1. Manufacturer Stockists Pages
In the majority of cases, eCommerce stores are retailers of third party products rather than manufacturers selling their own goods directly. For this reason, there is often an easy way to earn some highly authoritative links with little effort; simply by requesting a link from the manufacturers whose products a store sells.
As an SEO working on a client campaign, it is a great starting point to earn some great links. You will typically find that over 50% of manufacturers will already have linked to the store (at the end of the day, it is in their interest to let consumers know where their products can be purchased).
You will also find that a small number of manufacturers don't provide a list of retailers, typically those who sell online themselves, however, more do than don't.
The great news about this approach is that securing the link is typically an easy task and one which can be passed to the client. As long as they are an authorized retailer, they will undoubtedly have a contact at the manufacturer who can either add the link themselves or be able to pass the request on to the right person. For this reason, it makes sense, as an SEO, to simply supply your client with a list of links and an email outline to make sure they can easily communicate the request. If working in-house, this process is even easier.
Just be sure to follow up if there has been no response from a manufacturer (or ask your client to) and don't forget that picking up the phone often works wonders.
The beauty of this method is that it not only earns links which are relevant and authoritative but you can also gain different types of links, including image links, raw URL anchor text links or branded links, all of which contribute towards a natural link profile.
Manufacturer's Stockists Pages
A great example of a ‘stockists’ page linking out to eCommerce stores can be seen here: https://www.cosatto.com/stockists/online-stockists
Difficulty Rating: Easy
2. Resource Pages
If you were looking to earn links as a blogger or even a service provider, chances are you would jump straight into trying to find resource pages which link out to others in your industry, essentially offering a curated guide as to the best sources for information or the best suppliers.
This is often seen in the wedding industry where suppliers will often curate links of the best businesses offering complementary services; adding value to their sites by helping those planning a wedding by making their search for suppliers easier.
What many SEOs overlook, however, is that this same approach can also work for eCommerce stores, especially in popular niches. Take a look at the following examples, two resource pages which link out to a number of eCommerce stores:
Essentially, this horse riding club and dog club are collating a list of great resources for members, with a section being online suppliers of equipment. Granted, they are not always the nicest looking sites, but if the goal is building relevancy from natural sources, this approach is right up there.
It can take time to find such opportunities, but a great starting point is analyzing competitors link profiles using SEMRush’s Backlink Checker Tool. If a resource page is linking to competitors, there is a good chance they will also link to you so long as there is value to be had by doing so! Be sure to start with the top players in your industry and those who rank at the top of the SERPS, as there is a stronger chance they will have naturally picked up these links (even if they're not necessarily the best source to link to).
Additionally, don't forget the power of offline relationships for this method of Link Building. If an eCommerce store is associated with any industry organizations, clubs, societies or similar, always explore the opportunity to earn links. It becomes even easier to earn a link on such pages when there is a connection.
Think like a marketer and explore relationships; so long as a link is relevant and can be justified, it's worth having!
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