If a company has ever promised to get your bowling alley to the top of the search engines, they were probably going to use linking building—the bad kind—to get you there. Shady link building uses certain tactics to fake out Google’s algorithms and move you up the search ranking list. This may sound great at first, but Google will quickly discover the hack and penalize your site, possibly blacklist it, and send your site to a life far away from organic search.
Fortunately, there are better ways to link build and improve your search engine ranking. But first, what is link building?
What is Link Building?
Link building is an important part of your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. When someone links to your site, that is link building. Search engines like it because it tells them that you’re a trusted site. It’s like someone giving your site a virtual “thumbs up.” It also builds your Domain Authority (DA), and the higher your DA, the closer to number one you’ll appear in search engine results.
Healthy Link Building Strategies for Bowling Alleys
You can add a link building strategy into your bowling marketing campaign yourself. Instead of using artificial, spammy links like some shady SEO folks do, make sure all the links you create are natural, organic and legitimate. By creating a strategy that includes the tactics below, your bowling alley’s site will rise in search ranks.
Social sharing
One good way to build links, and something you’re possibly already doing, is posting links back to your site on social media. Share content you think your audience would enjoy, like blog posts, bowling tips, and special deals.
Guest blogging
Guest blogging means that you write a blog that is featured on someone else’s site. It’s a chance for you to not only share content but also for you to link back to your own site. Blog about bowling history, the bowling industry, the health benefits of exercise like bowling, the value of spending time with friends. The opportunities are endless!
Local directory listings
Sharing your bowling alley in local directory listings like Yelp and Angie’s list is another good way to build links. Be sure to add a link back to your website. Don’t put your bowling alley on every directory possible, this can come across as spammy. Just pick a few of the best ones for your industry and area.
Check for mentions
Set up a Google Alert for your company’s name. You’ll get an automated email anytime your company is talked about in the news or online. When you do get a notification, make sure it’s from a reputable site. If it is, reach out to thank them and request they link to you, if they haven’t already. Example: “Hi John, Thank you for mentioning my bowling center in your blog. I’m reaching out to see if you would please add a link to our site so your readers can easily find us. Thank you again and keep up the great work!”
YouTube videos
If your bowling alley has a YouTube channel, link to your site from the video description boxes and about sections. This is a good idea not only for link building but also to make sure those who stumble upon your videos can learn more about you.
Press releases
Press releases are another credible link building strategy. Don’t put out a press release for just anything, be selective. It should be newsworthy! Find an interesting angle that you would want to hear about if you were watching the news or reading the local newspaper.
Link building and effective SEO takes work, but it’s well worth the time if you want to top the search engines in your area. Not ready to take it on yourself?