There’s a lot to think about when optimising your independent school website for SEO.
- Finding the right keywords? ✅
- Making your page content easier to read? ✅
- Ensuring your website is easy to use? ✅
However, did you know backlinks for schools are important too? In this article, we’ll look at why generating backlinks for your school website is critical for SEO, and some simple ways to start getting those all-important links to your site.
Why are backlinks for schools important?
A backlink is when another website links to your website. So if a local newspaper, community site, or educational blogger links to your independent school site, congratulations! You’ve just earned yourself a backlink!
You may think that backlinks are important as it means another source of traffic to your website. And while that is true, backlinks for schools serve an even more valuable purpose.
Google only wants to show its users the most reliable and trustworthy content. This means the most authentic websites will be prioritised in the search engine results.
One of the key ‘trust signals’ Google uses when determining which content to show is backlinks. So if high-quality, authoritative, relevant websites link to yours, it’s a sign that your site is one of the good ones. As a result, you get a well-deserved boost in the search engine rankings.
This is why getting backlinks for your school website is so important; it could make the difference between ranking on the first page of Google and languishing on the second.
And ultimately, that could result in extra leads and enquiries for your independent school.
Backlinks for schools: our top tips
So now that you know what backlinks for schools are, and how essential they are for climbing up the search engine rankings, how can you get them?
Here’s an interesting stat: did you know that 66% of web pages have no backlinks? This means that even if you can get just one backlink to a page, you’re doing better than two-thirds of the internet!
We’ve put together some quick and simple ways to get started in building up an awesome backlinks profile.
1. See who your competitors are linking to
A great starting point is to check out your rival schools and see which websites are linking to them. As you are all in the same industry, the chances are that you will be able to get a backlink from these websites fairly easily! You might even find some directories and platforms you weren’t aware of before.
You can use SEO platforms like Moz, SEMrush, and Ahrefs to see which backlinks your competitors have. Why not sign up for a free trial to take advantage of all the valuable data these platforms offer?
2. Ask websites that mention your school to link to you
Think of asking for backlinks like you would selling a product or service. You’re more likely to see success with someone you have a pre-existing relationship with than with someone you’ve never spoken to before.
One of the easiest ways to get backlinks is to search Google for websites that already mention your school by name. You can do this by using the following search query.
“SCHOOL NAME” –site:SCHOOL WEBSITE URL
This search query finds mentions of your school that aren’t on your own website. The next step is to check out the results to see which sites are relevant and high-quality. Then, it’s a case of emailing the appropriate person and asking them if they would be so kind as to link back to your site.
Not every website owner you email will do this, but as they have already mentioned you, the chances of them doing so are higher than usual.
Here’s another top tip when it comes to backlinks for schools. Set up a Google Alert for mentions of your school. That way, you’re always aware of any new backlinking opportunities!
3. Send out press releases
You’re in a very enviable position as an independent school. This is because the local press and community are very interested in what you do. You can play this to your advantage by sending out press releases on a regular basis.
By sending out positive news stories, other local websites are highly likely to share your achievements with their readers. And this typically means a link back to your website, giving you a fantastic SEO boost.
Put together an email list of journalists, news desks, and bloggers. Then when you have a story to shout about, whether it’s an open day or exam results, spread the message far and wide!
Why not sign up for websites like Help a Reporter Out? These sites connect journalists with sources, meaning you can quickly get backlinks from top news sites!
4. Hunt for broken links
This backlinks for schools strategy is a little sneaky; however it works as you’re not just getting a backlink, the other website is getting something in return too!
Broken links on a website are bad for SEO. They contribute to a frustrating user experience and send signals that a site is out-of-date, which can lead to a drop in the search engine rankings.
With this strategy, you’re finding broken links on other sites, letting the website owner know, and suggesting they should link to your content instead. They get a heads-up about outdated content, and you get a backlink. Everyone’s a winner!
You can find broken backlinks using tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs. Alternatively, there are Chrome extensions available that will highlight dead links directly on a page.
5. Write some guest posts
You have to do some work for this backlinking strategy, but when it works, it pays off!
A lot of websites are always looking for people to create blogs and editorials for them. The reward for this? A coveted backlink. Not only this, but guest posting can also help build your school up as a trusted thought leader and make you more trustworthy to prospective parents.
Search for relevant websites that are looking for guest posting opportunities. Many magazines have a ‘forward features’ calendar which shows what content they plan to publish and when.
It’s then a case of getting in touch with an idea. If the publication or website likes what you’re proposing, you’ll get the green light to draft the article.
6. Create good content
While backlinking does involve a bit of outreach, the dream scenario is when other websites link to your pages without being asked to.
The best way to do this? By creating high-quality content that people want to share!
Think about the websites you want to get backlinks from and what content they are likely to share. An authoritative blog? A bright and vivid infographic? A knowledgeable white paper or report? Once you have the answer, it’s time to start making your content!
(And don’t forget, we can help you with all your content creation needs.)
Remember: quality is more important than quality when it comes to backlinks
Here’s a pop quiz for you. Do you think it’s better to have 100 backlinks from low-quality, spammy directories, or one backlink from a high-quality domain that is relevant to your industry?
If you said the high-quality link – well done. Remember that Google is looking for trusted and reliable backlinks. Lots of poor-quality links can even have a reverse effect and push your website down the search engine rankings.
It’s better to take your time and build a rapport with prospective website owners to get that all-important backlink. Think of getting a backlink as a two-way street; it’s not just how they can help you, but how you can help them.
At Bubblegum Search we only carry out white hat SEO, meaning all our link-building strategies align with Google’s strict web content guidelines. This means you’re guaranteed exceptional backlinks that are ranked ten out of ten, each and every time!
Bubblegum Search: top of the class when it comes to backlinks for schools
Building a strong backlink profile for your school website can be challenging. However, get it right, and you’re well on the way to more organic traffic and a boost in school admissions.
If you want more backlinks but aren’t sure where to start, you can count on us. We’re experts in all things SEO and specialise in helping independent schools get ahead in the rankings.
We’ll thoroughly audit your site and deliver a bespoke backlinks strategy, discovering the perfect target websites and creating content they want to link to.Find out more about our SEO for schools services, and book your free SEO audit today.