Startup founders, influencers, public speakers, authors, ecommerce business owners, and many other entrepreneurs can benefit from building a strong online personal brand.
It’s essential for them to present themselves as thought leaders in their niche, and the approach is typically — digital-first.
A frequently overlooked strategy to do this is link building. This marketing strategy is associated with guest posts, blogs, collaborations, and is firmly rooted in search engine optimization (SEO).
In this article, we will explain how this approach works, why it matters, and how to find the right professionals to do it for you when you’re short on time.
Why Link Building Matters for Entrepreneurs?
Link building is a digital marketing strategy used to build authority in your industry and improve your search rankings for keywords related to your services.
With this strategy, you build links to your website, which act as votes of confidence in the eyes of search engines like Google, as well as readers. The more high-quality links pointing to your website or profile, the more credible and trustworthy you appear.
It’s a form of building reputation. For instance, a single backlink from a top-tier publication can open doors to media interviews, speaking engagements, and collaboration opportunities.
But has it worked for others?
Absolutely. Some famous entrepreneurs who excel at building their personal brands through links include:
- Neil Patel, a famous digital marketer
- Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Gal
- Tim Ferriss, the author of The 4-Hour Workweek
Link Building Strategies for Entrepreneurs
There are three main link strategies that let entrepreneurs build links, improve their online ranking, and create a unique personal brand.
a. Guest Posting on Reputable Websites
When you write articles for reputable, high-authority websites, you position yourself as someone whose opinion in the industry matters. For example, if you own a tech-related website, contributing content to online publications such as TechCrunch or Wired could get you noticed.
In terms of online rankings, a backlink from a website like that to your own site could give you “link juice”, a signal of trust and often a way to receive more organic traffic from a broader audience. What’s even better is that the audience isn’t random — these are readers who are interested in your industry and what you have to offer.
This can increase your subscriptions, sales, follows on social media, and other important metrics.
b. Collaborations and Partnerships
As an entrepreneur, you’re aware of the power of networking. When you build connections with others in your niche, you open the doors to interviews, joint content, or collaborative projects. This can bring you organic backlinks and lead to a cycle of growth.
Influencers know this type of partnership very well, and other entrepreneurs can learn from them. What matters is building a genuine connection with reputable industry names who share your values, remaining authentic, and providing something worthwhile to your audience. This can be a discount, an exclusive offer, free content, an interview, or a review.
c. Shareable, High-Value Content
Organic or passive link building involves creating useful content that can attract backlinks from other people in the industry, bloggers, journalists, or content creators. Classic forms include infographics, case studies, white papers, original research, or guides.
You can also create exciting, engaging opinion think-pieces, or short-video content — the most important thing is that it provides value to your audience. This strategy is called passive or organic, as you work to create content and promote it, while others add links on their own initiative.
When You Might Need a Link Building Agency?
The truth is, if you don’t have the time to learn about this technique, it’s better to hire a trustworthy, established link building agency.
Why?
Well, the internet is full of scam agencies and freelancers who use manipulative tactics to get you cheap links.
If the biggest problem with the links was their quality, it wouldn’t matter that much. However, links acquired through manipulative or shady tactics (black-hat SEO) can get your website penalized or even deindexed by Google.
This could lose you money, time, and effort. On the other hand, a proper professional agency can get you links through safe, white-hat tactics and create a personalized strategy for your business.
Going Beyond Link Building
While backlinks are critical, they are just one component of a successful personal branding strategy. Other components will have to include social media marketing, email marketing, PR, and speaking engagements.
Combined, these strategies can help you create a personal brand that can keep you not just above the competition — but also a useful player in the industry as a whole.
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