Topical relevance: When backlinks make even more sense
When it comes to effective link building, one of the most important factors you should consider is topical relevancy.
Search engines like Google are getting smarter by the day, and they now place a huge emphasis on the relevance of the content where your backlinks are placed.
But what exactly is topical relevancy, and why does it matter?
What is topical relevance?
Topical relevancy refers to how closely the content of the website linking to you matches the subject matter of your own site.
For example, if you run a fitness blog, getting a backlink from another health-related site is far more valuable than one from a website about tech gadgets.
Google sees this as a vote of confidence from an industry peer, increasing the authority of your site in that specific niche.
Why it matters for SEO
Here’s why topical relevancy plays such a crucial role:
- Better rankings: Search engines prioritize backlinks from sites that are relevant to your industry. A high-quality, relevant backlink signals that your content is trustworthy and authoritative, which helps boost your rankings.
- Improved user experience: When users follow a link from a related website, they’re more likely to find value in your content. This improves engagement metrics (like time on page), which further enhances your SEO.
- Natural link profile: A backlink profile filled with random, unrelated sites can look suspicious to Google. Topically relevant links create a natural and organic backlink profile, which lowers the risk of penalties.
How to choose the right sites
So how do you ensure the websites linking to you are topically relevant? Here are a few tips:
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- Check content focus: Look for sites that cover topics similar to your own. For example, if your business focuses on eco-friendly products, look for sites in the sustainability, environmental, or green living niches.
- Audience alignment: Ask yourself, “Would their audience be interested in what I have to offer?” If the answer is yes, you’ve likely found a good match.
- Authority within the niche: Make sure the site has authority within its own niche. A relevant backlink from a well-respected site will carry far more weight than one from a low-authority source.
- Content quality: Look for well-written, informative content that matches the tone and quality of your own. Sites with spammy, thin content can do more harm than good.
Our philosophy
At Bazoom, we knew this was a highly requested feature in the industry: The ability to quickly sort the right backlinks that match the content profile you want.
This is why we recently introduced ‘filters.’ You’re probably familiar with them from online shopping—we brought the same concept into the SEO world and created a variety of filters to make it easier and faster for you to find the golden nuggets for your site.
By focusing on securing backlinks from sites that are topically relevant to your niche, you’ll improve not only your SEO but also the overall perception of your brand.