After last week’s musings on why SEO is so important, I had a few customers ask about Backlinks.
Specifically, the questions I was asked were:
- What is a backlink?
- Are backlinks essential?
- What should we be linking?
- Are some sites better or worse than others?
- How do I get backlinks?
I also had a question about why I promote marketing for florists so much and an observation that it often feels so overwhelming.
I promote marketing for florists because these tools and guides deliver results for many florists wanting to build their online businesses.
So onto backlinks!
What is a backlink?
A backlink is just a link to your website from another website or online source. It’s not rocket science!
Are backlinks essential?
YES!
Backlinks are essential, and on the list of things, you can do yourself easily. They should be part of your business strategy!
Backlinks are vital because they help improve your Google rankings.
However, if you haven’t already done the other basic things for SEO, this is one of the last things to do.
What should we be linking?
Ideally, it would be best if you were linking to a page of your website that is most relevant, whether the homepage or a specific product category type, such as Valentine’s Day flowers, etc.
When the links are added, the “anchor text” or the words you click on to go to the website should be more than just your brand name. Things like:
Amazing Suburb name Florist
Florist Name is open seven days a week and has a five-star google rating.
Are some sites better or worse than others?
In a word, YES!
The higher quality the website links to your site, the more value for your SEO.
Ideally, you want to get links from informative websites of higher quality.
How do I get backlinks?
Ok, strap in and pay attention to this guide for building backlinks to your website!
Traditionally, link-building campaigns involve emailing the owners of loads of websites with requests for reciprocal links or guest articles on blogs.
Whilst this has validity for many businesses, it’s far more difficult for florists to achieve.
Instead, here are the top ten places to build backlinks for florists
- Google Business Listing & other citation websites
- Social Media Profiles
- Ask for links to mentions
- Shopping centre websites
- Community websites and directories
- Council websites
- Local groups, sports clubs, parents' clubs, schools
- Florist Directories
- Write testimonials on other websites you purchase from
- Reach out to local media sites and sources
Google Business Listing & other citation websites
One of the easiest ways of getting links is to add your website to various business listing websites.
Some important ones are listed below:
- Google My Business https://www.google.com/business/
- Bing Business Listing https://www.bingplaces.com
- Yellow Pages https://www.yellow.com.au/product/yellow-online/
- Yelp https://business.yelp.com
- Hotfrog https://admin.hotfrog.com.au/add/index-card
- Truelocal https://www.truelocal.com.au
Social Media Profiles
Make sure your website is listed on your social media profiles; it’s quick and easy!
Ask for links to mentions.
This one is a bit more involved. You need to start by doing a google search for your business name.
Visit each of the websites and look to see where they have mentioned your business.
If the website doesn’t link to you but instead mentions your business, you can contact the website owner and ask them to link your mention to your website.
Some will assist, and some will not.
Shopping centre websites
If you are in a shopping centre or shopping precinct, most have websites; ask them to add your website address to your profile!
Community websites and directories
Often, the communities in your store will have a website or Facebook page. These are great places to ask for a link to your website too.
Council websites
Often local councils will have pages of local business listings, go to your local council website and have a look. If you find a page, there should be a contact form or email address.
Local groups, sports clubs, parents' clubs, schools
Smaller communities tend to have a lot of Facebook groups and small websites dedicated to a wide variety of groups. Many of these actively seek out sponsorship for their groups and will willingly add links to your website on their websites for you.
Keep an eye out for websites promoting these local groups or search for opportunities.
Florist Directories
Many websites list florist websites, do a google search for these and add your website to these directories.
Write testimonials on other websites you purchase from
If you purchase something from a website or business, you can leave a review of the purchase. Many reviews allow you to use your business name and website address. This is an effective way of building new links too.
Reach out to local media sites and sources
Finally, don’t be afraid of sending emails to local news websites and websites about the specials you have in-store and online. Most local community newsletters and websites are crying out for relevant content.
If they mention your business, ensure they also provide a link to the website.
