5 recommended link building books, we have actually read!
Link building…”Get links back to your website”, “It will help your SEO”.
A couple of phrases you have most probably heard, usually from an SEO expert or guru (I`m not including us in that as we like to see ourselves as SEO specialists 😉)
So, you`re probably thinking “what is link building?” and “why is it so important?”
Well, before I take a deeper look at the 5 books I would recommend, let me just explain and hopefully make it clearer as to what link building is and, yes those guru`s were correct, why it is so important for you and your website.
Table of Contents
What is link building?
Basically, link building is the simple process of acquiring links from other websites to your own.
Did you really just say “simple” Martin? It`s actually not that simple and that`s where these 5 great books can help you.
Link building is carried out in order to improve your website’s search engine ranking and visibility. The more links you have pointing to your website, the higher it will appear in search results.
In my experience, there are many different ways to build links, but some of the most common include guest blogging, directory submissions, and social media outreach. It really can be a time-consuming and tedious process, but it’s definitely worth it if you want to increase your website’s traffic and visibility.
Why is link building important?
There’s no denying that link building is important and is a key part of your SEO campaign and strategy. “But why Martin, why? Why is it so important to build links to our website?”
Well, there are various reasons and I could write a whole other blog post around this subject, actually I probably will!
There is absolutely no doubt that links help improve your website’s visibility. The more links you have, valuable and relevant links I must add, pointing to your site, the more likely people are to find it.
Backlinks can also help improve your search engine rankings, it is as simple as that. Search engines use a variety of factors to determine where websites should rank in their search results. One of those factors is the number and quality of links pointing to a website, you notice I said “quality”. So, if you want to improve your chances of ranking well in search results, link building is essential.
Backlinks can also help drive traffic to your website, and when people click on those links to your site, they’re effectively giving you a vote of confidence. The more votes you have, the more traffic you’re likely to get.
So that is just 3 good reasons to make link building a priority. If you’re not already doing it, now is the time to start!
Top 5 link building books on Amazon
The following 5 books are not ranked in any order of importance or popularity. They are 5 books that myself and Martyn have read, and used the tips and strategies that we have learned from all five of them.
Ultimate Guide to Link Building
Internet marketing guru Garrett French and link-building ace Eric Ward will show you how to:
- Carry out a link audit and a market analysis.
- Create a methodical, long-term plan for establishing links.
- Seek out and make contact with high-quality, high-ranking websites whose content you find valuable.
- Learn to tell traffic links from ranking links
- Always follow the rules set forth by search engines.
- Paperback
- 282 pages
- Also available on Kindle
I honestly think this is very good value, I paid £15.95 for the paperback edition and found it very useful for link building techniques. Tactics we still use today to build backlinks for our clients.
Not only is this ideal for anyone working in the SEO industry, but it is a great reference book to have if you manage your own SEO and link building strategy.
Link Building Mastery
Link Building Mastery: How to Rank Higher, Grow Your SEO Traffic and Build Authority with Backlinks. With those last 4 words being key here “Build Authority with Backlinks”.
Published in 2021 this book still sits in a prime spot on our bookshelf, well in my office in St Neots!
Julian Goldie, the author, is the owner of an SEO link building agency and his expertise certainly comes across in the publication.
By reading Link Building Mastery you will find out:
- 9 proven link building strategies that actually work
- The free link building strategy that grew Julian`s client’s SEO traffic from zero to 70,000+ per month
- Free DR80+ backlinks: Julian`s 5-minute strategy
- One simple outreach technique that guarantees you’ll get backlinks (without writing a single blog post)
- Why 90% of websites can’t even be found In Google
- How you can rank quickly
As an added bonus, there are 3 supplementary resources:
- 5 Internal Link Building Hacks to Skyrocket Your Organic Traffic
- How to Outsource Content Writing and Save Hundreds of Hours
- You get unlimited access to Julian`s link-building video course at no extra cost
I actually found the free course very informative and interesting, in my opinion the £9 I spent on the book was well worth the money just for the course!
- Paperback
- 120 pages
- Also available on Kindle
A shorter and more concise book but it certainly covers everything you ideally need to know about building links back to your website.
As I mentioned above, the free video course was very informative and worth the cost of the book alone. This book will give you a very clear framework on where to begin if you are new to link building.
The thing I really loved about Julian`s book is that he helps save you the heartache and time by explaining about the mistakes to avoid. Not only that but he explains everything in a simple step-by-step manner, which I loved.
3 Months to No. 1
Ok, confession time!
Not a specific backlink building book but more of your general SEO/Google tactics kind of book.
Will Coombe, a top SEO guy based in London, gives you his “No-Nonsense” titled paperback which basically helps you get seen on Google. Ideal for SEO beginners with step-by-step checklists and blueprints (now I am a checklist kind of bloke who loves the word “blueprint”. Perhaps I need to get out more!).
In Will`s book you’ll find:
- The basics of online marketing
- Methods for finding profitable search terms
- Making WordPress SEO friendly
- Methods for mastering the specifics of the technical aspects
- Links: How to get them
- Learn the fundamentals of content promotion
- The use of a social media
- Why you need local SEO if you run a regional company
- SEO for online Shops (inc. Shopify, Magento, & WooCommerce)
- Understanding and avoiding Google penalties
- Why it’s more efficient to wear a white hat and avoid cheating Google
- Paperback
- 247 pages
- Also available on Kindle
Now, in my opinion, this isn`t just any old paperback written by an “SEO expert”. This is a great resource written y an SEO expert, it is as simple as that!
Not only is Will`s book ideal for those in the SEO game, it is ideal for anyone in business who really want to get their business found online.
The beauty of this book is that I honestly felt it was written for me as I love checklists and blueprints, and I was ready to follow them to the letter.
SEO 2021
Dr Andy Williams excellent paperback does what it says on the tin!
An actionable, hands-on SEO series. Ok, a year out of date and as you well know, a lot can happen in the world of SEO in a year!
However, the basics are still in place and this is a safe and effective SEO strategy (Dr Williams words not mine) that works.
Everything you need to know is in this book, and it includes:
- Explaining search engine optimisation and its primary ranking factors
- Recent major Google updates (2021) and how they have altered SEO strategies
- Making content that is both useful and engaging for readers and search engines
- Finding the most relevant keywords and phrases for any piece of writing
- Schema and website structure and organisation of the site
- How you can define authority and grow in stature
- Finding trustworthy, high-quality backlinks to improve your SEO
- Providing useful content to users while satisfying search engines
- A thorough analysis of the website’s SEO to identify any issue
- Paperback
- 290 pages
- Also available on Kindle
This is the second book of Dr Andy Williams I have bought. The other being WordPress for Beginners 2022 (I know, I like to think I know WordPress back-to-front, but it never hurts to keep learning!)
Both books have been an easy read, easy to follow and understand. The step-by-step approach is one that I really do like. It is clear that Andy (may I call you Andy?) is a good teacher and this book will certainly help the beginner to SEO as well as the more advanced users in the industry.
Common sense advice.
SEO 2022
Last and by no means least, is SEO 2022 by Adam Clarke.
To give it its full title “SEO 2022 Learn Search Engine Optimization With Smart Internet Marketing Strategies. Sort of rolls off the tongue doesn`t it?
Joking aside, this is an excellent book. In fact, I`ve read it twice already!
Adam explains techniques right from the beginner level to the advanced and was recently updated in June 2022.
It simply does not matter what your background or level of SEO expertise is, Adam walks you through his techniques with ease. I loved it!
In this SEO book you will find:
- First, the basics and beyond of SEO are broken down and explained in plain English
- Methods used by Google’s algorithm to rank search results
- Identifying the “money keywords” that will bring visitors to your site is the third step
- Subtle techniques for improving a company’s local search engine rankings
- 5 no-cost strategies for getting media attention
- Learn powerful link building techniques to get top rankings
- A checklist with easy-to-follow instructions and video guides
- Paperback
- 243 pages
- Available on Kindle
- Available on Audiobook
- Available in Hardcover
Now, this book doesn`t sit on my bookshelf, it sits on my desk! A great reference book full of resources and I am still using it nearly every single day.
I really enjoyed reading this the first time, but I still keep going back to it. In Chapter 5 it reinforced what I already knew and that is the importance of social media on SEO. But for me it was the link building chapter that has really proved valuable.
Professionally written and offers great value. A must read.
Conclusion
These recommendations are purely based on some of the SEO and link building books I have read over the last few years.
They are not ranked in order of quality or importance but purely how I have written the reviews one by one.
LINK BUILDING FAQS
In our experience, there are certainly pros and cons for both approaches.
For example, if you decide to go it alone, you need to be aware of what search engines may consider spammy and poor quality links.
However, hiring an SEO company (such as Cubed Fusion) comes with a cost (being totally honest and transparent here) and some agencies might not provide all the results you want, although we will try to build only the best and most relevant backlinks for you.
Link building strategies can include guest posting on other blogs, article syndication, directory submission, press release distribution, blog commenting, and forum posting.
In our opinion, guest blogging is one of the best ways to build relevant links for SEO purposes.
However, it does take a lot of effort to write quality articles that can rank well in the major search engines. Article syndication is another great way to distribute your content through other websites.
Press releases are also useful for getting coverage from local news outlets. Directory submissions are helpful when submitting your website to local and industry relevant directories. Blog commenting is another method to increase links and traffic to your site.
You might want to consider forum posting, as it is a popular method of link building, although not my favourite if I`m honest.
I think the answer really depends on the industry you’re working in.
For example, if you’re selling widgets, then you need to start now. However, if you’re selling cars, then I think you need to wait until you’ve built up some credibility.
Link building takes time, so please don’t rush into it.
To build up relevant and quality back links you need to be patient and work on this as a long-term strategy for your business.
There is no one definitive answer to this question. Some factors that will influence how often you should do link building include the competitiveness of your industry, the number and quality of your competitors’ links, and your own website’s authority.
Generally speaking, you should aim to do some link building at least once a month, but you may need to do more or less depending on your specific situation.
I really think this depends on how many links you want to build and the quality of those links.
For example, if you are looking for a lot of high-quality links, it could take months or even years. Yes, years!
However, let`s say you are only looking for a few links from high-quality sources, it is possible it could be done in just a few weeks.
Backlink analysis is the process of studying the links coming into your website from other websites.
In my experience, by totally understanding where your backlinks are coming from, you in a much better position to assess the quality of those links and determine whether any improvements need to be made.
Backlink analysis can also help you identify any potential link partners who may be able to provide additional links to your website. Just make sure they are relevant to your industry and of good quality.
There are a few ways to find websites that accept guest posts.
One quick way is to do a Google search for “websites that accept guest posts” or “places to guest post.” Add your industry or niche in the search too, as this will narrow down the results.
Another way is to look for blog directories online.
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