Five Expert Tips on Using ECommerce Link Building to Grow Your Business

In the fast-paced world of ecommerce, a well-crafted link-building strategy is more than just a boost for your SEO—it’s a powerful engine for driving traffic, increasing credibility, and accelerating business growth. Building quality links requires expert strategy and relentless focus, from creating link-worthy content to mastering outreach campaigns.

Straight off the bat, here are five expert ecommerce link building strategies to kickstart your own link building strategy:

1. Create high-quality, linkable content for high quality links. 
2. Reach out to relevant, non-competing sites. 
3. Search for unlinked brand mentions. 
4. Identify broken links. 
5. Secure guest posts from niche-relevant sites.

Quick Takeaways: 
1. High-Quality Content is Essential: Creating valuable, engaging, and link-worthy content is the foundation of any successful link-building strategy. Data-driven articles, original research, helpful resources, category pages, tool widgets, fax pages, and interactive tools can naturally attract backlinks.

2. Outreach to Relevant Websites: Building relationships with non-competing but relevant sites in your niche is crucial for gaining high-quality backlinks. Personalized, polite outreach increases the chances of success.

3. Capitalize on Unlinked Brand Mentions: Identifying and converting unlinked brand mentions into backlinks is a quick and effective way to enhance your site's authority and SEO.

4. Fix Broken Links: Replacing broken links on other sites with your own relevant content helps improve both your SEO and the user experience for those sites.

5. Guest Posting for Backlinks: Writing guest posts for niche-relevant websites is a part of effective link building strategies to secure valuable backlinks while also expanding your reach to new audiences. 

‍Why Trust Our Advice?
‍Searchant has extensive experience developing ecommerce link-building strategies that drive measurable results. By leveraging a deep understanding of SEO best practices, our team crafts customized campaigns that enhance domain authority, improve search engines rankings, and increase organic traffic for ecommerce websites. With a focus on quality over quantity, Searchant ensures that each backlink is not only relevant but also aligns with the client’s target audience, boosting both visibility and credibility. Our approach combines innovative tactics, from outreach and content creation to competitor analysis and relationship building, to create sustainable growth for online retailers.

Whether you are looking for a handful of DR50 links or a range of guest posts on authoritative, niche-relevant websites, our team is well-equipped to help eCommerce websites of every size build links.

Link Building For Ecommerce Websites: Why Does It Matter?

To use a fashion analogy, your ecommerce website needs to be the 5th Avenue for your product or service. And the best way to achieve that? 

Through the strategic SEO efforts of ecommerce link building.

As our founder Marcus Clarke says, "Your ecommerce website requires multiple marketing efforts to advertise and drive traffic to your website. But one of the most important efforts should be building links back to your site and your overall link building strategy for your brand."

Most importantly, link building is one of the most critical factors for establishing authority in the eyes of Google and other search engines. High-quality backlinks signal to search engines like Google that your website is a trusted and valuable resource within its industry, helping to elevate your position in search engine results pages (SERPs).‍
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By building a diverse and robust network of quality links from reputable sites, you demonstrate relevance and authority, which Google considers when assessing your site's credibility. This not only improves your rankings but also drives organic traffic and builds brand recognition. Effective link-building goes beyond just acquiring links; it’s about fostering relationships, building content that others naturally want to reference, and ultimately positioning your ecommerce website at the top of SERPs.

ECommerce Business Crushing the Link Building Game: Walmart

Unexpectedly, a giant in the ecommerce world is also a giant amongst brick and mortar stores: Walmart.

As of 2021, Walmart made $53 billion in ecommerce sales, a 70% increase year-over-year. How did this untraditional Goliath break through and outrank its competitors in a pretty small space? Ultimately, done through a series of strategic efforts in keyword strategy, third party sellers, and backlink acquisition.

The Good looks at their successful backlink strategy: ‍‍‍

"Walmart does a great job of consistently gaining more backlinks. Even more interesting is the quality of backlinks they receive. Most of the backlinks the company receives are do-follow backlinks, which is pretty awesome in SEO terms.

Walmart also engages in a constant quest for new backlinks. This allows them to stay on top of their game and balance losing backlinks and getting new ones. Overall, Walmart is getting more backlinks than it is losing. And this allows the company to stay and remain at the top of the SERPs."

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‍In conclusion, when an ecommerce website has high authority, dominates keyword strategy, and continually obtains more backlinks than they lose (especially those with high domain authority), the result is consistent growth. 

ow whether you're a top-dog online retailer or not, these strategies can still be applied to your ecommerce store to aid in your success online.
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5 Expert Strategies for Ecommerce Link Building
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So let's go deeper into effective ecommerce link building strategies.

1. Create High-Quality, Linkable Content

‍The foundation of successful link building is creating content that people naturally want to link to. This type of content provides value, engages readers, and offers something unique that compels other sites to reference it. Here are some effective approaches to crafting high-quality, linkable content:

• Write “XYZ Statistics” Articles: Data-driven content is incredibly link-worthy because people love citing reliable statistics to support their own articles, presentations, and research. By compiling comprehensive and up-to-date statistics relevant to your industry or niche, you establish your site as a go-to resource. For example, an article titled “2024 Ecommerce Statistics You Need to Know” can attract backlinks from blogs, media outlets, and industry websites looking for credible sources to back up their claims.
• Include Original Information: Original research, such as surveys, case studies, or in-depth analyses, provides new insights that others can’t find elsewhere. This unique data not only adds credibility to your content but also makes it highly shareable and linkable. When you invest time and resources into gathering original information, you’re creating content that has the potential to stand out in your field and attract organic backlinks for your ecommerce site.
• Offer a Unique Perspective: Content that introduces a fresh viewpoint or challenges conventional wisdom can capture attention and generate discussions. Sharing a unique perspective—whether it’s a contrarian opinion, an emerging trend, or a new take on a familiar topic—encourages others to link to your content to add depth to their own discussions. Articles like “Why Traditional Link-Building Techniques Are Becoming Obsolete” can be powerful because they spark interest and encourage people to link back to your site for a full explanation of your stance.
• Create an Interactive Component, Such as a Calculator: Interactive tools like calculators, quizzes, or assessments add an engaging, hands-on element to your content that readers love sharing. These tools can address specific needs or questions within your target audience, such as a “SEO ROI Calculator” that helps users estimate the potential returns from their SEO efforts. Not only do these tools provide value, but they also create a reason for other websites to link back to your content as a resource their audience can benefit from.

Most importantly, creating high-quality content isn’t just about aesthetics—it needs to outperform your competitors. Start by researching how they present similar information. Feature this content on a blog platform linked to your products, making it easy for others to reference in backlinks. Additionally, focus on creating guides and roundups—types of relevant blog posts that are often sought out and stand out in search results.
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2. Reach Out To Relevant, Non-Competing Websites

Speaking of inbound links rolling in, we truly wish we could tell you it happens magically after you hit publish. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. This is where outreach comes into play. Effective methods for outreach include digital PR strategy and influencer marketing. 

When reaching out to propose a backlink suggestion, remember to keep your message short, to the point, and polite. No one wants aggressive or persistent requests for backlinks in their inbox. (Tip: Also be sure your email is legally correct for whatever areas you and your addressee are in.) 

Lastly, be creative but not too creative. Be familiar with the industry niche, maybe include something you like that stood out to you, but keep it professional. Remember, influencers will get lots of these emails on a daily basis and you need to stand out both in how you reach out and what you're offering. This isn't a good case for using copy/paste email templates from ChatGPT; instead craft something meaningful and eye-catching and most of all unique, but well-written.

3. Identify and Leverage Unlinked Brand Mentions

Think back to group projects in school—ever put in a ton of effort only to have your name left off the final presentation? Frustrating, right? This is similar to what happens with unlinked brand mentions. When other websites mention your brand but don’t link back to your ecommerce site, they’re missing a crucial opportunity to direct their readers to your content, product pages, or services.

By searching for unlinked mentions of your brand, you can reach out and request a link. This is often a straightforward way to gain relevant backlinks since they’re already talking about you. You’ve invested time and effort into building your brand and creating great content, so it’s only fair to receive the proper credit—and traffic—that comes when websites link back to your site.

Use SEO tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and Buzzstream to produce a list of linked and unlinked brand mentions.

4. Identify Broken Links & Capitalize

In the dynamic world of the web, links often break due to site changes, removed content, or outdated URLs. For ecommerce businesses and especially for you ecommerce link building strategy, finding and replacing these broken but quality links with your own relevant content is a powerful SEO strategy that benefits both you and the site you’re helping. When you offer a replacement for a broken link, you’re not only improving your site’s authority but also assisting other websites in maintaining a smooth, user-friendly experience that avoids dead ends.

So, how can your ecommerce website find and capitalize on these broken link opportunities? Start with tools like the Check My Links browser extension, which allows you to quickly scan web pages for broken links. More comprehensive tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush enable you to perform a deeper analysis, allowing you to enter specific domains and filter by “Outgoing Links” to reveal broken links across an entire site.

Once you identify broken ecommerce backlinks, consider which of your pages or product pages could be a natural fit as a replacement. Reach out to the website owner or other ecommerce sites with a personalized message, including the broken URL for easy reference, and suggest your relevant link as an improved alternative; consistently maintaining high link quality. Make sure your replacement link not only works but also provides enhanced value to their readers. For instance, if the broken link originally led to a product comparison, offer your own in-depth comparison or a high-quality product page.

When done thoughtfully, this approach is quick for other sites to implement, strengthens their content, and helps you secure valuable backlinks with minimal effort. It’s a win-win strategy that builds relationships, boosts SEO, and enhances the online experience for users on both ends.

5. Guest Posts
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Guest posting is one of the most effective methods of link building efforts to quickly build your backlink profile and reach new audiences. Essentially, a guest post involves writing an article for another website in your niche and including relevant links and anchor text back to your own site and products.

Why is guest posting such a successful SEO strategy? Critically, the website owner benefits from fresh, relevant content, while you gain valuable backlinks, external links, and exposure to a broader audience—creating a mutually beneficial relationship.

When proposing a guest post opportunity, it’s important to be polite, confident, and clear about the value you bring. Choose websites within your niche where your content will resonate and have a natural fit. Aim to embed your ecommerce links in a way that feels relevant and purposeful, rather than promotional.

Respect the website owner’s authority to make any adjustments to your article, as it will be published on their site. Allowing them this flexibility not only shows respect but also builds a better working relationship.

To increase your chances of a successful pitch, demonstrate a genuine understanding of their site and its content. When reaching out, mention specific articles or topics they’ve covered that you found insightful, and explain why your proposed guest post will resonate with their audience. You might say something like, “I really enjoyed your article on [specific topic], and I believe a piece on [your proposed topic] would provide additional value to your readers."

By tailoring your approach to the website’s audience and most importantly, content style, you create a stronger case for why your guest post will be beneficial. Thoughtful, well-aligned guest posts not only help you build high-quality backlinks but also establish credibility in your industry and strengthen your SEO efforts.

Ecommerce Link Building By Searchant - A Case Study

Searchant ecommerce clients have all experienced tremendous growth over the course of a few months through the use of our advanced link building strategies and our effective, personalized link building strategy.

Our eCommerce link-building strategy focuses on two methods: passive link building through HARO and similar platforms (like Connectivity, Terkel, Featured.com) and strategic digital PR. From day one, we initiate HARO-based link building, typically generating 1-5 high-authority, editorially-gained links monthly, which gradually enhance domain authority without risk. For long-term strategy, after 4-5 months, we implement targeted digital PR campaigns around seasonal events or timely themes (e.g., Christmas or summer), maximizing visibility and impact.

Over a 12-month campaign, this strategy led to a 62.07% increase in organic traffic, a 141.31% boost in organic revenue, and an impressive ROI of 1,866.38%. Searchant can bring you these results, too. With a team of dedicated SEO professionals and experts in link building, Searchant can find suitable sites and conduct outreach measures bringing success to your ecommerce brand, ultimately improving your site's SEO.
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Link Building For Ecommerce Businesses: Why Use Searchant?
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Searchant's knowledge, experience, and expertise in the SEO industry helps you create content that is specific to your own website. From integrating internal links to capitalizing on a high traffic blog post, to addressing broken links or establishing an ecommerce link building campaign, Searchant proudly does it all.

Ultimately, our methods work and lead to a higher domain authority and increased revenue for your ecommerce store.

Ecommerce Link Building Tactics: Done-For-You Service

With Searchant, you can leave the technical and complex link building tactics to us while you focus on building and expanding your products. What sets Searchant apart is its commitment to sustainable, long-term growth for your ecommerce business. Searchant understands that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in today’s diverse digital landscape, which is why they develop customized strategies for each client. 

From content-driven link building and competitor analysis to outreach and relationship building, Searchant employs a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach designed to elevate your brand above the competition. By choosing Searchant, ecommerce businesses gain a dedicated partner focused on driving results and helping them establish a stronger, more authoritative position in their industry.

Together, we'll create the ultimate ecommerce business that is both seeing an increase in organic traffic and bringing in revenue for you.