Link Building for Manufacturers: How to Earn Backlinks That Last

It’s called the web for a reason. Everything on it is connected, including your website, through links from other websites. These are called backlinks.

When Google’s bots crawl the web, all they really do is follow links and record what they find.

One of the first patents behind Google’s success was about judging the quality of web pages by the links pointing to them.

The principle works like academic publishing: researchers who are cited more often by other researchers gain standing.

Because people try to game the system, Google’s methods are far more complex today. But the fact remains: links from other websites are still an important factor for good Google rankings.

In our experience, though, a huge amount of money is burned on buying links that may well be worthless. You need better methods than simply buying from link brokers.

So the question is: how does a manufacturing or industrial company get valuable links?

Why is buying links a problem in the first place?

Let’s start with the nature of the problem. As mentioned, Google doesn’t want to be manipulated. Its goal is to give users the best possible results.

If someone buys links from dozens of websites, that says nothing about the quality of the site being linked to. A website that earns links naturally, because people find it interesting, relevant or valuable, is a different story.

That’s why Google does everything it can to tell the two apart. Google is far from perfect at it, so some bought links may help for a while.

The problem: you never know exactly which links those are. And the effect can vanish with any Google update, once the link is identified as bought and devalued.

How do you recognize a “good” link?

So what makes a good link, one that isn’t at risk of being devalued? There are a few signs to look for:

• The link comes from a website on a related topic
• The linking website doesn’t openly sell articles and links
• The site isn’t listed with link brokers
• The site has high-quality content that’s genuinely useful to readers
• The site is well linked itself and has a high Domain Authority (Moz’s free Domain Analysis tool shows this, for example)
• The site gets plenty of search traffic itself (common SEO tools can show you this)
• Links marked “nofollow” (or “sponsored” or “ugc”) pass little or no ranking value, since Google treats these attributes as hints. Aim for regular, followed links

Where does a mid-sized industrial company get backlinks?

Link building for manufacturers works a little differently than in many other sectors. Elsewhere, blogs and magazines are the most common link sources.

In manufacturing, there are few options of that kind. Blogs are rare, and articles in trade publications are often very expensive. On top of that, there’s a real risk that those links carry no value precisely because they can be bought.

That’s why we only recommend a trade publication article to our clients when it’s cheap or has PR value beyond the link itself.

Still, there are options. When we research markets for clients, we often come across companies that clearly benefit from the strength of their domain and their link profile. We use companies like these as a benchmark when we develop off-page strategies for our clients.

So what does a strong link profile look like for a mid-sized manufacturer? Here’s what we’ve observed.

The link sources strong mid-sized manufacturers use

Directory links

Directory links are the foundation of every link profile. They include everything from online yellow pages, review sites and local business directories to industry-specific and industrial directories such as Wer liefert was (wlw) in German-speaking markets or Thomasnet in North America.

Most of these let you sign up for free, so you can secure your first links.

Tip: services such as BrightLocal can list you in a large number of directories at low cost.

Sponsorships: local sports, clubs and events

From the sports club to the community band, from a concert to a car race, there are plenty of options here. Many companies do this simply out of commitment to their local community. Just don’t forget to ask for a link.

Trade associations (directories AND articles)

Almost every niche has trade associations. Most have member directories that link to their members. Even better is a company profile or an expert article in their news section.

Links from suppliers (for example as a reference or case study)

Offer your suppliers a testimonial or a case study. It’s a win-win: your supplier gets good publicity, and you get a link. This is one of our favorites.

Customers, after you’ve published an article or case study about them

This can work too. If you publish a positive article about a customer, they may link to your website themselves.

Local media

Local media often expect payment for an article these days. But companies that matter locally and are well connected often get coverage without paying.

Trade shows

Trade shows usually link to their exhibitors, and these exhibitor directories often stay online for years. Compared with regular directory links, they have the advantage of being highly specific to your sector. Of course, you shouldn’t attend a trade show just for a link.

Trade publications

As mentioned above, trade publications aren’t without problems. If you see value beyond the link, buying an article there can make sense for its PR value. Paid links should be marked as sponsored, though, so don’t count on them for rankings.

Chambers of commerce

Are you well connected with your local chamber of commerce? Ask them to feature your company or offer a technical article. In Germany, most chamber of commerce (IHK) domains are extremely strong, so the effort can pay off.

Want to know which link sources fit your niche? Free consultation