Building Links for the Lazy Marketer

Having high quality backlinks is crucial for your ranking ability, but the usual way of getting links through guest posts is lengthy and expensive.

A good place to start would be with an SEO checker to see your standing before deciding how aggressive you must be with your link building strategy. The good news is that we've devised six ways you can build links easily.

1) The "Lazy" Approach

This is all about finding the most efficient way to build links with minimal effort.

• First find outdated resources (sites that aren't updating or have shut down) in your niche. This may seem like a waste of time, but many sites may still be linking to them. Find these resources by Googling search terms such as "service no longer available" or "page no longer exists."
• Next, use the Check My Links extension on Chrome and run it on the outdated site to see which links are still valid.
  

• Finally, reach out to the linked site (services page) and inform them of the outdated site (Inland Revenue). Following this, there is no harm in suggesting a link to your site too.

2) Online Mentions

If your site is mentioned online in any capacity as a result of PR, referrals or brand building, this can be an easy way to generate links.

First, find your brand mentions using Google Alerts or other tools such as Buzzsumo, Mention and Rankur. Once you have found these mentions you can ask the site to link back to your page.

3) Directories

Having your site linked in a directory can increase traffic of people who are likely to convert. Since the link is to your whole site, you don't need to create a special page. However, be careful when choosing a directory as this can affect how legitimate your site appears. When choosing one consider these factors:

• Relevancy
• Traffic volume
• Other listings
• Editorial process

4) Relationships

Another way to get high quality and relevant links is through existing relationships. List other sites you work closely with as "partners" and link to them, then ask for a link back.

You can also use relationships from professional associations. If you are a member of an association you can ask them to link to your site. Better yet is to get a link with a member list, so whenever a member is mentioned, your site appears.

5) Community Involvement

Being active in your community, not only keeps them engaged, but is also a great way to generate links as it provides brand visibility and opportunities to collaborate with other industry members.

These links should come naturally however and the motivation should be community focused. The links can come from sponsorships, charity work or interviews.

Online communities are also a great space to do this, and there are forums and groups for every niche. Always remember to be genuine and not just looking for a sale.

6) Testimonials

Writing testimonials on a site who makes your business run smoothly is not only an easy way to get links, but also helps build relationships. This method is much easier than writing full length content, but you should only do this for partners who genuinely add value.

Content creation is not the only way to get links, we have shown you a number of quick and cheap ways to help get you started!