9 Link Building Benefits That Have Stood the Test of Time

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To build or not to build links? That's a question that every (at least) half-decent SEO or content marketer has pondered.

Yes, everyone knows they're important to rank for difficult keywords, but what else? Is there any more to the ROI that link-building brings to the table?

Well, that's what this blog will answer. Below, we go over 9 link building benefits that you reap in 2023 and beyond.

So…

What is Link Building?

Link building, simply, is getting other websites to link to yours. It can be done in a bunch of ways. Some are:-

1. Creating phenomenal content that attracts links just by being live on the internet

2. Writing guest posts on other websites and having them link to you

3. Asking website owners to link to you in relevant places

4. Adding your links to social profiles, forums, online communities etc.

And the list goes on. However, one thing to remember is that all links aren't the same. Ones from authoritative websites, in relevant places, pack the most link juice. They’re the ones you really ought to go after.

Now, with that out of the way, let's dive right into what this blog really is about.

The Benefits of Link Building for 2023 and Beyond

1. Ranking in the top 3 results on the first SERP

The relationship between backlinks and search traffic is clear. The more the former, the higher the latter.

That’s because backlinks are among the strongest ranking factors that Google considers. But of course, a caveat here is that backlink quality matters more than quantity. A link from a .gov or .edu website is worth far more than dozens of spammy links from a link farm.

So, if you want your website to hit the top 3 ranks on the first SERP, especially for competitive keywords, building high-quality backlinks is non-negotiable.

2. Improved Brand Building

Links are an authority signal for Google as well as for people on the web. So, an industry-leading publication linking to you creates opportunities for positive brand interactions.

Not only that but having a good amount of branded links equals more brand awareness. For example, if most tech reviewers talking about project management mention your software, people will notice that.

The compound effect of that will be your ICPs subconsciously associating your brand with the problem they are trying to solve. Moreover, if your brand's link adds genuine value to the content pieces it exists in, it will also foster trust in readers.

All in all, backlinks can do a fair amount of heavy lifting for your brand over large stretches of time.

3. Greater website traffic

Most websites that link to you will send traffic your way. For instance, a tech magazine may review your software and link to you in several places. Every click you receive from therein will move the needle for your website traffic.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Think about the impact that dedicated link-building efforts for several years can have. Over time, you'll have hundreds, if not thousands of websites linking to you, each sending you traffic.

In fact, Brian Dean from Backlinko once increased organic traffic by 110% by launching a massive link-building campaign. Here’s a snippet from his blog where he talks about the same:-

So, there you have it: Solid proof to believe in the traffic gain potential that building backlinks have.

4. More Opportunities to Build Relationships

Link building is inherently a value exchange. When done ethically, it's typically about creating value-packed guest posts for people you want links from.

A slew of other tactics also exists, but the essence of it all is to help people out and create chances for mutual growth. So, naturally, when you're building links at scale, you end up interacting with hundreds of people in your industry.

Now, several of these interactions may end up going nowhere, and that's okay. The few that do bear fruit make all the difference. They help you make new industry friends, fetch backlinks, and even create lasting brand partnerships.

5. A Positive Impact on Conversions

As we mentioned earlier, backlinks are yet another source of traffic to your website. Now, let's dig a little deeper into why that's far more valuable than other, less-intentional forms of traffic.

For starters, when someone clicks your link on another website, they're choosing to leave where they are to find out more about you. That's high intent from the get-go.

Now, think about what happens if your link leads to a conversion-optimised page with a great UX. Don't you see your revenue numbers rising already?

What's more is that referral traffic also has SEO benefits, which in turn can impact conversions from organic sources. Meaningly, at the end of the day, backlinks lend a little extra push to your conversions.

6. High Long-Term ROI

Here's the thing about link-building. Its effects are lasting in nature. Unlike paid ads that only work as long as you pour dollars into them, backlinks don't have a shelf life. As long as no one removes a backlink, it remains active forever.

What's even more interesting is that backlinks can even rise in value without you having to do anything at all. If a website that linked to you two years ago undergoes a massive growth cycle and climbs the DR/DA ladder like crazy, you also reap the benefits. The link now becomes more authoritative than before, giving you far greater returns than you had planned for.

This means that you can think of backlinks as assets that typically increase in value as time goes by.

7. A Sustainable Competitive Advantage

SEO teams that invest in link-building from the get-go have one thing figured out. They know that what may seem futile early on will turn into a competitive superpower later.

Even a mega-brand like Ahrefs feels the effects of this phenomenon. It ranks beneath Moz for several keywords even though their content quality isn't to blame. The differentiator is just that Moz's head start has given them so many backlinks that it will take years for Ahrefs to catch up.

Now, this effect isn't restricted to big names alone. Even small businesses can capture keywords this way. The double-whammy effect of building great content and high-quality backlinks is still underrated if you ask me.

8. Helps Crawlers (like Google) With Indexing

Following links is one of the fundamental mechanisms by which search engine crawlers discover new content. That’s why more backlinks mean faster indexing.

The rationale here is that every link that leads to your content/page is a new chance for the likes of Google to discover what you've created.

Experienced content teams know this well. So, they typically implement their link-building tactics within the first week of publishing a new piece of content.

The result? It not only gets indexed faster but also ranks higher.

9. Send Diversified Traffic To Your Website

Link building has undeniable organic search benefits. Competing for big keywords without them is the SEO version of bringing knives to a gunfight.

But there's another benefit of link building that often goes underappreciated. It helps diversify the sources from which your website gets traffic.

This is worth acknowledging because diversified traffic helps capture your ICPs in as many places as possible.

Now, What Should You Do Next?

If this blog has done even half its job, you're either thinking of:-

Kicking off your link-building journey, or...

Scaling what you're already doing.

In both cases, you'll be glad you stuck till the end. Because what you're about to read next will help you take your link-building game to Super Saiyan mode.

So, here goes. For the last six months, we've obsessed over the A to Z of link-building. From its true power to the ways in which it's broken, we've studied it all with the passion of crazed scientists.

Why, you ask? To build Smartlinks: A platform that gives everyone the ability to easily build backlinks (at scale). Think of it like the world’s best dating app but for link-building.

And did we mention that it's completely white hat? That means that you don't have to worry about Evil Corp (sorry, Google) penalising your website. All you have to think about is the keywords and content you want backlinks for.

But enough talk. Why don’t you click this link, step into the future of link building, and see what it feels like for yourself?