Contextual Link Building

Contextual links are links that are strategically inserted within a body of text. They have a higher SEO value than traditional links and will boost your Search Engine Results Page (SERP) ranking.

In this article, we will:‍

• Describe the process of quality contextual link building,
• Display contextual links we have created,
• List the benefits of contextual link building, and
• Describe strategies for successful contextual link building.

What are Contextual Links?

In the past, link building focused mainly on link quantity. However, link building is about quality links to bring the most SEO value. Contextual links are challenging to obtain, but they are the most beneficial for SEO and growing organic traffic.

To successfully build quality contextual links, they must be within a paragraph and be related to the idea discussed within that paragraph. The content linked within the section must direct readers to content that interests them and adds value to their reading.
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For example:

Let's say you have a page about link building and the various link building strategies. Your target audience is interested in this subject and seeking to learn more about it. Adding internal links to this page and others like it that go into more detail about link building will add value to their reading and raise the SEO value of that page.

Place the link within a paragraph and name it something relevant, in this case, 'contextual link building,' so the reader knows exactly what content they will be directed to if they click the link.

Another example is utilizing social media to build a contextual link. You can create a primary paragraph that talks about a specific subject and place a contextual backlink to a page or pages that go into more detail. These relevant links will draw in users that have a genuine interest in the topic and add value to your social media post.
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Benefits of Contextual Link Building

uSERP surveyed over 800 SEOs about link building. They determined that 67.5% believe building backlinks significantly impacts search ratings, and 85% think it affects brand authority. In addition, 56.2% believe that the quality and quantity of external links significantly impact search rankings.

There are incredible benefits derived from focusing on contextual backlinks in your link building strategy.

The following are seven benefits:

1. Improve SEO and SERP

SEO or search engine optimization is optimizing a website to appear higher within the SERP or search engine results page.

The following efforts can optimize web pages:
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• Creating content that is optimized using proper formatting and keywords.
• Utilizing the technical configuration to optimize the web page's SEO value.
• Building quality contextual backlinks that drive relevant organic traffic and increase your search rankings.

2. Develop Relationships within Your Industry

Contextual link building can help you build relationships with other companies within your industry. These relationships are mutually beneficial because you can share reciprocal links.

Reciprocal link building is the process of finding a company within your industry that is not a direct competitor and building contextual backlinks to each other's relevant content.

For example, a realtor and mortgage companies adding contextual links to one another's web pages can drive organic traffic and help optimize SEO for both companies.
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3. Increase Trust and Credibility

The best contextual links are from websites with high domain authority, increasing people's trust in your site and content. Websites with high domain authority have large amounts of traffic, more contextual backlinks, and low bounce rates.

For example, writing about a health topic linked to the NHI (National Health Institute) will increase trust in your content and your website.
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4. Set Yourself Apart as an Expert

Much like linking to trusted sources leads to more credibility, having sites with a high-quality content links to you sets you apart as an expert. When performing outreach to request that sites link to your content, ensure that you are contacting quality sites that create great content and are also trusted to provide the most benefit.
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5. Increase Relevant Organic Traffic

Contextual linking will increase organic traffic to your website in two ways. The first is through the link itself. Your target audience will likely want to read your written content if it relates and adds value to their reading. The second is through optimizing SEO and increasing search engine ranking.
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6. Increase Quality Leads

When you secure high-quality contextual links from other websites, you increase relevant traffic to your site. When readers come to your site already interested in your content, they are more likely to purchase your product and are considered high-quality leads.

Once these leads enter your site, ensure your content will interest them and include calls to action encouraging them to sign up for newsletters or purchase your product. This will increase conversion rates.
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7. Increase Brand Awareness

Brand awareness means your company comes to mind when someone thinks of products and services within your industry. A brand mention won't necessarily increase traffic on its own, but it will increase conversion rates and lower bounce rates.
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Strategies for Contextual Link Building

Contextual link building is complex and must be done correctly to gain the most benefits. So much so that 60% of businesses outsource their link building to ensure success.

We compiled a list of nine key components that will lead to a successful strategy.

1. Create Quality Content

There are vast amounts of content at every person's fingertips while using the web. Content marketing is essential, and quality must go beyond formatting and grammatical correctness. It must be written to draw in the attention of your target audience, add more value than already available content, and have effective calls-to-action that prompt your readers to take the desired action, like subscribing to a newsletter or purchasing a product.
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2. Focus On Quality Links Rather Than Quantity

Google and other search engine algorithms place more weight on links from websites with high domain authority, especially those naturally like contextual links.

In addition, links from poor websites that spam links can hurt your SEO because they are cheating the system. If you notice links from spam-like websites, try to get them removed.
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3. Guest Post

Guest posting is an excellent way to add more contextual links to your website. Guest posts are typically done when one company creates a blog post for another.

For example, a mortgage company creating a blog post for a realtor company's blog receives an external link to its web page.
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4. Become a Content Partner

Content Partners are where two similar but not competing brands collaborate on content marketing and creation. Working with a content partner can be done in a couple of ways, including;

• Two companies working together to create shared content you both share with your audiences to increase viewership, or
• One company creates content relevant to both websites, and both partners promote it, and vice versa.

5. Utilize a Podcast or Create Your Own

Podcasts are an excellent way to increase brand awareness and set yourself apart as an expert.

Utilize podcast directories to find podcasts where you could showcase your knowledge and add value and reach out to hosts about featuring or interviewing you. Podcasts will often lead to more links through show notes as well.
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6. Fix Broken Links

Links are hard enough to obtain, so it is frustrating that all that work is negated when a link breaks. Ensure you regularly check for broken links within your page and externally and take action to repair them.
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7. Interview Experts or Be Interviewed

People love to read content created by industry experts because it adds immense value and contributes to high quality content. Find experts to feature on your page or be featured as an expert on another page within your industry.
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8. Create Newsworthy Content

Newsworthy content will enable you to obtain contextual links from high quality sites. There are vital elements that contribute to a newsworthy piece. They include:
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• Has the right timing, ensure that your piece is on a topic that is trending and will have high interest.
• Ensure it is credible and accurate.
• Ensure it is written in a way that grabs the reader's attention and invokes emotion.

9. Social Media Links

Not all links will lead to high volumes of traffic. However, social media links will increase brand awareness and build trust even if someone doesn't visit your site.
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Best Practices for Contextual Link Building

Like any marketing strategy, several best practices will ensure the most success.

These include:
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Choosing Relevant Websites

Relevancy is necessary when linking within site content. The link has to provide value directly in the area it's placed and be a source of support to what is being discussed in that exact location on that page.
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Choose Quality Websites

High-quality websites are those that readers trust, have high domain authority, and create their own quality content.
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Properly Choose Anchor Text

Ensure you are utilizing proper keywords that demonstrate what the content will entail by using longer, more descriptive phrases.
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Ensure it is Natural

You don't want to slap your link in the middle of a sentence in a way that makes no sense. Ensure the mention flows with the rest of the article and is not placed within the first paragraph.
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Make sure your contextual links are successful!
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• Select strategies that make sense for your company, and track your efforts to measure success and guide future efforts.
• Ensure you create quality content that adds value to readers and is relevant to your target audience.
• Ensure you work with and are linked by relevant, high-quality web pages with high domain authority.
• Choose your anchor text wisely and place it properly.

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