After helping numerous ecommerce brands scale their visibility and sales, I can confidently say one thing: a great website without a strong backlink strategy is like a store in the middle of nowhere—it’s almost impossible for the right customers to find you.
In 2025, customers search for products in a crowded marketplace where countless online stores offer similar items at competitive prices. If your website doesn’t have the authority and trust, your pages are at risk getting buried beneath competitors in search results.
Yes, you would still need quality products, a user-friendly website, and solid marketing efforts. But to truly stand out in the digital jungle of SERPs, you need the extra push that quality backlinks deliver—both in terms of search visibility and brand credibility.
Throughout this article, I’ll share the key strategies I’ve perfected over the years, so you can build a robust backlink profile for your ecommerce business and draw in the customers who are ready to buy. You’ll discover:
- What link building means for ecommerce websites?
- Why you should build quality links for your online store?
- 12 actionable strategies to boost visibility and drive sales.
Without further ado, let’s start with our first topic!
What is eCommerce Link Building?
Ecommerce link building means getting high-quality backlinks, especially to increase visibility in search results, attracting targeted buyers, and ultimately boosting sales.
Link building for ecommerce websites differs a bit from general link building. The former’s aim is to majorly boost convertible relevant traffic and brand authority.
Ecommerce link building takes more interest in commercial-intent audiences who are actively looking for products and are ready to purchase.
Fundamental aspects of ecommerce link building:
1. Buyer-Centric Focus:
Your links must be acquired from websites that your ideal customers often visit – think product review sites, blogs focused on your niche, and pages on other brands that complement yours.
2. Strategic Page Targeting:
Ecommerce link building needs you to get those valuable links to point to specific product or category pages (instead of just directing them back to your homepage) that match the keywords your customers are actually searching for.
3. Conversion-Focused Metrics:
The measure of success is determined by how the acquired links translate into relevant traffic growth, conversions, and revenue growth (aligned with the business goal).
4. Distributing the link juice within the complex page structures:
With a large number of product catalogs, dynamic URLs, and risk of duplicate content, it is imperative to make sure the right pages on your site get the link juice they need.
In a nutshell, ecommerce link building is all about making your store the centre of attraction so that your ideal customers find it easily. It’s about building trust and making them feel confident enough to hit that “Add to Cart” button.
Why eCommerce Websites Should Build Links
Being an ecommerce business owner in 2025, you know how competitive the online market is. There are literally hundreds of websites selling the same product you are selling.
For you, the main goal is to be found easily by your ideal customers and ahead of your competitors.
This is where backlinks give websites the additional push (apart from good content and many other factors).
Essentially, backlinks tell search engines like Google that you are a relatable, reliable and trustworthy source in your industry. For example, if you are selling electronics devices and you have earned a link to your website from a good blogging website that talks about electronic items.
Then this incoming link indicates to search engines that your website is a reliable source for people to buy the products the blog is talking about.
This process also builds authority, which in the SEO world we know as Domain Authority or DA. For most new ecommerce websites achieving higher DA is a challenge to overcome.
Even though not accepted as a ranking factor on pen and paper. But many SEOs over the years have seen DA as being a deciding factor when it comes to ranking websites for competitive keywords.
Backlinks are an effective way to start building DA for a new website. And also for enterprise websites, a healthy backlink profile helps to maintain the DA over time.
Ecommerce sites often have category pages, product pages, and blog content. Backlinks can help these individual pages rank better. If a product page gets a backlink from a review site, that page might rank higher for specific keywords.
While we are talking about types of pages in an ecommerce website, let’s stick out a point that ecommerce websites often have a complex website structure.
Dynamic URLs and duplicate content issues (like product variants) are just some to name. Backlinks can help mitigate some of these SEO challenges by directing link equity to important pages – to achieve this you should adapt internal linking strategies to flow the link juice through the important pages.
Another angle to look at while we are justifying why you should build backlinks to your website is “brand awareness”.
Even if a backlink doesn’t directly improve SEO, having your brand mentioned on various sites increases visibility, which can lead to more searches for your brand name, indirectly boosting traffic.
So to sum it up, the reasons why you should prioritise on building good backlinks to your ecommerce website are: improving SEO rankings, increasing referral traffic, building domain authority, enhancing credibility, staying competitive, targeting specific pages, and expanding brand visibility.
This brings us to the main discussion of today’s article. How do you build backlinks for your ecommerce website?
Let’s see 12 of the best strategies.
12 Proven Link Building Strategies for eCommerce Websites
1. Influencer Generated Content (IGC)
IGC is a super effective way for ecommerce stores of all sizes to build links. The idea is to partner with the right influencer whose style and followers align with your niche.
Why it works?
Imagine you’re running a home decor ecommerce store, and an influencer with a loyal following shares an honest review of your product on their blog, YouTube channel, or Instagram.
Even if the link they provide is tagged as “nofollow” (which means it might not directly boost your SEO), the real benefit lies in the increased brand exposure and the trust their endorsement creates.
This small visibility has the potential to trigger more organic mentions and links from other sites, creating a ripple effect that benefits both your ecommerce SEO and overall brand reputation.
Let’s put this into perspective: if you own a sustainable activewear store, partnering with an influencer whose audience is passionate about ethical fashion and green living is going to be really effective.
How to do it right:
- Offer Genuine Value – Don’t simply ask for a link—instead, provide value. Send your influencers free products in exchange for detailed, honest reviews.
- Diversify Your Content- Think long-form articles, comprehensive blog reviews, tutorials, unboxing videos, and how-to guides—all naturally incorporating links back to your store. The more varied the content, the more touchpoints you create for potential customers and search engines to notice.
- Encourage content syndication and sharing. Ask influencers to submit their reviews to third-party sites like Quora with a backlink and repurpose their content across Medium, LinkedIn, Reddit and any other relevant platforms where your audience hangs out.
2. Affiliate Partnerships
Affiliate marketing is considered as one of the cost effective ways of marketing for ecommerce stores. Businesses earn an average of $6.50 for every $1 spent on affiliate marketing and over 80% of brands utilize affiliate marketing to drive leads and sales.
This strategy involves teaming up with niche bloggers, content creators, website owners, or even your loyal customers to promote your products. They get paid a commission for every sale or lead they drive.
Why it works?
Picture this: You own an organic skincare brand.
A trusted beauty blogger writes a detailed post about her daily skincare routine, featuring your best-selling products along with a special referral code.
When she includes a link to your store, it provides a valuable, contextual backlink. But what this also does is, this mention introduces her engaged audience—people who care about organic skincare—to your brand.
Affiliate marketing is a powerful tactic for most of the online stores and it has been quite effective for decades.
You might also find a slight correlation between Influencer marketing and affiliate marketing. So if you are new to this then I would recommend you to know more about affiliate marketing.
How to do it right:
- Start Small and Scale Up: If you’re a startup, consider platforms like Amazon Associates to connect with initial affiliates. As your program grows, networks like ShareASale and CJ Affiliate can help you expand your reach.
- Create an Irresistible Program: Build an affiliate program that affiliates find hard to resist. Offer competitive commissions and exclusive deals that make promoting your products a no-brainer.
- Choose the Right Partners: Look for affiliates who are not only high-authority voices in your niche but also genuinely aligned with your brand values. Remember quality and relevance is important.
- Equip Your Affiliates: Provide your partners with all the tools they need to succeed—marketing assets like banners, pre-written copy, high-quality product images, and detailed product information. The easier you make it for them to promote your products, the more effective your affiliate program will be.
3. Write Guest Posts
Guest posting isn’t just about acquiring backlinks—it’s about sharing your expertise and establishing your brand as a trusted voice in your industry. Guest posts help you drive targeted referral traffic and high-quality backlinks from relevant sites.
Why it works:
When readers see well-researched, industry-relevant articles on high-authority platforms, they begin to trust your brand, which can lead to more organic traffic and better search engine rankings.
The backlinks you earn are not only valuable for SEO, but they also expose your store to a new audience that’s already interested in what you offer.
How to do it right:
- Target relevant sites and look for high DA (DA 50+) industry blogs and publications with the same audience engagement you are aiming to convert.
- Pitch unique, data-driven content. Show editors that you have researched their existing content and can fill the gap and bring fresh insights to the table.
- Make sure your content is in-depth. The more data and expert quotes it has, the more trust you can build.
- Include backlinks naturally within your informative content, and make sure it does not sound promotional.
4. Get your products listed on Comparison & Aggregators Sites
Comparison and aggregator sites are high-authority platforms where buyers come ready to compare and choose. When someone visits these sites, they usually already know what they want; they’re looking to make a decision, not just browse.
Why it works:
Listing your products on these platforms gives you two big advantages.
First, you earn a solid backlink from a site with high domain authority.
Second, you tap into a stream of high-intent, commercial traffic. If a shopper lands on your listing on a site like Google Shopping or some “Top 10” listicle site, chances are they’re already in the buying mindset.
How to do it right:
- Choose the Right Platform: For instance, if you sell home appliances, Google Shopping and Gadget360, are great choices because they attract buyers specifically looking for those products.
- Optimize your product data feed. When featuring your products in listicle websites, product data feed is like your digital storefront. Use clear, descriptive titles, high-quality images, competitive pricing, and detailed product descriptions to stand out.
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on these sites. Offering small incentives can go a long way in boosting your ranking.. Authentic reviews build trust and make your listing even more appealing.
5. Create Linkable Assets through Valuable Resources and Buying Guides
In 2024, 36.3% of SEO experts believed that creating linkable assets can help attract backlinks naturally. The Pareto Principle (the 80/20 rule) perfectly illustrates the impact of this approach: 20% of your linkable assets will likely generate 80% of your backlinks.
Not all content performs well when it comes to link building. Only a handful of well-crafted, in-depth, and highly useful resources will stand out as reference-worthy, making up the 20% that earn 80% of your links. Focus on creating these linkable assets and backlinks will naturally follow.
Why It Works:
Build resources that align perfectly with what you sell, then you’re offering real value to your audience.
For example, if you own an outdoor gear store, imagine creating a comprehensive guide on camping essentials, interactive hiking trail maps, or DIY survival videos.
These resources help your customers feel confident about what they are buying and who they are buying from.
On another hand, these resources naturally attract backlinks from other sites looking for trusted information . It’s a win-win: you boost your authority and pull in highly relevant traffic.
How to do it right:
- Diversify Your Ecommerce Content: Mix it up with evergreen statistical posts that reinforce your authority, infographics and calculators that simplify complex data, and step-by-step guides and videos that solve your customers’ problems.
- Develop Expert Buying Guides: Create in-depth product comparisons and how-to tutorials that help your audience make informed decisions. These resources don’t just drive traffic—they become trusted references in your industry.
Combining valuable linkable assets with resourceful buying guides can help you generate leads, drive sales, while earning high-quality backlinks naturally.
6. Run a Contest or Giveaway
Giveaways and contests generate buzz, social shares, and backlinks from bloggers, influencers, and media outlets. This helps diversify your backlink profile.
Why It Works:
Launching a contest or giveaway means that you’re inviting your audience to engage with your brand in a memorable way.
This kind of interaction sparks social shares and media attention, which naturally leads to quality backlinks.
Plus, a well-executed contest puts your brand in front of new eyes—everyone loves the chance to win something they really want.
How to do it right:
- If you decide to run a contest on social media, offer prizes that your target audience will get excited about.
- Partner with influencers and bloggers to co-host the giveaway and gain additional backlinks. Make sure they have a genuine interest in your niche and a decent following.
- Make sure your contest page content is shareable, which encourages participants to link back to your site.
- Use giveaway tools like Gleam or Rafflecopter to aid in easy participation and engagement.
7. Unlinked Brand Mentions
Unlinked brand mentions—often called fresh mentions—are a sign that people are talking about your brand. However, if these mentions don’t include a link back to your site, you’re leaving valuable SEO juice on the table.
Why It Works:
When you convert unlinked mentions into backlinks, you tap into several benefits at once. Along with capturing indirect traffic, you also boost your authority signals, build trust with your audience, and open up more opportunities for link acquisition.
It’s like turning casual nods into concrete wins for your SEO strategy.
How to do it right:
- Use tools like Google Alerts, Ahrefs, or Mention to track fresh brand mentions.
- Reach out to website owners or journalists, thank them for the mention, and politely request a link.
- Offer additional context or content (such as an exclusive quote or updated product information) to increase the chances of getting a link.
8. Manual Blogger Outreach
It’s another effective strategy to enhance your ecommerce site’s authority and secure backlinks. It’s all about offering your product or insights so the blogger can create content on your behalf.
Why it works:
For example, if you are a handcrafted chocolate seller. Partnering with a food blogger who is passionate about unique flavors can mean a review post, a recipe feature, or even a fun giveaway. All these things drive traffic and important backlinks to your online store while also introducing your delicious creations to a whole new audience of chocolate lovers.
How to do it right:
- Find bloggers in your niche with the help of BuzzSumo, Ahrefs, or a simple Google search.
- Adding the personal touch is key. And this personal touch should reflect on the message when you are outreaching to them. Read their blog, follow them on social media, and mention posts you enjoyed.
- Offer value that matters. Think exclusive deals, product samples, guest-post opportunities, or behind-the-scenes insights to pique their interests.
9. Skyscraper Technique
The skyscraper technique is an old but very effective technique. This strategy is about finding the most popular content in your niche—and then creating something even better.
When done right, this method can earn you high-quality backlinks and drive targeted traffic to your site.
Why it works:
The idea is simple: if there’s content that’s already attracting links, you know there’s demand for that information. So here’s what you need to do: create an improved version, offer real value that content creators and readers will appreciate, and lastly, ask the website linking to that resource to link to your work.
How to do it right:
- Find an evergreen content within your niche attracting a lot of backlinks. A simple Google search for competitive keywords can help you find content that ranks well on Google.
- Make sure the page is authoritative by putting it into Ahrefs, Majestic SEO.
- Produce a better copy than the one you have identified
- Reach out to people who are linked to the inferior content that you used as your base.
10. Community Engagement (Quora, Reddit, Niche Forums)
Even though forum backlinks are usually “nofollow”, they are still great for getting your brand seen and bringing in referral traffic. This is especially true if you are part of online communities where your ideal customers spend time.
Why it works:
For example, if you have an online bookstore, giving helpful book recommendations in a Reddit thread about “Best Books for New Entrepreneurs” could send readers directly to your “Entrepreneurship Reads” collection.
How to do it right:
- Only add links when they genuinely add value, solve a question, or support a point.
- Build a reputation by offering helpful answers and insights without overly promoting your brand.
- Identify active discussions regarding your products on Quora, Reddit, and industry-specific forums.
- Maintain consistency in engagement and establish credibility over time.
11. Request Links from Product Partners
If you sell products from big brands, getting listed on their “Where to Buy” page can get you a valuable link from a site with high authority.
How to do it right:
- Make a list of partners, vendors, and affiliates who could link to your site.
- Request to be featured on their “Partners” pages. Offer a case study, testimonial, or success story that they can publish, with a link back to your site.
- Highlight mutual benefits. Show them how listing you will help them reach a wider audience.
- Talk about placement options. See if they can give you a “top retailer” spot.
12. Secure Links from Local Directories (in Case of Physical Store Location)
97% of people now turn to the internet to find local businesses.
So, if you have a brick-and-mortar store alongside your online store, consider getting listed in local directories.
Besides common platforms Yelp, Google Business Profile, and Yellow Page, check out the top niche directories in your area. These could be community websites, local business associations, news sites, or even online directories focused on your product category.
How to do it right:
- Ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) details are consistent across all listings.
- Upload pictures, operating hours, and a short backstory about your brand. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews to increase visibility and credibility.
Wrap Up
So, there you have it!
Link building for ecommerce takes time and effort but it’s worth every single minute.
Think of your backlink strategy as the secret ingredient that transforms your ecommerce site from a hidden storefront into the go-to destination for your ideal customers.
A solid backlink profile helps you with better ranking, drives organic traffic, and most importantly gets more people to have trust in you.
Each of these 12 tactics builds your credibility, drives targeted traffic, and boosts your sales.
And you can also share this article if you think it will help your fellow ecommerce entrepreneurs.
When it comes to backlinks, always focus on delivering real value and nurturing genuine relationships. Take action, experiment, and see what metrics your efforts are driving. A methodical approach will help you make better decisions for your brand.
In case you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and need a helping hand to tailor a link building strategy then our link building experts are here to help you.
