Backlinks are an important piece to make your website rank on Google, and I have cracked the code on how to build effective backlinks through guest posting using just Ubersuggest, Google Sheets, email, and Google Docs.
You should keep in mind that backlinks are quite easy to build once you have something valuable to present to the host site, like a guest post.
So in this guide, I will walk you through how to build effective backlinks using guest posts, how to pitch to secure guest post placement, and how to monitor backlinks.
Key takeaways
- Building backlinks starts with using Ubersuggest to find websites in your industry that are already linking to your competitors.
- One of the ways to secure a backlink is to reach out to website owners with a cold email that offers them a valuable guest post in return.
- Not all backlinks are free; some host websites will ask for payment before publishing your guest post.
- Once your backlinks are live, tracking them on a Google Sheet every month shows you exactly how they are improving your rankings.
Backlinks are links from other websites to your website that increase the authority of your website, which Google has stated directly impacts your rankings. But the harsh reality is that backlinks don’t come so easily unless real action is taken towards building them.
You can build backlinks by building linkable content assets, digital pr, journalist source requests (HARO), unlinked mention outreach, niche edits, and guest posting, to name a few.
Here, I will be teaching you how to use guest posting to build backlinks while adding value to the host website without violating Google’s link spam policy.
I will be using Ubersuggest, Google Sheets, email, and Google Docs due to their cost-effectiveness for Nigerian business owners, unlike other expensive options like Ahrefs and SEMrush.
What is guest posting in SEO?
Guest posting is when you write and publish an article on someone else’s website (usually in your niche) in exchange for a backlink to your own site, and often some brand exposure to that website’s audience.
The process of guest posting goes from reaching out to website owners, writing articles for the interested websites with links to your website in them, and send it to them for publishing.
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Where to guest post
You are meant to guest post on other people’s websites that aren’t yours. Here is the standard for picking websites to guest post on.
- Relevant: The website and topic you write on should genuinely fit your niche [A guest post topic for a Fintech client that buys and sells gift cards) “How to sell Gift cards in Nigeria” to be published on Nairametrics].
- Editorial control: The website doesn’t accept guest posts just from anyone, just for a fee, but accepts only articles that add value to their website.
- Real organic traffic: The website receives organic traffic from Google; you can confirm this using the Ubersuggest traffic overview tab.
How to build backlinks through guest posting using Ubersuggest
- STEP 1: Backlink opportunity research – The first step is to go to the backlink opportunity tab on Ubersuggest, put in your website homepage link, put in 5 of your top search competitors’ homepage links 1 by 1 in the gap below, and click search. Then, select all the backlink opportunities and export them.
- STEP 2: Competitor analysis – Next, head to the backlinks overview tab and put in every competitor one after the other. For each of the competitors, go to the backlinks section, set the filters to only “follow” links and uncheck the “one link per domain”, and finally export to CSV.
- STEP 3: Upload of CSVs – Open a new spreadsheet, upload the backlink opportunity CSV first (click on File at the top right, then click on Import, click on Upload, then browse, finally select the file and click Select). Then add a new sheet using the + icon at the bottom right of the spreadsheet. Upload the first competitor’s backlinks CSV, and repeat this process for all the competitors’ backlink CSVs.
- STEP 4: Backlinks opportunity filtering – Start selecting websites on the first sheet by coloring them green. The criteria for selecting a website are
- Must send a do-follow link to the competitor. (Check by ensuring it shows up in any of the competitor backlinks sheets)
- Must receive consistent organic traffic (check using Ubersuggest Traffic overview tab [For my fintech client’s case, Nairametrics past this criteria].
- STEP 5: Backlink opportunities extraction – Create a new sheet (add a new sheet using the + icon at the bottom right of the spreadsheet) and name it sorted. Copy all the websites marked green to the new sheet. [For my fintech client’s case, websites like Nairametrics, Technext, Techpoint got copied to the sorted list because they passed my criteria].
- STEP 6: Backlink opportunities contact discovery – Install a Chrome extension called apollo.io, sign up on the platform, visit each website on the sorted list, and click on the Apollo icon at the right-hand side of the page. Now, copy the name, phone number, and email of the editor or website manager to Google Sheets. Preferably, you can head to the contact page of the website to get their phone number and email.
- STEP 7: Guest post selection – For each website backlink opportunity, pick 3 topics you can offer by studying the posts that got your competitor backlinks from that website backlink opportunity. [For some topics were: How to buy gift cards in Nigeria, How freelancers can receive money in Nigeria through gift cards, and Top gift cards with the highest rate in Nigeria].
- STEP 8: Backlink outreach – Next, reach out to the contacts of each website backlink opportunity, offering to write a guest post for them with the topics you previously selected. Now for those who ask for payment, make the necessary payment. [Some major Nigerian publications, including ones like Nairametrics and Technext in my client’s case, require payment for guest posts ].
- STEP 9: Guest posting writing – Next, use Google Docs to write the article for each website, adhering to the writing style of each website, and ensure you include a link to your webpage in the article. Ensure you write a really great article using your experience and expertise, because a well-written post will have a more positive impact on your website.
NOTE:
As a Nigerian website, don’t ignore news and media websites that cover local happenings in Nigeria or in your state. They offer local relevance to your website. (Examples can be https://guardian.ng/, https://www.pulse.ng/, Legit.ng).
How to do guest posting outreach and secure guest post placements
When it comes to pitching to other websites, make sure you are offering something valuable in return. If you are offering value, it is difficult to get turned down.
Here is the process to use in securing guest post placement:
- Start with WhatsApp: Reach out to the website editor on WhatsApp first before email if you can find a WhatsApp number on their website. They respond faster and better there without feeling harassed, based on my experience. (This might not work if they are not Nigerian websites).
- Write a good cold email: Firstly, address them respectfully, introduce yourself briefly, and provide proof that you have read their content and are familiar with their website.
- Offer value: To guarantee a response, offer real value like an interesting guest post topic that will benefit them.
- Ask for guest post placement: Without pressure, ask for a guest post placement.
- Follow up: Sometimes after 1 or 2 follow-ups, the website manager usually replies, so follow up at least 3 times after 1 day of sending the previous email.
Guest posting outreach template:
Hello (name of editor)
I just finished reading (link to a blog post on their website you are familiar with), which enlightened me, particularly (section you enjoyed).
As a way to contribute to your website, I am offering to write
- Topic 1
- Topic 2
- Topic 3
I believe your audience will find those topics valuable as they focus on (their target audience’s needs).
Kindly tell me what it will take to get one of these topics live on your website. I am anticipating your response.
Best regards
(Your name)
Guest posting benefits
The primary reason why you should use guest posts is to earn backlinks, citations, and brand awareness.
- Guest posting helps build topical and local relevance to your website if you are posting on Nigerian sites in your niche.
- Guest posting can drive referral traffic, too, not just SEO value.
- Guest posting is one of the most scalable ways to earn contextual backlinks from relevant, authoritative websites.
Guest posting rules to follow when building backlinks
Building backlinks through a spammy or shady process is a violation of Google’s link spam policy, so it is important to avoid doing certain things.
- Avoid the overuse of exact-match anchor text in guest posts; it is manipulative link building. Use natural phrases for your backlinks, natural phrases that relate to the target page well.
- Avoid guest posting on websites that sell guest post slots.
- Avoid large-scale guest posting campaigns for link building. Google has explicitly called out large-scale guest posting campaigns for links alone as a violation of their spam policies.
How I track backlink results
Once a guest post goes live, keep tracking the backlink you built so you can see exactly all the backlinks you are getting and how they are affecting rankings.
At the end of your outreach and guest posting campaign for the month, head to Ubersuggest backlink overview and input your website homepage, go to the first seen column, and click on the up arrow twice until you see the most recent backlink. It will show you all the backlinks you just gained for the month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Building a single backlink doesn’t have a specific time duration, same as building backlinks at a large scale, but you can plan and execute a month, 3 months, or even 6 months link building campaign.
No, creating backlinks is not as hard as other SEOs make it seem; you need the right strategy and tools to implement your strategy.
Not all are paid for, but some host websites do ask for payment.
Conclusion
Using backlinks to make your website rank is a smart thing to do; building backlinks does not have to be complicated. With Ubersuggest, a Google Sheet, and a well-written outreach email, I can build backlinks that move your website up in Google rankings.
If you want backlinks built for your business without doing any of it yourself, reach out to Awele SEO company and let us handle it for you.
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