Ecommerce Link Building: Earn Backlinks That Help Category And Product Pages
Ecommerce link building means earning relevant backlinks to your store so search engines trust your site more and send more buyers.
What Is Ecommerce Link Building?
It is the process of getting other websites to link to your online store. Backlinks act like votes from other sites. A good vote can lift your rankings. Better rankings can bring more clicks and sales. You want links from real sites in your niche.
Why Backlinks Matter For Ecommerce Sites
Links can help your store show up higher in search. This can increase traffic without paying for every click. Links also help search engines find your pages faster.
What “Good Links” Look Like For Ecommerce
A good link is placed on a real page that people read. The site should be related to your product space. The link should look natural in the sentence. A random link in a spam list is not a good link.
What Types Of Pages Can Earn Links
Some pages earn links easier than others. Helpful content earns links faster than product pages. That is normal. You can still push value to product pages using internal links.
Why Ecommerce Link Building Is Different From Other Niches
Ecommerce needs links that support money pages, but most links are earned through helpful content first. A blog can earn links to a guide and rank. A store often wants to rank category pages too. That is harder because many sites do not link to product pages.
Product Pages Are Hard To Earn Links To
Most product pages look the same across stores. They are built to sell, not to teach. Writers do not want to cite a sales page as a source.
Category Pages Can Earn Links If They Work Like Hubs
A category page can earn links if it helps people choose. It can include filters, tips, and short guides. It can also link to top picks in that category.
Content Assets Make Outreach Easier and Safer
A linkable asset is a helpful page that solves a problem. It can be a buying guide, a comparison, or a size chart. These pages give other sites a reason to link.
What Pages Should You Build Links To First?
Start with linkable assets, then pass authority to category and product pages with smart internal links. This is the safest path for most stores. You earn links to helpful pages. Then you guide readers and link value to your money pages.
Best Link Targets for Ecommerce
These pages earn links more often than product pages.
- Buying guides like “how to choose” pages
- Comparisons like “X vs Y” pages
- “Best of” lists and gift guides
- Research pages with stats or tests
- Size guides, care guides, and fit guides
- Simple tools like calculators or checkers
When It Makes Sense to Build Links to Category Pages
It makes sense when the category page feels useful. Add a short intro that helps shoppers. Add internal links to sub-categories. Keep it clean and easy to scan.
When It Makes Sense to Build Links to Product Pages
It makes sense when the product is unique or newsworthy. Examples are award winners, one-of-a-kind items, or products with original data. A plain product page is a tough link target.
Internal Linking Plan to Push Value to Money Pages
When your guide gets links, connect it to revenue pages.
- Link from guides to top categories
- Link from categories to key products
- Use simple anchors that match the page
- Add “related products” only when it fits
The Ecommerce Link Building Framework
Research what already earns links, build something better, then do outreach and track results. This keeps you from wasting time on weak ideas. It also makes your results easier to repeat.
Research Competitors and Find Link Opportunities
Start by listing 5 to 10 close competitors. Check which pages earn links for them. Look for patterns. You will see guides and lists winning links.
Build or Upgrade a Linkable Asset
Pick one asset and make it the best in your niche. Add clear steps, examples, and images. Fix weak parts that other pages skip.
Create a Tight Prospect List
Find sites that already link to similar topics. These sites link out by habit. That makes outreach easier.
Send Personalized Outreach and Follow Up
Write short emails that show you read their page. Explain the benefit for their readers. Send one or two follow-ups only.
Measure Links, Rankings, and Revenue Impact
Track links earned and referring domains. Track ranking changes for the guide. Also track the category pages you support with internal links.
How to Do Ecommerce Link Building
Follow these steps in order to avoid wasted outreach and low-quality links.
| Step | Action | What to Do |
| 1 | Choose One Niche Topic & Linkable Angle | Pick a topic your buyers care about and choose one strong angle that makes your page better, such as simpler steps or clearer examples. |
| 2 | Build the Asset & Make It Easy to Skim | Use short headings and paragraphs. Add a small table if helpful and include a checklist near the end. |
| 3 | Find Link Prospects | Look for blogs, magazines, and resource pages in your niche, especially sites already linking to similar content or related products. |
| 4 | Pitch with a Clear Reader Benefit | Explain what your page adds that the old source does not. One or two strong improvements are enough. |
| 5 | Earn the Link & Update Internal Links | After earning a link, add internal links from that asset to relevant category and product pages to drive conversions. |
| 6 | Refresh the Asset Regularly | Update prices, statistics, and examples over time so the page stays fresh, earns links longer, and keeps rankings stable. |
Quick steps you can copy:
- Pick one linkable asset
- Improve it beyond top pages
- Build a small prospect list
- Send short outreach
- Add internal links to money pages
- Track results and refresh
Link Building Methods That Work Best For Ecommerce
Ecommerce wins with content-led outreach, partnerships, and brand mentions. You do not need every method. Pick two and do them well.
Resource Page Link Building
Some sites have “best resources” pages. If your guide fits, you can request a placement.
Guest Posting With Buyer-Intent Relevance
Guest posts can still work when the site is real and relevant. Write a helpful post and link to a guide, not a product page. Then guide readers to categories through internal links.
Digital PR and Brand Mentions
PR works when you have a story. It can be a data study, a trend report, or a unique product angle. A mention on a strong site can also bring referral sales.
Partnerships and Co-Marketing
Partner with brands that share your buyer but do not compete. You can make a joint guide or a bundle page. Both sides can share it and earn links.
Influencer and Creator Mentions
Creators can link to your guides in descriptions or blogs. This often helps traffic more than authority. It still supports brand trust.
Broken Link Building for Ecommerce Assets
Find pages that link to dead resources in your niche. Offer your guide as a replacement. This works best when your asset matches the same intent.
Unlinked Brand Mentions Reclamation
Sometimes people mention your brand but do not link. Ask for a link in a friendly way. This is easier than cold outreach.
Common Ecommerce Link Building Problems and Fixes
Most failures come from weak assets, poor targeting, or pushing product pages too early.
We Only Have Product Pages
Build two linkable assets first. Start with a buying guide and a comparison. Link both assets to your top categories.
Our Outreach Gets No Replies
Your emails may sound generic. Personalize the first two lines. Also cut weak prospects from the list.
We Get Links but Rankings Don’t Move
Some links are too weak or off-topic. Aim for fewer, better links. Also check internal linking so value flows to key pages.
Links Come but Sales Don’t Improve
Add better internal links from guides to categories. Improve category page copy and filters. Make the next step clear.
We Built Links and Then Got Hit By Spam
Avoid shady sellers and link networks. Do not buy links on random sites. Focus on real sites with real readers.
Link Quality Checklist for Ecommerce
A good ecommerce backlink is relevant, trusted, and placed naturally on a real page.
Relevance Checks
The site should match your niche or buyer. The page topic should match your link target. A random link on a random site can be ignored.
Trust and Editorial Checks
The site should look real and updated. It should have real articles and real authors. If every post looks spun, skip it.
Anchor Text Safety Rules
Use natural anchors most of the time. Brand names and plain URLs are safe. Avoid repeating the same keyword anchor again and again.
Red Flags to Avoid
- Pages filled with unethical links
- A site with hundreds of outbound links per post
- “Instant link guaranteed” offers
- Links placed only in footers or sidebars
Ecommerce Link Building Tracking and KPIs
Track links earned, referring domains, ranking movement, and revenue pages helped by internal links.
Metrics That Matter
- Referring domains gained
- Links to your linkable assets
- Rankings for the asset keyword
- Rankings for supported categories
- Organic traffic to guides and categories
Simple Reporting Format
Report weekly on outreach and new links. Report monthly on rankings and traffic. Keep it simple so you can act fast.
Conclusion
Ecommerce link building helps your store earn trust and rank higher in search. Start by building links to helpful guides, not product pages. Use internal links to pass value from guides to category and product pages. Do outreach to relevant sites with a clear benefit for their readers.
Track link quality, rankings, and sales impact, then refresh assets to keep results coming.
FAQs
What is ecommerce link building?
It is earning backlinks to your store to improve rankings and traffic.
How do ecommerce websites get backlinks?
They publish linkable assets and do targeted outreach to relevant sites.
Should I build links to product pages or category pages?
Start with assets, then use internal links to support categories and products.
What is the best link building method for ecommerce?
Content-led outreach is the most consistent for most stores.
How long does ecommerce link building take to work?
Most sites see movement over weeks and months, not days.
What links should ecommerce stores avoid?
Avoid spam sites, link networks, and paid links that look fake.
