The Ultimate Guide to eCommerce Link Building 

Key takeaways: 

• Quality backlinks are essential for boosting domain authority, organic traffic, and search rankings. 
• Stay clear of low-quality links, avoid black-hat tactics, and ensure your content is high-quality. 
• Internal linking is just as important as external links to boost your SEO. 

What does an online store in a bustling network need to be noticed? A robust website, check. Mobile-friendly, check. A page full of products and services, check. But why is your eCommerce website not getting any visits?  

To get people to visit, you need a reputation, and that reputation is built on backlinks—links from other websites that point back to yours. 

Link building for an eCommerce business is about getting these valuable “votes of confidence.” When high-quality websites link to your store, it signals search engines like Google that you are a credible and trustworthy source. This process, known as eCommerce link building, directly increases your domain authority and improves your search rankings. This, in turn, makes it significantly easier for potential customers to discover your products. 

eCommerce link building can be daunting to some, but we can guide you through this ordeal and help you gain a reputation. 

What is eCommerce link building, and why does it matter? 

In simple terms, eCommerce link building is actively getting other reputable websites to link to your online store. These aren’t just any websites; the goal is to get links from industry blogs, authoritative publications, and other sites relevant to your products. 

For an eCommerce store, a backlink can point to your homepage, a product page, a category page, or a blog post you’ve published. 

A strong backlink profile can have a massive impact on your business. It’s not just about SEO. It’s about driving real-world results. eCommerce backlinks can: 

• Boosts traffic. Backlinks from popular sites send direct referral traffic to your store. 
• Increases conversions. Traffic from a trusted source is more likely to convert into a sale. 
• Builds credibility. A store mentioned and linked to by other credible sites looks more trustworthy to potential customers. 

Understanding user intent in link building 

You need to understand that not all customers are ready to buy immediately. They could be at different stages of their buying journey. That is why you need to know the user intent before developing eCommerce link-building strategies. 

There are basically two primary intents when users are searching: informational and transactional. 

• Informational intent. These users are looking for answers. They could search for “how to choose running shoes” or “best organic dog food.” 
• Transactional intent.  These customers are ready to make a purchase. They might search for “buy Nike running shoes online” or “order grain-free dog food.” 

To build links that matter, you need to provide content for both types of user searches. 

For informational users, you need to create content like blog posts, buying guides, and video tutorials. A link to your guide on “how to care for houseplants” is a perfect fit for a blog about home decor. 

Transactional users, on the other hand, your content and link-building efforts should be more direct.. Make sure that your product pages and category pages are optimized and easy to find. A link to your “women’s running shoes” category page from a review site is highly valuable. 

Top eCommerce link-building strategies 

After getting to know the user intent of your target audience, let’s dive into the strategies for executing eCommerce link building properly. 

• Content creation 
• Guest blogging 
• Broken link building and resource page tactics 
• Leverage social media for link amplification 
• Influencer outreach and digital PR 

Content creation: Linkable asset approach 

Creating rich content is the foundation of any good link-building strategy. When you create something truly valuable, other sites will naturally want to link to it.  

First, brainstorm ideas by looking at what’s popular on competitor blogs or using free search engine optimization (SEO) tools to see what people are searching for. 

Here are examples of great content for eCommerce: 

• In-depth guides 
• Infographics 
• Tutorial videos 

Keep reading to learn more about these eCommerce contents. 

In-depth guides 

“Step-by-step” guides and “How-to” content establish your brand as an expert in your field. When you create a comprehensive guide, like a “How To Create an SEO Strategy in 2025,” you answer many questions for your customers. Other blogs and websites will see this as a valuable resource and are more likely to link to it. 

Infographics 

People love to share visual content. An infographic takes a complex topic and makes it easy to understand and share. For an eCommerce store, an infographic could be a great way to get backlinks from food blogs and social media shares, bringing new eyes to your wine and gourmet cheese products.  

Here’s an example of an infographic from Network Solutions on how to make a website. The infographic simplifies the whole article, making it valuable and shareable.

Tutorial videos 

Through videos, you can build trust by showing and just telling. A video tutorial not only helps a customer who has already bought your product but also shows a potential customer that your products are easy to use. These videos can be embedded on your product pages and are also great candidates for backlinks when other sites want to show their readers “how to” content. 

A strong eCommerce link-building strategy starts with a well-optimized website. Using reliable eCommerce hosting and SSL certificates helps ensure your site loads quickly and maintains user trust—both crucial factors in boosting your SEO and attracting quality backlinks. 

Guest blogging for eCommerce sites 

This is a classic strategy that still works wonders. Guest blogging involves writing and publishing an article on another website. It’s one of the most effective ways to build high-quality links and a great way to introduce your brand to a new audience. 

Here’s a simple, three-step process to get you started: 

1. Find the right opportunities 
2. Craft a winning pitch 
3. Create valuable content 

Let’s go over each step in detail: 

1. Find the right opportunities 

You aim to find blogs relevant to your niche and have a strong audience. Look for sites that frequently link to eCommerce stores and have an engaged readership. You can use Google searches to find these opportunities. You can use these keywords to search for guest blogging opportunities: 

• “write for us” + “your product type” 
• “guest post” + “your industry” 
• “contribute to” + “your niche” 

2. Craft a winning pitch 

A successful pitch is short, personalized, and respectful of the editor’s time. Don’t just ask if you can write for them. Instead, show them you’ve read their blog and have a unique idea their audience would love.  

For example, a pitch from a running shoe store could offer an article on “5 Common Running Injuries and How to Prevent Them.” This idea presents a problem common to their audience and provides a solution. 

3. Create valuable content 

Once your pitch is accepted, focus on writing a high-quality article that isn’t just a sales pitch. Your goal is to provide genuine value. Include a natural and helpful link to your store; for example, a link to your best-selling running shoes in an article about preventing injuries. This not only builds credibility but also drives targeted traffic. 

Guest blogging vs. affiliate marketing 

It’s important to remember that guest blogging is different from affiliate marketing. While both involve collaborations, guest blogging is primarily an SEO and brand-building tactic. The goal is to get a valuable backlink to your store, not to earn a direct commission on sales.  

On the other hand, affiliate marketing is a sales-focused tactic where you pay a commission for every purchase made through a unique tracking link. 

Broken link building and resource page tactics 

Broken links are hyperlinks on a webpage that no longer lead to their intended destination. When users click on a broken link, they typically encounter an error page—most commonly a 404 Not Found error—indicating that the linked page is unavailable. 

But how can another website’s broken links help you gain reputation? 

Broken link building is an SEO strategy where you identify broken (dead) links on other websites that point to content relevant to your niche or industry. A broken link creates a poor user experience and can hurt a website’s SEO, so when you offer a high-quality replacement, you’re doing the site owner a favor. Broken link is a highly efficient strategy because it’s a win-win for everyone involved.  

Broken link building 

The process is like a strategic search-and-rescue mission for backlinks. Here’s how to do it: 

1. Find relevant websites 
2. Locate the broken links 
3. Identify a replacement 
4. Pitch your solution 

Here’s a more detailed description of the tips: 

1. Find relevant websites. First, you need to identify authoritative websites in your niche that will likely have content related to your products. Use a competitor backlink analysis tool or simple Google searches to find blogs, resource pages, and industry publications. 
2. Locate the broken links. Once you have a list of target websites, use a tool like Ahrefs, Semrush, or a free browser extension to scan those sites for broken links. Look for pages with many outbound links, such as resource pages or guides. 
3. Identify a replacement. When you find a broken link, check what the old page was about. Do you have a similar or even better piece of content on your own eCommerce site? This could be a blog post, a buying guide, a tutorial, or even a product category page. 
4. Pitch your solution. Reach out to the site owner or editor with a friendly, helpful email. Politely point out the broken link you found and offer your content as a relevant, working replacement. Explain why your content is an excellent fit for their page. For example, “I noticed you have a broken link on your ‘best camping gear of 2023’ page. I recently published an updated guide on the same topic, which includes new gear for 2025. Would you consider replacing the old link with ours?” 

Resource page tactics 

Many websites maintain a “resources,” “links,” or “helpful guides” pages for their audience. Getting a link on one of these pages can be highly valuable, as it often indicates a trusted, vetted source. 

1. Find resource pages: Use advanced Google search queries to find these pages. Try searching for: 

• “your industry” + “resources” 
• “helpful links” + “your product type” 
• “inurl:links” + “your niche” 
   

2. Make a compelling case. When contacting the site owner, don’t just ask for a link. Instead, explain why your website or a specific piece of content on it would be a valuable addition to their list. Focus on your content’s value to their audience and how it complements their existing resources. 

Leveraging social media for link amplification 

Social media won’t give you a backlink directly, but it is an incredibly powerful tool for amplifying your content and increasing its chances of being seen and linked to. Think of it as a megaphone for your most linkable assets. 

Here are a few ways to leverage social media for link amplification: 

1. Promote your linkable assets. 
2. Engage with influencers and communities. 
3. Use relevant hashtags. 
4. Run contests and giveaways. 
5. Create a “shareable” call-to-action. 

Promote your linkable assets 

Whenever you create a new piece of content, promote it heavily across all your social media channels. Don’t just share it once; share different angles and snippets over time to get maximum visibility. 

Engage with influencers and communities 

Find influencers and thought leaders in your niche on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. Share their content, comment on their posts, and build a genuine relationship. Once you’ve established a connection, tag them when you post relevant content. This encourages them to share it with their audience or even link to it from their website. 

Use relevant hashtags 

Strategic use of hashtags can significantly extend the reach of your content beyond your immediate followers. For example, a new guide on sustainable fashion could use hashtags like #sustainablefashion, #ecofriendly, and #slowfashion to reach a broader audience interested in the topic. 

Run contests and giveaways 

Run a social media contest or giveaway that requires participants to share your content. You could ask people to share your new blog post for a chance to win a product. This incentivizes your followers to amplify your content, increasing the likelihood of it being seen by a potential linker. 

Create a “shareable” call-to-action 

At the end of your blog posts or content, add a clear call-to-action that encourages readers to share your content on social media. Here’s a fine example: If you found this guide helpful, please share it with a friend! 

Influencer outreach and digital PR 

Influencers and the media have big audiences and are an excellent source for powerful backlinks. This strategy involves building relationships with key figures in your industry to earn mentions, reviews, and links. 

Influencer outreach 

You’ll find a lot of influencers on social media, so the challenge here is choosing the right influencer to partner with. 

1. Identify the right influencers. Your goal is to find influencers whose audience matches your target customers. Use social media search, influencer platforms, or industry hashtags to find relevant people on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Look for influencers with high engagement rates and a genuine connection with their followers, not just a large follower count. 
2. Build a genuine relationship. Don’t just show up and ask for a link. Start by following their accounts, commenting on their posts, and sharing their content. Engage with them naturally over time to build a relationship before pitching your product or content. 
3. Craft a compelling pitch. Once you’ve built a rapport, create a personalized pitch highlighting their value. Instead of just sending them a product, explain how your product or content would benefit their audience. For example, if you sell hiking gear, you could offer to send a new backpack for them to review in a video, with the promise of a link in the video description. 

Digital PR 

Digital PR is a strategy that focuses on creating newsworthy stories to get your brand mentioned by journalists and publications. It’s basically similar to traditional PR in its core goal of generating favorable media coverage and building brand reputation, but more on to improve online visibility. 

1. Find your angle. Digital PR is about creating a newsworthy story. This could be a newsworthy product launch, a company milestone, a data-driven report, or a unique brand story. For example, a jewelry company that uses recycled materials could create a story around sustainability. 
2. Create a press kit. A simple press kit should include high-resolution images, a brief company history, and a press release about your newsworthy event. This makes it easy for journalists to cover your story. 
3. Pitch to journalists. Find journalists and media outlets that cover your industry. Use tools or simple Google searches to find their contact information. Send them a brief, personalized email with your newsworthy angle and a link to your press kit. Your goal is to get a mention and a link from a trusted, high-authority news site. 

Common mistakes to avoid in eCommerce link building 

You may not get eCommerce link building on your first try. However, avoiding common mistakes can help minimize losses and waste time when executing your strategy. 

So, here are the most common eCommerce link-building mistakes you should watch out for: 

• Overreliance on low-quality links 
• Neglecting content quality 
• Ignoring internal linking 

Overreliance on low-quality links 

While getting many links quickly might seem appealing, it’s a dangerous game if all of these are of low quality. Search engines are now highly advanced and can easily detect manipulative link schemes. These low-quality links, often called “toxic backlinks,” can lead to severe penalties, including a drop in your rankings or even a de-indexing of your entire site. 

Examples of low-quality links include: 

• Link farms and directories. Websites created solely to link to other sites. 
• Irrelevant sites. Getting a link from a gardening blog for your tech store doesn’t make sense to a search engine. 
• Paid links without a “nofollow” tag. Paying for links without properly disclosing them violates Google’s guidelines. 

To avoid low-quality backlinks and to maximize your link-building impact, consider partnering with professional SEO services. Network Solutions offers expert SEO consulting to help eCommerce businesses develop smart, white-hat link-building strategies. 

Neglecting content quality 

Your content is your primary linkable asset. If your blog posts are shallow, your product descriptions are generic, or your guides are full of inaccuracies, no one will want to link to you. Both search engines and users value expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. 

To create content that earns links, your content should have: 

• Solution to a problem. Create content that directly answers a customer’s question or solves a common problem in your niche. 
• Original research and data. Conduct a survey, publish an original study, or uniquely compile data. This type of content is highly linkable. 
• Compelling visuals. Incorporate infographics, high-quality photos, or videos to make your content more engaging and shareable. 

Ignoring internal linking 

Don’t forget to link to your own pages!  

Internal linking is the process of linking to other pages on your website. This is often overlooked, but it is crucial for both SEO and user experience (UX). 

A well-structured internal link profile should be able to: 

• Help search engine discovery. It helps search engines find and index all the pages on your site. 
• Boost page authority. It distributes “link equity” from your high-authority pages to new or important pages. 
• Improves user experience. It makes it easier for users to navigate your site and find related products or information. 

Tools and resources for eCommerce link building 

There are many tools and resources available to help you build links. 

Top link-building tools you should use: 

• Ahrefs and SEMrush. Great for competitive analysis and finding new link opportunities. 
• Buzzsumo. Popular content and influencers in your niche. 
• Linkody. Simple tool for tracking your backlinks and monitoring your link profile. 
• Free and paid link-building resources: 
• Online communities. Join industry forums and groups on LinkedIn and Facebook to find new collaboration opportunities. 
• Paid services. Working with a link-building agency or partner with professional digital marketing service providers can provide a significant advantage for businesses with larger budgets. 

Your link-building journey starts now! 

No matter if you’re just starting out or looking to scale, remember to focus on creating great content and building genuine relationships. The most effective link-building strategies are those that provide real value to others. 

eCommerce link building can be complex, but it’s an important part of growing your business. Whether you choose to take on this journey yourself or work with a digital marketing expert partner like Network Solutions to accelerate your growth, the key is to take the first step. 

Frequently asked questions