Link Building for Small Ecommerce Sites: My 17 Tips

Link building is one of the most asked about, but challenging tasks within SEO. Doing quality SEO work as a small eCommerce store and ranking among the giants can at times seem impossible. However, it is essential.

For small eCommerce sites, link building is an important factor for increased visibility and traffic. By connecting with reputable sites, you enhance your site's authority and attract visitors eager to explore your delightful offerings.

"Link building drives organic traffic and boosts your rankings, making it easier for shoppers to discover your products. It also builds trust with potential customers and keeps you competitive."

What is Link Building?

Link building is the art of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. These backlinks serve as endorsements, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your site ranks in search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

For small eCommerce sites, link building is a magical key to increased visibility and traffic. By connecting with reputable sites, you enhance your site's authority and attract visitors eager to explore your delightful offerings.

17 Link Building Tips for Small eCommerce Stores

Here are the tips that you should know, if you are running a small eCommerce store:

1. Testimonials

One of the easiest tricks in the SEO handbook is writing testimonials for all the services you purchase. For example, if you love a particular online store, write them a glowing recommendation and offer to let them use it in their marketing. Ask the company if they would link back to your website. This simple act can build strong relationships and valuable backlinks.

Benefits of Testimonials:

• Social Proof: Enhances your credibility and trustworthiness.
• Collaboration Opportunities: Other businesses may be more inclined to collaborate with you.
• Network Expansion: Expands your network and potential for backlinks.

Testimonials can also serve as social proof, enhancing your credibility and trustworthiness. When other businesses see your positive feedback, they may be more inclined to collaborate with you, further expanding your network and potential for backlinks.

2. Advertorials

Another simple strategy is creating advertorials. These are articles that function as advertisements, and it's usually easy to get links because you pay for the publications.

How to buy advertorials? Google "advertorial provider" and check the first few pages of results. Most major media outlets offer some form of advertorials, but smaller media or blogs can also be good options. You can also ask your SEO agency to handle this for you. Remember, a well-placed advertorial can drive traffic and boost your site's authority.

3. Broken Link Building

Find relevant websites with broken links (links that lead to 404 error pages). Contact the website owner and inform them about the broken link, suggesting your page as a perfect replacement. This way, they can link to your resource if they find it relevant for their readers.

Learn more about broken link building:

• Backlinko
• Ahrefs
• SEMrush

According to a study by Ahrefs, 66.5% of websites have at least one broken link. This presents a significant opportunity for small eCommerce sites to gain backlinks by offering valuable replacements.

4. Digital PR

Building relationships with relevant media in your industry and sending out press releases when you have newsworthy content is a great way to get links. Establish connections with journalists and provide them with fresh analyses and stories, often resulting in good publicity and links.

Why It Works:75% of journalists prefer to receive press releases via email, making it crucial to craft compelling and concise pitches. A well-timed press release can put your small business on the map, attracting both attention and backlinks.

Benefits of Digital PR:Consistently sharing valuable and newsworthy content positions your business as an industry leader, which can lead to increased media coverage and organic backlinks over time.

Tips for Effective Digital PR:Ensure your press releases are engaging and to the point. Maintain connections with journalists and media outlets, and regularly provide fresh and relevant stories to keep your business in the spotlight.

By leveraging digital PR, you can enhance your brand's reputation and visibility, attract more media coverage, and secure valuable backlinks that improve your site's SEO.

5. Write Great Articles

Writing high-quality articles can attract links. If your content is exceptional, others are more likely to link to it. This often requires extra effort in content creation. For example:

• Build a tool that you embed in the article.
• Create a unique and helpful video that solves a problem for the reader.

A study by HubSpot revealed that companies that blog receive 97% more links to their website compared to those that don't. For small eCommerce sites, this means that investing your time on a blog can significantly boost your link-building efforts.

Using a tool like SEO.AI will greatly help not only the quality of your content, but also the speed at which you can create it.

6. Brand Mentions Without Links

Identify online media that mention your product names or brand name without linking to your website. The simplest method is to search for your brand or product name in quotes on Google, but you can do it in other ways too. If there are many mentions, it can be overwhelming.

91% of brand mentions do not include a link, highlighting a vast potential for link building by reaching out to these sources. For small businesses, this untapped resource can be a goldmine for gaining backlinks.

How to Find Them:

• Monitoring Tools: Set up alerts with tools like Google Alerts, Mention, and Ahrefs Alerts to notify you whenever your brand is mentioned online.
• Manual Searches: Periodically search for your brand name on Google and other search engines.
• Social Listening: Use tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social to monitor social media platforms for mentions of your brand.

Converting Mentions into Backlinks:

• Reach Out Politely: Send a friendly email to the website owner or author, thanking them for the mention and requesting a hyperlink.
• Highlight the Benefits: Explain how adding a link can enhance their content by providing readers with direct access to more information.
• Follow Up: If you don’t receive a response, send a polite follow-up email after a week or two.

Unlinked brand mentions are hidden treasures in the vast ocean of the internet. These are instances where your brand is mentioned without a hyperlink back to your site. Converting these mentions into backlinks can significantly boost your SEO and drive more traffic to your eCommerce site.

7. Supplier Links

If you sell other companies' products on your website, ask them to link to your site. Many have a dealer list on their website, and you can often use the testimonial strategy (see strategy 1). This mutual benefit can strengthen your business relationships and improve your SEO.

Being listed on a supplier's website can increase your visibility to potential customers who are already interested in the products you sell. This can drive targeted traffic to your site, increasing the likelihood of conversions and sales.

8. Sponsor Community Events

Supporting local events, charities, or community activities can earn you valuable backlinks from event organizers' websites. This approach not only enhances your SEO but also elevates your brand's visibility and reputation within the community.

How to Get Started:

• Find and Connect: Identify community events that resonate with your brand and reach out to organizers about sponsorship opportunities.
• Share and Promote: Provide your logo and website link, and promote the event on your channels to maximize exposure and show your support.

9. Get Membership Links

If you or your company is a member of an industry association, make sure to get a link on their website. Often, it's free for members or costs only a small annual fee. These links can be highly authoritative and beneficial for your small eCommerce site.

10. Link to Others (and Tell Them)

I've received links from some of the most authoritative websites in the marketing world. My method has been quite simple. When I link to them in blog posts, I make sure to tell them and praise their good work. This has led to people linking back to my websites.

43% of people are more likely to link to a website if they receive a personal notification about the link. For small businesses, this personal touch can make a big difference.

11. Listicle Link Building

If you have great resources like templates, tools, solid guides, or similar, contact websites that list these types of resources. Tell them you have a resource that might be relevant for their readers. This proactive approach can place your small business in front of a wider audience.

Being featured in listicles can enhance your brand's credibility and authority. When reputable websites include your resources in their lists, it signals to readers that your content is valuable and trustworthy, which can lead to increased traffic and backlinks.

12. Write Guest Posts

A good link pointing back to you can be obtained by writing guest posts on other websites. However, you should only write guest posts on websites with high authority. Otherwise, it may be a waste of time.

According to a survey by SEMrush, 53% of SEO experts consider guest posting as one of the most effective ways to build backlinks. For small eCommerce sites, guest posting can be a powerful tool to gain visibility and authority.

13. Create a Blog

Creating a blog that is regularly updated with quality content can be an effective way to attract links. If you write informative and relevant content, other websites are more likely to link to your articles. This ongoing effort can establish your small business as a thought leader in your industry.

14. Craft Personalized Outreach Emails

Personalized outreach emails can be a powerful tool for link building when done correctly. Here’s how to master the art:

Who to Reach Out To:

• Journalists and Editors: Writers and editors from industry-specific publications.
• Webmasters and Site Owners: Owners of relevant websites with strong domain authority.
• Content Creators: Authors of articles and guides that align with your products or services.

Sample Outreach Email Template:

Subject: Exciting Collaboration Opportunity with [Your Company Name]

Message:

Hi [Recipient's Name],

I hope you’re doing well! My name is [Your Name], and I’m with [Your Company Name]. I’ve been following your work on [Recipient's Website/Blog/Social Media] and am truly impressed by your insights on [specific topic or article].

I see a fantastic opportunity for us to collaborate. By linking to our [specific content or product], we can offer your audience valuable resources while enriching your content. Here’s the link to our [content/product]: [Your URL]

What’s in it for You:

• Enhance your content with additional valuable information
• Provide your audience with direct access to relevant resources
• Potential for increased traffic and engagement

I’d love to discuss this further and explore how we can work together. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Contact Information]

15. Collaborate with Influencers

Find influencers in your field and offer them something of value in exchange for linking to your website. This could be a product for review, access to unique content, or perhaps a guest appearance on their platform. Influencer collaborations can amplify your reach and bring in valuable backlinks.

16. Engage in Partnerships

Consider forming partnerships with other businesses where you can benefit from each other's audience. This could include mutual mentions and linking in blog posts, newsletters, or on social media. For small businesses, these partnerships can create a network of support and shared growth.

Additionally, partnerships can lead to co-branded marketing efforts, such as joint webinars, events, or promotions. These collaborative initiatives can expand your reach and provide more opportunities for backlinks and brand exposure.

17. Social Media

Being active on social media and sharing your content on all relevant platforms can generate direct links back to your website and expose your content to a broader audience that may potentially link to it. Social media engagement can drive traffic and enhance your link-building efforts.

Why It Works:Social media platforms are a powerful tool for reaching a wide audience. By sharing your content, you increase the chances of it being seen and linked to by others.

Benefits of Social Media:Engaging on social media can drive traffic to your site, improve your SEO, and enhance your link-building efforts by exposing your content to a larger audience.

Tips for Effective Social Media Use:Ensure you are active on relevant platforms and consistently share valuable content. Engage with your audience by responding to comments and participating in discussions to build a loyal following.

By leveraging social media, you can drive traffic to your website, improve your SEO, and enhance your link-building efforts by reaching a broader audience.

FAQ About Link Building for Small eCommerce Sites

Here are some of the questions that we get asked the most about when it comes to link building:

Is link building still relevant in 2024?

Link-building remains a key strategy for digital marketers. While techniques change, its core importance stays the same, ensuring strong online visibility and authority. Think of it as a lasting element in SEO.

In 2024, links continue to play significant roles. These connections bridge gaps across the web, fostering relationships and driving traffic.

Even with algorithm changes, links maintain their value. Quality over quantity is crucial, as search engines disapprove of spammy practices.

Small eCommerce sites especially benefit from strategic link-building. Partnerships and guest posts are valuable opportunities, enhancing credibility and reach.

Is guest blogging effective?

Guest blogging offers both new and experienced bloggers the opportunity to share their content on new platforms, drawing traffic and increasing visibility. By contributing guest posts to popular blogs, bloggers can generate fresh backlinks, which can improve search engine rankings and drive more traffic to their own sites.

The effectiveness of this strategy is clear.

Every guest post on a popular blog can generate fresh backlinks, which can improve Google rankings.

Site owners benefit too, receiving quality content without much effort.

Creating guest posts does require effort, but the rewards are worth it. By thoughtfully combining insights and following guidelines, bloggers can find a friendly path forward.