We just launched Annex Real Estate for our friends @Chasesalisbury and Jessica Venables, and they want to start the process of organic SEO to build up some organic traffic over time.
Looking at their site, it has no backlinks or authority at all (it’s new), so I thought I’d drop a few starter suggestions for where to get your first backlinks.
#1: Online Profiles
What’s an online profile? Anywhere that you have a legitimate profile (like this one):
Now, some online profiles give link juice and some don’t—but don’t sweat that at all. Every profile you have should be updated with your new website anyway.
Be consistent with your URL (always use the full https:// version), and if there are any high-authority websites you can get on (maybe your brokerage website, for instance), consider linking to those profiles from your about page for discovery.
Don’t just think real estate profiles, though—if you’re a member of BNI, the Chamber, or anywhere else that might have a website, see if they have a spot where you can update your link.
#2: My Favorite of All Time – Charity Websites!
If you can legitimately get involved in a charity as a sponsor (if you have the funds) or even as a volunteer, they may have a website, and you can often get a thank-you post created on there.
The best way to do this (since they often have limited resources) is to write the post yourself and include all the sponsors, not just yourself.
This year’s Christmas Angels in Nanaimo will be a great way to start (we run it at REW, so we’ll make sure you get a shout-out if you’re down to help).
This one is my favorite because—even if you don’t get links—you helped the community, and that’s its own reward.
#3: Guest Posts
Note: these are NOT trades. Don’t trade links with people.
However, if you’re an expert on a topic (for example, Jessica is very experienced at handling estate sales), see if you can get a unique article posted on other blogs. Maybe they’re somewhat local but not competitors, or maybe they’re related to estate businesses but not real estate.
Don’t half-ass it—make it a great article that showcases your expertise. If it’s not great, it doesn’t deserve to get posted anyway.
#4: Write Testimonials for Vendor Partners
A really underused strategy is writing complimentary testimonials for your vendor partners—think lenders, inspectors, stagers, or other trusted service providers.
Here’s how to make this powerful:
- Write them a long-form HTML testimonial they can easily copy-paste onto their website.
- Offer a shorter, Google-specific version they can post to their Google Business Profile.
- Explain the value to them: testimonials build their credibility, strengthen their site, and improve their local SEO—while you often get a backlink in return.
The key is to make it easy for them. If you do the heavy lifting (well-written testimonial + ready-to-use format), they’re far more likely to publish it.
Those are just 4 starter strategies for you. There are many more. But keep in mind: it’s quality over quantity, and links that are “easy to get” are often not worth anything anyway.
How about the rest of you? What’s your favorite link-building strategy?