One rather well-known way of getting backlinks has always been to create a “better” article. If someone has an article that is getting lots of attention, and that article is about “50 ways to do something”, you improve on that article by writing your own “60 ways to do something”. Of course, the “something” is whatever your niche is about.
But what if, instead of writing a better article, you were to help a blogger, in your niche, make his or her article better? Seems counter-intuitive, but it really can earn you a backlink.
Finding Blogs
First, you’ll want to take a look at what other people in your niche are doing, and then instead of trying to create something better for your website, you create something to help them improve their post. And that something can be as simple as an image.
As you look for blogs in your niche, look for ones that have a decent amount of traffic and links to other sites. This will improve your chances of getting a link, and getting a decent amount of traffic from that link.
Create An Image
If there is no image in their post, provide one. Even if there is an image, you can still create another one for their post. A great idea is to create an infographic describing an overview of the steps they recommend, for example, when someone posts a “How To” article. Even if you’re not a graphics person, you can use a free program like Canva to easily create an infographic.
Here’s an infographic from Canva that tells you what to include in an infographic:
On the other hand, if you are good with graphics, you can create any sort of image that will compliment their article.
Another tip: They may have 7 ways to do something in their article, but you could offer them another 1 – 3 ways they may not have thought of.
Think as if you were the blogger. After publishing your latest blogpost, something comes along that makes the post more interesting. Isn’t that something you’d use? Also, wouldn’t it be great if you provided a big “thank you” link to the person who provided it? Of course it would.
What to Say
You should first email the blogger your graphic and any additional tips that you have written. Tell them you have a blog on the same topic, and give your url. Perhaps you could say a few things about yourself: how you got into this niche or how long you’ve been blogging, etc. You could also comment on the article itself. Your opinion, or maybe a similar personal experience. Be personable. Invite them to visit your blog. Tell them you really enjoyed their article, and it inspired you to create the graphic for them.
And then, two approaches can be used here:
- You can ask them if they’d like to post your graphic, and if so, would they mind giving you a link back to your blog.
- Tell them they can use your graphic, and your addition tips, if they’d like. But this time, don’t ask for a link. Hopefully, they will be kind enough to include one anyway.
Split Test
If you come across a few niche blogs that you could add an image to, you might want to test out both tactics to see which gives you the best results.
I used the Canva infographic template from above to make an infographic about this post. Easy peasy!
The Worst That Could Happen
Prepare yourself in case they don’t use your image. It may also be used without a link back to you. But since you’re providing graphic content that will help people understand the subject better, it will be hard for a blogger to pass on your offer. And the ones who do use it will almost certainly link back to you.
