Link Building for Sports Stores

Online sales of sportswear have been growing for several years. After the pandemic, there is increased concern for a healthy lifestyle, and the trend of "fashion sportswear" has skyrocketed.

This presents an opportunity for the sector, while also increasing competition.

Online sportswear and equipment stores must work on Link Building and SEO strategies to appear in search results above their competitors.

Throughout this article, you will learn about the importance of Link Building for your sports store.

Let’s dive into it!

Link Building for Sports Stores

If you want to start ranking your sports store in search results, it is necessary to work on Off Page SEO, which is the part that is worked outside of the website. One of the most important actions you should focus on is Link Building.

In addition to optimizing On Page SEO (content, images, metadata, etc.) and technical SEO (loading speed, WPO optimization, SSL certificates, cannibalizations, etc.), it is essential to obtain quality links from relevant sports-related websites. These links are crucial for increasing authority and online reputation, which in turn will improve your ecommerce's SEO ranking.

The more links from other stores and related websites pointing to yours, the search engine will interpret that your store is more relevant and will understand that it is an expert in the subject.

Obtaining links in digital media and blogs of the same theme will increase the authority (DA metric) of your website, visibility, and brand recognition. It will increase the volume of interested audience that will get to know you, and you will gain more sales opportunities in your ecommerce.

At Unancor, we provide you with relevant media to publish sponsored articles and obtain quality links.

It’s very easy, you just need to register, fill in your business details, and based on your project characteristics, we will show you the best blogs and media for your sports ecommerce.

You will see the name of each medium, the monthly traffic it maintains, its authority level, the types of links it allows, the publication cost, etc.

Additionally, you can search for a medium you are interested in or filter our catalog according to your preferences.

Link Building Strategies for Sports Ecommerce

Before proceeding, it is important to note that it is advisable to conduct an SEO audit of your online store, as sometimes obtaining links does not yield the expected results due to some technical SEO errors, whether in the site structure, due to cannibalizations, broken links, etc.

This comprehensive analysis aims to assess the overall state of the online store, identify possible errors that are harming the project, and indicate the improvement actions that need to be taken.

Therefore, thoroughly understanding the state of your online store is the only way to improve its ranking.

Once we know the situation we are starting from, we can begin to work on Link Building.

Keyword and Competition Analysis

The ideal is to do things as best as possible based on the budget available and the competition. Analyzing the keywords that generate the most business for you and the related terms will give you an idea of the real possibilities you have to compete.

For example, analyzing the keyword "buy mountain bike" shows that it is a keyword with high competition, making it difficult to rank.

Therefore, until we have more authority, we will focus on those long-tail keywords related, which are easier to rank for, and from which we can get greater returns with less effort and budget. In this case, for example, we could target the keyword "lightweight electric mountain bikes"

For this keyword analysis or keyword research, you can use AI tools for SEO that will facilitate the study.

Difference of Link Building for Online Sports Stores

The main difference when doing Link Building for your sports ecommerce, compared to obtaining links for another website, is the complexity in the internal structure of the online store, as it has categories, products… and thousands of URLs.

For the Link Building strategy to be effective, we must first take great care of the interlinking or internal linking of the ecommerce.

Normally, categories are the ones that bring in the most organic traffic, so a good Link Building strategy is based on obtaining links to the most profitable categories of the business using anchor text that is not necessarily exact, but related to the products we want to rank.

Interlinking

Before working on Link Building, you should have good internal linking in your sports store. Proper internal linking helps to distribute the authority gained in Off Page SEO strategies, improves user navigation, and facilitates indexing.

Link the recently uploaded products from main categories, and in turn link from the products to the category they belong to. Additionally, you can create articles on the blog that assist the user in their purchase.

The page menu is essential for correct internal architecture and helps the user to know the products associated with each category.

If you work with well-known brands in your store, linking to their products and corresponding categories will expedite the user's search by brand.

Sports Ecommerce Blog

Having a blog on your ecommerce helps to transmit link juice (authority) to products and categories. Keep in mind that all content you offer should be business-focused

For example: if an article talks about “how to change a tire on a mountain bike,” you are providing a solution to a problem, and you can link to related products, encouraging the customer to make a purchase decision.

Link Building with Images

Multimedia elements, besides adding value to the content, are a source of links that you should use in your ecommerce.

They should include alt tags, and should not be heavy to avoid hindering the loading times of your online store.

Obtaining Links through Social Media

By sharing your content on these platforms, not only do you increase its visibility, but you also encourage users to share it, generating backlinks to your ecommerce.

You can run giveaways related to sports to generate engagement and attract customers. Ask participants to share the contest and links to your store to increase their chances of winning. And use specific hashtags to increase visibility.

Include links to your online store in your social media profiles and in your posts.

You can run social ADS and Google ADS campaigns, supporting the Link Building strategy for your sports store.

EEAT for Sports Stores

No matter how much you work on On Page SEO factors, technical SEO, and even Link Building for your online sports store, if you do not consider the factors of EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness), the strategy will be incomplete.

Initially, Google focused its YMYL (“Your Money Your Life”) policy only on websites with sensitive topics, such as health, finance, and security. This was because incorrect information on these topics could have serious consequences for people's lives and well-being.

However, Google has evolved its algorithms to apply these principles to a broader range of websites, including online stores, due to the importance of customer trust in all online transactions.

Consumers seek security and assurance in their online purchases, so working on EEAT will improve trust and user experience in your ecommerce, translating into higher conversion rates and sales.

How can I work on EEAT in my sports ecommerce?

• Through Link Building you can enhance EEAT by collaborating with other ecommerce or sports blogs. One way to start is by writing for relevant industry websites, known as guest posts.
  Google sees this as a trust signal when receiving links from reputable sites in the sector.
• You can also work on digital public relations (PR), through interviews and podcasts, where you will gain recognition as an expert in the sports sector.
  Participate in sports events or those related to your market niche, and seek opportunities to obtain links from authoritative websites.
• Reviews and positive testimonials help strengthen trust in your online store and influence future buyers' decision-making.
  
  
• Another way to demonstrate trust is by uploading a video to the online store of a person unrelated to your business, speaking positively about a product they have already tried.
  Working on third-party social proof will increase your store's digital reputation.
• Through blog content, you can demonstrate your authority as an expert. If you sign the articles and include a short biography with a link to your most professional social network, users can verify that you have experience in the sector and know the topic you are discussing.

Collaborate with Sports Influencers and Other Brands

Collaborating with bloggers and influencers will increase trust in your online store, as potential customers value their opinion as a reliable source before making a purchase.

Leverage this strategy to reach more consumers and capture their attention.

To do this:

• You must identify relevant influencers in the sports sector and collaborate with them to mention and link your store in their posts.
• You can offer free products in exchange for reviews and mentions.

By collaborating with other sports brands, you will reach new audiences, and mutually linking content can benefit both parties.

Link Building in Local Media

Obtaining a link in a local media is a good option for getting a quality link directly to your business.

For example, if there is a race in your city for Mother's Day, and it is being advertised in all local media, your online store should be there, as it is a good opportunity to showcase your products.

At Unancor, we offer a database with local media from which to choose the most appropriate for your ecommerce.

If your sports store also has a physical location, don’t forget to work on Local SEO.

Local SEO for Sports Stores

The local SEO includes techniques that can be performed both in your online store and in your Google profile to improve your business's search engine ranking.

We work on the Local SEO of our business from the local pack, with the Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), and from the positioning of our sports store itself.

Google Business Profile

Having a physical location allows you to benefit from having a profile in Google Business Profile and promote your products with it:

• You must fully configure the profile, matching the NAP of the profile (Name, Address, Phone) with the data of your online store.
• Complete all fields and make use of the offers section, where you can include links to your ecommerce products.
• Include images, both in your company profile gallery and in the product profiles, as you can compete for local transactional searches, where the user has a direct intent to purchase.
  For example: if you search for "buy mountain bike," Google not only shows online stores but also local results from profiles that have an image of this product.
  
• Don’t forget about reviews, as they generate trust and add popularity.
• Add the URL of your online sports store.

Local Page

Within your website, it is advisable to include a local page, which is a geolocated page. On these pages, you should indicate where your stores are and what products or services can be found at each location.

Include your NAP (Name, Address, Phone), use geolocated images if applicable, and of course, include maps and links to your Google Business Profile (Google My Business).

If you have only one physical store, it is recommended that this content be integrated into the homepage, as this will give you more strength.

Directories and Listings

Look for business directories and listings or websites related to the sports sector that allow links, and present your site to obtain backlinks and exposure.

So look for which of these directories are most relevant to you and register your business. For example, in this case of sports companies, there are directories like kdeportes.com.es and cmdsport.com, where you can publish your sports business.

Analyze the Results Obtained from the Strategy

 
If we do not measure, we cannot know if the Link Building strategy has been effective, and we will not be able to interpret the data to make future decisions.

Use free analysis tools from Google like Google Analytics and Search Console. Some metrics to consider are domain authority, number of backlinks, bounce rate, organic traffic, click-through rate, abandoned cart rate, etc.

Unancor, Your Link Building Tool for Your Online Store

At Unancor, we advise you on your Link Building strategy for your sports online store, so you invest in authoritative and relevant media and do not waste time or resources. From competitor and keyword analysis to choosing the ideal media for your project.

You will see how the authority of your domain and the online reputation of your store increase, improving the profitability of your business.

We hope this article has been useful, and if you have any questions, let us know in the comments