Building Links with Awards
Link building is significant in search engine optimisation since it helps improve a website’s visibility and increase organic traffic. While there are many different strategies for building links, one approach that has gained popularity recently is using awards to attract backlinks.
If you are interested in Link Building strategies but are a relatively new company, be sure to head over to our blog post on Link Building Strategies for Startups.
Awards can showcase a website’s expertise and credibility and can be a powerful way to gain recognition within an industry. However, using awards for link-building can also have negative consequences if not done correctly. This article will explore the pros and cons of using awards for link building and provide tips on effectively promoting your awards to gain backlinks.
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Building Links with Awards
Building links with awards is a common strategy many businesses and websites use to increase their online visibility and credibility. Here are some steps you can take to create links using awards:
Identify relevant awards
Look for relevant awards in your industry or niche to your business. That could include local or national, industry-specific, or general business awards.
Research the awards
Once you have identified relevant awards, research to learn more about them. Look at the award’s criteria, past winners, and other relevant information.
Nominate your business
If you meet the criteria for an award, consider nominating your business. Winning a distinction can be a great way to build links and increase your credibility.
Publicise your award
Once you have won an award, publicise it. Please share the news on your website and social media accounts, and contact relevant industry publications or bloggers to let them know about your win.
Leverage your award for link building
Use your award to build links by contacting other websites in your industry or niche. Ask if they would be interested in featuring your award on their website or linking to your website due to your win.
Create a promotion plan
Once you have won an award, create a plan to promote it and attract backlinks.
Create award-specific content
Create content related to the award you have won. It can include blog posts, case studies, and infographics highlighting your achievements and providing valuable insights to your audience.
Monitor and measure results
Use tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs to monitor the impact of your awards link-building strategy. Track the number of backlinks, referral traffic, and search engine rankings to measure the success of your efforts.
Types of winning awards you can use for your link-building strategy
The type of award you choose to focus on should align with your business goals and target audience. By selecting relevant and reputable awards, you can improve your chances of winning and attracting high-quality backlinks to improve your website’s search engine visibility.
There are several types of awards that you can use to support your link-building strategy. However, choosing a process relevant to your industry and business goals would be best. Here are some examples:
Industry-specific awards
Industry-specific awards recognise outstanding achievements in a particular field. These awards can build credibility within your industry and attract backlinks from relevant websites.
Customer service awards
Customer service awards recognise businesses that provide exceptional customer service. Winning these awards can help build trust with potential customers and attract backlinks from websites focusing on customer service.
Marketing awards
Marketing awards recognise businesses that use innovative and effective marketing strategies. Winning these awards can help showcase your marketing expertise and attract backlinks from marketing-related websites.
Innovation awards
Innovation awards recognise businesses that have developed new products or services that significantly impact their industry. Winning these awards can demonstrate your company’s creativity and attract backlinks from innovation-focused websites.
Local business awards
Local business awards recognise businesses active in their local community and have made a positive impact. Winning these awards can help to build relationships with other local companies and attract backlinks from local news outlets and community websites.
How to use awards to build backlinks for your site
Using awards to build backlinks for your site can be a powerful strategy to improve your website’s search engine ranking and increase your online visibility. Here are some guides on how to use awards to build backlinks for your site:
Research award opportunities
Research relevant award opportunities in your industry or niche. Look for awards with a solid online presence and offer opportunities for backlinks.
Apply for awards
Once you have identified relevant opportunities, apply for them. Ensure to highlight your website and include a link in your application.
Promote your award
If you are the receiver of an award, promoting the acknowledgement on your website and social media channels is essential. Doing so will help you celebrate the achievement while getting potential business opportunities in front of potential customers. Include a link to the awarding organisation’s website to show the award is legitimate.
Reach out to industry publications.
Contact industry publications and websites in your niche to inform them about your award.
Guest posts on relevant websites
Offer to write guest posts for relevant websites in your niche. Mention your award and include a link to your website in your author bio.
Use press releases
Create a release announcing your award and distribute it to relevant media outlets. Include a link back to your website in the press release.
When constructing an SEO strategy, it is essential to consider a range of tactics beyond link building from relevant sites. High-quality content creation, meaningful engagement on social media platforms, and website optimisation are critical for success. You can maximise your online visibility by crafting a comprehensive and well-rounded SEO plan.
Importance of awards in link building
Awards can be significant in link building services because they can provide a powerful way to build high-quality backlinks to your blog post. Below are some reasons why prizes can be valuable for link building:
Credibility
Awards can help boost credibility and authority in the respective industry or niche, making it easier for external websites to link to your content. Winning awards is an excellent way of establishing yourself as an expert.
Visibility
Winning an award can increase your visibility and exposure while gain links, which can help more people discover your website and link to it.
Trust
Trust is vital for websites, and awards are an effective way to gain confidence among search engines. Just avoid nofollow links. When other websites link to yours in acknowledgement of an award, it signals that your website is a valuable resource and a source of trustworthy information. It can help improve SEO rankings for your site.
Targeted traffic
Links built from awards are often from relevant and authoritative websites in your industry or niche, which can help drive targeted traffic with high quality links.
Long-term benefits
Backlinks built due to awards will likely be more valuable and longer-lasting than external links created through other methods, such as paid advertising or link exchanges.
How to develop an award-winning link-building strategy
Creating a successful link-building plan requires careful planning. You can check the following steps on how to develop an effective link-building strategy that will improve your SEO efforts:
Identify your goals
Establish your goals for link building. Consider what you aim to achieve: increased search engine rankings, enhanced website traffic, better online visibility, or improved credibility. Once your objectives are established, you can begin implementing strategies and tactics to help you reach them.
Research your audience
Research for more information about your target audience and the websites and publications they lie reading. It will help you to identify relevant opportunities for link building.
Develop quality content
Create blogs with engaging content relevant to your audience and industry. The quality content will make it more likely that other websites will link to your content.
Build relationships
Develop relationships with other websites and publications in your industry or niche, it goes a long way in aligning your link-building strategies.
Participate in industry events.
Attend industry events and conferences, and participate in relevant online communities and forums to aging quality dofollow links. It can help you connect with other industry professionals and build relationships leading to backlinks.
Monitor your progress
Monitor your progress and backlink profile to identify areas where you can improve. It can include analysing your website’s search engine rankings, tracking your referral traffic, and identifying new link-building opportunities.
Adding an awards page to your website can help visitors get a better understanding of the success you have achieved. If you are looking for ways to add authority through your awards page, these tips may help:
Highlight your awards
Showcasing any awards you may have attained is essential. Make sure your accomplishments stand out on this page.
Include logos and visuals.
Use high-quality logos and visuals to showcase your awards and make your awards page more visually appealing.
Provide context
Provide context for your awards by explaining what they represent and how they were earned. The context can help establish credibility and authority in your industry or niche.
Include quotes and testimonials.
Include relevant quotes and testimonials in your award listing, such as from judges, clients, or industry peers, who can comment on the value of achieving your awards. These statements help to provide more quality information about the accomplishments of receiving these awards.
Link to relevant content
Link to relevant content on your website, such as blog posts or case studies that provide more information about your awards and their significance.
Update regularly
Make sure to update your awards page regularly to include new awards and achievements as they happen. It helps establish your website as a leader in your industry or niche.
Optimise for search engines.
Use relevant keywords in your awards page content and Meta tags to help improve your website’s search engine rankings and make it easier for people to find your awards page.
Adverse Effects of Using Awards for Link Building
Using awards for link-building can negatively affect your website’s reputation and SEO efforts. Here are some of the potential drawbacks:
Lower-quality links
The quality of the awards websites you’re getting links from is essential for SEO success and maintaining a good reputation. Low-quality or spammy websites may negatively affect your website’s SEO potential, so research before accepting awards from these sources.
Google Penalties
If Google determines that you’re using awards to manipulate search rankings, they could penalise your website. It could lead to lower search rankings and decreased visibility.
Decreased credibility
If you are using awards to boost your website’s credibility, it could backfire. People may become suspicious of your website and view it as less trustworthy.
Wasted time and resources
Creating award applications, responding to requests for information, and promoting your awards can take time and effort. You may waste your resources if the awards don’t produce meaningful results.
Ethical concerns
Some people may view awards as a way to build links as unethical. Unethical behaviours on your website can highly damage your company’s reputation. Unethical activity can lead to decreased trust from customers and decreased potential buyers and partners, which could have long-term adverse effects on your business.
How to promote your awards to gain backlinks
It is important to note that you should avoid using spammy tactics to promote your awards and gain backlinks. Focus on building relationships with other websites and providing value to your audience. By doing so, you can attract natural backlinks that will help boost your website’s authority and reputation. Here are some tips on how to promote your award would like to use as a way to gain backlinks:
Share the news about your award on your social media channels. It will help get the word out and attract attention from other websites.
Reach out to industry influencers.
Reach out to influencers and provide them with information about your award. As they are well-known in their circles, they could spread the news of your recognition to a broader audience. It could lead to an increase in backlinks and further outreach opportunities.
Create a press release.
Create a release announcing your award and distribute it to relevant media outlets. It could lead to coverage and backlinks.
Add a badge to your website.
Add a badge or icon showcasing your award. The badge can serve as a visual cue to other websites and encourage them to link to your site.
Offer to guest post
Reach out to websites in your industry and offer to write a guest post about your award. It can help you showcase your expertise and attract backlinks.
Submit your award to directories.
Submit your award to relevant directories and industry-specific websites. It can help you gain visibility and attract backlinks.
How to find awards that are relevant to your industry
Finding pertinent awards in your industry can be a great way to gain recognition and build credibility. Here are some tips on how to see awards that are relevant to your industry:
Research industry-specific awards
Research industry-specific awards that could be relevant to your business. Make use of search engines and industry websites to research industry-specific awards. This way, you can remain aware of appropriate opportunities for recognition. Look for awards focused on your products or services or recognising excellence in your field.
Check out industry associations.
Industry associations often offer awards recognising outstanding achievements. Check out the websites of your industry associations to see if they provide any relevant awards.
Look at competitors’ awards.
Research awards that your competitors have won. It can help you identify new opportunities in your industry.
Use award search engines.
Several award search engines can help you find relevant awards. Some examples include Award Force, Awards Intelligence, and Awards Network.
Check with your network.
Contact your professional network and ask if they know of any relevant awards. Doing so can open up valuable new avenues and provide reliable recommendations from people with whom you already have an established relationship.
Research general business awards
Even if an award is not specific to your industry, it could still be worth considering. For example, awards may recognise excellence in marketing, customer service, or innovation that could be relevant to your business.
FAQs
What types of awards can be helpful in link building?
Any relevant awards to your industry or niche can be helpful in link-building. It can include awards for product design, customer service, marketing, or other areas.
Should I focus on local or industry-specific awards for link-building?
It depends on your target audience and goals. Local awards can help with local SEO and attracting nearby customers, while industry-specific awards can establish your expertise within your niche.
Are backlinks from awards more valuable than other types of backlinks?
Backlinks from awards can be precious as they often come from authoritative and relevant sources within your industry or niche, signalling to search engines that your website is trustworthy and valuable.
Summary
Building links with awards is just one strategy for increasing online visibility and credibility. A well-rounded approach to link building is essential, including creating quality content, guest posting on relevant websites, and engaging with your audience on social media.
Awards can be a valuable tool in link building. They can help build high-quality, authoritative backlinks to your website that can improve your search engine rankings, drive targeted traffic, and increase your credibility and authority in your industry or niche.
If you are interested in finding out the top link building tools in 2023, be sure to check out the link for more information.
You can develop an effective strategy that can help you win awards and build high-quality backlinks to your website by focusing on creating quality content, building relationships, and monitoring your progress.
