Websites that often get mentioned in other websites are good targets for link-building. These so-called "mention sites" might not have a lot of incoming links, but they have the potential to get quite a few. Getting the right kind of links to these sites is key if you want to build your site's reputation as an authority on a particular topic. In this article, we’ll explain why links from smaller sites can be just as valuable as those from larger ones and how getting backlinks from mention sites can help boost your visibility and website traffic. By following the advice offered here, you’ll be able to get more backlinks from smaller sites, which will help your SEO campaign succeed. What to Look for in a Smaller Website Before you start reaching out to people on smaller websites, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. Here are a few traits you should aim for when choosing a mention site: - Target audience: Find a mention site that has an audience that’s relevant to yours. For example, your site may be focused on pet owners, and you come across a mention site with a primarily canine readership. Some websites have readerships that may not be ideal for your link-building strategy, so make sure to do your due diligence before choosing a mention site. - Domain authority: While it is possible to build your site's authority by getting a link from a very large site, it's easier and more effective to get backlinks from smaller sites, especially directories. If a mention site has a domain authority of about 20 or above, it’s a good option for backlink-building. - Links to the homepage: You should always aim to get backlinks to your homepage, as this will help to increase your website traffic and improve your SEO. If you’re able to get a backlink to your homepage from a mention site, it’s likely that you’ll be able to get additional links from that site, too. - Number of backlinks: Look for mention sites with a low number of backlinks, since you don’t want to compete with other sites for links. Ideally, the site you choose only has one or two links. Publishing Platforms While publishing platforms, like Medium and LinkedIn, don’t have a blog, they host content, mostly articles, and are a great way to get a backlink from a smaller site. First, find a publishing platform that you’d like to get a mention from. Then, select topics that you’d like to write about that are related to your website’s niche. After that, submit your posts to the platform. If your posts are accepted, you’ll get a backlink from that platform. These publishing platforms are a great way to build your website’s authority and get links from smaller sites. They also have low Domain Authority scores because they’re fairly new sites, which means they’re easier to rank than more established blogs. Bloggers and News Sites You can also contact bloggers and news sites that frequently mention other topics and ask them to add a link to your website. This type of mention is more common in niche-related forums and boards. For example, if you’re trying to get a link from a gaming forum, find threads that discuss the topic of gaming and leave a comment. You could say something like, “For people who are interested in learning more about gaming, check out my site,” and leave a link to your site. This is a subtle way of getting a link from a smaller site, and it’s a lot easier than trying to get a link from other large sites. Another option is to find blogs and news sites related to your niche and contact their editors. Explain to them that you’d like them to mention your website as a resource. Ask them to add a link to your site, and they likely will. Check Out the Content You’ll Be Linking To A crucial part of executing this strategy is checking out the content that you’ll be linking to. Make sure that you’re linking to high-quality content. You don’t want your links from smaller sites to hurt your site or brand. If you want to ensure your success, you should check out the content before linking to it. You can do this by visiting the page and reading it. If you’re not sure whether the page is relevant to your niche, you can use a site like WhatBrowser.net to find out what type of website it is. Once you’re sure that the content is good, you can proceed to the next step. Pro Tip: Monitor Mentioned Websites Before You Begin If you’re going to contact the owners of smaller websites and ask them to link to your site, you should keep an eye on those sites before you contact them. This will give you an idea of when you should reach out to the site owners and make your pitch. Since smaller sites are likely to have fewer moderators than larger websites, you’ll want to contact the site owners before your pitch is being spammed to death. You can use a website like Mention to keep an eye on the websites that you want to link from. This tool makes it easy to keep an eye on a site. You can even set up alerts for when a website you want to contact has new content, so you don’t miss the opportunity. Bottom Line Getting a backlink from a smaller site can help boost your website traffic and improve your SEO, so long as you choose a site that’s related to your niche. Before you start contacting these sites, make sure that you check out the content you’ll be linking to. If you find high-quality content, you can contact the site owners and ask them to add a link to your website.