Link building matters. It’s one of the best ways to improve your organic rankings and grow sales without increasing your ad spend. But if you run an eCommerce store, building backlinks isn’t simple.
Most of your site consists of product pages. They’re short, often similar, and don’t give people a strong reason to click. You’re not putting out news, and you’re probably not publishing blog content every week.
Still, backlinks are critical for eCommerce SEO.
Here’s how to earn them without wasting time on tactics that don’t work.
Backlinks aren’t just for blogs and content-heavy sites; they’re just as crucial for eCommerce stores. When your site is mostly product grids with little editorial content, backlinks become even more important.
Here’s why:
When a reputable website links to your store, search engines view it as an endorsement. Think of it like a “vote of confidence.” The more credible the source, the stronger that vote. This trust helps your site stand out from competitors in crowded niches where product descriptions and categories often look very similar.
eCommerce stores add and remove products constantly. Without backlinks, it can take weeks for new pages to show up in search results. Backlinks act like highways that lead search engine crawlers directly to your site, ensuring your latest products are indexed quickly and are visible to shoppers sooner.
Product pages are often “thin” by SEO standards using limited text, a few specs and maybe some images. That doesn’t give search engines much content to work with. Backlinks help fill this gap. They provide external authority signals that can lift even minimalist product pages higher in rankings.
Authority gained from backlinks strengthens your whole domain. That means even your less competitive categories and long-tail product variations stand a better chance of ranking, giving your store organic promotion across the board.
At the end of the day, traffic fuels sales. High-quality backlinks bring in referral visitors directly from the linking sites and also drive better organic rankings in search. More visibility leads to more clicks, and more clicks translate into more chances to convert browsers into buyers.
Let’s be honest: eCommerce sites are not natural link magnets. Most stores publish product and category pages, not research, not news, not opinion pieces. That makes earning links tougher, but not impossible.
Here’s what you’re up against and how to work with it, not against it.
The issue is, many products share similar titles, specs, and descriptions, often pulled from manufacturers. To a publisher, these pages feel interchangeable, and to search engines, they can look redundant. That lowers the incentive to link and dilutes the “uniqueness” signals Google looks for.
If your page doesn’t offer something distinct, editors won’t cite it and algorithms won’t favour it.
To counter this:
Add unique value using comparison tables, “who it’s for,” care instructions, FAQs, sizing/fit guidance, and UGC like real-world photos. Also consolidate variants through the use of canonical tags and variant selectors to avoid fragmenting link equity across near-identical URLs.
Its worth creating linkable “anchors” such as: authoritative buying guides, fit calculators, sustainability details, or compatibility charts that journalists and bloggers want to reference.
A product page is designed to sell, not to inform broadly. Editors prefer citing resources that answer questions at a category or problem level like “How to choose a winter jacket.”
If the page doesn’t help a writer make a point or help a reader make a decision, it rarely earns a link.
To avoid this, build category-level content that lives in your store: “Best of” roundups, compatibility hubs, materials explainers, care guides, and size/fit explainers.
Enrich category pages by adding filters that solve real problems (width, arch support, water resistance), plus short educational blocks that editors can cite.
Also don’t forget to publish data by running small surveys, price trackers, performance tests, or return-rate insights.
Inventory changes, discontinued SKUs (stock keeping units), and seasonal resets often mean new URLs or 404s. This breaks existing links and scares editors from linking in the future.
Link equity is fragile. Every broken link is lost authority, lost referral traffic, and a hit to credibility.
To prevent this:
By setting up proper 301 redirects, you retain the value of the old URLs, directing visitors and search engines to relevant, live pages, preventing loss of traffic and ranking authority.
Affiliate-heavy niches and stores are scrutinised for thin content and aggressive monetisation. Editors and algorithms both raise the bar. Therefore, you need clearer signals of trust to earn citations and rankings.
To avoid this from occurring, bolster E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) by showing expert author bios for guides, cite sources, include store policies, real reviews, and transparent returns/warranty info.
Also provide third-party validation through certifications, press mentions, and awards on relevant pages to increase the likelihood of editorial links.
Publishers get daily “link request” emails. Most are generic, so they’re ignored.
Even good assets won’t earn links if your pitch blends in.
To stand out, pitch the angle by leading with a stat, comparison, or proprietary data point that fits a writer’s beat. This approach grabs the editor's attention and offers immediate value, making your pitch stand out from the countless generic requests, significantly increasing your chances of securing a link.
Also, build partner ecosystems with suppliers, brands you stock, creators you sponsor, and communities you serve are all warm link opportunities (lookbooks, product launches, co-authored guides).
By creating mutually beneficial partnerships, you leverage existing relationships to earn authentic and valuable backlinks, increasing your site’s credibility and expanding your reach within trusted networks.
Pursue “PR-able” launches through limited editions, collabs, charitable tie-ins, or innovative features that naturally attract coverage.
These types of launches create buzz and media attention, driving natural links from news outlets, blogs, and influencers, which enhances your brand visibility and authority while reducing the reliance on traditional outreach methods.
Here is what has worked in the real world, including both successes and lessons learned.
We ran a targeted outreach campaign for Fantasy Football Hub, focusing on personal, tailored pitches to relevant sites. No templates, just direct, genuine contact with editors and site owners.
This approach secured 4-6 high-quality backlinks each month, boosting domain authority and improving search rankings for key pages.
What we discovered is that authentic outreach and real conversations foster consistent link growth.
Want to see how we made this happen? Check out the full case study here.
Resource pages may seem outdated, but they’re still valuable for link-building. Many websites maintain these pages to offer useful tools or guides. Instead of focusing solely on your products, pitch genuinely helpful content like in-depth guides, case studies, or educational resources.
This approach provides value to both the site’s audience and its owner, increasing your chances of earning a high-quality backlink while enhancing your credibility.
Your internal data, including sales trends, customer insights, or product performance, can be a goldmine for digital PR. Turn this data into compelling stories, infographics, or reports that provide valuable insights for your audience and industry.
Pitch these to journalists, bloggers, and influencers as newsworthy content. Not only will this help you secure backlinks, but it will also position your brand as an authoritative voice in your industry, driving both traffic and trust.
Broken link building is a classic tactic that remains effective. By identifying broken links on authoritative sites and offering your relevant content as a replacement, you can secure high-quality backlinks. This method not only helps the website owner fix an issue but also provides value to your site by acquiring a link from a trusted resource, improving your SEO and domain authority.
User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool for link-building and SEO. Encouraging customers to share their experiences, reviews, or photos not only builds trust but also generates valuable backlinks.
This approach creates authentic content that resonates with both users and search engines, helping your site gain visibility and authority.
At StudioHawk, we helped Llama Leisure, a UK-based activewear brand, leverage customer-driven content. By optimising their collection pages and encouraging customer engagement, we significantly boosted their SEO results.
This strategy led to a 338% increase in top 3 keyword rankings and a 262% rise in organic clicks year-over-year. Our work shows how customer content can have a tangible impact on SEO growth.
Ready to see how customer-driven content can help your brand grow? Read the full case study here.
Consistency is key in link-building.
Rather than sporadic outreach efforts, maintain a steady pace of pitching and building relationships with relevant sites. A consistent outreach strategy ensures you’re continuously earning new backlinks, which builds your site’s authority over time.
This ongoing effort compounds, leading to sustainable SEO growth and stronger search rankings.
Want backlinks? Create content worth linking to.
These formats work:
These pieces build authority. You can then link from them to product pages.
Here’s what we use and recommend for effective link-building:
These tools help us fine-tune our strategies, optimise your site, and build strong, authoritative backlinks.
Forget vanity metrics. Here’s what really matters:
Most links won’t transform your business overnight, but with consistency and the right strategy, they add up and contribute to long-term growth and success.
To build a strong link profile, it’s important to start with a clear and structured approach.
First, assess your existing backlinks to identify what’s working and what needs improvement. This will help you focus your efforts on areas that will have the most impact on your SEO.
Select your most important pages for link-building. These could be high-converting product pages, category pages, or blog posts that align with your business goals. For tips on optimising your product pages, read our article on SEO for Product Listings: How to Rank Higher and Convert Better
Enhance your priority pages with valuable supporting content, such as blog posts, guides, or case studies. This will provide more context for visitors and increase the likelihood of earning backlinks.
Whether it’s broken link building, guest posting, or reaching out to resource pages, pick one tactic and dedicate yourself to it for at least a month. Consistency is key in link-building, and staying focused will deliver better results.
You don’t need to do everything at once. Building a strong backlink profile takes time and patience, so just stay consistent. The more you work on it, the more progress you’ll see.
By starting with these manageable steps, you’ll build a long-term, sustainable link profile that drives real results for your eCommerce site.
Your online presence is critical to your success, and every moment you delay could be another opportunity missed. Start by auditing your top pages today. Identify gaps, optimise content, and refine your strategy to improve your rankings, conversions, and customer satisfaction.
Need help getting started? Reach out to get expert guidance on optimising your site. Don’t wait because your competitors won’t!