Around 75% of internet users say they never click past the first page of search results!
Why is this important?
If your business is on the second page, it won’t have a chance of getting the traffic you need. Improving your search ranking on Google and other search engines is the ultimate goal.
Two effective strategies to build your backlink profile are guest posts and niche edits.
Guest Posts
Guest posts refer to written content containing a link back to your target URL.
These posts are targeted and relevant to your niche. They allow you to control keywords in the article title, and because of this, they tend to see significant traffic.
There’s no question about the effectiveness of guest posts.
They improve your traffic and benefit the sites that publish them. They require time to write the content and can take a while to gain momentum, but once the posts start driving traffic to your site, they continue to generate traffic for a long time.
Guest posts also offer a sort of quid pro quo, as you are benefitting from the traffic and backlinks, and the owner of the site is getting additional content.
Additionally, over 60% of readers perceive blogs with multiple authors to be more reputable.
The main problem with guest posting is that one post is not enough. It takes many over some time to make an impact, and the time involved in creating that much content does not make for good ROI unless you are willing to put in the hours and money to develop dozens of posts in a short time.
For many businesses, this is not an option.
Niche Edits or Curated Links
Niche edits link to your website from existing content on other sites within your niche. This strategy involves adding backlinks to websites that already see steady traffic and are related to your business.
They’ve become extremely popular because they’re safer than PBNs and boost your backlinks from real, authentic, established websites and blogs that are already indexed and ranked by Google.
Placing your links on established sites directs targeted traffic to your site.
It is a safe, low-risk strategy, making niche edits excellent for those who are new to SEO.
Because you are only placing a link, website owners are more likely to agree to post it than an entire article, and it is cheaper than guest posting, so you’ll get more bang for your buck. Even if you already have a solid SEO plan in place, adding niche edits can help improve your ranking and diversify your strategy.
Are you looking for fast results?
Once you place your niche edits, you’ll generally start seeing results within days.
Let’s walk through this example:
Before making edits, your website is ranked 30th on Google search. You make the niche edits on a handful of authority sites that have real, steady traffic within your niche, and within a couple of weeks, you’ll see your website on the first page of search results.
To create a niche link, you’ll first need to select your target URL – generally your homepage or a targeted campaign page – and your anchor text.
Next,
You’ll need to find relevant websites or blogs where you want to insert your link and contact the owner.
Make sure you’re reaching out to the right sites by asking yourself:
- Is this site relevant to my brand?
- Does this site have enough steady traffic to make an impact?
- Is it an appropriately aged site with authority?
So, you’ve compiled a list of relevant websites to reach out to with your niche links.
What’s in it for them, you ask?
More than 30% of bloggers say that updating content produces positive results for them as well. It is a win-win.
Guest Posting or Niche Edits – Which Strategy is Right for your Business?
There is no right or wrong answer.
It depends on your goals and what type of results you want.
If you’re looking for a long-term backlink strategy with the bonus of traffic from related sites, then guest posting may be right for you.
But if you are purely interested in increasing your backlinks, then niche edits are perfect, particularly for those who are just starting with SEO and want the ability to have a low-risk way to build their rankings.
Like guest posts, they will increase your backlinks through high-quality, relevant sites; but since there is no content to write, they are more affordable.
Putting it into Perspective – Guest Posting vs. Niche Edits.
Guest Posts | Niche Edits |
● Allow you to control the keywords used in your content and title ● Put your link inside fresh content ● May drive traffic to your site if your content is relevant enough ● Can take weeks or months to gain momentum ● Require more time and money to write the content | ● Cost less than guest posts and have higher ROI ● Put your link inside aged content ● Allow you to build link power very quickly ● Give you results within days ● Benefit the authority websites when they edit links on older pages ● Are more likely to be accepted by authority pages than new content |
Conclusion
The bulk of traffic for most websites comes from organic search.
Google is responsible for over 90% of total organic traffic. And where you end up in those results will determine the amount of traffic – and profit – your website brings in.
To end up on the first page of search results, you need a solid backlink strategy like guest posts or niche edits.
Both approaches are valid, yet differ in many ways.
Ask yourself:
- Do I have time and money to create content for guest posts?
- Do I want to see long-term traffic that can come from guest posts?
- Do I only need backlinks to improve my ranking quickly?
And nothing is saying you can’t use both strategies.
If you start with niche edits and see great results, you may want to create some guest posts to boost your backlinks further and drive more relevant traffic to your site.
Armed with these highly effective strategies, you can ensure that your website reaches its full potential.
Do you feel we miss anything with this comparison?
We would like to hear from you. Use the comment box below to tell us about your backlink strategy.
Elena is an SEO and Keyword Research professional who contributes to the blog section and manages the chat system at 1stpageKWs. She is passionate about helping clients rank higher and drive more traffic with effective SEO strategies. She also loves spending her precious time with her family.
