The SEO’s Guide to Earning Authentic and Natural Links

How To Earn Natural Links: Complete Guide for SEOs

According to Google, backlinks are among the top ranking factors in its search algorithm. When prominent websites link to your content, search engines take it as a sign of trustworthiness. On the other hand, non-prominent or spam websites linking to your site are likely to harm your search performance. 

Earning quality links can be tricky. 

Having a detailed strategy for securing natural backlinks from trustworthy websites is essential. When you get it right, you can build significant authority among search engines, driving sustainable traffic that will help your business toward its goals. 

In this article, we take you through the dos and don’ts of backlinking, providing you with the necessary tools to develop a quality strategy that delivers meaningful results to your business. 

What is a natural link?

A natural link is a backlink (hyperlink from one website to another), earned organically. This means no payment, solicitation, or manipulative tactics are used to acquire the link. Natural backlinks are merit-based and shared due to their value and relevance. 

Since natural links are a sign of trust or credibility, search engines favor them. Earning natural backlinks can help increase your website’s authority, resulting in improved SEO performance.  

A natural backlink can be found on various types of online content and platforms, such as: 

• Blog posts
• News articles
• Forums
• Social media 
• Resource pages
• Editorial content
• Directories
• Video descriptions
• Infographics

Natural backlinks appear just like any other hyperlink, normally in bold and in a different color from the regular text. 

Alt: You can’t always tell if a link is natural or paid, but context helps

Unnatural vs. natural backlinks

Natural backlinks play an important role in a digital marketing strategy. However, not all links are natural, and so, not all links are equal. While natural backlinks boost search engine rankings and build credibility, unnatural links do the opposite. It’s important to know the difference. 

Unnatural links are not earned. Rather, they’re created intentionally in an effort to manipulate search engine rankings. Examples of unnatural links include:

• Links from low-quality or spam websites. 
• Links in irrelevant context. 
• Automated links created by software.
• Hidden or disguised links. 
• Paid links without proper disclosure. 

By definition, paid links are not unnatural. However, a disclosure must be included if a website places paid links in its content. This is commonplace for affiliate-based websites or review pages. 

How links are earned and displayed is the key distinction here. 

Natural links provide valuable, relevant information, and are earned organically, while unnatural links are tactical and included to exploit search engine rankings. 

Major search engines, like Google, purposefully filter out unnatural links. If a link is flagged by a search engine, the website will likely be penalized. Sanctions can range from negative authority scoring to complete de-indexing from the search engine. These punishments are often permanent and irreversible.

Avoiding unnatural links is critical for maintaining search engine compliance and sustaining long-term SEO success.

How do you differentiate between natural and unnatural links?

Here are the key characteristics of natural and unnatural links:

Why are natural backlinks important?

Every time your website earns a natural backlink, it essentially receives a vote of confidence from another website. The more you accumulate, the more credibility your site gains. 

If you begin to garner backlinks from high-authority websites, yours can creep up search engine rankings, making your business more visible and reputable.

While you can pay for instant visibility and exposure, it doesn’t always lead to sustained success. Generating traffic organically, from natural backlinks, helps with long-term growth, reduces your reliance on paid advertising, generates a more diverse audience reach, and builds resilience against potential algorithm changes (which happen regularly). 

If you’re keen on improving SEO performance through natural links, here are some of the key benefits. 

• Improved search engine rankings.
• Enhanced credibility with your target audience and search engines.
• Increased organic traffic.
• Sustainable SEO growth.
• Stronger brand authority.
• Diversified audience.
• Improved search engine indexing.
• Networking and relationship-building opportunities with industry peers.

Are natural backlinks relevant in all industries?

Marketers are inundated with strategies and tactics that claim to drive results. 

Are all of these methods relevant to your industry? In short, no.

Do backlinks hold the same value across different niches? In most cases, yes. 

Natural backlinks are relevant in virtually every industry because they serve as universal signals of credibility and authority. Whether you’re a one-person e-commerce business or a global technology firm, backlinks provide benefits (as we discussed earlier). 

For example, you might think that a law firm should focus marketing efforts on advertising and outreach. While this is true, they can also benefit significantly from a backlink strategy. 

LawRank helps legal firms optimize their marketing strategies through various methods, including SEO. A major part of the site’s approach is content. Law firms can create webpages detailing major accomplishments and wins, which earns trust among clients. Furthermore, they can provide valuable information about various legal niches, like accident and injury or divorce law, through blog posts. 

By creating quality content and optimizing their websites, marketing-savvy law firms can earn backlinks from directories, forums, social media, and other resources, improving their organic reach. 

Regardless of your industry, creating relevant content that adds value to your target audience is a cost-effective marketing practice. 

How to earn natural backlinks?

Earning natural backlinks is a strategic process known as link-building. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen by accident. You need a proper strategy that focuses on creating quality, relevant information that attracts your target audience as well as other industry members. Otherwise, your content simply won’t be shared. 

The good news is that backlink strategies have been tried and tested over the years. Although algorithm changes may require you to switch up your approach on occasion, certain elements of a backlink strategy remain constant. 

With that, let’s get into some effective ways to earn natural backlinks and help you improve your SEO performance. 

• Create link-worthy, shareable content

Valuable content that compels people to share is integral to a successful link-building strategy. 

The content you create should be well-researched, trustworthy, and digestible. This means going beyond the basics. Be sure to include statistics, images, videos, and infographics that not only answer common queries, but also provide information that resonates with your audience. 

Stick to topics that are relevant to your industry and target market. Otherwise, you’ll earn links from demographics that are not interested in your business. Creating evergreen content is a good starting point. This is content that maintains its relevance over long periods. 

Alt: Video is emerging as an important medium for generating backlinks

Let’s use the legal industry as an example again. Zehl & Associates provides valuable content for potential clients. In addition to details on its legal services, it demonstrates trust with video testimonials and expertise with blog posts that break down common legal queries.

It is also important to research your keywords when you are in a competitive industry like law which is why you will notice law firms like Baumgartner include multiple posts that cover questions ordinarily asked by potential clients. Within these posts, they include relevant keywords like:

• Houston car accident lawyer (for the purpose of local SEO)
• Commercial vehicle accident attorney in Houston
• Houston car accident Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding your audience is key to creating quality content. Depending on your industry, valuable evergreen content could include guides, how-tos, statistics, surveys, or video content. 

Google’s automated ranking system emphasizes E-E-A-T, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. It recommends focusing on people first, not satisfying the search engine’s perceived quirks. 

• Develop outreach campaigns to build relationships

Another proactive way to earn natural backlinks is by building relationships with businesses and individuals relevant to your industry. Again, you must be strategic with this approach. Develop outreach campaigns using personalized emails, social media, or even attending networking events. 

Relationship-building isn’t a volume game. To create genuine, value-based relationships, you must engage, re-engage, and build mutually beneficial connections. Share content with potential partners, offer them feedback, and look toward working together in the long term to forge something meaningful. 

This can lead to opportunities for co-creating content, expanding your reach significantly. Link-worthy collaborative content includes case studies, expert roundups, infographics, shared research, podcasts, social media, webinars, and interviews.

Shaked Law is a perfect example of how relationship-building can be used to generate backlinks. The firm’s founder regularly appears in interviews and on podcasts of relevant professionals within the industry. This content can be easily shared in full or as clips, directing people toward the website. 

The relationships not only help create organic backlinks, but they also build credibility and trust. 

• Write guest posts 

Guest posting can earn backlinks and help build authority for your website. Essentially, guest posting means publishing content on someone else’s website, blog, or other resource. The content typically includes at least one backlink to your website, either in the content itself or as part of the author bio.

This is different from collaboration as it doesn’t necessarily involve building long-term relationships. Guest posts can be once-off. The main advantage of guest posting is that you piggyback off another website’s following, in an attempt to attract new audiences. 

As always, the content should be valuable, informative, and relevant. While backlinks can be included, the content shouldn’t be sales-oriented. 

Alt: Your guest post will appear on a blog or website, furthering your reach, and generating traffic | Source: LeadGen

LeadGen cements itself as an industry leader by inviting marketing and SEO experts to contribute posts for its blog. It allows LeadGen to expand on a variety of digital marketing topics while maintaining high standards and producing quality content. 

If this sounds like a viable option for your website, here are the key steps. 

1. Research relevant target sites with high domain authority. 
2. Pitch valuable topics with engaging ideas that align with the host site and your business. 
3. Create high-quality content (blogs, articles, videos, etc.)
4. Include quality resources as well as an internal link to your site. 
5. Promote the post once it goes live. 

• Promote content strategically 

Strategic promotion is an essential step in securing natural backlinks. It makes content more visible and shareable, ensuring it reaches the right audience. There are several ways to promote your content with backlinks in mind. Let’s dive into them. 

• Social media: Share your content and guest posts across active social media platforms to improve visibility and drive traffic. Don’t post and ghost. Engage with your followers and encourage shares. 

• Email marketing: Promote your content through newsletters and email marketing campaigns. 

• Repurpose content: Turn blog posts into videos, infographics, podcasts, or social media content to expand your reach and attract backlinks from multiple sources. 

• Engage in online communities: Share your content to online forums, groups, and discussion boards where people might find it useful. 
• Contact industry leaders: Reach out to experts, influencers, and journalists in your industry, and ask them to share, mention, or link to your content if they find it valuable. 

Once you share your content, monitor it and find useful insights. You may discover that certain avenues are more fruitful than others.

Alt: Promoting content across multiple platforms gives it legs, expanding its reach

Jorge Argota is a lead generation expert for lawyers. He expands his reach by sharing content on social media, notably on LinkedIn where his target market is heavily active. His content is eye-catching, engaging, and most importantly, shareable. 

• Create linkable assets for niche audiences

Unique, high-value assets tailored to your niche are a surefire way to earn natural backlinks. Not only are these assets shareable, but they also become reliable resources for websites, blogs, researchers, journalists, and more. 

What do we mean by high-value assets? Here are some examples. 

• Original data from surveys, analysis, or research. 
• Templates or tools that can be used on your site or downloaded. 
• Shareable infographics. 
• Case studies or whitepapers. 
• Industry reports. 

When this content is specific to your niche, it becomes a magnet for backlinks.

In keeping with the legal industry examples, accident and injury law firm, Norden Leacox, does an excellent job at this. On the company website, they explain how damages are calculated and then provide examples, citing how much specific accidents can garner in damages. This data is ideal for bloggers or journalists to use and credit, resulting in plenty of backlinks.

Wrapping up

Earning natural backlinks isn’t just about improving SEO. While that’s a big part, the key to success involves building trust, credibility, and a long-term plan. When building a business organically, you’ve got to be patient and trust the process. 

To stay ahead of the curve, keep up to date with the latest industry trends as well as Google’s guidelines. Avoid black hat (unethical tactics and unnatural links) and shortcuts or you may incur irreversible penalties. Prioritize quality, relevance, and value to earn natural backlinks ethically and create a sustainable foundation for your website’s growth and authority.