Choosing the Right Link-Building Strategy: Why Industry-Specific Tactics Are Your Brand’s Best Bet

They say gathering the right kind of buzz in the online marketplace is a sure-shot way to success. 

You, as a brand/business owner, have invested in link-building and other organic SERP improvement activities. However, are all link-building strategies created equal?!

Generic tactics might give you a temporary boost, but if you want sustainable growth, industry-specific link-building is where the magic happens.

We at Mavlers have built 10K industry-specific, relevant links for 50+ clients globally and would like to share our honest and unbiased  insights on the following:

• Basics of link-building
• The pitfalls of generic link-building
• Why industry-specific link-building is key
• Types of industry-specific link-building activities
• Measuring the success of your industry-specific link-building strategy
• Overcoming common challenges

By the end of this piece, you will be able to choose link-building activities that align with your industry. These activities can make all the difference, helping your brand not just survive but thrive online.

Let’s get going!

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Basics of link-building

Think of link building as a vote of confidence from one website to another. When other sites link to your content, it’s like they’re saying, “Hey, this is worth checking out!” Search engines like Google take notice of these endorsements, and the more quality backlinks you have, the more likely you are to climb the search rankings.

Let’s explore some common link-building strategies.

You’ve probably heard of guest posting, broken link building, or outreach. These are tried-and-true methods in the SEO playbook. But here’s the catch: while these generic strategies can work, they don’t always hit the mark regarding relevance. And in today’s world, relevance is everything.

The good:

• Easy to implement with the right tools.
• It can quickly generate a large number of backlinks.

The not-so-good:

• Often, it lacks the specificity needed to really connect with your audience.
• Risk of getting links from unrelated sites, which can do more harm than good.

The pitfalls of generic link-building

Imagine you’re a fitness brand, and you get a backlink from a tech blog. Sure, it’s a link, but does it really resonate with your audience? Probably not. Generic link-building strategies can lead to irrelevant backlinks, which might confuse search engines about what your site is actually about.

The risks of going generic

Google is getting smarter by the day, and it’s not just about counting links anymore—it’s about context. If your backlinks are coming from sites that don’t match your industry, you could end up with a penalty that sends your rankings plummeting.

Why industry-specific link-building is key

Building relevance and authority

When your backlinks come from websites within your industry, it’s like getting a thumbs-up from the cool kids in your niche. These industry-specific links not only boost your credibility but also send strong signals to search engines that your content is trustworthy and relevant.

Hitting the bullseye with audience targeting

Here’s where industry-specific link building really shines: it helps you reach the right people. When you get a backlink from a respected site in your field, you’re not just getting any traffic—you’re attracting visitors who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

Example: Let’s say you run a boutique coffee shop. A backlink from a popular food blog that specializes in coffee is going to be far more valuable than one from a generic lifestyle site. The audience is already primed and interested in what you’re selling, making them more likely to engage with your content.

Now that we are familiar with the importance of investing in industry-specific link-building activities, we will peruse the different kinds of such activities that you might want to explore, along with their pros and cons. 

Types of industry-specific link-building activities

Partnering with industry leaders

One of the best ways to build industry-specific links is through partnerships and collaborations with influencers and thought leaders in your niche. Whether it’s co-authoring content, hosting a joint webinar, or simply sharing each other’s resources, these partnerships can lead to high-quality backlinks that boost your brand’s authority.

Pros:

• Strengthens your network within the industry.
• Opens doors to co-marketing opportunities.

Cons:

• Takes time and effort to build meaningful relationships.
• Requires alignment of goals and interests.

• Guest blogging on niche sites

Guest blogging on industry-specific websites allows you to tap directly into an audience that’s already interested in your niche. The key is to find the right platforms and craft content that truly resonates with their readers.

Pros:

• Direct access to a targeted audience.
• Enhances your reputation as an expert in the field.

Cons:

• Can be competitive, requiring top-notch content.
• May have stringent editorial standards.

Example: For our client, Screendollars, resource link building led to impressive results. You can read all about it in our Screendollars case study here.

Creating industry reports and research

Creating original research or whitepapers is the way to go if you want to be seen as a leader in your industry. Others in your niche often cite these resources, earning you valuable backlinks.

Example: A comprehensive report on the latest trends in your industry can attract attention from other businesses, bloggers, and even media outlets, all of which are likely to link back to your content.

Pros:

• Positions your brand as a thought leader.
• Attracts high-quality, organic backlinks.

Cons:

• Requires significant time and resources to produce.
• Must offer genuinely valuable insights to gain traction.

• Sponsorships and events

Sponsoring industry-specific events or participating in niche webinars can earn you natural backlinks from event pages, promotional materials, and post-event recaps.

Pros:

• Boosts your brand’s visibility within your niche.
• Creates opportunities for networking and further collaborations.

Cons:

• Can be expensive.
• The impact may be limited to the event duration.

• Resource page link-building

Resource pages are goldmines for backlinks. These curated lists of valuable resources are a great place to feature your content, especially if it provides helpful information to others in your industry.

Pros:

• Long-term backlink placement.
• Establishes your brand as a go-to resource in your field.

Cons:

• Requires high-quality, evergreen content.
• Can be challenging to secure a spot on well-established pages.

Let’s now delve into some other industry-specific link-building tactics.

• Link reclamation: Recover lost backlinks or fix broken ones from relevant industry sites.

• Infographics: Create visually engaging, data-driven content that others in your niche will want to share.

• Local citations: Gain links from local directories and industry-specific listings.

• Unlinked brand mentions: Find mentions of your brand that haven’t been linked and turn them into backlinks.

• Connectively, erstwhile HARO (Help a Reporter Out): Offer expert insights to journalists in exchange for backlinks from industry-specific outlets.

• Competitor backlink replication: Analyze your competitors’ backlinks and replicate their most successful strategies.

• Lost backlink recovery: Identify and recover lost backlinks from industry sites.

• Building a brand with content & influencer marketing: Partner with influencers in your industry to create content that naturally earns backlinks.

Measuring the success of your industry-specific link-building strategy

To know if your link-building efforts are paying off, keep an eye on these metrics:

• Organic traffic growth: Are you seeing more traffic from industry-related sources?

• Domain Authority: Has your DA improved as a result of quality backlinks?

• Referral traffic: Are you getting visitors directly from the industry sites that link to you?

• Engagement: Look at how long visitors stay on your site and whether they’re converting.

Tools to help you track progress

SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz are your best friends when it comes to tracking backlinks and their impact. Use tools like Google Alerts or Mention to set up alerts for brand mentions and new backlinks to stay on top of your link-building game.

Overcoming common challenges

There are two sides to every coin. Let’s examine two of the most common challenges faced in industry-specific link-building endeavours.

Finding the right partners

Finding the right people to collaborate within your industry can be tough. Start by researching influencers, bloggers, and thought leaders who align with your brand’s values. Remember, it’s about building long-term relationships, not just one-time link exchanges.

Keeping content relevant

Your content needs to be valuable to your industry audience. Stay updated on trends, do thorough research, and ensure your content addresses your target audience’s specific needs and pain points. When your content resonates with your industry and search engines, high-quality backlinks will follow.

The road ahead

We now suggest reading ~ DA vs. DR: Which Metric Should Guide Your Link Building Strategy?