What Is Link Building?

Just the basics out of the way. If you don’t know, link building, it means getting back links. And backlinks are algorithmic authority. It’s like positive word of mouth. A backlink is a hyperlink from one website pointing to another. And this is basically that site telling Google that the site that is being linked to is reputable, positive word of mouth. So you tell your friend, “Oh my god, you need to try this product or you need to check out this website.” And that’s what a backlink is, except It’s basically websites pointing to each other through links.

And then Google interprets that as one website vouching for another website. So we should trust the website that is being linked to, we should trust that website more. These are basics of search engine optimization. The more backlinks you have, the more trust you have, the more you can rank for competitive keywords. That’s the basics out of the way.

Why I Focus on Purchase Intent Keywords in SEO

Now, there’s more basics because I do a different type of SEO than everybody else, which is I target keywords where people are searching looking to take action. They know what they want. They don’t know the brand that is going to give them what they want. So, they’re googling trying to find the brand that’s going to give them what they want. They’re not trying to learn. They’re not trying to be educated. They already know. They’ve already learned. Now they’re just literally trying to click a button that says buy now, try now, use now, contact somebody. They’re looking to take action. And these keywords, they are super overlooked. These purchase intent keywords, they’re super overlooked. And because they’re overlooked, they’re less competitive. And that means you need less backlinks to rank for them.

These keywords are often overlooked and face less competition, meaning:

• You need fewer backlinks to rank.
• You reach users who are ready to convert.

Backlinks Still Matter for New Websites

Now, if you’re a new website, it’s going to be a brand new website with no links. You’re not going to rank for them. You need to have some links. You always need to have some your website in general needs to have some links. You don’t need to get links for the specific pages that are targeting these high purchase intent keywords, but you need to have some links to your web to your home site, to your root domain. You need to have some links in order to rank for these keywords. So, it is important to build backlinks if you are a new site. And what I like to do is build backlinks over time. I stick with businesses for years, and years.

My 3-Step Link Building Process for New Websites

You think of a new paradigm shift and then you get more backlinks from that. There all these things add up and add up. With that said, there are basically three things that I do at the beginning when I start a new site. There are three things that I do to start getting back links to it. And that’s what I’m going to share on this blog. So, it’s the three key ways that I build links.

1. Launch on Platforms & Social Media

Number one, I launch it. I launch my product, my service, whatever it is, launch it in places. If you have a tech product, launch it on Product Hunt.

You can also launch on betalist. In any niche, whatever industry, there are always niche specific platforms. You can Google them or do chatgpt deep research or ask rock. There’s so many different ways. There are so many niche platform niche specific launch platforms to launch on. But also what a lot of people don’t do which you should definitely be doing launch on social media especially LinkedIn, Twitter and announce it on Instagram with a link in your story having Google Analytics when you do this by the way Google Analytics can see the brand name because some people might just Google the brand name.

Make sure you are connected to Google Search Console and you’ve had a few friends click on your link to your site. Make sure you’ve submitted yourself to Google Search Console so Google knows who you are. So when people are actually searching the brand name, the brand name comes up. You want like the easiest way to do that is literally when you make the site, just send it to a few friends all over the place so they can click on it and again make sure it is submitted to Google Search Console. Google Search Console is Google’s own tool for telling it to Google, “Hey, I exist. This is me and these are the pages on my site. You should index me.” You actually have to click submit to Google’s index. There’s a button to do that. Super easy, Submit your sitemaps so Google knows who you are.

Make sure that you are showing up on Google for your brand name. Have people literally search your brand name and then click on it in Google. You can do this with social posts, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Threads, whatever. And then actually linking to your site as well.

So that’s number one, launch and all these different ways. Launch platforms and social media.

2. Submit to Directories

Number two, directories. I love directories. The thing is, if you are a real business, you got to think about this. If you’re a real business and you don’t know about SEO, you are submitting yourself to directories. That’s something businesses unfamiliar with SEO don’t understand, they do. That is just a normal business activity that you put yourself in directories within your niche and then overall general directories. And there are directories for everything. There are directories for every niche and then there are general directories.

 If you’re a construction company, you would go in construction company directories, but then you also create a LinkedIn page. You also have a social handle for your company. You’re also in Crunchb. Like there are so many different directories, general directories and niche directories to submit to. There are literally dozens of directories that you should be submitting to.

Alternative to that’s another common one, alternative to.net. When I submit to directories, I have a template that I use because if you change something major, something like if you’re changing the entire direction of your company, for example, you want to reflect that in your directories. So whenever you submit yourself to a directory, just really quickly have a spreadsheet that tracks the email username and password and what you write as the description as the main description for those directories four columns. Track this and if you’re ever making a big change, then you can spend a few hours changing that in all the directories that you submitted yourself to. But submit to directories. There are local directories if that’s relevant. Again, there are dozens of directories. That is number two.

3. Use Expert Quote Platforms (HARO Backlinks)

Number three, this is number three is more of an ongoing effort. Actually, one is kind of an ongoing effort, too. I’ll talk about this a little bit more in a second, but like whenever you make whenever you do anything with your business, announce it on social media. That’s back to number one. Number two, you’re always finding new directories, but you’re going to probably submit to the bulk of them at the beginning of your business. Number three, I love expert quote platforms. These are platforms where journalists are looking for an expert for their stories to quote in their stories and they are writing a story about X Y and Z. They need an expert to agree with the premise of their story or to help them write the story.

They post to a place like source of sources or help a reporter out(HARO). They say, “Hey, I’m looking for an expert for my story.” You answer, “You are the expert for that story.” They choose you. You get a link. And that’s how it works. I would do one of these per day. I would use source of sources, help a reporter out.

However, I think you’ll get the most valuable backlinks from this order. Source of sources, then help a reporter out and then feature.com.

FAQs

• What is backlink building in SEO?

Link building is the process of getting backlinks—hyperlinks from other websites to yours. These backlinks act like digital “word of mouth” and help build your site’s authority in Google’s eyes.

• Why are backlinks important for ranking on Google?

Backlinks signal to Google that other websites trust your content. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more likely you are to rank for competitive keywords.

• What are purchase intent keywords?

Purchase intent keywords are search terms used by people who are ready to take action—buy, try, sign up, or contact. These users already know what they want, they just need to find the brand to fulfill it.

• Why focus on purchase intent keywords in SEO?

These keywords are often overlooked and less competitive, making it easier to rank for them with fewer backlinks—while targeting users more likely to convert.

• Can a new website rank without backlinks?

No, even if you’re targeting low-competition keywords, you’ll need some backlinks, especially to your root domain, to build trust and start ranking.

• How can I start building backlinks as a new website?

You can start by:

Launching your site on niche platforms and social media.

Submitting your site to relevant directories.

Using expert quote platforms like HARO or Source of Sources.

• What platforms should I launch my new website on?

Depending on your niche, consider:

Product Hunt, Betalist for tech

Social media like LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram

Niche-specific launch sites for your industry

• What are directories, and why should I submit my website to them?

Directories are online listings of businesses. Submitting to them builds backlinks, improves trust, and helps customers (and search engines) find you more easily.

• What are expert quote platforms, and how do they help with backlinks?

Platforms like Source of Sources or HARO connect you with journalists looking for expert input. If selected, you’ll be quoted and get a backlink in their published article.

• How can I make sure Google finds my new website?

Submit your site to Google Search Console, request indexing, and submit your sitemap. Also, get a few people to search your brand name and click on your site to build early signals.