These slides were presented at the Semrush webinar "When Links Set Websites on Fire". Video replay and transcript are available at https://www.semrush.com/webinars/when-links-set-websites-on-fire/

1. When Links Set
Websites On Fire
A Technical SEO Perspective

2. What is covered
• Defining link impact
• 2 case studies
• Earning links
• Summary

3. Before we start…

4. Some resources on getting the right backlinks
The Magic Of Link Building (Nitin Manchanda) (https://www.semrush.com/webinars/seo-bytes-
with-nitin-the-magic-of-link-building/)
Ultimate Guide to Link Building: How to Build Website Authority, Increase Traffic and Search
Ranking with Backlinks (Eric Ward, Garrett French) (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Guide-
Link-Building-Credibility/dp/1599184427)
Link Building Debunked: Discover the Secret to Earning Huge Backlinks Without Hiring an SEO
Agency Kindle Edition (Matt LaClear) (https://www.amazon.com/Link-Building-Debunked-
Discover-Backlinks-ebook/dp/B06XYTHFR4)

5. Link impact:
What we think

6. My definition of the highest (SEO) impact backlink
 overarching authority
 domain wide traffic
 page level content relevance
 page level context
 page level traffic
 page level ranking
 link context

7. What do SEOs think of this?

8. Links aren’t equal
“Not all links are created equal.”
Chris Algar, Head of SEO at Sykes Cottages

9. Links aren’t equal
“…it is a voting system. It's the same
system we chose presidents and prime
ministers. Not all votes are equal and
the votes with the most cash and
loudest megaphones, mean more. ”
Emile Rossouw, founder @ Digital Score

10. When 1 Link Set A
Website On Fire
Case Study #1 (2019)

11. Reactive PR

12. Reactive PR
Journalist Company Owner
News article relating to a
product shortage, which the
company owner was an
authority to comment upon.

13. Reactive PR

14. What happened?

15. Zero top 3s in May 2019 –> 8 top 3s in December 2019
Source:
Semrush
Article goes live Aug 24th
2019

16. Page level links / ranking
Backlinks (1 from pharmacynetworknews.com)
13
Ranking Keywords (all product specific)
25
Page 1 phrases (product specific)
3

17. 1 link.

18. When 1 Link Set A
Website On Fire
Case Study #2 (2020/2021)

19. “Can you get me a couple of amazing links to this page…?”
Duncan
(SEO)
Andre
(PR)
Long form ‘how to’ article
created, outreached and placed
on 1 high authority website.

20. What happened?

21. Zero top 3s in September –> 25 top 3s in February 2021
Source:
Semrush
Article goes live Oct 19th 2020

22. We ticked these boxes
 overarching authority
 domain wide traffic
 page level content relevance
 page level context
 page level traffic
 page level ranking
 link context

23. Domain strength

24. Page level relevance & context
0.00%
0.50%
1.00%
1.50%
2.00%
2.50%
3.00%
3.50%
Website ecomm. conversion rate Backlink ecomm. conversion rate

25. Page level links / ranking
Backlinks (1 from Yahoo.com)
20
Ranking Keywords (all product specific)
31
Page 1 phrases (product specific)
2

26. 1 link.

27. 1 link – is it really enough?
spike.digital |27
“There could be one really good link from one website out there that is, for us, a
really important sign that we should treat this website as something that is relevant
because it has that one link.”
John Mueller
Webmasters Trends Analyst [Google]

28. Link earners

30. Summary

31. Make impact with links
• 1 link can catapult a page up the rankings.
• Focus on using inner pages to demonstrate ROI on
outreach/PR efforts.
• Run content projects that are your ‘link earners’.

32. Good luck finding those
golden links!