Building links for e-commerce sites presents unique difficulties. Who already wants to willingly link to commercially driven stores that only offer the same tired categories and product pages?
Absolutely right: hardly anyone! Learn what to look out for and how to continue constructing backlinks to your store in the following piece.
Do Backlinks Still Matter?
The answer to this query is an emphatic definitely! In a June 2019 webmaster chat, Google Grandmaster John Mueller said:
“Links are crucial for us to discover material in the first place. In other words, if no one ever connects to your website, we may never know it even exists.
If you want Google to discover your content, you need links. If no one ever links to your site, does that mean its material isn’t worthwhile?
Google’s addition of new link characteristics is further evidence of links’ significance. If connections were irrelevant, that wouldn’t occur. In 2005, the “Follow” and “NoFollow” traits were introduced.
Google states that NoFollow links do not transmit any link authority.
And, up until this point, the crawler hasn’t been programmed to track these links. Because Google says it’s time to start following NoFollow links, and because two new characteristics should make it easier to tell different links apart:
Advertisements and affiliate ads are “sponsored.”
User-generated content (or UGC) refers to inbound links submitted by people.
Just what does that entail, exactly? Most websites’ outbound links are set to NoFollow, which tells crawlers that even the best connections should be ignored. This includes sites like Wikipedia.
This is beginning to shift, which is further evidence that having quality connections is still crucial for search engine rankings.
Prioritizing On-Page Optimization Before Off-Page Optimization: The Value of Internal Links for E-Commerce Sites
Many people become fixated on this process of link development. As a company that specialises in establishing inbound links, this occurs frequently. Our clients typically come to us wanting a large number of backlinks as quickly as feasible.
The priority, however, must be placed on OnPage optimisation. Even the best links will be useless if issues like slow loading times, poor usability in low-traffic areas, a lack of relevant content, and broken internal links gather there.
Internal Links
Google is better able to interpret the purpose of a website and identify its most vital sites when internal links are present. Internal links are essential for SEO because they form the backbone of a site’s information infrastructure.
The same issue occurs in online stores after a few years when no one can remember what was linked to what. There is a high possibility of getting lost in internal link confusion when there are tens of various categories and thousands of products.
There could be some keywords for which particular groups should be prioritised. Link weakness or absence could be to blame if they don’t show up at all or in the expected place.
That’s why it’s so important to work on optimising your internal connections for SEO. Freedom from the control of other administrators is a major benefit.
Three Strategies for Link-Building
How, then, do eCommerce websites safely increase their link popularity and page rank? Now we get to that:
1. Communicate With Your Collaborator
Writing to your business associates is a quick method to get the first five or six links. Everyone works with non-competitive company partners and suppliers. When you have a solid rapport with someone, asking for a connection from them is a breeze.
The simplest way to do this is with a testimonial, in which the business partner uses the words of a satisfied client as advertising. At the same time, you can embed a connection to your website there. Of course, you don’t want to go overboard; 100 recommendations also wouldn’t be convincing.
2. Submit User-Generated Content
One benefit of guest pieces is that they help establish the online store owner as an authority in their field.
However, a brief author bio with a buy link is often included in the book’s “author’s box.”
Many writers and website owners, however, demand payment for guest posts.
Don’t fret; there’s no need to set aside money for it. We provide this service ourselves via our advertising website and SEO company. However, we have already released a large number of guest articles on prominent websites without receiving any compensation. Like testimonials, guest articles are mutually beneficial because every website, blog, or portal owner requires regular updates of unique, well-researched material for their target audience. By sharing our expertise and hard work for free, we raise our profile (and consequently, our link count).
3. Marketing with Original Content
If you want more people to know about your online store and make more purchases, content marketing is a great strategy to implement. One possible version of this is the online fashion platform that is all about you.
The 22-page e-book focuses on the topic of water sports safety, including swimming, diving, windsurfing, kayaking, and sailing. All of the major activities are covered here.
A seemingly unrelated subject at first glance, what does a clothing store have to do with the security of aquatic sports?
You can locate the solution at the page’s footer. There are links to ten major and thematically relevant shopping groups, such as “diving accessories for women,” “swimwear for women,” and “water shoes for men.”
Conclusion
Because Google typically dislikes active link building, doing so on purpose for online stores is not without risk.
However, by implementing the aforementioned strategies, you can boost your web store’s search engine rankings and attract more customers.
Without relevant connections, it will be extremely challenging. If you know what you’re doing and take precautions, link development poses few risks.
It’s best to forge your own path by trying out new approaches.