Ada Powers

·

Remember when buying bulk backlinks was the secret sauce to ecommerce success? Well, those days are long gone. Today, the best ecommerce link building strategy is one that has adapted to the realities of SEO in 2025.

If traditional link building was like casting a wide net hoping to catch fish, today’s approach is more like precision fishing with sonar technology. Anyone still clinging to outdated strategies will watch competitors sail past them in search rankings.

Before we get into ecommerce link-building strategies, it’s important to understand what makes link-building so powerful for ecommerce websites.

At its core, ecommerce link building is about getting quality links (aka mentions) from other websites to boost your store’s authority, visibility, and trust in the eyes of search engines. High quality links act as endorsements. They signal to search engines that your ecommerce website is a credible and valuable resource.

Now, in a world full of AI-generated content and algorithm updates dropping like mixtapes, the question is – does link building still hold weight in ecommerce SEO?Short answer? Yes…if you’re doing it right. Google itself states in its guidelines that it takes into account mentions of your ecommerce site on other websites.

When a high-authority site links to your store, they’re basically telling Google, “Hey, this brand knows its stuff.” That kind of vote of confidence boosts your authority, visibility, and trust factor…quickly.

But here’s the catch: Quality beats quantity every time. A single link from a respected industry resource page can move the needle way more than 100 low-effort links from sketchy blogs.

Do it right, and you’re not just gaining SEO juice…you’re positioning your brand as the go-to name in your space. That’s the kind of long-term equity Google loves… and your future buyers will pay extra for.

An example of one store that does link building right is Wildgrain, a bread store built on Shopify. Their organic traffic profile was nothing to write home about until 2022 when something changed. They had virtually gone from <10 monthly organic traffic in 2021 to up to 100k organic visitors by 2024.

What worked for Wildgrain in 2025

Created strategic content that authorities can link to

Wisegrain created link-worthy content that supported its product categories. For example, it created a top-tier blog post on “grain carbs vs vegetable carbs” that featured in a third party post (bottom arrow labelled “best link”)

You can also see that it positions itself as an authority by creating external links to quality industry expert sites.

To maximize SEO impact, you must create content that is both engaging and shareable. Create:

  • Detailed buying guides that address common customer pain points
  • Industry statistics and research reports that others can cite
  • Expert interviews and thought leadership pieces
  • Product comparison guides backed by real testing data
  • Publishing high-quality blog posts targeting relevant keywords

For instance, if you’re in the fitness equipment space, develop in-depth content clusters around topics like “home gym essentials” or “choosing the right resistance bands.”

Maintaining a dedicated blog section on your ecommerce site allows you to regularly publish link-worthy content, showcase expertise, and support internal linking strategies. This approach not only attracts natural backlinks but also establishes your expertise in specific product categories.

When developing buying guides and informational content, consider providing helpful resources such as FAQs, manuals, or informational articles to assist users and attract links.

Look into Wisegrain’s backlink profile, and you’ll notice that their external links aren’t just restricted to sites in their niche. You’ll find an expansive link-building strategy that even extends to unrelated niches such as podcasts in the tech and crime niches.

When you look into the true crime podcast they sponsored, it “airs” on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and iHeartradio. The latest episode on YouTube got 55,546 views at last count.

To replicate their success, proactively reach out to website owners, show hosts, journalists to request collaboration. If you’re creative enough to figure out how your content can add value to their audience, you can yield strong results.

Expand your options to include niche edits, guest posts, and features on resource pages of high authority sites. By targeting these opportunities, you can ensure that your link profile remains strong, relevant, and capable of driving sustained organic growth.

Unlinked brand mentions and broken links offer you a golden opportunity to build high-quality backlinks. To find unlinked brand mentions and find unlinked mentions, use brand monitoring tools or Google Alerts to scan the web for instances where your brand is mentioned online but not linked.

When your brand is mentioned online without a link, reach out to the webmaster and request a link back to your site. Converting mentions of your brand into backlinks is crucial for boosting SEO and increasing your site’s authority.

In the same way, broken links are links that no longer work. You can identify broken links on other sites and offer a relevant resource from your own website as a replacement. This act helps you secure high-quality backlinks while helping the website owner fix their broken links. These tactics not only improve your site’s authority and ranking but also foster positive relationships with other website owners.

Keep building industry partnerships

It goes without saying that you need to consistently build your network. Don’t overlook the power of strategic partnerships. Collaborate with industry experts for interviews, contribute to press releases, and participate in industry events. These activities create natural opportunities for authoritative backlinks while building valuable relationships within your niche.

You can also leverage influencer collaborations like TIEM Atletics did. Create co-branded buying guides, expert roundups, or product comparison studies that naturally attract backlinks from both the influencer’s network and industry publications.

Remember to focus these efforts on category-level content. Instead of building links to individual product pages, develop comprehensive resources around broader topics like “sustainable yoga equipment” or “gaming chair buying guide 2025.”

Don’t forget the SEO basics

Technical SEO

Before launching any ecommerce link building campaign, you must ensure your website is technically sound. A technical SEO audit is the first step in creating an effective ecommerce link building strategy, as it reveals any underlying issues that could hinder your site’s ability to benefit from high quality links.

This audit involves a thorough review of your site’s structure, crawlability, mobile responsiveness, and overall user experience. By identifying and addressing technical issues such as broken links, slow page load times, or poor navigation, ecommerce businesses can create a solid foundation for their link building efforts.

A technically optimized site is more likely to be favored by search engines, making it easier for your ecommerce link building strategy to deliver results.

Use tools like Plug In AI to help pinpoint areas for improvement, ensuring your website is ready to attract and retain high quality links. Remember, even the best link building tactics will fall short if your site isn’t technically optimized for search engines.

The ecommerce link-building landscape of 2025 looks dramatically different from just a few years ago. Gone are the days when buying bulk backlinks or focusing solely on product pages could move the needle. Today, you’ll need a more sophisticated approach.

Smart ecommerce brands are shifting their focus to product and category pages, especially category and subcategory pages, where the real SEO gold lies. Today’s shoppers rarely search for specific products… often they look for collections. Think “men’s running shoes” rather than “Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 42.” Leveraging long tail keywords from sources like Amazon suggestions can help you capture more targeted search traffic for these collections.

Here’s what’s working now:

  • Building topical clusters around product categories, and using internal links to connect related pages and distribute authority
  • Creating comprehensive buying guides that naturally attract links
  • Developing data-driven industry resources
  • Establishing expertise through thought leadership content

When optimizing your content and pages, include the target keyword in title tags, URLs, and descriptions for better SEO performance. This can take a lot of time, so use a tool like Plug In AI to help speed up the process.

The old “spray and pray” approach of building links to individual product pages simply doesn’t cut it anymore. Search engines have become smarter at recognizing artificial link patterns, and the penalties can be severe.

Instead, focus on creating link-worthy content that serves your category pages. For instance, if you sell camping gear, develop in-depth guides about choosing the right tent or comparing different sleeping bag materials.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about where you build links – it’s about creating content worthy of being linked to. The most successful ecommerce sites in 2025 understand that quality content drives quality links, which in turn drives sustainable traffic and sales.

Even the most well-intentioned ecommerce link building strategy can falter if common mistakes aren’t avoided. One of the biggest pitfalls is acquiring low-quality links from irrelevant or spammy websites, which can damage your site’s reputation and lead to penalties from search engines. Another frequent error is the overuse of exact match anchor text, which can make your link profile appear unnatural and trigger algorithmic scrutiny.

To build a healthy link profile, prioritize quality links from relevant, authoritative sources. Use strategic internal linking to strengthen your site’s structure and guide both users and search engines to your most important pages.

By steering clear of these common mistakes and emphasizing quality content and relevant backlinks, your ecommerce link building efforts will be more effective, sustainable, and aligned with search engine best practices.

HARO and Media Outreach

In 2025, journalist outreach remains a powerful link building tool, but the landscape has evolved. While HARO is being sunset, platforms like Qwoted and social media hashtags (#JournoRequest, #PRRequest) offer fresh opportunities to connect with journalists seeking expert sources.

The key is responding quickly with valuable insights that make journalists’ jobs easier. When approaching journalists, focus on your area of expertise – whether it’s sustainable fashion, outdoor gear, or tech accessories. When journalists feature your insights, you’ll earn high-authority backlinks from major publications.

Build your strategy framework

In 2025’s competitive ecommerce landscape, your link building strategy needs to be more refined than ever. Start by auditing your current backlink profile and identifying gaps where high-authority links could strengthen your category pages. Compare your link profile against top competitors to spot opportunities they might have missed.

Focus your efforts on creating cornerstone content that naturally attracts links. Instead of chasing hundreds of low-quality backlinks, prioritize relationships with industry leaders, relevant bloggers, and authoritative news sites. Remember, one link from a trusted industry source often carries more weight than dozens from lesser-known websites.

Monitor and optimize

Set up a robust monitoring system using tools like Google Search Console and specialized backlink trackers. Track these key metrics:

  • Link acquisition rate
  • Domain authority of linking sites
  • Click-through rates from referral traffic
  • Category page ranking improvements
  • Conversion rates from backlink sources
  • Search volume of target keywords

Don’t just collect data – use it to refine your approach. If certain types of content consistently earn quality backlinks, double down on creating similar resources. When particular outreach methods yield better results, adjust accordingly.

Maintaining a natural link profile is essential for ecommerce sites to avoid penalties from search engines and ensure long-term SEO success. A natural link profile is diverse, relevant, and authoritative, reflecting organic growth rather than manipulative tactics.

Future directions and forecast

The landscape of ecommerce link building is poised for dramatic transformation as we move through 2025. Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing how we identify and secure quality backlink opportunities. Smart algorithms now analyze vast amounts of data to pinpoint the most valuable linking prospects, while automated outreach tools personalize communications at scale.

But here’s the thing – AI isn’t replacing human expertise. Instead, it’s amplifying our ability to build meaningful relationships with potential linking partners. Machine learning models can now predict which content types are most likely to attract natural backlinks, helping ecommerce brands focus their content creation efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact.

Social commerce integration

The rise of social commerce is creating exciting new opportunities for link building. As platforms like Instagram Shop and TikTok Shop mature, we’re seeing innovative ways to leverage user-generated content and social proof for backlink acquisition. Live shopping events, particularly, are becoming powerful link magnets when coupled with comprehensive buying guides and product research.

Smart ecommerce brands are already preparing for this shift by:

  • Creating shareable content specifically for social commerce platforms
  • Developing linkable assets around live shopping events
  • Building relationships with social commerce influencers who maintain active blogs
  • Integrating social proof into linkable resource pages

The key to success in this evolving landscape isn’t just adapting to new technologies – it’s understanding how these tools can enhance traditional link building principles. While the methods may change, the fundamental goal remains the same: building backlinks for ecommerce that drive sustainable organic growth.

As we’ve explored throughout this article, successful ecommerce link building in 2025 isn’t about quick wins or shortcuts… it’s about building a sustainable foundation for organic growth. The integration of AI, the rise of social commerce, and the evolution of content strategies are reshaping how we approach backlink acquisition.

Remember, the most successful ecommerce brands aren’t just adapting to these changes; they’re actively embracing them. By focusing on quality over quantity, leveraging emerging technologies, and maintaining an agile approach to strategy, you’re not just building links – you’re building a future-proof foundation for your online store.