Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing strategies.
You don’t have to pay for a single advertising platform to make your brand visible. You just create high-quality content, optimize that content for search engines, and hopefully get rankings.
However, certain aspects of this process, like link building, may require lots of resources.
And if you’re a startup, those are resources you have limited access to. On the bright side, there are many ways to reduce the cost of link building.
This guide brings them to you. You’ll learn key strategies for how to do link building with a small budget. Let’s get started.
What is link building?
Link building is when you get other websites to link to your website. When you secure those links, they become “backlinks.”
This is a crucial part of off-page SEO. Search engines like Google consider these links as “votes of confidence.”
Think of it this way:
- Each website is like a person.
- Each link is like a recommendation.
When many people recommend you (your website), Google thinks you must be pretty important and trustworthy. So, it gives you a higher ranking in search results.
Of course, it’s not that simple to rank. However, backlinks are a major ranking factor and a big piece of the SEO puzzle. In fact, they’re one of Google’s top confirmed ranking factors. (Ahrefs)
How to do link building: The process
Imagine you have an online handmade jewelry store. You create a comprehensive guide on “How to Choose the Perfect Gemstone for Your Skin Tone.” A fashion blog discovers your guide and finds it incredibly helpful and informative. The blog owner links to your guide in their latest blog post about accessorizing.
This link from the fashion blog tells Google’s algorithm:
- “Hey, this website has good information about gemstones!”
- “This website is relevant to fashion and style.”
As a result, Google might reward your website with a higher ranking in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for queries like “gemstone jewelry” or “jewelry for my skin tone”, which will bring you more potential customers.
Note: As you learn how to do link building, whether you rank and how high you rank will depend on several factors. These include keyword difficulty, your website’s current domain authority (DA), the quality of the links, and your website’s overall SEO.
The costs of link building
I’m going to begin this section with a stat. 95% of all pages on the web have zero backlinks. (Backlinko)
What does this have to do with the costs of link building?
A lot. The fact that only a select few pages have successfully gotten other high-authority sites to link to them tells us how difficult link building is.
Yes, the concept of getting backlinks seems pretty straightforward. It’s actually more complex than you think.
Let’s break it down.
Building backlinks takes time. And that’s expensive in and of itself. Not only do you have to run your startup, but you also have to take care of all the tasks that link building requires. This includes extensive research, outreach, and relationship-building. Organizing all of this information in one place — using a Context store to centralize your outreach history, prospect notes, and content assets — can significantly reduce the time spent switching between tools and help your team stay aligned throughout the process.
That means you have to:
- Do keyword research
- Analyze your competitors’ sites’
- Create content that attracts links
- Conduct personalized outreach to other site owners
- Send follow-up messages to site owners you reached out to
That’s all assuming you’re doing everything yourself. If you outsource link building tasks, you must pay marketers, writers, SEO specialists, or agencies.
And sometimes, if you’re really desperate, you might choose to pay for backlinks, which can be a mistake. Many sites that offer paid links are part of link farms and low-quality private blog networks (PBNs).
Plus, paying for links violates Google’s spam guidelines and can lead to severe penalties. Best case, your site will see lower rankings. Worst case, Google will completely remove your site from search results.
Another factor that adds to the cost of link building is tools and software. Popular SEO tools like Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush charge monthly fees for premium plans. While they have some free features, you’ll have to pay if you want to use them more extensively or access more advanced capabilities.
For example, Moz offers a free backlink checker, which shows you the growth and quality of your backlink profile. For example, you’ll see key metrics about the sites linking to you, including domain authority.
But you only get 10 free link queries every month.
How to do link building: Strategies to implement when on a budget
Here are some budget-friendly link building strategies you can use to boost your SEO:
1. Dominate content marketing
Learning how to link building can be tough without content marketing. It’s essential because content that people enjoy consuming can attract links naturally. That means you won’t have to pitch other sites or pay for links. The links will come organically.
So, make sure your content is top-notch. It needs to provide genuine value to your target audience. This could be in the form of:
- In-depth guides that answer burning questions
- How-to articles that solve problems
- Original research that provides unique insights
- Stunning visuals that grab attention
- Interactive content that engages
Let’s look at an example. Imagine you’re a tech startup developing a new productivity app. You can write a blog post about “Time Management Tips.”
Incorporate original research, statistics, or insights related to time management. Other bloggers and content creators may cite your post as a source of credible data, which earns you backlinks.
Now you might be thinking, “I already know I need to create great content. But I’m worried about the costs of creating that content.”
If you want to save money and time on content creation, here’s what you can do:
- Repurpose existing content: Transform existing blog posts into new formats, such as infographics, videos, slideshows, or downloadable guides.
- Crowdsource content: Engage your audience through polls, surveys, or Q&A sessions to create user-generated content (UGC). For example, you can compile expert tips from influencers or customers into a roundup blog post.
- Leverage AI tools: Use AI writing tools like ChatGPT to generate ideas and content drafts. Just make sure you fact-check everything. Also, I recommend editing drafts to match your brand’s style and tone.
- Focus on evergreen topics: Invest in content that stays relevant over time, such as “how-to” guides or industry FAQs. These pieces can continue to attract backlinks without you needing to update them constantly.
- Write long-form cornerstone content: Create a few in-depth, high-value blog posts that serve as a hub for internal and external links. Yes, you’re investing a lot of time upfront. But you’ll see a major payoff in the long run. These pillar pages are amazing for SEO because they give search engines context, which provides topic authority and makes pages easier to navigate. So you can gain backlinks and boost your overall SEO strategy.
Here’s an example of a pillar page by Semrush:
It explains what local SEO is and covers related topics.
It includes a table of contents that makes the page easy to navigate.
Plus, you’ll find a link to another page that lets you explore the topic further.
You don’t just create content, but you also need to promote it to get it in front of the right audience.
- Post your content on social media and include engaging captions and relevant hashtags.
- Build an email list to notify subscribers of new posts.
- Reach out to relevant websites and influencers in your industry who might be interested in sharing your content with their audience.
The more your content gets out there, the higher your chances of earning quality backlinks.
2. Build relationships and network
So, we know that high-quality content lays the groundwork for link building success. Networking with businesses, communities, blog owners, and influencers is another cost-effective strategy in how to do link building.
Below, I list some ways to build valuable relationships online.
3. Guest blogging
Find other websites in your industry that ask if you can offer your expertise with insightful guest posts. This allows you to showcase your knowledge, build credibility, and reach a wider audience.
For example, if you’re a marketing consultant, you could write a guest post for a small business blog on “5 Effective Marketing Strategies on a Shoestring Budget.”Be sure that your author bio or content includes a link to your website.
4. Engage in online communities
Become an active participant in online communities can be a part of your “how to do link building” plan. Find communities related to your industry. This could be forums, social media groups, Q&A sites (e.g., Quora, Reddit), or industry-specific platforms.
Don’t just spam with links to your site. Moderators can ban you for this. Plus, you’ll lose credibility.
Instead, provide value in relevant discussions. Answer questions and share helpful resources. This will help you build relationships with users in these online communities, which can potentially attract backlinks from other members’ websites or blogs.
Neil Patel’s post on Quora for the topic “What is the best free keyword demographic tool?” is a good example to model after as you contribute to forums.
5. Reach out to influencers
Find influencers in your industry and network with them. This could be bloggers, journalists, social media personalities, or industry experts. Using a platform like Influencer Hero can simplify influencer discovery and help you identify creators whose audience aligns with your niche.
Engage with their content, share their posts, and leave thoughtful comments. Offer to collaborate on projects, contribute guest posts to their blog, or even participate in joint webinars.
6. Connect with other businesses
Reach out to businesses in your industry, even your competitors.
- Engage with companies through LinkedIn, industry events, or local meetups. Before requesting backlinks, establish trust by sharing their content, commenting on their posts, or offering value.
- Provide testimonials or reviews based on your experience and products and services you’ve used. Many businesses will link back to your site in exchange for your positive feedback.
- Create a directory or resource page of local businesses or industry partners on your site. Let them know you’ve featured them, and encourage reciprocal linking.
- Ask your vendors, suppliers, or service providers to link to your website from their “Clients” or “Partners” page.
7. Maximize free tools and platforms
Good news: In the world of link building, you don’t always need to spend big to win big. There’s a treasure trove of free tools and platforms that can boost your efforts.
Take advantage of these tools and platforms:
Social media
Actively engage on platforms like X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. Share your content, engage in discussions, and connect with influencers and other businesses in your industry. This can increase your visibility, drive traffic to your website, and potentially attract backlinks from other users or even media outlets.
Free SEO tools
Take advantage of free SEO tools to gain valuable insights and streamline your link building process.
For example, you can use Google Search Console’s “links” report to identify websites that are linking to you and which pages attract the most backlinks. And as I mentioned above, you can use tools like Moz’s free backlink checker tool or other free SEO software. But make sure you keep their limitations in mind.
Google Search Console’s “Links” tool
Online directories
Don’t underestimate the power of online directories and business listings. Submit your website to relevant directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Google Business Profile. Then, find niche directories specific to your industry.
Content curation platforms
Use content curation platforms like Scoop.it and Flipboard to curate and share relevant content from other sources in your industry. This can help you build relationships with other site owners. Where relevant, include links to your own content. This offers additional value to your target audience.
8. Leverage broken link building
Sometimes, the best way to earn valuable backlinks is to step off the beaten path and explore strategies other businesses aren’t prioritizing.
One example is doing broken link building.
Screenshot provided by the author
Many marketers focus on more popular methods like guest posting or influencer outreach. And some think the process is too time-consuming because you have to find broken links.
But if you’re wondering how to do link building for broken links, know that there are free tools to streamline the process.
For example, W3C Link Checker can help you identify broken links on high-authority websites. You can enter a website URL and scan for broken links on the page. Then, you’ll get a report with details about each broken link.
After identifying a broken link, offer your content to replace the link. This helps both you and the website owner. They save time and improve their site’s health while you improve your link building efforts.
Stretching your budget, one link at a time
I think we can all agree on one thing: no SEO strategy is absolutely free.
If your link building process doesn’t require you to spend money, there’s a time investment. And if you’re not investing lots of time, you usually have to pay for that convenience.
The key to learning how to link build is to achieve the right balance. But more importantly, you can take advantage of strategies that help you reduce costs as much as possible.
Whatever route you choose, uSERP is here to help. When you work with us, you’ll eliminate several link building costs, including employee salary, training, and tools. We take care of the entire process for you.
To get started, book a free consultation with us today.
