Manual Link Building Strategies: How to Effectively Promote Your Website

So you’re interested in manual link building

Good!

Let’s see how you can use it.

Manual link building is a powerful way to improve your website's SEO. This isn't about automating the process with software; it's about rolling up your sleeves and doing the work yourself.

Sure, certain auxiliary tools can help organize things, but at the heart of it, it's all about human effort. Think of it as crafting personalized, high-quality backlinks through direct outreach and relationship building.

Why Manual Link Building?

Unlike automated link building, manual link building is more time-consuming, but the long-term benefits are undeniable. It’s like comparing a homemade meal to fast food.

Yes, it takes longer, but the quality and benefits are far superior. High-quality backlinks significantly improve your search engine rankings and establish your website’s credibility.

How Manual Link Building Works?

Manual link building is the hands-on, personalized approach to improving your website's SEO. It's like making friends online—reaching out, building relationships, and earning links.

Key techniques include guest posting, where you write for other sites, and broken link building, where you help fix broken links with your content. Influencer outreach and writing testimonials also play a big role.

The task usually falls to the link-building team, which might include an SEO specialist, a link builder, and sometimes people wearing multiple hats, depending on the strategy. Also, a marketer often keeps an eye on things to make sure the efforts sync with the overall marketing goals.

Having the right team is crucial.

Training and selecting the right specialists can make a huge difference because Google favors quality backlinks. Plus, manual link building isn’t going out of style anytime soon.

🤔 How Can You Make Manual Link Building Easier?

Manual link building can be a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. One way to lighten the load is by outsourcing the task to freelancers or an agency that specializes in link building.

This can save you time and ensure you get high-quality links without the stress.

Automated link building often involves creating links from forum profiles, public bulletin boards, and big networks like Reddit or Quora. While these links are easy to get, they usually don’t pack the same punch as those you earn through manual efforts.

For instance:

Profile Links: These are links you create in your user profiles on various forums.

One more example

However, automated link building can sometimes lead you into murky waters, like link farms and black hat SEO practices, which can hurt your rankings. Manual link building, on the other hand, gives you complete control over the quality and placement of your links.

Terms to know:

• Link Farm: A network of websites created just to generate backlinks for other sites. SEO experts often create these to sell link placements or publish guest posts.
• Black Hat Link Building: Techniques that push the boundaries of legality and can get you penalized by search engines. Avoid these if you’re aiming for ethical, white-hat SEO.
• White Hat Link Building: Legitimate site promotion tactics that follow Google’s guidelines, focusing on improving search engine rankings through ethical means.

Sticking to manual link building and avoiding shortcuts ensures your SEO efforts are solid, sustainable, and in line with best practices.

✔️ Key Principles of Manual Link Building

Let’s see the top 10 principles of manual link building. It’s all about being hands-on and strategic.

Here’s how to get it right.

Attract links from relevant content

Ensure you’re getting links from content closely related to your site. Relevance is everything.

According to our survey, 84.6% of respondents consider link relevance the most important metric for assessing the quality of a link.

Target topic-relevant sites

Focus on websites that are fully dedicated to your niche. The more aligned they are with your topic, the better.

Organic traffic to the source page

Aim for pages that already have organic traffic. It’s a sign they’re credible and valuable.

Tiered links

Your link should ideally get backlinks from other sites too, creating a layered link structure. Tiered link building is like building a web of trust.

Internal linking to the source page

Ensure the page linking to you is well-connected within its own site. Avoid links from isolated “orphan pages.”

Stable traffic history

Choose sites with stable traffic. If a site has had significant drops in traffic, it might not be as reliable.

Robust link profile

The site linking to you should have a strong backlink profile. This shows it’s authoritative and trusted.

Use Ahfres’ Site Explorer for quick site audits and checking the number of backlinks and referring domains.

Reputable brands or companies

Get links from well-known brands or companies. These links carry more weight.

Scalability and delegation

Your link-building methods should be scalable. You should be able to delegate tasks while maintaining quality.

Time-intensive techniques

Be ready for time-consuming processes. Building a reputation for guest posting or securing link exchanges can take months, but it’s worth it.

Remember, link building is a key step in SEO after your site is well-optimized.

Don’t waste valuable links on an unoptimized or empty site. They should point to high-quality content that can compete with the top search results.

Impact of Disavowing Links

Here’s a cool insight from Ahrefs.

Patrick Stox found that when he disavowed links, his traffic and rankings dropped. But when he removed the disavow file, restoring those links, his traffic bounced back.

Surprisingly, only 31% of surveyed experts use the disavow tool available in Google’s Search Console.

This proves how crucial links are for your SEO.

With quality links, your web pages can compete in search rankings. Quality backlinks from trusted sources boost your page’s ranking and visibility.

That said, it’s clear—backlinks matter big time.

Common Processes in Manual Link Building

At Editorial.Link, we keep things straightforward and effective when it comes to securing premium backlinks that work.

Here’s a peek at our process:

Check out the competition

First, we take a good look at where your competitors are getting their backlinks. It’s like getting a backstage pass to their strategy. This step gives us valuable insights into what’s working in your industry.

Develop your link building plan

Using what we’ve learned, we craft a custom link-building strategy for you. We aim to snag similar quality links while also finding unique opportunities that your competitors might have missed.

This helps you stay one step ahead.

Choose your path

Decide whether to handle link building in-house or to let us take care of it.

Doing it yourself can be rewarding but time-consuming. Outsourcing to pros like us can save you time and get you better results.

Both options have their benefits, and we’re sure you will choose the right path for your business..

Experiment and innovate

Link building is always evolving, so we constantly try out new tactics to secure links. This could be anything from creating unique content pieces to building relationships with influencers in your niche.

One of our goals is to find link-building strategies that your competitors haven’t tapped into yet.

We can help you build a strong, adaptable link-building strategy that keeps you ahead of your rivals.

Why Quality Links Matter in Manual Link Building

What makes a link good?

Here’s what comes to mind first:

• Relevance: The link should be related to your site’s topic.
• Trusted Sites: Links from reputable sites like HubSpot carry more weight.
• Natural Fit: The link should blend seamlessly into the content with natural anchor text.

Also, it’s a bonus if the article:

• Ranks for related queries.
• Has its own inbound links.
• Has a strong PageRank.

Such links not only drive traffic faster but also enhance your site’s credibility.

Is Manual Link Building Hard?

Yes, as mentioned earlier, manual link building is time-consuming and detailed. If you’re strapped for resources, it can feel like a lot.

But don’t worry; you can always hire a professional link-building agency to handle it.

A solid manual link building strategy can start with affordable methods to boost traffic and profits. As you grow, you can adopt more advanced tactics. This approach is rooted in a strong SEO strategy and thorough on-page optimization.

Instead of endlessly chasing links, focus on building them naturally using white-hat link-building methods. This way, your efforts are sustainable and valuable.

Why Automated Link Building is Not What You Need

Using automated software for link building is like letting a robot handle your personal relationships. It might save time, but it often results in a random mix of low-quality links.

With manual link building, you select your link partners independently, ensuring quality and relevance. Automated link building, however, means losing control over where your links appear and how they look.

Google isn’t a fan of automated tactics because they often seem spammy. Too many of these links can lead to penalties from Google.

So, be patient and meticulous.

🚨 Avoid shortcuts and manage your backlinks personally OR take advantage of our professional services at Editorial.Link.

Google Penalties: Reasons to Avoid in Manual Link Building

Google penalizes sites that break its guidelines, like having unnatural backlinks. These penalties can drastically lower your search rankings and damage your site.

To avoid losing traffic, credibility, and PageRank, always follow Google’s rules.

PageRank measures a page’s importance based on the quality and quantity of links it receives, and while opinions vary—with some seeing it as crucial and others deeming it nearly obsolete—the truth lies somewhere in between.

What matters is that links from authoritative sites significantly boost your page’s value.

Google prefers manual links that are contextually relevant. So, steer clear of automated link building to protect your site’s integrity and avoid penalties.

Why You Should Take on Manual Link Building

Automated link building can trash your business's reputation, especially if you run a small business. Your links might end up on sketchy sites or tangled in spam.

Here’s an example of spam links found in blog comments:

Although both the website and article are on different topics:

However, you can see numerous links related to spam topics. The outcomes from such sites are shown in the screenshots below:

Below is another site example, with 3.8K of referring domains but zero traffic:

One more example:

On the other hand, manual link building, though more labor-intensive, is a safer and more reliable practice compared to its automated counterpart. This is particularly true for beginners in this field.

With manual link building, you can build links efficiently and positively impact your site's promotion.

Hubspot.com example:

Or G2.com example:

have seen significant improvements through manual efforts.

When you manually build relevant and high-quality links, your site stands a better chance of getting noticed and approved by search engines, leading to higher rankings.

Best Manual Link Building Strategies

Top manual link-building strategies include:

Relationship-Based Link Building

Building connections with authoritative sites is a smart move.

Engage in genuine social media interactions or leave thoughtful comments on their posts to earn backlinks.

Remember, being friendly and patient pays off. It's not just about getting the link; it's about creating a relationship that could open a door to future opportunities.

For example, Hunter.io connects with industry leaders by sharing their content, commenting on their posts, and even collaborating on projects. This engagement helps them earn valuable backlinks over time.

The results achieved:

Through their efforts, they have secured numerous backlinks and built strong relationships that led to collaborations and partnerships.

Writing Positive Reviews

Offer to write positive reviews on platforms like Trustpilot or Yelp for businesses, and in exchange, request a backlink to your site. This method helps in forming business connections and acquiring relevant backlinks, often leading to reciprocal benefits.

Guest Blogging

Writing articles for reputable websites and including links back to your site is a also tried-and-true method.

When you guest blog on high-quality sites, you reach new audiences and establish your authority in your niche.

Aim for sites that publish top-notch content related to your field.

Collaborating with influencers

Teaming up with social media influencers can give your brand a huge boost.

Find influencers who share your values and audience.

When they mention or link to your site, it can drive significant traffic and enhance your brand’s credibility. Influencers can also create engaging content that naturally highlights your products or services.

Unlinked mentions

Sometimes, your brand gets mentioned online without a link back to your site. Finding these unlinked mentions and asking the site owners to add a link is a simple yet effective strategy.

It’s an easy win that turns existing brand recognition into valuable backlinks.

Skyscraper Technique

The Skyscraper Technique involves finding popular content in your niche and creating an even better version.

Once your superior content is ready, reach out to sites that linked to the original piece and suggest they link to your improved version instead.

This leverages existing demand and provides valuable content to the audience.

Broken Link Building

Search for broken links on relevant sites and offer your content as a replacement. 

Thus, site owners fix their broken links, and you gain a valuable backlink. Regularly scanning for broken links ensures you keep finding new opportunities.

🔗 Related article: Broken Link Building: The Essential Guide 2024

Digital PR (Digital Public Relations)

Creating newsworthy stories about your brand and pitching them to media outlets and journalists can earn you dozens of backlinks. Plus, this method enhances your brand’s public image.

Good PR stories can range from statistical industry reports to unique company milestones.

🔗 Related article: PR Link Building 101: Boosting Your SEO Strategy

HARO Link Building

Signing up for HARO (Help a Reporter Out, now part of Connectively) allows you to respond to journalists' queries with your expert insights.

When your contribution gets featured, you often earn a backlink from reputable news outlets.

This method improves your reputation and drives targeted traffic to your site.

Conclusion

Looking back at everything we've covered, it's clear that manual link building is your main weapon for long-term success. Google's rules for quality links keep evolving, so it's crucial to stay on your toes and try new strategies.

At Editorial.Link, we've assisted hundreds of clients with manual link building by building strong relationships and guest blogging.

Need a trustworthy link-building partner? Reach out to us!