In this digital world, link building stands at the top in enhancing SEO. Enhance your off-page SEO tactics with tiered link building. This Off-page SEO tactic involves creating link layers to modify your website’s backlink profile. Tiered link building involves connections of different websites at the same time.
Tiered link building can help to build the ranking of your blog posts by giving you different links from different websites. These backlinks may or may not be coming from spammy sites. Starting with high-quality links directly to your site, you expand by building links to those linking pages and then further to subsequent pages.
You have come to the best place if you want to learn about tiered link building. This comprehensive guide will tell you about the following points;
➡️What Is Tiered Link Building? Its benefits and drawbacks.
➡️Exploring the tiers(tier 1, tier 2, tier 3)
➡️Pitfalls to avoid in tiered link building
➡️Making a successful tiered link building strategy
What Is Tiered Link Building?
Tiered link building is an SEO strategy in which there is a hierarchical system of backlinks. This layer of interconnected links builds the authority and ranking of the website.
The way it works is that tier 1 is backlinking to your main website. Tier 2 websites are backlinking to tier 1 websites. Tier 3 websites are backlinking to tier 2 websites. All these websites point to the pivotal website that is your website.
In the connection of multiple links known as tiers, each tier assigns a different amount of link equity. Tiered link building, which emphasizes link diversity and quality, cultivates a strong backlink profile that is crucial for SEO success.
Tiered link building also shapes a pyramid structure in which tier 1 is on the top and tiers 2 and 3 are below it. The pyramid represents the money website means the main website and the following are the 3 layers of backlinks. That’s why tiered link building is also known as layered link building.
There are also drawbacks with benefits of this SEO strategy because it is a black hat technique(techniques which are not according to the guidelines of Google). Many bloggers and writers find it a harmful strategy to use due to Google penalties.
Here is an overview of some benefits and drawbacks of tiered link building.
Benefits of tiered link building👍
- Tiered link building allows for a gradual transfer of link quality from lower to higher quality backlinks, improving overall link equity.
- It enhances the authority and trustworthiness of the website by building a natural-looking backlink profile.
- By targeting high authority sites for tier 1, tiered link building strengthens credibility and uplifts the website’s ranking.
- The nature of tiered links builds fast indexing and crawling of web pages by search engine bots.
Drawbacks of tiered link building👎
- Tiered link building can cause penalties from search engines that lead to a loss in ranking.
- Tiered link building requires significant time and effort to identify relevant link opportunities.
- Tiered link building can be financially costly, as acquiring backlinks opportunities from high authority sites.
- The success of this strategy depends on external factors such as the willingness of other websites to link.
Exploring the Tiers
Tiered link building comprises three fundamental layers: tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3. Each of them has its characteristics and nature according to their place in the interconnected chain of links. It is not compulsory that there can be only 3 tiers, users can build multiple tiers according to their desire to rank more speedily.
Tier 1 links🔗
Tier 1 backlinks are do-follow links and are the foundation of the hierarchy chain of all the tier links. Tier 1 links can be one, two, or more than two based on the domain authority of websites.
These are the links that are directly pointed to your website and you always want those backlinks that are trustworthy, credible, and high domain authority websites. You can check which websites have high domain authority by using domain authority checker tools. I use ahrefs and Moz to check the domain authority of websites because they are free.
For example: When we checked the domain authority of backlinko.com by using the ahrefs tool, we came to the result that backlinko.com has a high domain authority that is 90. So, this proves to be the best tier 1 for our website.
How we can get tier 1 links
- HARO; By taking asses to HARO platforms, answer queries from journalists and bloggers that are relevant to your niche. Acquire backlinks from their websites by responding to them according to their need.
- Quality content: Create valuable and engaging content that naturally attracts links from authoritative sites. Always prioritize quality over quantity.
- Guest posts; Contribute guest posts to reputable blogs and websites within your niche, including a link back to your site in the author bio or within the content.
- Broken link building; Search for broken links in relevant websites and ask their owners to replace that broken link with your website’s link.
By implementing these strategies, you can effectively acquire Tier 1 links that strengthen your website’s authority and improve its search engine rankings📈.
| Do-follow links: These links pass SEO juice to other websites. When a reader sees a do-follow link he clicks the link without any hesitation as a sign of trustworthiness. No-follow links: These links don’t pass SEO juice or authority to websites being linked to. These links don’t benefit your website. Tier 1 links are always do-follow links because they are from high authority sites and they pass good SEO juice. |
| A good backlink must have a good authority score which tells search engines that your content is useful. |
Tier 2 links🔗
Tier 2 links are the backlinks pointing to tier 1 links that point to your website. They have a recent domain authority which is less than tier 1 links such as;
Tier 2 links play a central role in enhancing the authority of your tier 1 links and amplifying their impact on your website’s SEO performance. While Tier 1 links directly point to your website, Tier 2 links act as secondary connections, reinforcing the credibility and relevance of your Tier 1 pages.
These links are the supportive backbone that further strengthens your website’s backlink profile.
How we can get Tier 2 links
- Tier 1 link outreach; Reach out to the websites that are linking to your tier 1 pages. Tell them to link to pages on your website that are related to their niche.
- Content syndication; Syndicate your content across relevant platforms, such as social media groups and content-sharing websites
- Collaborative content; Collaborate with influencers and industry experts to create collaborative content, such as round-up posts, interviews, or co-authored articles.
- Resource page inclusion; Find relevant resource pages within your website and submit your tier 2 pages for inclusion.
After using these simple methods, you can get tier 2 links that complement your tier 1 efforts, further enhancing your website SEO performance and building your backlink profile.
Tier 3 links🔗
Tier 3 links are placed last in the pyramid and hierarchal structure of tiered link building. These links point to tier 2 links which point to tier 1 links indirectly pointing to your website.
Tier 3 acts as a backbone for tier 2 just like tier 2 links act as a supportive backbone for tier 1. These links contribute to the depth and breadth of your link network, enhancing the overall SEO performance of your website.
How we can get tier 3 links
- Social Bookmarking Sites; Submit your website to various social bookmarking platforms. These platforms allow users to share and bookmark web pages.
- Forum Profiles and Signatures; Participate in forums related to your niche and create profiles with links back to your Tier 2 properties.
- Blog Comment; Engage with blogs in your industry by leaving insightful comments on their posts. Make sure your comments are relevant and add value to the discussion. Most blogs allow you to include a link to your website when you comment.
- Image and Video Sharing Sites; Upload images and videos related to your niche on platforms like Flickr, Imgur, YouTube, etc. Include links back to your Tier 2 properties in the descriptions or annotations of these images and videos.
- Document-Sharing Sites; Publish documents, presentations, or PDFs related to your niche on document-sharing sites like SlideShare, Scribd, or Google Drive. Include links to your Tier 2 properties within the documents.
| PRO TIP Tier 3 links must not be your primary focus because they do not give enough SEO juice to your website. Most of your SEO juice comes from tier 1 and tier 2 links. Always remember quality over quantity, so prioritize acquiring high-quality tier 1 and tier 2 links for the best SEO performance. |
Tiered link building mistakes
When engaging in tiered link building, it’s crucial to avoid common mistakes that can undermine your SEO efforts and potentially lead to penalties from search engines. Here are some of the most common mistakes users make:
⚠️Relying on Quantity Over Quality: Focusing on acquiring a huge volume of backlinks without considering their quantity can be harmful. Backlinks from spammy sites can harm your website’s reputation and the risk of penalties from search engines increases.
⚠️Neglecting Anchor Text Diversity: When you use anchor text so many times in your text, it may appear unnatural to search engines.
⚠️Ignoring tier Interlinking techniques: Ignoring interlinking between tiers can result in an imbalance of link equity distribution. A well-structured network of tier is important in tiered link building.
⚠️Depending on low-quality automated tools: While automation can streamline certain aspects of link building, relying too heavily on automated tools can lead to the creation of low-quality or spammy backlinks. Manual outreach and personalized engagement often yield better results in terms of link quality and relevance.
⚠️Paying for cheap links: Buying cheap backlinks from cheap and unreliable sites proves to be an unethical practice and can cause penalties. It is essential to pay for links that are reliable and trustworthy. This builds a good backlink profile and the growth of your website increases.
⚠️Lack of Diversity in Link Sources: Acquiring a multitude of backlinks from a single platform can appear unscrupulous to search engines. It’s important to diversify your link sources across various platforms, including blogs, forums, and social media.
⚠️Failure to Monitor and Adapt: SEO is an ever-evolving field, and what works today may not necessarily work tomorrow. Failing to monitor the performance of your tiers and adapt your strategies accordingly can retard your long-term success in tiered link building.
Making a Successful Tiered Link Building Strategy
Crafting a successful tiered link building strategy is essential for maximizing the impact of your SEO efforts and improving your website’s search engine rankings. You can create an authentic backlink profile by prioritizing relevance, and authority, and employing white-hat techniques. You can achieve success in tiered link building by following points:
✔️Quality Over Quantity: When it comes to tiered link building, quality should always take precedence over quantity. Instead of pursuing a high volume of backlinks from any source, focus on acquiring links from authoritative, relevant websites within your industry.
These high-quality links carry more weight in the eyes of search engines and are more likely to positively impact your website’s ranking.
✔️Prioritizing Relevance and Authority: One of the key principles of tiered link building is to prioritize relevance and authority in your link acquisition efforts. Seek out websites and sources that are closely aligned with your niche or industry, as links from relevant sources carry more value.
Additionally, prioritize links from authoritative websites with established credibility in your field, as these links can significantly boost your website’s authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines.
✔️Using White-Hat Techniques: In an era of ever-evolving search engine algorithms, it’s crucial to employ white-hat techniques that prioritize ethical and sustainable link building practices. Avoid shortcuts or black-hat tactics that may provide short-term gains but ultimately harm your website’s long-term SEO performance.
Instead, focus on creating valuable, shareable content that naturally attracts backlinks and engages your audience. Embrace strategies such as guest posting, content marketing, and relationship building to earn high-quality links from reputable sources.
✔️Finding the Right Balance: Achieving the optimal balance in tiered link building involves carefully distributing your links across different tiers to ensure the smooth flow of link equity throughout your website.
Start by establishing a strong foundation of Tier 1 links pointing directly to your website’s main pages. From there, strategically build Tier 2 links to support and reinforce your Tier 1 links, followed by Tier 3 links to further enhance the depth and breadth of your link profile.
Additionally, diversify your anchor text strategies to maintain a natural and organic link profile that appears authentic to search engines.
By focusing on these guidelines and crafting a tiered link building strategy that prioritizes quality, relevance, and ethical practices, you can position your website for long-term success in the competitive landscape of SEO.
Conclusion
Tiered link building emerges as a crucial strategy of link building for enhancing website visibility, authority, and search engine rankings. By strategically constructing layers of backlinks, website owners can modify their backlink profiles, establish credibility, and drive organic traffic to their sites.
If you are ready to elevate your off-page SEO game with tiered link building, implement the strategies and techniques given in the blog.
Don’t let your website lost in this digital world. Contact us today to learn about our link building services and how we can help you achieve your targets. Feel free to make our partner today.
