A Guide to Backlinks for E-Commerce Websites – Learn All About Them

Backlinks are links originating from another website to your website, and backlinks for e-commerce websites are no different, These links show the search engines that your website is trustworthy and valuable. Links to your online store may seem just like part of the technical side of SEO but they can help you right away. A solid backlink profile can make the difference between being on page one of search results or being lost in the digital dark, where your customers will rarely go.

Over the last 19 years of assisting e-commerce businesses to grow online, we have witnessed dramatic evolution of backlink strategies. In the early days, Google PageRank started as a numbers game but has now evolved into a more sophisticated one that focuses on quality. E-commerce sites that are very successful nowadays do not just link back, but they link back to relevant authorities.

Through this guide, you will discover proven strategies for acquiring valuable backlinks to boost the authority of your eCommerce site, enhance your ranking and ultimately drive more traffic towards your products. Use actionable link building techniques to help get to the top of search results. Whether you are new to this or have been doing it all along.

Understanding Backlinks: Basics and Importance

As an e-commerce business owner, you’ve likely heard about backlinks. But do you truly understand what they are and why they’re crucial for your online store’s success? Let me break it down for you in simple terms.

What Are Backlinks?

Backlinks are simply hyperlinks that connect one website to another. Think of them as digital votes of confidence. When another website links to your e-commerce store, they’re essentially telling search engines, “Hey, this site has valuable content worth checking out!”

There are two main types of backlinks you should know about:

1. Dofollow backlinks: These pass “link juice” (SEO value) to your site, helping boost your rankings.
2. Nofollow backlinks: These have a special tag that tells search engines not to pass ranking power, but they still drive traffic.

Here’s a simple comparison to help you understand:

In my 19 years of experience, I’ve found that a healthy backlink profile needs both types, though dofollow links typically deliver more SEO benefits.

Historical Context: From PageRank to Modern SEO

The importance of backlinks dates back to 1998 when Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed the PageRank algorithm. This revolutionary system ranked websites based on the quantity and quality of links pointing to them.

The core idea was simple but powerful: websites with more quality backlinks deserve higher rankings because they’re likely more trustworthy and valuable.

Over the years, Google’s algorithm has evolved dramatically:

• 1998-2005: The early days when quantity often trumped quality
• 2005-2012: Introduction of updates targeting link spam
• 2012-2016: Major algorithm changes like Penguin that penalized manipulative link building
• 2016-Present: Sophisticated AI-based systems that evaluate link context and relevance

Today’s search engines are incredibly smart. They don’t just count links; they analyze:

• The linking website’s authority
• The relevance between the linking site and your e-commerce store
• The anchor text (the clickable words in the link)
• The surrounding content near the link
• User behavior signals related to the link

This evolution means that modern backlink strategies must focus on quality, relevance, and natural acquisition rather than sheer numbers.

Why Backlinks Matter for E-Commerce

For e-commerce websites specifically, backlinks deliver several critical benefits that directly impact your bottom line.

1. Higher Search Rankings

The data is clear: backlinks remain one of the top ranking factors. A recent study found that first-position results in Google have 3.8 times more backlinks than results in positions 2-10. For e-commerce sites, this translates to:

• More visibility for product pages
• Better rankings for category pages
• Increased chances of ranking for competitive keywords

When your product pages rank higher, you’ll see more qualified traffic from shoppers who are actively looking for what you sell.

2. Increased Domain Authority

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results. Quality backlinks are the primary way to improve your DA.

For e-commerce sites, a higher DA means:

• Better rankings across your entire product catalog
• Faster indexing of new products
• More competitive positioning against other online stores

I’ve helped e-commerce clients increase their DA from the 20s to the 50s through strategic backlink acquisition, resulting in traffic increases of over 200% in many cases.

3. Direct Referral Traffic

Beyond SEO benefits, backlinks bring immediate traffic from people clicking on those links. This referral traffic often has:

• Higher conversion rates (up to 3x higher in some cases)
• Lower bounce rates
• Longer average session durations

For example, one of my e-commerce clients received a backlink from a popular industry blog that brought in 5,000 visitors in a single month—with a conversion rate of 4.2%, significantly higher than their typical 1.8% from other traffic sources.

4. Enhanced Brand Credibility

When reputable websites link to your e-commerce store, they transfer trust to your brand. This enhanced credibility leads to:

• Higher customer trust
• Increased conversion rates
• Better customer retention
• More word-of-mouth marketing

In the competitive e-commerce landscape, this credibility advantage can be the difference between a visitor choosing your store or a competitor’s.

5. Competitive Edge

Your competitors are likely investing in backlinks. By building a strong backlink profile, you’re not just improving your own site—you’re gaining ground in a zero-sum game where rankings are relative.

A comprehensive backlink strategy gives you insights into:

• Which sites link to competitors but not to you
• Content types that attract links in your industry
• Partnership opportunities others might miss

In my experience working with hundreds of e-commerce sites, those that consistently invest in quality backlinks outperform their competitors by substantial margins in both traffic and revenue.

Backlinks aren’t just technical SEO elements—they’re business assets that appreciate over time, continuing to deliver value long after you’ve acquired them. In the next section, we’ll explore how to build these valuable assets for your e-commerce store.

Types of Backlinks for E-Commerce

Not all backlinks are created equal. In my 19 years of experience working with e-commerce businesses, I’ve found that understanding the different types of backlinks is crucial for building a strong SEO strategy. Let’s explore the most valuable types of backlinks for e-commerce websites and how each can boost your online visibility.

Natural Backlinks

Natural backlinks are the gold standard in link building. These are links that other websites give to your e-commerce store without you asking for them. They happen organically when people find your content or products valuable enough to reference.

Natural backlinks typically come from:

• Product reviews by bloggers who genuinely like your products
• News sites covering something noteworthy about your business
• Industry experts mentioning your products as solutions
• Customers sharing their positive experiences on their own platforms

For example, if you sell eco-friendly water bottles and an environmental blog includes your product in their “Top 10 Sustainable Products” article, that’s a natural backlink. These links carry significant weight with search engines because they represent authentic endorsements.

To earn natural backlinks:

1. Create exceptional products that people want to talk about
2. Develop unique content that provides real value to your audience
3. Build a strong brand that stands out in your niche
4. Engage with your community to increase brand awareness

Natural backlinks take time to accumulate but have the most staying power and SEO value in the long run.

Editorial Backlinks

Editorial backlinks appear within the content of articles, blog posts, or resources. These links are contextually relevant to the topic being discussed and are placed by content creators or editors who believe your site adds value to their readers.

What makes editorial backlinks powerful:

• They appear naturally within content
• They’re typically surrounded by relevant text that reinforces the link’s context
• They often come from authoritative sources
• They send strong relevance signals to search engines

Here’s an example: A financial blog writing about “How to Save Money on Home Essentials” might link to your e-commerce store’s budget-friendly kitchen products section. This editorial mention is valuable because it’s presented in a context that makes sense to both readers and search algorithms.

To attract editorial backlinks:

• Create comprehensive resource pages about topics related to your products
• Publish original research or data that others in your industry would want to reference
• Develop buying guides that help consumers make informed decisions
• Build relationships with journalists and content creators in your industry

Editorial backlinks require quality content and relationship building, but they’re among the most valuable links you can earn.

Guest Post Backlinks

Guest posting involves creating content for other websites with the agreement that you can include links back to your e-commerce site. When done right, guest posting is a strategic way to reach new audiences while building quality backlinks.

Benefits of guest post backlinks:

• Access to established audiences in your niche
• Positioning your brand as an authority
• Creating content that directly appeals to potential customers
• Building relationships with other site owners

For effective guest posting:

1. Target the right sites: Look for blogs and websites that your potential customers already read.
2. Pitch valuable content: Offer topics that genuinely benefit the host site’s audience.
3. Create exceptional content: Your guest post should be among the best content on their site.
4. Include natural links: Place links to your e-commerce site only where they truly add value.

Remember, quality always trumps quantity with guest posting. One well-placed guest post on an authoritative site can outperform dozens of posts on low-quality sites.

Niche-Relevant Links

Niche-relevant backlinks come from websites that are closely related to your e-commerce store’s industry or product categories. These are particularly valuable because they signal to search engines that experts and authorities in your field vouch for your business.

Why niche-relevant links matter:

• They demonstrate topical authority to search engines
• They typically drive more qualified traffic to your store
• They build credibility with your target audience
• They create natural pathways for customers to discover your products

For an e-commerce site selling organic skincare products, relevant niche links might come from:

• Dermatologist blogs
• Clean beauty magazines
• Eco-friendly living websites
• Organic certification organizations
• Skincare influencer platforms

To acquire niche-relevant links:

• Join industry associations that list member businesses
• Participate in trade shows and events that publish exhibitor directories
• Create industry-specific resources that others will want to reference
• Collaborate with complementary brands on content projects
• Sponsor industry podcasts, events, or research

In my experience working with hundreds of e-commerce clients, niche-relevant links consistently deliver the highest ROI for link building efforts. They may be more challenging to acquire than general links, but their impact on your search rankings and qualified traffic makes them worth pursuing aggressively.

When building your e-commerce backlink strategy, aim for a healthy mix of all these link types, with special emphasis on natural and niche-relevant links. This diversified approach creates a natural link profile that search engines reward with higher rankings.

Building a Winning Backlink Strategy

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Challenges and Risks to Avoid

Building backlinks for your e-commerce store isn’t all smooth sailing. After working with hundreds of online stores over my 19 years in digital marketing, I’ve seen many shop owners make costly mistakes. Let’s explore the main challenges you’ll face and how to avoid them.

Common Pitfalls in Link Acquisition

The road to quality backlinks is filled with potential traps. Here are the most common mistakes I see e-commerce businesses make:

Time and resource drain Building good backlinks takes time—often much more than store owners expect. In my experience, seeing real results typically requires at least 3-6 months of consistent effort. Many businesses give up too soon when they don’t see immediate results.

Quantity over quality mindset I’ve had clients come to me after purchasing 1,000 backlinks for $50, wondering why their rankings dropped. The truth is simple: low-quality, mass-produced links hurt more than they help. One relevant link from an authority site in your niche is worth more than hundreds of spammy links.

Ignoring relevance Getting a backlink from a high-authority website sounds great, but if it has nothing to do with your products or industry, its value diminishes significantly. For example, a backlink to your fashion e-commerce store from a high-ranking plumbing website won’t carry the same weight as one from a fashion blog.

Unrealistic expectations Many store owners expect backlinks to deliver overnight ranking improvements. In reality, backlink benefits build gradually over time as search engines discover and evaluate those links.

DIY approach limitations While some aspects of link building can be handled in-house, many e-commerce businesses lack the specialized knowledge and connections needed for advanced strategies like broken link building or creating linkable assets.

Algorithm Updates and Penalties

Google constantly refines how it evaluates backlinks, making this area particularly risky if you’re using outdated or questionable tactics.

Major algorithm updates to know about:

Warning signs of potential penalties:

• Sudden traffic drops after Google updates
• Manual action notices in Google Search Console
• Disappearance from search results for your brand name
• Decreased rankings across multiple keywords simultaneously
• Indexing issues for your web pages

When Google penalizes your site for bad backlinks, recovery isn’t quick or easy. I once worked with an e-commerce client who had to spend six months cleaning up their link profile before seeing rankings recover. The lost revenue during that period far exceeded what they “saved” by buying cheap links.

Managing Low-Quality Links

Not all backlinks help your e-commerce site. Some can actively harm your rankings. Here’s how to handle the bad ones:

Identifying harmful backlinks:

• Links from sites unrelated to your industry
• Links from sites with adult, gambling, or illegal content
• Multiple links with identical anchor text
• Links from known link farms or private blog networks (PBNs)
• Foreign language sites (if they don’t match your target markets)
• Sites with extremely low domain authority

Using Google’s disavow tool properly:

The disavow tool lets you tell Google to ignore certain backlinks when assessing your site. But it’s a powerful tool that should be used carefully.

1. When to use it: Only after attempting to remove harmful links directly and only when you’re confident the links are causing harm
2. How to prepare: Export your backlink profile from Google Search Console and tools like Ahrefs or Semrush
3. What to include: Create a text file listing domains or specific URLs to disavow
4. Follow-up: Monitor your rankings after submission, as changes may take weeks to appear

Proactive link monitoring:

Don’t wait for penalties to manage your backlink profile. I recommend e-commerce businesses:

• Audit backlinks quarterly using professional tools
• Set up alerts for new backlinks to catch potential issues early
• Document all link building efforts to identify what’s working
• Keep records of any removed or disavowed links

Recovery from penalties:

If you do face a Google penalty:

1. Conduct a comprehensive backlink audit
2. Contact webmasters to remove problematic links
3. Disavow links that can’t be removed
4. Submit a reconsideration request (for manual penalties)
5. Focus on building new, high-quality links

Remember that recovering from backlink penalties takes time. In my experience helping e-commerce clients recover from link-related issues, the process typically takes 3-6 months before rankings begin to improve.

The best approach is prevention. Building a natural, relevant backlink profile slowly over time will protect your e-commerce site from future algorithm updates while providing sustainable ranking improvements.

Future Trends and Adaptation

The backlink landscape for e-commerce never stands still. In my 19 years working with online businesses, I’ve watched link-building evolve dramatically. Today’s strategies won’t necessarily work tomorrow. Let’s explore the emerging trends that will shape how e-commerce sites build links in the coming years.

Google’s E-E-A-T Framework

Google’s E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) has become increasingly important for e-commerce sites. This framework now places special emphasis on the “Experience” component.

What this means for your backlink strategy:

• Experience-backed links matter more: Links from sites with demonstrated experience using your products carry more weight than generic directory links. Think customer reviews, case studies, and real-world usage examples.
• Industry expert endorsements: When recognized experts in your niche link to your store, Google sees this as a strong trust signal. For example, a kitchen gadget store would benefit greatly from links from well-known chefs or cooking publications.
• User-generated validation: Forums, Q&A sites, and social platforms where real users discuss your products provide valuable experience signals when they link back to you.

In my work with e-commerce clients, I’ve seen firsthand how sites that focus on building these experience-based links often outperform competitors with larger but lower-quality link profiles. One client in the home furnishings space saw a 34% increase in organic traffic after we shifted their strategy to target design bloggers who actually used their products.

AI-Driven Link-Building Tools

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we approach backlink acquisition. These tools go beyond simple automation to provide strategic insights that were impossible just a few years ago.

Key AI developments in link building:

1. Predictive outreach optimization: AI tools can now analyze past outreach campaigns to identify patterns in successful link placements. This helps determine:
   • Best times to contact potential link partners
   • Subject lines with highest open rates
   • Content formats most likely to earn links
   • Personalization elements that increase response rates
2. Link value forecasting: Advanced algorithms can predict which potential backlinks might deliver the most value based on:
   

   Factor	How AI Evaluates It
   Traffic potential	Estimates referral traffic based on site analytics
   SEO impact	Calculates likely ranking improvements
   Conversion probability	Predicts likelihood of sales from referral visitors
   Long-term value	Assesses link stability and future growth potential

3. Competitor gap analysis: AI tools can identify high-value links your competitors have that you’re missing, and prioritize them based on acquisition difficulty and potential impact.

I recently implemented an AI-driven outreach system for an e-commerce client in the fitness equipment space. The system analyzed thousands of potential link opportunities and identified a small subset of sites with high conversion potential. By focusing only on these targets, we achieved a 215% increase in revenue from referral traffic while actually reducing outreach volume by 40%.

Sustainable Practices for Long-Term Success

The days of quick link schemes are long gone. Today’s successful e-commerce sites build sustainable link strategies that deliver value for years.

Building a future-proof link strategy:

• Digital PR over link begging: Instead of mass-emailing webmasters for links, develop newsworthy content that naturally attracts media attention. This might include:
  • Original research about consumer trends in your industry
  • Unique data visualizations that tell compelling stories
  • Expert interviews with thought leaders
  • Social impact initiatives that align with your brand values
• Thought leadership development: Position your brand as an authority through:
  • Guest articles on respected industry publications
  • Speaking engagements at relevant conferences (virtual or in-person)
  • Educational webinars and workshops
  • Comprehensive resource centers on your website
• Community building: Create spaces where your audience can engage with each other:
  • Customer forums where product owners help each other
  • Social media groups focused on relevant interests
  • User-generated content initiatives that showcase customer creativity

One of my e-commerce clients in the sustainable fashion space built their entire link strategy around environmental impact reporting. By publishing detailed transparency reports about their supply chain and environmental footprint, they’ve earned links from major news outlets, environmental organizations, and industry publications. These links not only boost their SEO but reinforce their brand positioning.

The most successful e-commerce sites are moving away from viewing backlinks as a pure SEO tactic. Instead, they’re integrating link building into their broader brand-building efforts. This approach creates a virtuous cycle: stronger branding leads to more natural links, which improves SEO, which increases visibility, which strengthens the brand further.

As we look to the future, the line between link building and digital PR will continue to blur. The e-commerce sites that thrive will be those that focus on creating genuine value and building real relationships, rather than chasing quick link wins that may disappear with the next algorithm update.

Final Words

Building backlinks to your online eCommerce store is not only a necessary thing but essential for growth. Through this article, we have observed how quality backlinks from relevant sites can improve your visibility and credibility intensely. Always remember that a handful of valuable links from trusted sources in your business will outperform dozens of spammy links.

With over 19 years in the online business world, I’ve seen countless e-commerce websites change their traffic and sales through link building. The best way to accomplish this is to pair content that is shareable with building relationships with people in your industry, and consistent outreach to websites relevant to yours. These aren’t quick fixes, but they deliver lasting results.

Search engines are getting smarter and it easy to detect artificial links scheme. E-commerce brands which earn backlinks from their value marketing, not by taking the shortcut, will win the future. Begin using these sustainable backlink strategies today, and you’ll not only boost your rankings immediately but will also create a long-lasting e-commerce base that will protect you from any algorithm updates.

Written By :
Mohamed Ezz
Founder & CEO – MPG ONE