Ecommerce link building is all about getting other websites to link back to your store. Why is this so important? Because backlinks are like votes of confidence for your site—they tell search engines your content is valuable. The more quality backlinks you have, the higher your site can rank on search engine results pages (SERPs). And higher rankings mean more traffic, more sales, and a super low customer acquisition cost (CAC). That’s a win for any eCommerce business!
In fact, reports like the one from Semrush emphasize that backlinks remain one of the top-ranking factors for building your site’s presence. Google itself confirms that a strong backlink profile is crucial for boosting rankings. The takeaway? Building backlinks is a must if you want to grow your eCommerce store.
But here’s the challenge: you can’t simply demand other website owners link to your site. Instead, you need to give them a reason to do it—a real value exchange. This means creating something so useful, interesting, or share-worthy that others naturally want to link to it.
So, how can you make that happen? Let’s explore the strategies you can use to attract backlinks to your website.
What You Will Learn in This Article
In this article, you’ll discover everything you need to know about building high-quality backlinks for your online store. We’ll start with the basics, explaining what backlinks are, why they matter, and how to prioritize quality over quantity. You’ll learn actionable strategies like creating linkable content, leveraging guest blog posts, and using tools like the Skyscraper Technique to outrank competitors.
We’ll dive into practical tips on how to find broken links, turn unlinked brand mentions into backlinks, and build relationships with bloggers, podcasters, and niche communities. You’ll also explore creative approaches like getting featured in “best product” or “gift guide” articles, maximizing Pinterest’s potential, and using HARO to showcase your expertise. Plus, we’ll discuss the role of domain authority, how to check it, and why it’s crucial to your backlink strategy.
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear, step-by-step plan to build a diverse and effective backlink profile, driving more traffic and improving your online store’s visibility in search engine results. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to scale, these strategies will help you grow your ecommerce business with confidence.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Backlinks and Why They Matter
- How to Get Website Backlinks for Your Online Store
- Create Linkable Content
- Offer Free Tools
- Use Guest Blog Posts to Build Backlinks
- Exchange Links with Relevant Brands
- Have Your Products Reviewed
- Look for Broken Links
- Find and Fix Unlinked Mentions
- Get Mentioned in "Best Product For" and "Gift Guide For" Articles
- Leverage Social Media to Promote Your Store
- Ask Partners to Link to Your Site
- Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
- Be a Guest on Podcasts
- Use Pinterest to Create Shareable Visual Content
- Join Communities in Your Niche
- Wrapping It All Up
Understanding Backlinks and Why They Matter

Before diving into strategies to get backlinks for your eCommerce store, it’s crucial to understand the basics. Backlinks are like the currency of the internet—a vote of confidence from one website to another. But they’re not all created equal, and knowing what makes a good backlink can set you up for success. Let’s start with the essentials.
What Is a Backlink?
A backlink is simply a link from one website to yours. Imagine someone writes a blog post about the top 10 fishing poles and includes a link to your store. That’s a backlink! These links are a cornerstone of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) because they help search engines determine your website’s value and authority. The more quality backlinks you have, the better your chances of ranking higher in search engine results—and the more traffic you’ll attract.
That said, backlinks can be tricky to obtain. You need to convince someone to place a link to your site on theirs, which often involves offering something valuable in return. Alternatively, you can naturally attract backlinks by creating content that’s useful, engaging, and shareable.
What Makes a Backlink Valuable?
Not all backlinks carry the same weight. High-quality backlinks come from websites with high Domain Authority (DA)—a score that reflects how likely a site is to rank well on search engines. For instance, a backlink from a reputable website in your niche carries far more SEO power than one from a random, low-quality site.
But it’s not just about authority—it’s also about relevance. A backlink from a fitness blog to your health-focused eCommerce store is more impactful than a link from an unrelated site. Relevance strengthens your brand’s story and credibility in the eyes of search engines.
Domain Authority: What You Need to Know
Domain Authority, a metric developed by Moz, ranges from 1 to 100. Higher scores indicate a stronger likelihood of ranking well on search engines. Earning backlinks from high-DA websites not only boosts your SEO but can also enhance your own site’s domain authority.
Curious about your site’s domain authority or that of potential backlink sources? Use tools like:
Why Relevance and Diversity Matter
Think of backlinks as threads weaving your website’s story. A relevant backlink from a niche-related site strengthens your narrative, while an irrelevant link can muddle your message and hurt your rankings.
Diversity is equally important. A natural backlink profile includes a mix of:
- Dofollow and Nofollow Links: Dofollow links pass SEO value, while nofollow links don’t, but both signal a healthy, organic profile.
- Anchor Text Variety: Avoid overusing exact-match anchor texts, as it can appear manipulative to search engines.
- Trusted Sources: Steer clear of toxic backlinks from low-quality or spammy sites—they can harm your rankings.
What Are Nofollow Links?
Nofollow links include a rel="nofollow"
tag that tells search engines not to pass SEO value. While they don’t directly impact rankings, nofollow links can still bring traffic and build brand awareness.
Should You Buy Backlinks?
Avoid buying backlinks—especially from low-quality or spammy sites. This can lead to search engine penalties, damage your credibility, and hurt your SEO efforts in the long run. Instead, focus on earning backlinks organically through genuine, value-driven strategies.
With these basics covered, you’re ready to explore actionable strategies to build high-quality backlinks for your eCommerce store. Let’s dive in!
How to Get Website Backlinks for Your Online Store

Now that you understand the basics of backlinks—and what to avoid—let’s explore actionable strategies to help you build a strong backlink profile for your eCommerce site.
Create Linkable Content
The cornerstone of effective link-building is creating content that people want to link to. This means offering something valuable, unique, or engaging that aligns with your audience’s needs.
For example, if your eCommerce store specializes in pet nutrition for senior dogs and cats, you could:
- Write a detailed blog post on “The Ultimate Guide to Geriatric Pet Nutrition.”
- Collaborate with a veterinarian to provide expert tips and insights.
This type of high-value content might attract links from other pet bloggers or websites discussing related topics like hip dysplasia in large dogs. By naturally referencing your blog, they can provide a dofollow backlink to your site, increasing your domain authority and online visibility.
💡 Pro Tip: Experiment with different types of content, such as:
- Infographics: Visual summaries of key points or data.
- Comprehensive Guides: Deep dives into specific topics.
- Unique Product Features: Highlight what makes your products special.
The key is to test and learn what resonates most with your target audience.
Try the Skyscraper Technique
The skyscraper technique is a tried-and-true method for building backlinks. Here’s how it works:
- Find High-Ranking Content: Look for content in your niche with many backlinks.
- Analyze Weaknesses: Identify gaps, outdated information, or areas where you could improve.
- Create Better Content: Publish a more comprehensive, updated, and engaging version of the original.
Once your content is live, reach out to sites linking to the original content and explain why your version is better. This can lead to new backlinks from sites that appreciate the added value you’re offering.
Publish Original Research or Statistics
Data-driven content is one of the most shareable forms of content. Conduct surveys, publish research, or compile industry statistics into easy-to-read reports or roundup pages. Original research makes your content a go-to resource, increasing the chances that other websites will link to it as a trusted reference.
Offer Free Tools
Free tools are a powerful way to attract backlinks because they provide immediate, tangible value to users. Examples of tools you could create include:
- Templates (e.g., email marketing templates for eCommerce).
- Calculators (e.g., a profit margin calculator for small businesses).
- Maps (e.g., local pet-friendly parks for a pet niche).
- Checklists (e.g., a checklist for launching an online store).
By linking to your tools, other site owners help their readers solve problems while also benefiting from your resource. It’s a win-win situation!
💡 Pro Tip: Use platforms like AlsoAsked to identify questions people are asking in your niche. Could a tool help answer these popular questions? For example, if you’re in the fitness niche, a meal planner tool might attract links from nutrition blogs.
Once you’ve created valuable content, don’t wait for others to find it. Proactively reach out to bloggers, journalists, and website owners in your niche. Share your content and explain why it would benefit their audience. Personalized outreach can significantly improve your chances of earning backlinks.
Use Guest Blog Posts to Build Backlinks
Writing guest blog posts can be a time-intensive process, but it’s one of the most effective strategies for earning high-quality backlinks for your eCommerce store. Here’s how it works: you create a blog post for another website in your niche and include a natural, organic link back to your site within the content. This benefits both parties: the hosting website gets fresh, valuable content, and you earn a backlink to your site.
Why Guest Blogging Works
Guest blogging builds relationships, boosts your brand visibility, and positions you as an expert in your niche. Most importantly, it’s a reliable way to secure backlinks from reputable sites, which helps improve your search engine rankings and drive traffic to your store.
Tips for Successful Guest Blog Posts
- Write High-Quality Content:
- The success of your guest blogging efforts hinges on the quality of your content. Whether you write the posts yourself or hire someone, ensure they are well-researched, engaging, and tailored to the target audience.
- Avoid generic or spammy content—it should provide real value to the host site’s readers.
- Find the Right Websites:
- Focus on websites in your niche or those that target a similar audience. For example, if you sell eco-friendly kitchenware, look for blogs about sustainable living or home organization.
- A backlink from a relevant, high-authority site carries far more weight than one from an unrelated or low-quality site.
- Personalize Your Outreach:
- When reaching out to websites, craft personalized emails explaining why your content would benefit their audience. Highlight any relevant expertise or unique insights you can provide.
- Use tools like Hunter.io to find contact information for blog owners or editors if it’s not readily available.
- Include Links Naturally:
- Avoid forcing links into your guest posts. Instead, integrate them seamlessly into the content where they provide additional value, such as linking to a related blog post, a product page, or a resource on your site.
Fast-Track Your Efforts with Paid Services
If you’re short on time or want to scale your guest blogging strategy, consider using paid services to streamline the process. These platforms can help you connect with blogs and secure placements quickly:
- PRNews.io: For publishing articles on reputable news and blog platforms.
- BrandPush.co: Offers distribution to established news sites with backlink opportunities.
- Icopify: Specializes in guest posting and blogger outreach, making it easier to find sites willing to collaborate.
Exchange Links with Relevant Brands
Link exchange (or reciprocal linking) involves collaborating with complementary brands to link to each other’s websites. This strategy can help you build authority and drive mutual traffic if done ethically.
- How to Get Started:
Reach out to non-competing brands in your niche. For example, if you sell dog food, connect with retailers selling pet accessories like collars or toys. Suggest linking to each other’s sites in blog posts or resources pages to benefit both audiences. - Best Practices:
- Keep exchanges relevant to your niche to maintain Google’s trust.
- Avoid excessive link exchanges, which could be flagged as a link scheme.
- Offer genuine value by linking to high-quality, helpful content.
Have Your Products Reviewed
Product reviews are a fantastic way to build backlinks and attract engaged traffic. Influential bloggers often include backlinks in their reviews, driving SEO value and visibility for your site.
- Steps to Get Started:
- Identify bloggers or influencers in your niche using search terms like
[your industry] “blogger” “review.”
- Reach out to them with a pitch for a product review. Offer a free sample or incentive (like affiliate commissions) to sweeten the deal.
- Provide high-resolution images and detailed product information to make their review easier.
- Identify bloggers or influencers in your niche using search terms like
- Pro Tip: Use tools like Hunter.io to find contact information for bloggers who might not have it listed.
Look for Broken Links
Broken links are opportunities waiting to be claimed. Many websites have outdated or inactive links that no longer work. By offering your link as a replacement, you can help site owners while earning a valuable backlink.
- How to Implement:
- Use tools like Semrush Backlink Audit to identify broken links on high-authority sites in your niche.
- Reach out to the website owner, politely pointing out the broken link, and suggest your page as a replacement.
- Ensure your suggested link aligns with the original intent of the broken link for a seamless fit.
- Why It Works:
Website owners appreciate the heads-up about broken links and are often happy to replace them with helpful, active links.
Find and Fix Unlinked Mentions
Sometimes, your brand or product is mentioned online without a proper backlink. By identifying these instances, you can request website owners to link back to your site.
- Steps to Follow:
- Set up alerts for your brand name using Google Alerts. This will notify you of mentions as they happen.
- Use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to locate unlinked brand mentions.
- Reach out to the website owners and kindly ask them to add a link to your site alongside your mention.
- Quick Tip: Focus on high-authority sites to maximize the SEO impact of these backlinks.
Get Mentioned in “Best Product For” and “Gift Guide For” Articles
Being featured in a “best of” or “gift guide” article can drive significant traffic and provide high-quality backlinks. These lists often showcase top products or services in a particular niche, and getting included can give your brand a huge SEO boost.
- How to Get Started:
- Create a standout product that people will want to recommend.
- Reach out to bloggers, journalists, and content creators who write these types of articles.
- Position your product as a must-have by offering value, a unique angle, or a compelling reason why it deserves to be on their list.
- Pro Tip: Be sure to target sites with high domain authority to make the most out of the backlinks you get. Look for sites that publish “best product” or “gift guide” lists relevant to your niche.
Leverage Social Media to Promote Your Store
Social media platforms offer valuable opportunities to share your website and build backlinks naturally. With billions of active users, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter can help you reach a wider audience while boosting your SEO efforts.
- Steps to Implement:
- Add your website link to your social media profiles.
- Share content regularly that encourages followers to visit your website, such as new product launches, special offers, or behind-the-scenes content.
- Use hashtags and engage with your community to build organic backlinks through shares and mentions.
- Why It Works: Social media traffic often leads to more organic backlinks as users share your posts and link to your store.
Ask Partners to Link to Your Site
Whether you’re working with suppliers, distributors, or business partners, these relationships can be a goldmine for building backlinks.
- How to Use Partnerships for Backlinks:
- Chamber of Commerce & Local Associations: If you’re part of any business organizations, like your local Chamber of Commerce, ask for a backlink on their website.
- Suppliers & Distributors: Many suppliers maintain lists of places where their products are sold. Get your website included in these lists to gain valuable backlinks.
- Testimonial Links: Provide testimonials to vendors or service providers you work with, and ask them to link back to your eCommerce store when they publish the testimonial.
- Quick Tip: These types of backlinks might not come in large volumes, but they can help improve your domain authority and serve as great starting points for your link-building efforts.
Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
HARO (Help A Reporter Out) is an excellent way for gaining backlinks through media exposure. Reporters often reach out to people with expertise in specific areas, and when they use your input, you get a backlink.
- How to Get Started:
- Sign up for services like SourceBottle, Qwoted, and Featured.
- Respond to relevant media requests where your expertise can add value to the story.
- If your input is used in an article, you’ll receive a backlink from a high-authority news source.
- Pro Tip: HARO can be competitive, so be quick and specific in your responses. Make sure your advice is valuable and on-topic for the journalist’s needs.
Be a Guest on Podcasts
Podcasts have become a booming medium, offering a unique way to share your expertise while earning valuable backlinks.
- Why It Works:
- Podcast hosts often include links to their guest’s website in the show notes.
- Syndicated podcast episodes on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts mean your backlink gets multiplied across multiple channels.
- How to Get Started:
- Identify podcasts in your niche by searching on platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
- Craft a compelling pitch to podcast hosts, showcasing your expertise and the value you can provide to their audience.
- Before confirming your appearance, ensure the host agrees to include your website link in the show notes.
- Pro Tip: Share the podcast episode on your own channels. This cross-promotion can strengthen relationships and make you a sought-after guest for future podcasts.
Use Pinterest to Create Shareable Visual Content
While Pinterest backlinks are typically nofollow, they can still drive significant traffic to your site, especially if you invest in creating high-quality, shareable visuals.
- Why Pinterest Matters:
- Pins with links to your site can be shared thousands of times, driving referral traffic.
- Social media signals and traffic often correlate with better SEO performance.
- How to Leverage Pinterest:
- Create visually appealing pins that link to your blog posts, product pages, or free resources.
- Use descriptive keywords in your pin titles and descriptions to improve visibility.
- Join group boards relevant to your niche to expand your reach.
- Pro Tip: Infographics, step-by-step guides, and “how-to” visuals perform exceptionally well on Pinterest. Add a clear call-to-action (e.g., “Visit the website for more details!”) to your pins.
Join Communities in Your Niche
Engaging with communities in your niche is a subtle yet effective way to build brand awareness and create opportunities for backlinks.
- Where to Find Communities:
- Facebook Groups
- Slack Channels
- Reddit Forums
- Industry-specific forums or platforms
- How to Engage Effectively:
- Be an active member by asking questions, answering others, and sharing valuable insights.
- Share your content sparingly and only when it genuinely adds value to the conversation.
- Avoid overt self-promotion—it can harm your reputation within the community.
- Keep in Mind:
- Many communities use nofollow links, but the increased brand awareness and traffic can indirectly benefit your SEO.
- A higher volume of traffic often correlates with better organic search performance, as search engines may view your site as more authoritative.
Wrapping It All Up
Building backlinks is a powerful way to boost your online store’s visibility, attract more traffic, and strengthen your SEO game. From being a guest on podcasts to leveraging Pinterest and connecting with niche communities, these creative strategies are about more than just links—they’re about building genuine relationships and showcasing your value.
Remember, successful link building doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a steady process of creating shareable content, reaching out to others, and staying consistent in your efforts. With time, your hard work will translate into improved rankings, increased traffic, and more sales for your online store.
If you’re ready to take your traffic-boosting efforts to the next level, check out our comprehensive guide on How to Drive More Traffic to Your Online Store: Free and Paid Options. It’s packed with actionable tips to help you attract and retain the audience your store deserves.
Start implementing these strategies today, and watch your online store soar to new heights! 🚀