Outreach for Backlinks in 2021: The Do’s and Dont’s

A good online presence is crucial to your business if you want to succeed in the digital age. But to grow a business you need more traffic on your website. This can be done using backlinks, one of the major tools used in SEO. Backlinks help in getting your website better rankings on the search engines. Better rankings on search engines ensure more traffic on your website, generating better leads and in turn helping your business grow. Many businesses and startups are now generating quality backlinks and improving their online presence as a whole by partnering with the leading digital agencies in Mumbai, Bangalore, and other metro cities. If you want to boost your SEO performance, here are the Do’s and Donts that you must follow to get a good backlink outreach.

The Do’s for Getting a Good Backlink Outreach

Let's first understand the things you need to focus on to get a good backlink outreach.

1. Be Brief- The person you’re communicating with might be getting numerous emails in a day. Your first goal while approaching them should simply be to just get a response. Nothing works better than a concise, to-the-point and decluttered message.
2. Personalize the Message- Personalize your emails. This shows that you care about the other person and also that you have done your research.
3. Providing Value- Providing value is one of the best ways to catch someone's attention. Make sure that your proposal provides value in any shape or form to the person you’re trying to connect with. The value can be in form of providing data insights or inputs for their website.
4. Create Curiosity- Create a message that piques the curiosity of the concerned person. This is the reason why the word “quick” is often used in subject lines as it creates curiosity in the mind of the reader and gets him to click on it. 
5. Ask for a small favor- Psychology says that asking for small favors leads the other individual to think more likely of you perhaps trust you. Your proposal must not sound manipulative, it must portray that you’re also trying to enhance the other person’s website while ensuring your link success. This creates a win-win situation for both parties.
6. Build a relationship- Work towards creating an honest and helpful relationship with the person rather than just focusing on getting links from them.
7. Spell their name Correctly- Incorrect spelling is probably the last thing you’d want in the email. If you don’t know the correct spelling, research it on the internet or ask the person. 
8. Similar Social Circle- The person is more likely to trust you if you have a similar social life. Create a mutual connection with them by talking about things that are common between for eg common conferences you attended, etc.
9. Professional Email Signature- Always use a professional signature at the end of your email to indicate that you are a business individual and not a spammer.
10. Check the Email Before Sending- Always check your email before sending it to them. A great tactic you can use is to wait at least 30 minutes before sending the email you've just created. After waiting, triple-check the email and make sure there are no spelling errors.
11. Keep a track- It is very important to keep a track of the below-mentioned things- the date on which you have sent the outreach email; to who was the email sent; whether or not they responded back; if yes, then what did they mention in the response?; have you followed up on the response?
12. Follow up - Make sure you follow up on their response. Also in your outreach, it's always a good idea to mention any other famous names or media sources if possible.

The Dont’s When Doing Backlink Outreach

1. Don’t do Blanketed Outreach- Blanketed outreach or bulk outreach involves sending the same message to a lot of people at once. Since this first contact with the person is the most vital, it's crucial to take the time to make it as personal as possible.
2. Don't be rude- Do not frame the message in a way that might seem rude to people. Be polite in your approach.
3. Don't ask for the link- Never ask for a link in the first outreach. Build a relationship with the person and when he/she feels comfortable with you, you can ask for a link.
4. Don’t use spam triggers- When approaching someone, avoid using spam triggers. Your message could be perceived as spam by the recipient if you use words like "dear," "click,", "opportunity," etc. 
5. Don't contact someone again after refusal- If someone refuses or seems disinterested in your first outreach, don't contact them again. This can get you flagged as spam and cause problems for you moving forward.

Now that we have focused on the do’s and don’t of link building outreach, let’s take a sneak-peak of what we read so far:

• Reach out to people who are already aware of you or your brand. You don't have to spend extra time building a rapport in this case and can start a conversation with them straight away.
• In email subject lines, make sure you include something you have in common with the person. It can make them feel more comfortable, as well as increase your open rates for outreach.
• Research thoroughly before approaching the individual. Filter the prospects and only approach those who can get better rankings for your website.

Identify the target websites and prepare your content before you start the outreach. Keep your email short and sweet and try to offer value rather than just get a backlink. Following these, Do’s, Dont’s and Tips will surely help you communicate effectively and professionally with people and ultimately generate great backlinks in turn improving your website’s rankings.