Link building for web shops: how to increase your conversion rate and visibility

In today's digital world, a webshop without online visibility, you are like a shop on a deserted street. You can have the most beautiful offer in the world, but without visitors ánd trust, you remain invisible. Link building is one of the most powerful strategies to not only attract more visitors to your webshop, but also your conversion boost. In this article, you will discover how smart link building not only puts your webshop in the spotlight with Google, but also with the right target group. We share concrete tips and, importantly, how to make a difference as a self-employed person, SME or marketer in Flanders.

Why is link building indispensable for web shops?

Stronger position in Google thanks to backlinks

Google judges your shop not only on what is on your site, but also on who refers to you. Quality backlinks - links from other relevant websites to your shop - are an enormous confidence boost. The more valuable links to your target group and sector, the more likely your shop will rank higher in search results. With a sophisticated link building plan give your product pages, categories or blog posts a push towards top results, so to speak.

More visibility = more customers = more sales

Search engine visibility does more than grow your brand awareness. Every relevant visitor who reaches your site via a strong backlink has a higher chance of becoming a customer. Not only because people find your shop faster, but also because those external links exude trust: people feel that your shop is reliable. Especially in a saturated market, trust makes all the difference in conversion.

Link building, conversion and authority: stronger together

It's not just about higher positions score. Backlinks strengthen the authority (also called domain value) of your webshop. Strong authority ensures more clicks on your listings in search results. And that ultimately leads to more and faster purchases.

How to build strong link building for your webshop?

Choose relevant and reliable partners

Not every link counts equally. Focus on sites that are relevant to your products and target audience. For a fashion webshop, a backlink from a well-known Flemish fashion blog is valuable, for an electronics shop that of a review site or tech magazine. Make sure the website itself has a good reputation, preferably with enough visitors and an active community. Avoid 'spammy' link farms or irrelevant directories: these can actually harm your ranking.

Diversify your link profile

Google likes a natural, varied link profile. That means: not only links to your homepage, but also to categories, popular products or inspiring blog posts. In addition, bet on various types of links: think of mentions in press articles, collaborations with bloggers, guest blogs, interviews, partner pages and even local networks or business clubs.

Make your products worth linking to

What makes a product page "link-worthy"? Good product descriptions, unique images, user reviews, videos and in-depth information. The more attractive and informative your page is, the more likely other websites will spontaneously want to link to your offer. Consider inspiration pages ("The 10 nicest gifts for Father's Day") or tutorials that people want to share.

Invest in content marketing

Offer valuable content to your target audience that people want to link to or share. A guide, inspiration list, blog post with expertise or an opinion piece? The more you profile yourself as an expert, the more likely you are to get relevant, natural backlinks. Content marketing is not optional but is the engine for sustainable link building.

Active networking: offline and online

As an SME or self-employed person in Flanders, you often already have a strong network. Use that: enter into partnerships, ask suppliers, customers or associations to mention your webshop on their website or social channels. Local initiatives and press are also interesting: a (digital) neighbourhood newspaper or business association offers opportunities for valuable local links. Don't forget LinkedIn!

Common mistakes in link building for web shops

Too fast, too much or too cheap

It sounds attractive: buying hundreds of cheap links in one fell swoop, but Google pricks through this quickly. Link building is not a sprint, but a marathon: so build slowly and credibly. Too many low-quality links can damage your reputation and visibility.

Focusing all arrows on the homepage

Don't just bet on your homepage. Google wants to see that your product pages and categories are also valuable enough to link to. That way, you build a balanced authority over your entire webshop.

Forgetting to measure and steer

Many webshop owners forget to monitor the effect of their link building. Use tools like Google Search Console to keep track of which links generate the most relevant traffic and conversion. Optimise your strategy: delete bad links, build on good relationships.

Tips to start link building today

  • Start small: Ask existing partners or customers for a listing with link on their site.
  • Guest blog: Write an interesting contribution for a relevant blog or news platform in your sector.
  • Offer value: Put informative FAQs, knowledge articles or inspiration pages on your webshop - these are more likely to be linked.
  • Network local: Contact local associations, newspapers or networking sites for collaboration or a profile page.
  • Social media: Share your content actively - strong content spreads itself and is picked up faster by other websites.

Here's how to boost your webshop to more results

Link building for web shops works like a flywheel: as you gain more valuable links, your authority, findability and ultimately your sales opportunities increase. By investing in high-quality, relevant backlinks, you not only strengthen your position in Google, but you also build real trust with your visitors. Don't forget: link building is not a one-off action, but an ongoing process that keeps moving your shop forward. Take the first step today and you will reap the rewards tomorrow and the day after!

Let's build your brand together