Inbound links are arguably one of the essential variables needed for your tax and accounting website to rank well in the search engines. It is so important that a recent study by Moz ranked domain-level link and page rank as the #1 most influential attribute that factors in search engine ranking.

The Basics of Links

A link is a clickable part of a website that takes a visitor from one page to another. There are both internal links within your domain, and external links that lead from one site to another. These inbound links to your website help communicate a level of trust and authority in your content, and therefore your brand. Inbound links are very valuable, but you need to be careful that you are not gaming the system with unnatural links, and therefore violating Google's webmaster guidelines. Here are some ways to get quality inbound links and citations.

1. Participate in an expert-led roundup blog post

An example of a roundup article can be found on CountingWorks.com, where accounting pros share their best advice from working with entrepreneurs. At CountingWorks PRO, we sponsor a Q & A segment that subscribers can participate in to be included in our roundup articles. Another example is #TaxBuzzChat, where tax professionals can share expertise through a live Twitter chat and be included in the summary recap. Both the mention of your brand by third party websites and an inbound link can be favorable signals for search engines.

2. Write testimonials for top customers and referral sources

An easy and mutually beneficial way to get an inbound link is to write testimonials for your best customers and referral sources. Include your backlink URL so they can easily link your brand name back to your website.

3. Offer to be the subject of a case study

Similar to a testimonial, a case study can include mentions of your brand plus an inbound link back to your website. Here are some examples of case studies so you can see what to expect.

4. Make sure all of your online profiles include links back to your website

Not all links on third party sites are do-follow links, meaning they don't all help your SEO results. But many social sites do include do-follow links, including LinkedIn. Follow these instructions to add your LinkedIn inbound link.

5. Offer to guest blog on related websites

There are many opportunities to be a guest blogger on third party websites. Some sites, like AccountingWEB.com, make it possible for you to write articles that are posted on their blog. A nice overview of why guest blogging is important and how to ask is available at NeilPatel.com. You want to cover topics that relate to the services you offer. So, for example, you can offer a pitch to a dental blog about dental practice tax planning tips.

6. Sponsor a Meetup group

In a previous blog article, we wrote extensively on how to use Meetup to start a community locally or specific to a topic. It is a great way to meet face-to-face with prospects and to showcase your expertise. And your Meetup community can include a helpful inbound link to your website.

7. Create resource lists

A resource page on your website can include anything from a list of the 15 best small business blogs to recommending technology for a specific niche. They attract inbound links because you have done a lot of the heavy internet searching for users so that this list can become a valuable resource. Need inspiration? One of our most popular blog articles is our "Top 15 Facebook Groups for Accounting and Tax Professionals."

8. Create press releases about important firm news

This is ideal for local or niche press releases that will resonate with bloggers and news outlets that cover your area. A new hire, a merger of firms, a growth milestone, or an expanded location are all subjects that local influencers may write about and share with their social networks. Attracting quality inbound links from related websites and authority sources can dramatically change how the search engines rank your brand. This can be true both for local and national keywords.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about getting more inbound links, contact us today at 1-800-442-2477 x3 or set up some time to speak with one of our digital marketing experts. We're here to help!

‍See the main points of this article summarized in a Quick Hit video with CEO Lee Reams II: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYTKggGi9S4[/embed]