Ecommerce Link Building: Boost Traffic Without Breaking a Sweat

The Complete Guide to Ecommerce Link Building: Strategies That Actually Work

In the competitive world of online retail, visibility can make or break your business. While you may have the perfect products and a beautifully designed website, without proper link building, your ecommerce store might remain hidden in the depths of search results, invisible to potential customers.

I’ve worked with countless ecommerce businesses that were struggling with the same issue: great products, minimal traffic. The solution? A strategic ecommerce link building campaign that boosted their authority, increased their rankings, and ultimately drove more qualified traffic to their stores.

Why Link Building Matters for Ecommerce Websites

Link building isn’t just another SEO task to check off your list. For ecommerce websites, it’s a critical component that directly impacts your visibility, authority, and ultimately, your sales. Let me break down exactly why link building should be a priority for your online store:

• Improved Search Rankings: Search engines view backlinks as votes of confidence from other websites, signaling that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
• Increased Traffic: Quality backlinks from relevant sites drive referral traffic from people already interested in your niche.
• Faster Indexing: Search engines discover new pages faster when they’re linked from already-indexed websites.
• Enhanced Brand Authority: Being linked to from respected industry websites boosts your credibility with potential customers.
• Competitive Edge: Most ecommerce businesses don’t invest enough in link building, creating an opportunity for you to outrank them.

Proven Ecommerce Link Building Strategies

Not all link building strategies are created equal, especially for ecommerce websites. Here are the techniques I’ve found to be most effective for online stores looking to build quality backlinks:

1. Create Linkable Assets That Showcase Your Expertise

Instead of always pushing for direct links to product pages (which can be challenging), create content that naturally attracts links while establishing your expertise:

• Comprehensive Buying Guides: Create detailed guides that help customers make informed purchasing decisions.
• Original Research and Data: Publish industry statistics or consumer trends based on your own data.
• Visual Content: Develop infographics or videos that explain complex topics related to your products.
• Interactive Tools: Build calculators, quizzes, or comparison tools that provide value to your audience.

2. Leverage Product-Focused Outreach

While general blogger outreach works for any business, ecommerce stores have unique opportunities to secure links through their products:

• Product Reviews: Send free products to bloggers and influencers in exchange for honest reviews (just be sure to follow proper disclosure guidelines).
• Gift Guides: Pitch your products for inclusion in seasonal gift guides, which frequently include direct links to products.
• Expert Roundups: Offer your expertise for articles where multiple industry experts weigh in on a topic related to your products.
• “Best of” Lists: Identify websites that create “best product” compilations and suggest your products for consideration.

3. Implement a Digital PR Strategy for Ecommerce

Digital PR combines traditional public relations with digital marketing techniques to earn high-quality links from authoritative news sites and publications:

• Newsworthy Product Launches: Create press releases for truly innovative products or features.
• Brand Story Angles: Pitch your unique founding story, sustainability initiatives, or social impact to relevant publications.
• Trend Commentary: Position yourself as an expert who can comment on industry trends for journalists writing related stories.
• Data-Driven Stories: Analyze your customer data to identify interesting trends that journalists might find newsworthy.

4. Recover and Reclaim Lost or Unlinked Brand Mentions

Sometimes the easiest links to build are the ones you’ve already earned but aren’t properly attributed:

• Brand Monitoring: Set up alerts to track mentions of your brand name, products, or founder.
• Unlinked Mention Outreach: When you find mentions without links, send a friendly email requesting proper attribution with a link.
• Image Attribution: Search for your product images being used without proper linking back to your site.
• Fixing Broken Links: Identify links to your site that have broken due to URL changes and request updates.

Essential Tools for Ecommerce Link Building

Effective link building requires the right tools to identify opportunities, track progress, and measure results. Here are the tools I recommend for ecommerce businesses:

Backlink Analysis Tools

• Ahrefs: Comprehensive backlink analysis and competitor research.
• SEMrush: Excellent for tracking backlink acquisition and loss over time.
• Majestic: Provides unique metrics like Trust Flow and Citation Flow.
• Moz Link Explorer: Offers domain authority metrics and spam score assessment.

Prospecting and Outreach Tools

• Hunter.io: Find email addresses for outreach targets.
• BuzzStream: Manage outreach campaigns and track relationships.
• Pitchbox: Automate personalized outreach while maintaining a natural feel.
• NinjaOutreach: Specifically designed for influencer and blogger outreach.

Content Research and Creation Tools

• BuzzSumo: Identify popular content in your niche that attracts links.
• Answer the Public: Discover questions people are asking about your products or industry.
• Canva: Create professional-looking infographics and visual assets.
• Google Trends: Identify seasonal trends relevant to your ecommerce niche.

Common Ecommerce Link Building Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced marketers make mistakes when building links for ecommerce sites. Here are the most common pitfalls I see and how to avoid them:

Focusing Too Much on Product Page Links

While it’s natural to want links directly to your money-making pages, this approach often leads to frustration and low success rates.

Better approach: Create informational content that naturally attracts links, then use internal linking to direct link equity to your product pages. This two-step strategy is much more effective than constantly asking for product page links.

Neglecting Competitor Analysis

Many ecommerce businesses try to reinvent the wheel rather than analyzing what’s already working for competitors.

Better approach: Regularly audit competitor backlink profiles to identify attainable link opportunities. If a website is linking to multiple competitors but not you, that represents a straightforward opportunity.

Prioritizing Quantity Over Quality

The temptation to chase link volume can lead to poor-quality links that provide little value and may even trigger penalties.

Better approach: Set quality thresholds for metrics like Domain Authority, relevance, and traffic when prospecting for link targets. One high-quality, relevant link is worth dozens of low-quality ones.

Inconsistent Effort

Many ecommerce businesses treat link building as a one-time project rather than an ongoing process.

Better approach: Develop a consistent link building calendar with monthly targets. Search engines reward consistent link acquisition patterns over sudden spikes followed by inactivity.

Measuring the Success of Your Link Building Efforts

Link building requires significant investment of time and resources, so measuring its impact is crucial. Here’s how to track the effectiveness of your ecommerce link building campaigns:

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Ecommerce Link Building

• Growth in Referring Domains: Track the number of unique websites linking to your store.
• Domain Authority/Domain Rating Improvement: Monitor how your site’s overall authority metrics change over time.
• Organic Visibility for Key Pages: Measure ranking improvements for important category and product pages.
• Organic Traffic Growth: Analyze increases in non-branded organic traffic.
• Referral Traffic from Backlinks: Measure direct traffic coming from your earned backlinks.
• Conversion Rates from Referral Traffic: Track how visitors from backlinks convert compared to other channels.

Setting Realistic Timeframes and Expectations

Link building is a long-term strategy, not a quick fix. Typically, you should expect:

• 1-3 months: Initial links acquired, minimal ranking changes
• 3-6 months: Noticeable improvements in rankings and organic traffic
• 6-12 months: Significant impact on authority and visibility
• 12+ months: Compound effects leading to sustained growth

Frequently Asked Questions About Ecommerce Link Building

How many backlinks does my ecommerce site need to rank?

There’s no magic number, as quality matters more than quantity. Analysis of your specific niche and competitors will reveal a more accurate target. Generally, you’ll need to match or exceed the link profile strength of sites currently ranking for your target keywords, while ensuring relevance and diversity in your link sources.

How much should I budget for ecommerce link building?

Effective link building typically requires investing $2,000-$5,000 per month for medium-sized ecommerce stores. This budget covers content creation, outreach personnel, and tools. Larger enterprises may need to invest $5,000-$10,000+ monthly to compete effectively. The exact amount depends on your niche competitiveness, current authority, and growth goals.

Is it better to build links to category pages or product pages?

Both serve different purposes. Category pages typically have higher link-earning potential and pass authority to multiple product pages. Product pages are harder to earn links to naturally but can be effective for specific high-value items. A balanced approach targets category pages for broader terms and exceptional product pages for specific keywords.

Should I use a link building agency for my ecommerce store?

Consider an agency if you lack in-house expertise or time for consistent execution. Agencies bring established relationships, tested processes, and specialized knowledge that can accelerate results. However, ensure any agency understands ecommerce specifically, as link building for online stores differs significantly from general link building.

How can I build links to my Shopify/WooCommerce store if I’m just starting out?

New stores should focus on foundational link building strategies like supplier relationships, industry directories, local business listings, and creating exceptional resource content. Building a social presence and engaging with your community can also generate initial exposure. As you grow, gradually implement more advanced strategies like those outlined in this guide.

Ready to Transform Your Ecommerce Store’s Visibility?

Effective link building for ecommerce isn’t just about accumulating backlinks. It’s about strategically building relationships and creating valuable content that naturally attracts the right kind of attention from both websites and potential customers.

While implementing these strategies takes time and consistent effort, the compound effect of a well-executed link building campaign can transform your ecommerce store’s visibility, authority, and ultimately, your revenue.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your existing link building efforts to the next level, remember that quality, relevance, and consistency are the keys to long-term success.