You may or may not know this, but link building is getting other websites to link back to your site. Think of these links as online referrals—when reputable sites link to your website or content, it signals to search engines like Google that your website is trustworthy and valuable.
Here’s one old but proven strategy to start building high-quality backlinks.
One way to naturally attract backlinks is by creating and publishing content that offers real value. A great approach is to identify an antiquated resource, create a new poll or survey with updated data, and then reach out to websites linking to the old report/resource, suggesting they update their information with your findings.
You can use free or inexpensive tools like Google Trends, Google News, or Keywords Everywhere to gather the data you need.
Example #1 - Legal Funding Company
- What if you were a legal funding company and compiled a list of the largest legal settlements in history, or narrowed it down to just the past 10-20 years?
- What if you adjusted those settlements for today’s inflation rate, giving you a fresh and unique perspective to share with the media?
- What if you sought expert opinions on how those settlements would be impacted by current laws?
- What if you shared your findings with journalists who cover legal topics and news?
Example #2 - Auto Insurance Company
What if you were an auto insurance company and compiled a report on how car insurance premiums have changed over the last 10 years?
Car insurance premiums have risen over the past decade due to several factors, including the higher cost of repairs for tech-heavy vehicles, rising medical expenses, the increase in distracted driving accidents, and more frequent extreme weather events. These factors have driven up both the frequency and cost of claims, leading to higher premiums across the board.
- What if you adjusted those premiums for inflation and provided a comparison of what drivers are paying today versus a decade ago?
- What if you sought insights from industry experts on how technology, distracted driving, and rising repair costs have impacted car insurance premiums?
- What if you shared these findings with journalists and bloggers who cover automotive or financial news?
Almost any business or industry can use inflation data to re-angle stories involving historical pricing, such as:
- Rent: Real Estate
- Travel: Tourism
- Childcare: Early Childhood Education
- Interest Rates: Financial Services
- Petcare: Veterinary Services
- Food: Food and Beverage
- Housing: Real Estate
- Labor Costs: Human Resources
- Clothing: Fashion
- Car Insurance: Auto Insurance
The key is finding a fresh perspective that’s relevant to your industry, right? This isn't difficult at all!
Online Tools to Get Started
You can start slow by using free or inexpensive tools like Google Trends, Google News, and Keywords Everywhere to gather data for your first post. If you’re looking to reach out to U.S. journalists, platforms like Muckrack are excellent, though it can be pricey. You could also explore pitching to journalists via Twitter or LinkedIn, or even reaching out to writers on Medium who have covered similar topics.
Start small, create your first piece of valuable content, and pitch it to the right people. With consistency, you’ll start seeing those high-quality backlinks roll in.
