use that profile to post content on LinkedIn that points back to your site.

It’s astonishing how many entrepreneurs overlook LinkedIn as a source for a backlinks. It’s one of the easiest ways to get traffic flowing to your site.

The best SEO backlink strategy with LinkedIn is to regularly post content relevant to your niche. Be sure that each post includes a backlink.

3. IM faceplate

IM faceplate has a pretty weird name, but it’s a great source for a search engine optimization backlink.

Basically, the site gives you the opportunity to create a SEO backlink profile that reflects your brand. So why wouldn’t you want to use it?Once you’ve created a profile, you can post an article that’s relevant to your niche and includes a backlink.

4. Splash

Do you have an event coming up? Use Splash to promote it, and get the event the added benefit of a backlink.

It’s as simple as signing up and writing a couple of hundred words about your event. Somewhere within that write-up, include the SEO and backlink.

Look around for other event-related sites that you can use for your backlinks as well.

5. Flickr

Got a photo related to your niche that you’d like to share? If so, post it on Flickr and include a link to your site.

Also, have a look at other photo-sharing sites like Dropshots to decide which is the best backlink site to incorporate into your strategy.

6. BitBucket

BitBucket is a great place to post a link if you’ve got a coding project underway.

Pro-tip: if you have a website that requires new features (and who doesn’t?), then you have a coding project underway. Get creative here and talk to your development team about getting a project on BitBucket. This will amp up your SEO backlink profile and ultimately help your strategy.

7. DeviantArt

You probably never thought of DeviantArt as a backlink opportunity, but it can be.

To get site backlink on this platform, just create a profile, upload some artwork, and include links to your site in the description.

Again, you might have to get creative if you’re not the type that creates eclectic artwork. Brainstorm with your team to find a way to get a link on DeviantArt that doesn’t look spammy.

You’ll be glad you did. DeviantArt is a site with very high authority, and it can definitely boost your SEO backlink strategy.

IMPORTANT: Do not go creating a bunch of profile links with keyword anchor text. You will get a Penguin penalty. Make sure you know what you are doing.

8. SlideShare

Another “easy win” source when it comes to building backlinks is SlideShare.

Just create a SlideShare profile that includes a link back to your site. Be sure to post slideshows every now and then or repurpose old content into a slideshow. All you need to do is optimize each show for specific keywords.

Google loves SlideShare, so you can do a lot to boost your brand by using it.

9. CheaperSeekr

Do you have a coupon for your product or service that you’d like to share online? If so, use CheaperSeeker and get the added benefit of a backlink.

Just use the site to create the coupon. The coupon itself will link to your web page.

Look for other coupon-sharing sites where you can do the same thing and decide which is the best backlink site for coupons.

10. issuu

Another great way to get site backlink is to create a presentation related to your business and upload it to issuu.

Do yourself a favor here and make sure that your presentation looks really professional. Remember, people in your target market could be reading your presentation.

11. Chess.com

Ever thought about playing chess online? If not, start thinking about it and get yourself a backlink from a fairly high-profile web property.

In fact, even if you’re not thinking about it, you can still create a profile on Chess.com and include a link to your site.

That’s another easy win for your backlinking strategy.

12. Pen.io

Pen.io is one of the lesser-known Web 2.0 properties. It’s an online resource that lets you create your own blog for free.

It’s also an easy way to get a backlink. Just create your own personal blog, write an article, and include the link to your site. This will work as a search engine optimization backlink.

13. Tumblr

Tumblr is yet another entry in the Web 2.0 category that qualifies as a quick win.

It’s easy to create a Tumblr blog relevant to your niche and populate it with articles that include links to your site.

If you want followers on Tumblr, be sure to include useful content as well and not just use it as a place to put backlinks.

One great example of using Tumblr for SEO strategy is Lime Crime. 

As an indie cosmetics company, its founder started out posting colorful makeup looks on Tumblr. She quickly gained a massive following and ended up developing her own makeup line, Lime Crime, and promoting it on Tumblr. 

Now, Lime Crime products are sold online and in Ulta stores across the United States. Talk about growth! This success was made possible by a bulletproof SEO and backlink strategy.  

14. Soup.io

Soup.io offers you another opportunity to get a blog up and running with no cost and minimal effort. 

It takes just a few moments to create a profile. Then, you can use the site to start producing content that includes links to your site.

15. Blogger

While we’re on the subject of Web 2.0’s, we shouldn’t neglect to mention Blogger as a solid backlink strategy. That site gives you yet another easy opportunity to post backlinks to your own web page.

Even better: Blogger is owned by Google, which will inevitably boost your rating in the search engine.

16. Reddit

Yet another great way to post backlinks is to find a Reddit subreddit related to your niche and add the link there.

Be very careful with this strategy, though. The moderators at Reddit don’t take too kindly to people spamming their site with backlinks. If you run afoul of the site’s rules, you could find yourself “shadowbanned” (that means you can still post messages but nobody will see them).

A good rule of thumb with Reddit is to post a link to your own site in 1 out of every 10 posts and no more. That should keep the moderators happy and your backlink strategy thriving.

17. Dribbble

Dribbble functions as a show and tell for designers.

Find yourself a good stock photo image and use it to create a designer-like photo in Photoshop. Then, upload the photo to Dribbble and include a backlink. This will help drive traffic to your site.

18. Academia.edu

If you’ve been in SEO for any length of time, you’ve no doubt heard that backlinks from .edu domains are the “Rolls Royce” of backlinks. Unfortunately, though, it’s not too easy to get a link from a .edu domain.

Academia.edu gives you the opportunity to get a backlink from an academic domain that’s actually a social networking site. Just upload a document and include backlinks in it. The site will translate your document into HTML.

Then, boom. You have managed to land a premium .edu domain for your backlink strategy.

19. Imgur

Imgur might seem like an odd name for a website, but it’s a great place to build a backlink strategy.

One of the best ways to use Imgur is to find a short, funny clip from a late-night standup gig on YouTube. Then, make that clip into an animated GIF with subtitles and upload it to Imgur.

Of course, you’ll also want to post a link back to your site in the description.

20. WordPress.com

You might already have your own WordPress website but do you have a WordPress.com website?

If not, you can create one for free and use it to post backlinks to your first WordPress website.

21. Quora

If you’re part of a niche that lends itself to a lot of questions, you should visit Quora on a regular basis.

Why? Because you can search for people who are asking questions about your line of work and answer them. Of course, be sure to include a link to your site in the answer (it’s best to put the link as part of your signature so that you don’t come across as a spammer).

That’s a solid backlink strategy right there.

22. StackOverflow

While we’re on the subject of Q&A forums, StackOverflow is another excellent place to add a real backlink.

It’s tough to get a link on there, though. First of all, you have to be able to answer a technical question. Then, you have to work the link into your answer in such a way that it doesn’t appear spammy.

If you can cross those hurdles, StackOverflow is a great resource for backlinks.

23. SoundCloud and Spotify

If you’re following the latest digital marketing trends, then it’s likely you have a podcast that you use to promote your brand.

You can also use that podcast to build a better backlinks.

Just upload the podcast to SoundCloud or Spotify and include the link in the description.

Also, consider using this strategy on other audio-sharing sites like purevolume, BandCamp, and YourListen.

24. News Sharing Sites

Up until now, we’ve named specific sites. This time, though, we’re going to have to be more generic.

Why? Because you’ll need to post backlinks in news sharing sites that are specific to your niche. This is part of knowing your audience before executing a backlink strategy. You don’t want your backlinks appearing to people who are not interested.

For example, if you’re in the gaming niche, you should head over to n4g.com and create an account. Then, you can use that account to post links back to your site.

Keep in mind, though, you’ll need to post backlinks to content that is both useful and relevant to the gaming community. Otherwise, your link won’t be approved by the other members of the forum.

The key here is to find sites that crowdsource news aggregation related to your line of business. That can be tricky, but once you’ve found a site that works for you, it will offer a great opportunity to improve your SEO backlink profile.

25. Forums

We also have to go generic with forums. Again, that’s because you need to find forums specific to your niche.

Just head over to Google and type in a word or phrase related to your business followed by the word “forum.” Click the “Google Search” button and you should see a number of forums that you can use in your backlink strategy.

For example, if you’re in the gaming niche, just type “gaming forum” in the Google search bar and click on “Google Search.” Go through the results list to find forums that offer great opportunities for backlink building.

26. Guest Posting

Contrary to the opinions of some SEOs, guest posting isn’t dead. You can still get some great link juice by posting quality content on someone else’s blog.

Just Google a word or phrase related to your niche followed by the phrase “guest post.” The results list will show you a bunch of blogs that welcome guest posts. Reach out to the blog owners and ask if you can post something on their site.

27. Infographics

Another great way to get some backlink love is by creating an infographic and sharing it as a guest post on other people’s blogs.

This strategy will require an investment, though. However, a great infographic with shareable content can give you a positive ROI.

Of course, if you’re a graphic artist yourself, you could save a fortune and create the infographic on your own. That might be one of the best ways to promote your brand with limited expense.

28. Instagram

Instagram can be a bit tricky when it comes to backlinks. This is because links posted in captions or comments do not work. 

The only place a backlink can be posted on Instagram is in your account bio. This means that you can only choose one link to display. If that sounds too limiting, there’s another trick to the backlink strategy using Instagram. 

29. Linktr.ee

If you can’t decide which link you want to use in your Instagram bio, there’s an easy fix.

Linktr.ee is a platform to collect all of your links in one place. It gives your audience a single link to click on that takes them to a page displaying all of your favorite backlinks.

This works well for models and social media influencers who are running promotions and collaborations with several companies at the same time. It can also works well for companies who want to send followers to their website, YouTube channel, and other online locations. 

Users can simply click the Linktr.ee link and choose which backlink they want to pursue on the page. 

30. Social Media Influencers

This is a relatively new category for backlink building. 

Many brands are finding great ROI when they team up with social media influencers. 

The process is pretty simple. Find and vet influencers who share your target audience. Send them a product or provide them with a service that you want them to post about. 

For their post, you can provide them with a specific backlink to share with their followers. They can put it in their account bios for a certain amount of time, and you can analyze how much traffic you gained from that particular backlink. 

Incorporating social media influencers into a backlink building strategy has proven to be effective for many brands. 

According to a study published by MediaKix, 80% of marketers found influencers to an effective part of their marketing strategy. 

Wrapping Up Backlink Strategy

We’ve covered just a few backlink strategy points. There are countless ways to go about it.

These are just a few backlinking strategy points. If you really want to get good at creating backlinks for SEO, read my 10 chapter guide now.