Backlinks remain one of Google’s most important ranking factors, but building them for an ecommerce store presents unique challenges. Product pages do not naturally attract links. You cannot write a viral blog post about a pair of socks and expect the links to flow in. Ecommerce link building requires a different approach — one that combines digital PR, content marketing, and relationship building.

This guide covers the link building strategies that actually work for ecommerce stores. No grey-hat tactics. No paid links. Just sustainable methods that build real authority and drive real rankings. This complements our broader approach to SEO and organic growth.

Google uses backlinks as a measure of trust and authority. A link from a reputable website is effectively a vote of confidence in your content. For ecommerce stores, this authority translates directly to rankings and revenue.

Domain authority lifts all pages

Unlike on-page SEO, which benefits individual pages, link building increases your domain’s overall authority. This rising tide lifts all boats — a stronger domain means better rankings for every product page, collection page, and blog post on your site.

Links to supporting content help product pages

You do not need links directly to product pages for them to benefit. Links to blog posts, buying guides, and resource pages on your site build domain authority that helps product pages rank. A well-linked blog post about “how to choose running shoes” will strengthen the rankings of your running shoes collection page through internal linking and domain authority.

Understanding the relationship between content and product pages is key to our ongoing SEO approach.

Diagram showing how backlinks to blog content strengthen product page rankings through internal links
Links to supporting content flow authority to product and collection pages through internal linking.

Step 1: Audit your current link profile

Before building new links, understand what you already have. Use Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to analyse your current backlink profile.

What to look for

  • Total referring domains: The number of unique websites linking to you. This matters more than total links.
  • Domain authority distribution: How many links come from high-authority versus low-authority sites?
  • Anchor text profile: Is your anchor text natural and varied, or does it look manipulated?
  • Toxic links: Are there links from spammy, irrelevant, or penalised sites?
  • Link velocity: How quickly are you gaining (or losing) links over time?

Benchmark against competitors

Compare your link profile against the sites that currently rank for your target keywords. If they have 500 referring domains and you have 50, you know the gap you need to close. This does not mean you need 500 links overnight — but it sets realistic expectations about the effort required.

Step 2: Create linkable content assets

The foundation of sustainable link building is content that other websites want to link to. For ecommerce, this means creating content that goes beyond product descriptions.

Buying guides and comparison content

Comprehensive buying guides attract links because they genuinely help people make decisions. A guide like “How to Choose the Right Running Shoe for Your Foot Type” is the kind of content that fitness blogs, podiatry websites, and running communities will reference and link to.

Original research and data

If you have proprietary data, use it. Customer surveys, industry analysis, and trend reports attract links from journalists, bloggers, and other publications looking for sources. Even simple data visualisations can earn dozens of links if the data is interesting and original.

Interactive tools and calculators

Sizing calculators, product finders, cost calculators, and comparison tools attract links because they provide ongoing utility. A “Find your perfect mattress” quiz or a “How much paint do I need” calculator earns links every time someone recommends it.

Expert roundups and interviews

Interview experts in your industry and publish the content on your blog. The experts will often share and link to the content. This builds relationships that can lead to ongoing link opportunities.

Examples of linkable content assets for ecommerce: buying guides, research reports, and interactive tools
Create content assets that provide unique value beyond what your product pages offer.

Step 3: Use digital PR and product stories

Digital PR is one of the most effective link building strategies for ecommerce brands because you have something journalists and bloggers care about: actual products.

Product launches and seasonal angles

New product launches, seasonal collections, and limited editions are newsworthy. Pitch these to relevant publications with high-quality images and a compelling angle. Fashion magazines, lifestyle blogs, and trade publications are always looking for new products to feature.

Founder stories and brand narratives

If your brand has an interesting origin story, sustainability mission, or unique approach, pitch it. Business publications, local media, and industry blogs regularly feature founder stories. Every feature typically includes a link to your website.

Newsjacking and commentary

Monitor industry news and offer expert commentary to journalists. Sign up for services like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) or ResponseSource and respond to journalist queries in your area of expertise. This positions you as an industry authority and earns links from major publications.

Gift guides and seasonal roundups

Pitch your products for inclusion in gift guides, “best of” lists, and seasonal roundups. These are published by hundreds of blogs and publications throughout the year, not just at Christmas. Each inclusion is typically a followed link to your product page or homepage, and they also support the long-term SEO investment.

Resource pages, industry directories, and editorial mentions are reliable sources of quality links.

Industry resource pages

Many industry websites maintain resource pages that list useful tools, guides, and suppliers. If you have created a genuinely useful content asset (buying guide, sizing chart, educational content), reach out and suggest it for inclusion.

Industry directories and associations

Legitimate industry associations, trade bodies, and professional directories provide valuable links and referral traffic. If you are a member of relevant industry organisations, ensure your listing includes a link to your website.

Unlinked brand mentions

Search for mentions of your brand name online that do not include a link. Use tools like Ahrefs Content Explorer or Google Alerts to find these. Contact the site owner and politely ask them to add a link. This has a high success rate because they have already mentioned you — they simply forgot the link.

Outreach email template for requesting a link from an unlinked brand mention
Unlinked brand mentions are the easiest link building wins — the site already endorses you.

Step 5: Leverage supplier and partner relationships

Your existing business relationships are an untapped source of quality backlinks.

Supplier and manufacturer links

Many manufacturers and suppliers maintain “where to buy” or “authorised retailer” pages. If you stock their products, ask to be included. These are highly relevant, authoritative links that competitors often overlook.

Complementary brand partnerships

Partner with complementary (non-competing) brands for cross-promotion. A dog food brand might partner with a dog toy brand for joint content. Each brand links to the other, and the content is genuinely useful to the shared audience.

Charity and community involvement

Sponsor local events, charities, or community initiatives. Most organisations link to their sponsors from their websites. Choose causes that align with your brand values for authenticity and relevance.

Broken link building is a method where you find broken links on other websites and offer your content as a replacement.

How it works

  1. Find resource pages, blog posts, or guides in your industry that link to external sources.
  2. Use a tool like Ahrefs or Check My Links (browser extension) to identify broken links on those pages.
  3. If you have content that could replace the broken link, contact the site owner and suggest the swap.
  4. If you do not have matching content, create it — then reach out.

Find expired competitor domains

When a competitor goes out of business and their domain expires, every link pointing to them becomes broken. Use Ahrefs to find the sites that linked to the defunct competitor and reach out with your equivalent content. This is particularly effective in niche ecommerce markets where competitors close regularly.

Broken link building workflow: find broken links, create matching content, outreach to webmaster
Broken link building provides value to webmasters by helping them fix their sites while earning you a link.

Step 7: Track and measure link building ROI

Link building requires ongoing effort and investment. Measure its impact to justify the resources.

Metrics to track

  • New referring domains per month: Are you gaining links consistently?
  • Domain authority trend: Is your domain authority increasing over time?
  • Ranking improvements: Are target keywords moving up?
  • Organic traffic growth: Is overall organic traffic increasing?
  • Referral traffic: Are your links driving actual visitors?

Attribution

Link building rarely shows immediate, directly attributable results. A link built today may influence rankings 6–12 weeks later. Track trends over quarters rather than weeks, and look at the correlation between link acquisition and ranking improvements at the keyword level.

Link building for ecommerce is a long game. The stores that build sustainable link profiles win over time — not because of any single link, but because of the cumulative authority that makes every page on the site rank better.

Andrew Simpson, Founder

Bringing it together

Building backlinks for an ecommerce store requires a combination of content creation, digital PR, relationship building, and technical outreach. The most effective approach combines multiple strategies: create linkable content assets, pitch product stories to journalists, leverage existing relationships, and systematically find and pursue link opportunities.

The key principle is value exchange. Every link you earn should be the result of providing genuine value to the linking site and its audience. This approach builds a link profile that withstands algorithm updates and compounds over time.

If you need help developing a link building strategy for your ecommerce store, get in touch. We build SEO strategies that include sustainable link acquisition as a core component.