Editorial links are the crown jewels of SEO—a testament to your content’s value and credibility. These earned links come from natural mentions by reputable websites, setting them apart from paid guest posts or sponsored advertising. Editorial links reflect authentic endorsements, signaling trust and authority to users and search engines.
A few high-quality editorial links can deliver far greater SEO value than a large volume of lower-quality backlinks. They improve your website’s authority, attract organic traffic, and strengthen your online reputation, making them a cornerstone of a successful SEO strategy.
An editorial link is a backlink earned naturally without asking for or paying for it. These links are provided by other websites that recognize the value of your content, making them highly valuable for SEO. Editorial links result from creating strong content and implementing effective marketing strategies that encourage editors to reference your site. This often includes publishing data studies, detailed guides, or tools that are helpful to others in your field.
While editorial links improve brand awareness, drive quality referral traffic, and signal trust to search engines, they can take time to secure. They could be more predictable and offer more control over placement and anchor text, emphasizing the importance of producing outstanding content.
Editorial links are important because they align with Google’s guidelines and don’t violate its Spam Policies. They directly support Google’s core ranking factors. Google views links as “votes” of confidence, helping it determine which pages should rank higher in search results.
As a general rule, pages with more backlinks tend to rank better. Additionally, through strategic internal linking, you can amplify the value of editorial links by directing them to other pages on your website, increasing their chances of earning links.
Creating link-worthy content, or linkable assets, is critical for building backlinks. Not all content is naturally linkable, and not every linkable asset is crafted solely to attract links. Prioritizing content that generates organic links can provide additional value beyond boosting search traffic. Here are some effective linkable assets and how to create them:
1. Engaging Infographics
Infographics, whether static or animated, remain a popular format for linkable assets. They are most effective when visually conveying information that benefits from a graphic representation.
2. Interactive Tools and Calculators
Tools and calculators are highly shareable resources that attract numerous editorial links. Examples like title capitalization tools or budget calculators often have robust backlink profiles. While these require extra time and investment, they can be highly rewarding for link-building.
3. Original Research and Case Studies
Studies and data-driven content naturally attract links, particularly in data-centric industries. SEO and marketing studies, for example, often rank as top-linked content. Even small-scale personal case studies can achieve meaningful link growth.
4. Comprehensive Guides and Tutorials
Detailed guides and tutorials serve as invaluable resources, often earning links as the go-to reference for a topic. Websites prefer linking to one thorough guide rather than multiple scattered sources, making this content highly effective for link building.
Link building involves actively acquiring backlinks by contacting website owners or content creators. These links are often obtained through specific strategies, such as guest posts, broken link building, or niche edits. In these cases, the link is typically added because a transaction is involved, not necessarily because the content adds significant value to the page.
On the other hand, editorial links are naturally earned when other reputable websites link to your content because they find it valuable. These links are not requested or paid for and are often discovered only through backlink audits or tools like Google Alerts, which notify you when your site or brand is mentioned online.
Common Link Building Strategies:
Editorial links offer a variety of benefits that make them essential for any successful SEO strategy. These links can significantly enhance your online presence in the following ways:
Acquiring editorial links from reputable sources is crucial for boosting your website’s authority and improving SEO. Here are effective strategies to help you secure these valuable links:
1. Create High-Quality, Link-Worthy Content
Producing exceptional content that provides real value is the cornerstone of earning editorial links. Consider the following types of content:
2. Analyze Competitor Links
Investigate the editorial links that your competitors have secured. Use backlink analysis tools to identify where they are getting their links from. Once you have this information, contact those sources with your content or insights, highlighting how your work adds value.
3. Engage with Local Publications
Local news outlets and niche publications can be excellent sources of editorial links. Create press releases about significant company news, events, or community involvement, and pitch them to local journalists who cover relevant topics in your industry.
4. Conduct Interviews
Interview industry leaders or influencers and publish these discussions on your platform. This provides valuable content and encourages those interviewed to share the article with their networks, potentially leading to backlinks from their platforms.
5. Fix Broken Links
Identify broken links on websites relevant to your niche using tools like Check My Links or Ahrefs. Reach out to the site owners with a suggestion for your content to replace the broken link. This method helps you secure editorial links while assisting the website owner in maintaining their site’s integrity.
6. Participate in Expert Roundups
Many bloggers and content creators compile expert roundups in their industries. Offer your expertise or insights for inclusion in these lists, which are often shared widely and linked to your website.
7. Leverage Social Media
Promote your high-quality content on social media platforms to increase visibility. Engage with industry-related groups and communities where sharing valuable resources can lead to organic mentions and backlinks.
8. Network with Influencers and Journalists
Build relationships with influencers, bloggers, and journalists in your industry. Regularly engage with their content by commenting, sharing, or providing thoughtful insights. When they become familiar with you and your work, they may be more likely to link back to your content when it aligns with their articles.
9. Keep Your Content Updated
Regularly refresh existing content on your site with new data, insights, or trends. This improves its relevance and increases the chances of linking it with others who value the updated information.
Editorial link building strengthens SEO by earning backlinks from trusted sites. To succeed, create high-quality, valuable content that naturally attracts links. While this process takes time, it significantly boosts your site’s authority and visibility. Here’s how to begin.
1. Publish Original Research and Statistics
Original data and insights are among the most link-worthy types of content. Research-backed articles or unique statistics can attract backlinks from websites that cite credible sources. While achieving high rankings is challenging due to competition from established sites, a strong content promotion strategy can help:
2. Leverage Digital PR Campaigns
Digital PR involves promoting noteworthy content or achievements to generate links. To succeed with this method:
For your press releases to generate editorial links, they must offer something genuinely valuable or interesting to your target audience.
3. Become a Source for Bloggers and Journalists
Position yourself as an authority by providing expert insights to bloggers and journalists. Use services to connect with media professionals seeking quotes or expertise. This can result in natural mentions and backlinks to your site.
4. Create Link-Worthy Content
Focus on producing content types that naturally attract links, such as:
By employing these strategies, you can build a robust editorial link profile, improve your site’s authority, and drive sustained organic growth.
An example of an editorial backlink is when a reputable publication mentions and links to your website within a relevant article. For instance, if a journalist writes an article on workplace relationships for a popular website and includes a link to your blog post about the benefits of workplace friendships, that link is considered an editorial backlink. This type of link is valuable because it comes from an authoritative source and is included organically based on the quality and relevance of your content.
Other examples of editorial backlinks include:
These types of backlinks demonstrate credibility and can significantly enhance your site’s SEO performance by improving its authority in the eyes of search engines.
After creating high-quality, link-worthy content, promoting it is essential to increase its visibility and attract editorial backlinks. Effective promotion helps your content reach the right audience, boosting your chances of earning valuable links. Key strategies to get your content noticed include:
1. Utilize Social Media Platforms
Sharing your content on social media is a powerful way to attract attention and generate links. Instead of simply posting a link, actively engage with your audience by asking questions, encouraging feedback, and inviting shares to boost your content’s visibility. Use relevant hashtags that align with trending topics or your industry to expand your reach, ensuring your content reaches a broader and more relevant audience.
2. Promote Through Your Email Newsletter
Email newsletters provide an effective, direct way to promote your content. Whether targeting your audience or through a sponsored post on another established list, newsletters enable you to reach a specific group without relying on SEO or organic search traffic. This approach is beneficial for promoting guides, studies, online tools, or case studies to decision-makers or industry professionals.
3. Partner with Influencers
Collaborating with influencers is a smart way to give your link-worthy content more exposure. Here’s how you can get started:
By following these steps, you can increase the chances of your linkable content getting noticed and earning valuable editorial links.
