How to Build a Natural Backlink Profile: 7 White-Hat Strategies

Building a strong backlink profile is essential for boosting your website’s authority and improving its search engine rankings. If you can cultivate a backlink profile full of high-quality and relevant links from credible websites, it will be robust and sustainable.

There’s a lot of varying advice online about gaining backlinks, and it can be categorised into ‘white hat’ and ‘black hat’. This article will explain what it means to be white hat and advise you on how to build a strong backlink portfolio through 7 different strategies.

Let’s dive in:

What is link building?

Link building in the SEO world is the practice of acquiring hyperlinks from external websites back to your own site. These links (called backlinks) help search engines like Google evaluate the credibility, relevance, and authority of your site.

Link building is generally based on the idea that search engines, particularly Google, view links from external websites as endorsements or votes of confidence. In theory, the more high-quality, authoritative, and relevant websites that link to your content, the more trustworthy your site appears, thus increasing its visibility in search engine results.

When executed ethically and effectively, link building can signal that your content is trusted by others and move your web pages to higher positions in the SERPs. In addition, your website can also gain traffic through those external sites. If you’ve been intentional about the types of websites that link to yours, that traffic may be your target audience – ideal!

However, link building is also a contested topic within SEO due to past abuses and manipulative practices. There are certain manipulative link-building tactics that are explicitly discouraged by search engines. As a result, the SEO community is very sceptical of these approaches and will instead emphasise more organic and fair strategies.

While backlinks clearly matter to search engines, and it can be tempting to try to ‘rig the system’, your primary focus should be on producing high-quality and useful content that naturally attracts links.

Building a backlink profile may or may not be worth pursuing. If you’re not sure, consider the following:

• You’ll have to focus on attracting fewer high-quality links from authoritative websites instead of numerous low-quality ones.
• Sustainable link-building methods can be expensive and time-consuming.
• Link building is most effective and authentic if it integrates organically into your existing content strategy. Is this something that you’ve already been doing? Does it make sense for your business to have a blog?
• Would the resources required for link building be better invested elsewhere within your business?

Common link-building strategies include creating content (e.g., blogs, guides, and infographics), guest blogging, collaborating with industry experts, public relations and media outreach, social media activity, participating in community forums, and directory submissions.

When link building is approached ethically and with strategy, it can undoubtedly benefit your web traffic and SEO overall. While businesses are free to carry out manipulative tactics, results can only be gained sustainably through white hat methods. While it’s worthwhile, businesses should have a clear understanding of the risks and resources involved.

What does it mean to be ‘white hat’ in the SEO world?

‘White hat’ SEO refers to practices that follow Google’s (and other search engines’) guidelines. I.e., practices that focus on providing genuine value to users. These methods aim to improve search rankings naturally over time without manipulating or tricking algorithms. As such, they are known to be ethical and more sustainable.

When businesses commit to white hat SEO, it means they’re focusing on:

• Creating high-quality and original content.
• Optimising content or web pages for positive user experiences.
• Ensuring technical excellence (i.e., fast load speeds, mobile-friendly design, accessibility).
• Gaining genuine backlinks organically through valuable content and authentic relationships.

In addition, committing to white hat SEO means businesses will steer clear of the following manipulative tactics:

• Buying backlinks or participating in link-exchange schemes.
• Using Private Blog Networks (PBNs) or link farms.
• Spamming blog comments or forums to create artificial links.
• Producing low-quality, keyword-stuffed content.
• Employing techniques like cloaking, hidden text, or misleading redirects.

If you want to build a backlink profile using white hat strategies, you’ll have to do so by earning them naturally. This may involve creating authoritative and valuable content that other sites want to reference, e.g., shareable infographics, conducting original research, or writing guest articles. You might also try to build genuine relationships with industry experts, bloggers, or influencers as this can encourage organic linking and sharing.

In essence, being white hat means a business is committed to authenticity, quality, and sustainable growth. In the long run, this is the right way because businesses will protect themselves from algorithm penalties and ensure long-term visibility in the SERPs.

Building a backlink profile

Business owners can begin to build their backlink profile by first assessing their existing backlinks – using SEO tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to identify gaps and opportunities. You should think about what sort of websites you’d like to get backlinks from, and also assess the current state of your website’s blog content.

Your next step might be to reach out to relevant websites that are likely candidates to link to your content as it is today, or you might kickstart a new and improved content strategy.

If the idea of community engagement is appealing, you’ll need to make accounts and begin scouting forums or subreddits to learn the etiquette of the online spaces. Additionally, you might choose to put out feelers for contributing guest articles or participating in interviews, podcasts, or webinars to expand your online presence.

There are a range of ways to cultivate a backlink portfolio, and some will be more your style than others. Let’s go on and explore these strategies in more detail:

7 white-hat strategies for building a backlink profile

While these approaches are excellent stand-alone practices to help nurture good SEO performance, attract backlinks, and provide a great user experience in general, we’d advise you to combine some for the best results. For example, if you create excellent evergreen content or original research, you should also share these with your community or news outlets to make the most of your efforts.

1. Conduct original research for your industry

Conducting your own research takes the reins into your own hands. You can begin by pinpointing challenges, trends, or gaps in existing knowledge within your industry. Make sure you focus on topics that will resonate with your audience, peers, or potential linking websites.

Tools like Google Trends, industry forums, social media discussions, or competitor analyses can help uncover current interests. Next, choose your methodology. Do you want to use

surveys, interviews, focus groups, data analysis, or something else? Surveys are arguably the simplest, as these can be created and distributed easily through tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms.

When conducting your own research, it’s essential that your approach is accurate and thorough. Your sample needs to be representative, and you should document every step of the process. Transparency in your methods will increase trust and encourage citation among the authoritative websites you hope to impress.

Finally, ensure your findings are presented professionally in reports, whitepapers, or infographics. You can use a tool like Canva to make your findings visually appealing. Plus, it’s essential that you promote your research properly – reach out to industry leaders, bloggers, journalists, and relevant websites who may find your research useful. Public relations platforms like HARO are ideal for this sort of strategy.

2. Create highly linkable evergreen content

Evergreen content can be highly linkable and continue to attract backlinks naturally over time, making it a sturdy part of any linking strategy.

When creating new content for your blog, try to avoid themes that are too broad. Instead, focus on more niche topics that are evergreen (i.e., always going to be relevant). You might like to consider issues in your industry or personal experience of the field that are recurring or challenging.

Once you begin writing, go beyond surface-level guides. You should aim to create resources that are definitive and comprehensive, enriched with industry-specific data, actionable insights, and real-world examples.

Once your content is published, make sure you promote it both initially and periodically in the future. Email outreach, newsletters, social media channels, and industry forums are great places to promote your articles. If you do choose to periodically promote old blogs, you might prefer to highlight their updates or take new angles on why they’re useful to readers.

Make sure you regularly update evergreen blog posts with the latest research, case studies, or industry developments. When doing so, clearly indicate updated sections to readers – this makes it obvious to them that your content is consistently maintained and therefore trustworthy.

Top tip: Create a set of complementary ‘content assets’ around your core evergreen piece, such as downloadable checklists, calculators, templates, or interactive tools. These supplementary resources can independently attract backlinks and enhance the main content’s authority.

3. Create and promote infographics

Businesses can create infographics and other visual content to attract backlinks by designing assets that communicate complex information clearly and attractively. Visual content should tell a compelling story or make data or complex concepts accessible and engaging. Ensuring visuals are concise, easy to understand, and visually appealing increases the likelihood they’ll be shared by authoritative sources.

If you can provide embed codes alongside your pieces of visual content, you’ll make it much easier for other sites to share your content and properly attribute it to your site. You should promote your visual content through social media, targeted outreach, and relevant industry forums to ensure maximum exposure.

4. Provide guest blogs for reputable websites

To start, you’ll want to research and find relevant websites within your industry or niche. Ideally, they’ll have strong domain authority, consistent content publishing, and an engaged readership. You can discover such websites by searching industry-specific keywords combined with terms like “guest post guidelines,” “write for us,” or “submit an article” on Google.

Additionally, you can use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to identify authoritative sites and check their backlink profiles.

Next, review their existing content. Understanding the tone, style, topics covered, and the audience’s needs helps you craft a compelling pitch that aligns with the site’s preferences. Reach out to the website’s editor or content manager with a personalised email. Introduce yourself briefly, highlight your expertise, and propose a specific blog topic or two that fits naturally with their current content.

After receiving approval, write your guest blog ensuring it’s informative, engaging, and provides genuine value to readers. Avoid overly promotional content; your goal is to establish yourself as a knowledgeable contributor. Editors appreciate well-structured and original content that aligns with their editorial guidelines.

When including backlinks to your website, be strategic and subtle. Usually, authoritative sites allow one or two links within the content or author bio. Place your links naturally within the context of your article, directing readers to relevant, high-quality resources or landing pages on your own website.

5. Gain visibility through industry listings and business directories

Directories and listings act as authoritative resources, and they help potential customers discover relevant businesses. To begin using them to your advantage, identify reputable directories relevant to your industry or geographical location.

You can do this by conducting Google searches for terms like “[your industry] directories,” “top [industry] listings,” or “[location] business directories.” Choose directories that are well-maintained, have good domain authority, and regularly attract visitor traffic.

When creating or updating your business profile, provide consistent and detailed information including your business name, address, phone number, website URL, and a concise, keyword-rich description of your services or products. Consistency across directories reinforces your brand credibility and boosts local SEO visibility.

Make the most of each listing by fully completing profiles, adding relevant business categories, and regularly updating details as your business evolves. Including high-quality images, customer reviews, and clear descriptions enhances your profile’s attractiveness and encourages click-throughs to your website.

While some directories offer free listings, you might like to consider paid options if they provide significant SEO value or attract highly relevant audiences.

6. Get involved in industry events

Attending events like conferences, workshops, trade shows, or seminars allows businesses to establish authority, network with industry leaders, and build valuable partnerships.

Offering to speak, sponsor sessions, or set up exhibitions can position your business as a knowledgeable and committed industry player. Additionally, involvement in these events often leads to mentions and backlinks from event websites, news coverage, and industry blogs, all of which boost online visibility.

7. Engage in your community

Our final strategy is about engaging authentically in online communities such as industry forums, LinkedIn groups, Reddit, or niche-specific social media platforms.

Successful involvement requires consistent participation and contributing valuable advice, insights, or resources without overt self-promotion. Businesses should first observe the community to understand norms and expectations, then offer helpful answers, tips, or expert commentary relevant to discussions. When appropriate, link naturally to relevant content on your website that genuinely addresses members’ questions or interests.

Building trust and credibility first ensures that your backlinks are welcomed, authoritative, and more likely to drive traffic and improve your site’s overall visibility. We can’t overstate how crucial it is to be gentle in your presence on forums – most are strict about users infiltrating the space for commercial gain.

Final thoughts

Building a strong backlink profile through white-hat strategies requires patience, consistency, and commitment to providing genuine value. While shortcuts may be tempting, authenticity is ultimately the most rewarding and sustainable route to long-term SEO success.

By focusing your efforts on building real connections, creating outstanding content, and engaging authentically within your industry, you’ll naturally attract authoritative backlinks that boost your credibility, traffic, and online visibility.

For further assistance with your SEO efforts, reach out to us here at purpleplanet. We have a team of experts equipped to assist you:

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