Getting traffic to your online store is tough. Competing with hundreds, if not thousands, of other businesses in your niche makes it even harder.
So, how do some stores consistently show up on the first page of Google while others struggle to get noticed?
Here’s the truth.
It’s not just about great products or a good-looking website. It’s about building trust with search engines, and that starts with smart, strategic link building.
Now, you might be thinking…
Isn’t link building outdated or too complicated?
Not at all. When done right, it’s one of the most powerful ways to boost your store’s visibility, attract the right customers, and increase sales all without relying on paid ads.
According to John Mueller, Links play a key role in helping us discover content. If no one ever links to your website, it becomes much harder for Google to even know it exists.”
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the strategies that work in [year].
We’re talking real, actionable techniques used by successful e-commerce brands today, no fluff, no shortcuts.
Let’s get started.
What is e-commerce link building?
E-commerce link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites that point to your online store.
These backlinks signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy, relevant, and authoritative, which can boost your search rankings and bring more organic traffic to your product pages.
For online stores, link building is especially important because it helps individual product and category pages rank higher where users are most likely to convert.
Let’s take BigCommerce as an example of successful e-commerce link building. BigCommerce has a strong backlink profile that helps drive both traffic and authority to its website.
With a DR of 92, BigCommerce has established itself as an authority in the e-commerce space.
The high number of referring domains (48K) and backlinks (24.3 million) helps increase the site’s visibility on search engines.
These backlinks come from a variety of sources like blogs, industry publications, and other e-commerce-related websites, all of which signal to Google that BigCommerce is a trusted resource.
This strong link-building effort boosts the rankings of individual product pages and category listings, making it easier for users to find relevant products when searching online.
Additionally, BigCommerce’s solid backlink profile contributes to its overall domain authority, benefiting all pages across the site, not just the individual product pages.
By focusing on acquiring high-quality, relevant backlinks, BigCommerce has effectively boosted its search engine rankings, improved traffic, and enhanced the trustworthiness of its website.
A strong backlink profile can also improve domain authority, which benefits the site as a whole.
Why Quality, Relevance, and Diversity Matter
Not all backlinks are created equal. Search engines like Google prioritize.
- Quality: A single link from a reputable site like a major publication or an established niche blog is far more valuable than dozens from low-quality sources.
A single-quality backlink can be more powerful than 1,000 low-quality backlinks. – Brian Dean
- Relevance: Links from websites that are closely related to your niche (e.g., home decor blogs linking to a furniture store) carry more SEO weight and send the right signals to search engines.
- Diversity: A natural backlink profile includes a mix of sources, blogs, directories, news sites, forums, and product roundups.
Relying too heavily on one type of backlink can appear manipulative and risk penalties.
Proven link-building strategies for e-commerce
A successful e-commerce link-building strategy goes beyond just chasing backlinks, it’s about creating value that others want to reference.
Below are proven methods to build high-quality, sustainable links that support your SEO and sales goals.
1. Create informative blog posts that attract links naturally
High-quality content does more than boost your search rankings; it builds trust, drives traffic, and opens the door to valuable backlinks.
For e-commerce sites, a well-maintained blog can become one of your strongest link-building tools.
Here’s how it works.
Start by attaching a blog to your online store. Then, create helpful articles that target keywords related to your products.
For example, if you sell surfboards, you might write a post like “Best Surfboards for Beginners.” Not only can this drive sales by featuring your products, but it can also attract links from other websites in your niche.
Let’s say someone in a related niche, like a site offering surf lessons, comes across your guide.
They might not be shopping for boards themselves, but they see your post as a helpful resource for their audience. So, they link to it in their content.
💡 Pro Tip: Focus on evergreen topics and buyer-intent keywords to increase the chances of ranking well and earning backlinks.
2. Organize a creative campaign for PR
Product public relations (PR) can earn you high-quality backlinks, visibility, and brand trust, especially when done with a creative approach.
Take this example.
Aly&Val Featured in Business Standard for Redefining Youth Fashion
Aly&Val, the casual wear brand, was recently featured in Business Standard for its bold take on everyday fashion.
Their recent collections of crop tops and T-shirts are making waves by combining comfort with personality, resonating with a wide range of audiences from students and gamers to travel and music lovers.
This media feature not only adds credibility but also brings attention from new customers and search engines alike.
💡 Pro Tip:
Build a list of PR campaigns that caught your attention. Ask:
1. Who were they targeting?
2. What made the story newsworthy?
3. How was the story pitched and promoted?
Use these answers to shape your campaign, and remember, it has to be genuinely newsworthy to work.
3. Ask partners to link to your site
Are you a reseller or retail ecommerce seller?
Contact suppliers and distributors that curate lists of where to purchase their products. And ask them to include yours.
Let’s say you stock Greenies pet food.
This list of vendors is the kind you want your site to be on:
An example of the “Shop our online partner stores” page showing a list of vendors including Amazon, Chewy, Petco, Walmart, Target, and more.
Source Greenies
If you have distributors or stockists, you’ve started to build relationships with the vendors. So, the hardest part is already done.
Go through your list of partners and ask them to link to your site.
You can also branch out to online business directories, such as:
- Shopgram (for Shopify)
- CartInsight (for WooCommerce)
- Store Leads (for Wix)
A quick Google search will reveal tons of industry-specific directories.
If we stick to pet food, we could search “pet food + online directories”:
Add each applicable site to your outreach spreadsheet. Then, go through each result and send an email asking them to add your site to their lists.
Don’t have time to manage outreach yourself?
We offer a done-for-you outreach service that handles everything from prospecting and list building to crafting emails and securing placements. Focus on growing your store while we build high-quality backlinks for you.
Want to see how it works? Get in touch with us today
4. Create eye-catching infographics
Infographics and visual content are powerful tools to earn backlinks, especially when shared with websites that curate resources in your niche.
Why does it work?
Because visuals are easier to consume and more likely to be reshared, giving your brand greater visibility and backlink opportunities.
Let’s say you make sustainable sneakers. You could design an infographic outlining your eco-friendly manufacturing process.
A blog focused on green living might spot it and feature it, earning you a valuable backlink and exposure to a wider audience.
For example, Semrush created a statistical infographic titled “Top 10 SEO Skills”, which visually showcases industry trends and survey results.
Source Semrush
This type of design works well for:
- Survey summaries
- Trend highlights
- Data-driven insights
💡Smart Tip: Use tools like Canva, Visme, or Piktochart to quickly create professional visuals. And if design isn’t your strength, consider hiring a freelancer to help turn your data into shareable graphics.
5. Reclaim competitor backlinks with smart outreach
Snagging links from your competitors is a smart way to grow your backlink profile without starting from scratch.
There are three main types to focus on:
- Broken links: External links that no longer work
- Lost links: Links that once pointed to a competitor but were removed
- Active links: Current backlinks pointing to rival sites
How to find broken competitor links using Ahrefs (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Go to the Ahrefs site explorer
Visit Ahrefs Site Explorer.
Enter your competitor’s domain (e.g., zylo.com ) in the search bar and hit Enter.
Step 2: Navigate to the broken backlinks report
In the left-hand menu, go to: Backlink Profile → Broken backlinks
This report shows all the backlinks pointing to non-working (404) pages on your competitor’s site.
Step 3: Analyze the Broken Page Content
Click on the broken URL to understand what kind of content it used to have.
Step 4: Create a Better Resource
Build a page or blog post on your site that covers the same topic, but improves on it.
Step 5: Reach Out to the Linking Site
Contact the website owner or editor and politely let them know their link is broken.
In each case, you can reach out to the linking site and suggest your content as a better or updated alternative.
This method is a fast, low-cost way to pick up high-quality links with minimal effort, especially if you’re targeting sites already interested in your niche.
💡 Pro Tip: Focus on backlinks from domains with high authority and niche relevance to get the best SEO value.
7. Get listed on niche resource & roundup pages
Resource or roundup pages are curated lists of helpful links around a specific topic, and they’re perfect spots to earn quality backlinks.
Why are they valuable?
These pages exist specifically to recommend relevant content or products. So if your e-commerce site fits their theme, you’ve got a great chance of getting included.
Let’s say you sell eco-friendly kitchenware. Search for roundup-style content like:
- “Best zero waste kitchen products”
- “Top sustainable kitchen brands”
- “Useful links for eco-friendly living”
- “Green product roundup”
Here’s an example of a roundup page opportunity:
A blog titled ‘Top 20 Zero-Waste Products For Your Home’ lists products. If your products align, that’s the kind of page you want your site featured on.
Use Google with search strings like:
“useful links” AND eco-friendly kitchenware
“best sustainable brands” AND kitchen
“green product” + resource list
“eco lifestyle” + product roundup
Once you find relevant pages, collect their URLs and contact info. Most sites list this on their “Contact” or “About Us” page.
Use tools like Hunter.io or FindThatLead to uncover email addresses if contact details aren’t readily available. Then send a concise, value-driven pitch requesting inclusion.
Boost your e-commerce success with smart link building
Building high-quality links is a powerful strategy for growing your e-commerce business. When done right, it helps search engines trust your website, improves your rankings, and brings in the right audience, all without relying on costly ads.
The key is to focus on earning relevant, quality backlinks from reputable sources. Strategies like creating valuable content, collaborating with partners, and running creative PR campaigns can help you secure these backlinks.
Ready to take your e-commerce store to the next level?
Contact us today to learn how our expert link-building strategies can help boost your online presence and sales.
