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How to get backlinks for your website without relying on black hat link-building tactics? It’s a crucial question that continues to plague SEO experts, digital marketers, and business owners alike.
Genuine and authoritative backlinks play a key role in boosting your website’s search engine rankings. They help build brand awareness, credibility, and reputation. Also, they provide an effective way to attract organic and qualified website traffic.
But we’re at the end of 2021, and the best backlinks for SEO aren’t the ones you get through black hat practices, such as:
- Sponsored links
- Comment links
- Link farms and directories
If you’re wondering how to get different types of backlinks for your website in 2022, it’s high time you start building a blogger outreach strategy.
In this blog, we’ll delve deeper into the blogger outreach landscape and understand how to get it right. Let’s jump right in.
Blogger Outreach: A Quick Overview
Blogger outreach is the technique of connecting with established bloggers, influencers, and thought leaders who are relevant to your niche.
It servers multiple purposes, such as:
- Adding high-quality backlinks to your website
- Amplifying organic traffic to your website
- Identifying guest blogging opportunities
- Reinforcing the authority and credibility of your brand
Blogger outreach isn’t as simple as sending a templated email to an influencer with a large following. Nor is it solely about reaching out to them with a guest post request.
Instead, blogger outreach demands a concerted effort to build enduring relationships with relevant authority figures in your industry.
So, how do you get backlinks to your website with effective blogger outreach?
You could send mass emails to popular bloggers and influencers, hoping at least one of them will reply. Or you could use the following guide to connect with relevant influencers and build a mutually beneficial relationship.
Identify the right blogger profiles
Let’s say you run a company that designs cutting-edge smartphone accessories. Even a leading fashion influencer, like Cole Sprouse, will fail to drive traffic to your website.
While Cole Sprouse has an enviable following on social media, his audience isn’t interested in knowing about the latest innovations in mobile accessories.
Instead, you’d be better off partnering with tech influencers, such as Unbox Therapy and Erica Griffin. The point we’re trying to make is that you shouldn’t reach out to the first person you find with millions of social media followers.
Take your time to analyze their content, and determine whether it suits your niche. Also, consider their relevance to your industry and target audience.
It’ll help you outline ideal blogger profiles that are worth reaching out to. Make sure you have a proper idea of your goals and budget as well.
List the selected prospects
Now that you know what kind of bloggers to look for, it’s time to actually find them. Use a mix of the following techniques to choose your blogger outreach prospects:
Run a Google search
It’s the quickest way of finding relevant bloggers and influencers in your niche. Take one of your target keywords, and enter it into the Google search bar. You’ll find websites and blogs that are already ranking for that keyword.
For instance, if you develop vegan meat substitutes, you could run a quick Google search for “vegan recipes". Head to the top-ranking websites, and check whether the content is relevant to your niche.
Alternatively, you could use a search query, like “top vegan bloggers”, to identify suitable prospects.
Identify recently updated content
At this stage, you need to consider whether these bloggers would be worth pursuing. Ideally, you should reach out to bloggers who regularly update their content.
A simple way of checking that is to use the “Tools” option in Google search and find the most recently updated content.
Leverage twitter
Head to your Twitter account, and enter a relevant keyword in the search bar. Click the “Latest” tab to find users who have recently shared content about the topic.
Visit their profile to check out more of their tweets. Ensure that their content is relevant to your niche and target audience.
Make your list
The final step is to compile a list of all the bloggers and influencers you’re considering for your outreach strategy.
Divide prospects into suitable segments
The best SEO backlinks don’t always come from bloggers with a mammoth audience. Depending on your link-building budget and goals, you may find that a blogger with a niche and engaged audience delivers better results.
That emphasizes the importance of segmenting the selected bloggers.
Mega prospects
These are the top players in your industry. They’ve already built clout and authority. They’re the ones who’ll rank in the topmost positions for your target keywords.
Macro prospects
These bloggers are yet to become recognized names in your niche. But they’re constantly churning out great content and have an engaged audience. Their following is likely to grow in the future.
Micro prospects
These bloggers may not have as much traction as mega or macro prospects. But they’re extremely active in your industry. They regularly publish and update their content.
Also, they attend relevant networking events and conferences. They’re looking for ways to grow their audience too.
Build lasting connections
It’s the most important step of building SEO backlinks through blogger outreach. Start by identifying the blogger segment you’d like to target.
Your obvious choice would be the mega prospects. But keep in mind that they’re industry thought leaders. They’ll be extremely selective about the brands and content they associate themselves with.
Make initial contact
Irrespective of the segment you’re reaching out to, use the following techniques to build a relationship with them:
- Follow them on various social media platforms
- Engage with their social media posts
- Comment on their blog posts
- Use their content as references in your blog posts
Reach out with a pitch only after you’ve built a rapport with them. The key is to warm up your prospects and get their attention before sending an email.
It maximizes your likelihood of getting a response.
Send your pitch
Avoid using a generic email template while crafting your pitch. Instead, create a personalized email outlining your purpose of writing to them.
Highlight the value proposition that your content brings to their website. While you’re at it, list relevant topics that could be used for guest posting. Include links to your blog and website.
Provide an overview of the type of collaboration opportunities you’re looking at. Don’t forget to craft a compelling subject line that’ll make your pitch stand out in the receiver’s inbox.
Maintain relationships
Most bloggers receive a ton of requests from website admins and marketers. Chances are they won’t respond to your pitch right away.
That highlights the importance of timely follow-ups. But make sure you don’t spam them with too many emails.
Even after you receive a response, continue to engage with their content, and focus on building a long-lasting relationship.
Final takeaways for successful blogger outreach
According to a recent survey, 62% of SEO experts believe link-building plays a key role in search engine rankings. Building backlinks for SEO requires a well-defined blogger outreach strategy.
Use different social media platforms and Google search to identify relevant bloggers and influencers in your niche. Segment your target bloggers, and focus your efforts on establishing a personal connection with them before sending your pitch.
