10 Actionable Link-Building Strategies For Small Businesses

In this guide, I’ll share ten infallible strategies you can use to build high-quality backlinks for your small business website.

And I won’t just throw out a bunch of tactics and leave you to figure out how to implement them.

I’ll tell you how to get the best result from each strategy (and even give you a free email template to copy/paste).

Sounds good? 

Let’s get started.

Here are ten foolproof ways to build backlinks for your small business website:

1. Feature in Case Studies

Case studies are useful marketing tools you can harness to publicize your business and land backlinks.

For example, here’s a case study on Clearscope with a free backlink to a brand’s website:

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: List your favorite brands. Specifically, those whose products/services helped you achieve amazing results.

Step 2: Find out if the businesses on your list publish case studies. You might want to look closely at the header/footer menus.

If you don’t find any relevant links on the navigation bar (or footer section), then you can type “case study” into the search bar on the website to see what shows up.

Step 3: Reach out to each company on your list and ask if they’d love to feature you in a case study.

Share your wins in detail within the email and include any necessary screenshots as proof of success.

Here’s a template you could use:

Here’s what an actual email might look like:

2. Claim All Unlinked Mentions

Do a quick check now, and you’ll probably find a few places where your business is mentioned online. Unfortunately, some of these mentions might not link back to your website.

These backlinks aren’t just useful for SEO. They can also help drive referral traffic to your website (and send you qualified leads on autopilot).

So your goal is to find every mention of your brand without a hyperlink and then request a link. It’s that simple.

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Head over to Google and type intext:{business-name} to find blogs that have mentioned you.

Here’s an example:

You can also read this guide if you’d love to learn other ways to find unlinked brand mentions.

Step 2: After listing out all unlinked mentions, email everyone on your list. 

You can use this template:

3. Write Quality Guest Posts

Google has long frowned on guest posting for link circulation. So the goal here isn’t to submit guest posts to tons of crappy, irrelevant websites to land boatloads of do-follow links. NO!

On the contrary, your aim should be to shoot for a few reputable websites in your industry and share your valuable content with their readers.

If you do this right, you should get a handful of backlinks.

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Make a list of reputable blogs in your niche that accept guest posts. 

You can find these blogs on Google by searching for “{niche} blogs that accept guest posts” because someone likely must have already compiled an enormous list for your niche.

Here’s what I mean:

Step 2: Carefully read the submission guidelines of your target blog(s). Note the kinds of guest posts they publish and how they prefer the piece submitted.

Then finally, create the piece and then submit it for review.

You can check out this guide to learn more about guest posting.

4. Create Shareworthy Infographics

Infographics make content consumption a breeze. And since readers love them, many brands (and bloggers) include them in their blog posts. So if you can create beautiful infographics, you will surely find bloggers willing to use them.

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Use Google Trends to find a trending topic in your industry.

So let’s assume I run a business in the health industry, I might look up “physical fitness”:

Or better yet, I might narrow down my search to “stationary bicycle”:

By taking a close look at the results, it’s clear that the topic is trending, so it will be a good idea to create my content around it.

Step 2: Once you find a perfect topic, the next step is to create an Infographic around it. In my case, I might make an infographic on:

“10 Best Stationary Bicycles to Buy in 2022” or “15 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Stationary Bike.”

Step 3: Once everything is set, generate an embed code and publish the infographic on your blog.

Since your chance of getting backlinks (with this method) depends on the amount of traffic your post gets, you can spend a few bucks to drive paid social media traffic to the post.

You can also try guestographics to land more links from your infographic. 

5. Get on Relevant Directories

People love to get all the information they need in one place. So it’s not surprising why there is at least one online directory for every business under the sun.

So if you would love to publicize your business and gain free backlinks, list your business on relevant directories.

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Make a list of relevant directories in your industry. You could search for “{niche} directories in {location}” on Google to find these directories.

Let’s assume you own a plumbing company in the United States. 

Your search might look like this:

Step 2: Locate the submission guidelines of each directory.

Finally, follow the instructions on the page and then wait a while to land a spot. 

6. Make a “Top X” Honorary Post

People love certificates, badges, and other similar things that showcase them as experts. You can capitalize on this.

Write a “Top X” post and create a fancy badge that winners can add to their blogs/websites, like the one below.

In case you’re wondering if this strategy works, here’s proof that it does work: 

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Write a post using the “top X” format.

There’s no particular rule guiding this. You could create a list featuring:

• Top restaurants, if your business is in the food and drinks industry.
• Top fishing hook manufacturers, if your business is in the fish farming niche.
• Top blogging tools, if your business is in the marketing industry.
• Etc.

After picking a topic, create a beautiful badge that those featured on the list can add to their website.

Step 2: Once you publish the post, email everyone you included in it. Depending on the number of brands on your list, you should get a couple of backlinks in a short time (especially from growing businesses). 

7. Claim All Pilfered Images

Everyone loves to have attractive images on their website. And when people can’t produce theirs, they simply use the images of others. 

Few bloggers/companies are likely using your images (screenshots, charts, infographics, etc.) without giving you credits. So the idea is to fish them out and ask for a link to your website.

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Go here to search online for some of your custom-made graphics or original photographs.

Here’s an example:

Step 2: Once you find a couple of websites using your image(s) without linking back, reach out via email using the template below:

8. Contribute to Expert Roundups

Roundup posts (or “expert roundups”) probably aren’t new to you. They’ve become so popular that you can’t help but come across them now and then. Fortunately, these posts are perfect sources of quality backlinks.

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Find businesses or bloggers that regularly publish roundups.

To do this, search for {niche} + “experts share their “.

Step 2: Email these brands/bloggers. Introduce yourself and then ask if they’d be working on any roundup post soon—and indicate that you are available to share your knowledge.

You can use the template below:

9. Offer Testimonials

Like case studies, testimonials are another way to get backlinks by offering feedback.

So if you’ve built some influence already, companies will be excited to publish your testimonials and, in return, link to your website.

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Make a list of brands/bloggers whose tools, services, or strategies helped you achieve a specific, positive result. 

Step 2: Check these brands’ websites to see if they display testimonials.

Step 3: Send a personalized email to each of the brands. (You can tweak and use the case study email template above.) 

10. Provide Additional Insights

Even the best blog posts, books, and other resources can become much better.

So if you have a story or an idea that could improve an already published blog post, you have the chance to land a backlink—if the post’s author uses your contribution.

For example, I reached out to Jacob Mcmillen after he published this guide for freelance copywriters. Since my contribution was relevant to the topic discussed, it earned me a backlink:

How to nail this link-building strategy

Step 1: Identify a piece that’s shooting to become the go-to resource on a given topic in your industry. You might want to search for recently published “ultimate guides” or in-depth “how-tos.”

Step 2: Email the author of the piece. Share your contribution and mention that they are free to include your insights in the post.

You should land a backlink without asking if your contribution is super relevant.

Over to You

The ten strategies above are some of the best white-hat link-building techniques around. So you need not hunt for more ways to build backlinks for your small business website.

Start by implementing just one of the strategies above. And then move over to the next, and then to the next.

With time, you’ll have dozens of high-quality backlinks that will improve your SEO and skyrocket your revenue.