How to Build Backlinks for Your Ecommerce Store

Introduction: Why Backlinks Are Your Ecommerce Store’s Secret Weapon

Look, if you’re running an ecommerce store and not actively building backlinks, you’re leaving serious money on the table. I’m talking about thousands of dollars in potential revenue that could be flowing to your store right now if you had the right links pointing to your site.

Backlinks are literally one of the top ranking factors that Google uses to determine if your site deserves to rank at the top of search results. When other websites link to your store, it’s like getting a vote of confidence from them. The more high-quality votes you get, the more Google trusts your site, and the higher you’ll rank.

On my own stores and for my clients, I’ve seen backlinks drive anywhere from 30% to 60% of our organic traffic. That’s really really significant when you think about it. In this guide, I’m going to walk you through exactly how to build backlinks for your ecommerce store, step by step.

What Are Backlinks and Why They Matter for Ecommerce

A backlink is simply a link from one website to another. When someone on Site A links to Site B, that’s a backlink for Site B. In the context of your ecommerce store, every link from other websites pointing to your domain is a backlink that can help boost your search rankings.

Google’s algorithm, at its core, treats backlinks as endorsements. The logic goes like this: if your store is linked to by reputable websites in your industry, you must be offering something valuable. This is especially important in ecommerce because trust and authority are everything when it comes to getting people to buy from you.

Here’s what I tell all my clients: backlinks are not just about SEO anymore. They also drive direct traffic. Someone reads an article about your product on another website, sees your link, clicks over, and buys. That’s real revenue coming in.

The tricky part is that not all backlinks are created equal. A link from a major industry publication or a well-respected blog in your niche is worth way more than a random link from a low-quality directory. Keep that in mind as you’re building your link profile.

The Different Types of Backlinks You Need to Know About

Before we dive into the specific strategies, let’s talk about the different types of backlinks you’ll encounter. Understanding these will help you prioritize where to focus your efforts.

Dofollow vs. Nofollow Links

A dofollow link passes what’s called “link juice” to your site. This means Google counts it as a vote and it actually helps your rankings. A nofollow link tells Google “don’t count this as an endorsement.” Nofollow links used to be worthless, but Google has been changing how they treat them in recent years.

For your ecommerce store, you want to focus primarily on dofollow links. But don’t completely ignore nofollow links because they can still drive traffic and help with overall brand visibility.

Editorial Links

These are the holy grail of backlinks. An editorial link is when a website mentions your store naturally in their content because they genuinely think it’s worth linking to. These are harder to get but incredibly valuable because they come from a place of authenticity.

Resource Page Links

Resource pages are basically curated lists of helpful links in a particular niche. Getting your store listed on relevant resource pages is a pain in the butt sometimes, but it’s worth it because these pages tend to have high authority and relevance.

Guest Post Links

When you write an article for someone else’s website and include a link back to your store, that’s a guest post link. These are valuable because you control the anchor text and placement, and they often come from established blogs with real traffic.

The Guest Posting Strategy That Actually Works

Guest posting is one of my absolute favorite strategies for building backlinks on ecommerce stores. Why? Because it works, it’s sustainable, and it doesn’t feel spammy like some other tactics. If you want to dive deeper into link building fundamentals, the Moz link building guide is a fantastic resource for understanding how to evaluate target sites.

Here’s exactly what I do for my clients: First, we identify 20 to 50 blogs in the ecommerce space that are relevant to their niche. We’re looking for sites with decent traffic and actual engaged audiences. You can check this using Ubersuggest to see domain authority and estimated traffic. I often also use Ahrefs for a more comprehensive view of a site’s backlink profile.

Next, I create a list of 5 to 10 article topic ideas that would be valuable for that blog’s audience while also being relevant to your ecommerce store. The key here is that you’re not pitching articles that are obviously promotional. You’re pitching genuinely useful content that happens to align with your products.

For example, if you sell high-ticket items, you might pitch an article about “How to Make Your First High-Ticket Purchase Online” or “What to Look for in a Quality [Product Category].” These articles provide value while naturally allowing you to link to your store.

When you actually write the guest post, keep it professional and valuable. I usually aim for 1,500 to 2,000 words. Include your link naturally in the content, typically in the author bio at the end, and sometimes once within the article itself if it makes sense contextually.

The conversion rate on guest posts is really really good. I’ve seen clients get 50+ qualified visitors per guest post. At a 2% conversion rate, that’s one extra customer per guest post. Do ten guest posts a month and you’re looking at ten extra customers from that channel alone.

Building Relationships With Suppliers and Manufacturers

Here’s something most ecommerce sites miss: your suppliers and manufacturers are a goldmine for backlinks. If you’re running a legit ecommerce store with real suppliers, those suppliers often have websites that link to their partners.

I do this on my own stores all the time. I reach out to my main suppliers and ask if they have a partners page or vendor directory on their website. Most of the time, they’re happy to add a link to your store because it benefits them too.

If you’re in the high-ticket dropshipping space, check out this guide on finding the best suppliers to ensure you’re building relationships with quality companies that actually have legitimate websites.

The beauty of supplier links is that they’re often very relevant and have decent authority. Plus, they’re relatively easy to obtain if you’ve got an actual business relationship with these companies.

I typically target 5 to 10 supplier links for every new store I’m working with. These links alone can give you a nice little boost in the SERPs.

Resource Page Link Building: The Underrated Strategy

Most people overlook resource pages, but I’ve found them to be incredibly valuable. A resource page is basically a curated list of links that someone has compiled to help their audience learn about a topic.

Here’s how I find relevant resource pages: I use SEMRush to search for pages that rank for keywords like “[Your Niche] resources” or “[Your Niche] links” or “[Your Niche] directory.” I’m looking for pages that are actively updated and have real traffic. For this task, you can also use Moz as an alternative if you want to compare results.

Once I’ve identified a resource page, I look at the existing links to understand what kinds of sites they’re linking to. Then I craft a personalized email pitch to the page owner explaining why my ecommerce store would be a valuable addition to their resource list.

The pitch is key here. Don’t just say “add my link.” Show them specifically how your store adds value to their readers. Maybe you offer the best prices in your category, or you have the most comprehensive product selection, or you provide exceptional customer service.

I see a success rate of about 30% to 40% on resource page outreach. That’s really really good compared to some other tactics. And the links you get are usually relevant and have decent authority.

Broken Link Building: Finding and Exploiting Opportunities

Broken link building is a technique where you find broken links on other websites and suggest your content as a replacement. It’s a win-win because you’re helping the site owner fix a problem while getting a link for yourself. For a comprehensive guide on this strategy, check out the Backlinko link building guide which covers this tactic in detail.

Here’s the process: First, use a tool like Ahrefs to find broken links on relevant websites. You’re looking for broken links that point to pages that would be similar in topic to something you offer. SEMRush is another solid option if you prefer an alternative platform.

For example, if you sell outdoor gear, you might find a broken link that used to point to a competitor’s camping equipment page. You’d reach out to the site owner, let them know the link is broken, and suggest they link to a relevant page on your store instead.

The email pitch is crucial. You want to be helpful and non-pushy. Something like “I noticed you have a broken link on your [Page Name] article. The link was pointing to [old URL]. I have a similar resource at [Your Link] that your readers might find valuable. Would you be interested in updating the link?”

I typically see a 20% to 30% success rate on broken link building outreach. It’s a bit of a pain in the butt because you have to do individual outreach for each link, but the quality of links you get is really high because they’re contextually relevant.

I usually aim to get 20 to 30 broken link building opportunities per quarter for my clients. That’s a solid, sustainable rate that doesn’t raise any red flags with Google.

Digital PR: Building Backlinks Through Publicity

Digital PR is a strategy where you actively seek out media coverage and mentions from journalists, bloggers, and online publications. When done right, this can generate tons of high-quality backlinks.

The key to successful digital PR is having a story or angle that’s newsworthy. You can’t just say “my ecommerce store exists.” You need to have something unique or interesting to share.

For example, maybe you’re the only store that offers a particular product at a specific price point. Or maybe you have a unique sourcing story. Or maybe you’re doing something innovative with your business model. Whatever it is, that’s your angle.

Once you’ve identified your angle, create a simple one-page press release or media pitch. Then identify journalists and bloggers who cover your niche and reach out to them directly. Use Moz to find journalists who have written about topics related to your store. You can also use SEMRush for competitive intelligence on who’s covering your industry.

I use a tool called Authority Builders to help identify journalists and media contacts. It’s really really helpful for scaling digital PR outreach.

When a journalist covers your story, you typically get multiple backlinks from high-authority news sites and industry publications. These links are incredibly valuable for SEO and for driving traffic.

Creating Linkable Content That Naturally Attracts Backlinks

Here’s a truth that most people don’t want to hear: if you create really valuable content, people will naturally link to it. You don’t need to ask for backlinks if your content is good enough.

So what kind of content attracts backlinks? Research, original data, useful guides, tools, and anything that provides genuine value. For E-Commerce Paradise, content about business formation and choosing the right niche naturally attracts links because it’s comprehensive and useful.

I create what I call “pillar content” for my clients. These are comprehensive guides that cover a topic in incredible depth. I’m talking 3,000 to 5,000 words or more. I include original research, real examples, and actionable advice.

For example, if you’re in the high-ticket dropshipping space, a comprehensive guide about the best high-ticket niches would naturally attract links from people writing about ecommerce niches. Or a guide about business formation for dropshippers would attract links from entrepreneurs.

I typically see 50 to 100+ organic backlinks per pillar piece within the first six months. That’s really really valuable without any outreach.

The key to making content linkable is to include data, original research, actionable frameworks, or unique insights that other people will want to reference. People link to content that helps them look better or smarter in front of their audience.

Competitive Backlink Analysis: Learning From Your Competitors

One of my favorite strategies is analyzing where my competitors are getting backlinks. If a competitor has a link from a relevant website, there’s a good chance I can get a link from that same website too.

Here’s how I do it: I use Ahrefs to analyze my top three to five competitors. I look at their backlink profiles and identify which sites are linking to them.

I also compare results with SEMRush to ensure comprehensive coverage. Additionally, I check Moz to make sure I’m not missing any valuable link sources.

I then filter for high-authority links that are relevant to my niche. I create a spreadsheet of these sites and reach out with a pitch. The pitch acknowledges that they already linked to my competitor, and explains why my store would be an even better link for their audience.

I see about a 10% to 20% success rate on these outreach attempts. It’s lower than some other strategies, but the volume of opportunities can make it worthwhile. If I’m analyzing three competitors and each has 100+ backlinks, I’ve got plenty of targets to reach out to.

Keep that in mind though: you want to be respectful and not appear desperate. You’re not asking them to remove the link to your competitor. You’re simply suggesting that your store would also be a valuable resource for their readers.

Essential Tools for Backlink Building and Tracking

You need the right tools to be successful with backlink building. Here are the ones I use consistently for my clients:

SEO Tools for Finding Backlink Opportunities

Ahrefs is my go-to tool for competitive analysis and finding backlink opportunities. It has the largest database of backlinks and makes it easy to identify where your competitors are getting links from.

SEMRush is another excellent option that I use alongside Ahrefs. Sometimes one tool catches links that another misses, so having both gives you a more complete picture.

Moz is particularly good for finding resources and broken link opportunities. Their link research tools are solid and their domain authority metric is widely trusted in the industry.

SE Ranking is a more affordable option if you’re just getting started. It provides decent backlink data and is great for tracking your own link profile over time.

Keyword Research Tools for Creating Linkable Content

Ubersuggest is fantastic for finding content opportunities and understanding search volume for different keywords. I use it to identify topics that will attract backlinks.

KWFinder is another great keyword tool that’s particularly useful for finding niche keywords with less competition. This helps you create content on topics that are less saturated.

Email Outreach Tools

For actually managing your outreach campaigns, I use tools that help me find email addresses and track response rates. Ahrefs even has email finding capabilities built in now.

The bottom line is you need tools to find opportunities, create content, and track your results. Don’t try to do this manually because you’ll go crazy and miss tons of opportunities.

What NOT to Do: Avoiding Google Link Spam Penalties

Here’s the really really important part that a lot of people get wrong: not all backlink strategies are created equal, and some can actually hurt your site.

Google has strict guidelines about what constitutes link spam. According to Google’s link spam policies, you should avoid buying links, participating in link schemes, or building links through manipulative practices.

Here’s what I tell my clients NOT to do: Don’t buy backlinks from link vendors or link farms. Don’t participate in link exchanges where you only link to sites that link to you. Don’t add your site to thousands of low-quality directories. Don’t use automated link building software that creates links at scale.

These tactics might give you a short-term boost, but Google is incredibly sophisticated at detecting this stuff. I’ve seen sites get penalized and lose 80% of their traffic because they built links the wrong way.

The safe approach is to focus on white-hat tactics: guest posting, resource page links, broken link building, digital PR, and creating genuinely valuable content. These take longer, but they’re sustainable and they won’t get you penalized.

Keep that in mind as you’re building your link profile. It’s better to have 20 high-quality backlinks than 200 low-quality ones.

Building Your Backlink Strategy Around Your Business Model

Here’s something I’ve learned over years of running ecommerce stores: your backlink strategy needs to align with your specific business model.

If you’re running a high-ticket dropshipping store, you want to focus on different link sources than if you’re selling mass-market products. Understanding high-ticket dropshipping will help you identify the right audience and the right sites to target for backlinks.

For high-ticket items, you want backlinks from authority sites in the luxury space, business sites, and decision-making resources. For mass-market items, you might focus more on consumer review sites and lifestyle blogs.

Take time to really understand who your ideal customer is and where they’re consuming content. Then focus your backlink efforts on those same sites and communities.

Measuring Your Results: How to Know If Your Backlink Strategy Is Working

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. That’s why tracking your backlink building efforts is absolutely critical.

Here’s what I track for every client: First, I monitor their domain authority using Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMRush. This should slowly increase over time as you build quality backlinks.

Second, I track their organic search traffic using Google Analytics. This is the real measure of success. If you’re building backlinks but not seeing an increase in organic traffic, something is wrong with your strategy.

Third, I look at individual keyword rankings for important keywords in my space. If I’m building backlinks strategically, my rankings for targeted keywords should improve.

Fourth, I track referral traffic from the sites that link to me. Not all traffic from backlinks goes through the organic search channel. Sometimes people click directly on your link from other sites.

I recommend checking these metrics monthly and looking at trends over three to six month periods. Don’t get too caught up in daily fluctuations because SEO results take time to compound.

Creating a Sustainable Backlink Building Process

The key to long-term success with backlinks is creating a sustainable process that you can repeat month after month. This is really really important because backlink building is never a one-time project.

Here’s my process for my clients: I set a monthly backlink target, usually 20 to 50 new high-quality links depending on the store’s size and competition level. I break this down into specific tactics: 10 guest posts, 5 broken link opportunities, 5 resource page links, and 10 supplier or partnership links.

I then assign tasks and deadlines for each month. I track which tactics are working best and adjust the mix accordingly. Some months guest posting will be my biggest source of links. Other months, resource pages might outperform.

The important thing is consistency. I work with my clients to build backlinks every single month, not just when they feel motivated or have extra time.

I also use tools like Ahrefs to monitor backlinks in real time so I can see which tactics are actually working and generating the most valuable links.

Level Up Your Backlink Strategy With Professional Services

Look, I’m not going to pretend this is easy. Backlink building is time-consuming and requires real skill to do well. If you’re just starting out, you might want to get some professional help.

That’s why I offer coaching services where I can walk you through building your own backlink strategy. Or if you want to completely outsource it, I have a link building management service where my team handles everything for you.

I’ve also worked with other agencies and I really recommend checking out Authority Builders if you want a specialized team focused entirely on building high-quality links for your store.

Depending on your budget and how fast you want to see results, these professional services can be really really worth the investment. A solid link profile is one of the biggest competitive advantages you can have in ecommerce.

Advanced Backlink Strategy: Combining Multiple Approaches

Once you’ve mastered the basics, the real magic happens when you combine multiple approaches. Guest posting alone won’t get you to the top of Google. But guest posting plus resource pages plus broken link building plus digital PR? That’s a formula that works.

I typically recommend a balanced approach: 30% guest posting, 25% supplier and partnership links, 20% resource page links, 15% broken link building, and 10% digital PR. Obviously this mix varies based on your niche and what’s working for you.

The key is diversification. If you’re only relying on one tactic and Google changes how they treat that tactic, you’re in trouble. But if you’ve got links coming from multiple high-quality sources, you’re much more resilient.

For high-ticket stores, I sometimes add in links from SEO resources and business education sites since high-ticket buyers tend to be more educated and research-oriented.

Conclusion: Start Building Backlinks Today

Backlinks are one of the most powerful ways to boost your ecommerce store’s visibility and traffic. But they only work if you actually build them strategically and consistently.

Here’s my challenge to you: Pick one tactic from this guide and commit to it for the next 30 days. Whether it’s guest posting, resource page links, or broken link building, just pick one and execute it. See what happens to your rankings and traffic.

I guarantee you’ll see results. At minimum, you’ll get some new links and some direct traffic from those links. At best, you’ll see your rankings improve significantly for your target keywords.

If you want help with your backlink strategy, I’ve got resources available. Check out my turnkey ecommerce services if you want a done-for-you solution. Alternatively, you can grab a coaching call if you want personalized guidance on your specific situation.

The stores that are winning in ecommerce right now are the ones that understand that backlinks matter. They’re investing time and money into building a strong link profile. You can too. Let’s get into it and start building those backlinks.