Trackback Links: A Guide to Boosting Your Website’s Visibility
Trackback links are a powerful way to increase your blog’s visibility and attract more traffic. These links allow website owners or content creators to receive notifications when someone links to one of their pages or documents. By keeping track of who’s linking to your articles, you can build relationships with other bloggers and websites, further boosting your reach.
Trackback links are one of four types of linkback methods. They allow website companies or authors to request a notification. The notification is to show when somebody links to one of their web pages or documents. They enable them to keep track of who is linking to their articles. Many popular content management systems (CMS), such as SilverStripe, WordPress, Drupal, and Movable Type, support automatic pingbacks. Pingbacks allow links in a published article to ping when published. Pingbacks are automated and don’t send any content. The term trackback is for any kind of linkback. Unlike trackbacks, pingbacks are fully automated and don’t send any content but simply notify the linked site. In contrast, trackbacks provide more manual control.
How To Send A Trackback
The method for sending trackbacks varies depending on the blogging software as each blogging software system handles trackbacks differently. Bloggers can also choose to switch them off or require every one be approved before going live. Don’t be surprised when you send a trackback and it doesn’t show up. It may have nothing to do with you.
Some websites will trackback automatically, or attempt to, especially if they are the same format. For example a WordPress blog trackbacking a WordPress blog. In that case as long as you include a link to the other blog’s post your blog will attempt a trackback. This is sometimes also called a pingback.
Usually you have to manually enter a trackback URI into the blog entry you are creating. You can find the URI at the end of most blog posts. Take a look at your blog posts for the term Trackback URI or something similar.
URL = Uniform Resource Locator, a fancy name for a link
URI = Uniform Resource Identifier, another fancy name for a link
In WordPress and for each blog post I make there is a trackback input box section for entering trackback URIs. I copy and paste the trackback URI from the blog entry I want to link to and when I click publish my blog will send the trackback. My blog will also confirm when a trackback has been sent after publishing my post.
How To Get Traffic – Benefits of Trackbacks
1. Drive Traffic to Your Blog:
By sending a trackback to another site or blog post, you’re leaving a link, usually in their comment section, that directs readers back to your blog. Interested visitors may click the link to see your content, bringing in new traffic.
2. Improve Your SEO (Search Engine Optimization):
Some websites allow trackbacks and don’t add the “nofollow” tag to your link, meaning you can gain PageRank juice from the link. PageRank helps search engines rank your content higher in search results, improving your blog’s visibility. Not sure what PageRank is? For more on PageRank, check out this quick introduction – https://www.semrush.com/blog/pagerank/ which will help you improve your search engine rankings.
3. Build Relationships with Other Bloggers:
When you trackback to another blog, it shows you’re engaging with their content. This can encourage the blog owner to visit your site, possibly leading to a mention or a trackback in return. Over time, these relationships can increase your credibility and audience.
What Does “nofollow” Mean?
The “nofollow” tag is a line of programing code that some blogging systems, such as WordPress, automatically add to links. As this tag is added to every link left in comments and trackbacks search engines/bots usually don’t follow the links. Humans however can see the link and click it like a standard link leading to your site.
Its supposed purpose is to stop people spamming blog comment sections. Mainly for links but it really doesn’t work that well as a deterrent.
Maximizing Traffic Through Trackbacks
Trackbacks are a useful strategy for bringing more attention to your blog:
- Engage with High-Quality Blogs: When you send trackbacks reputable blogs in your niche, you can attract their audience. Choose blogs with a high number of viewers that align with your target market.
- Create Value-Driven Content: Make sure your content is worth linking to. If bloggers and readers find your posts valuable, they’re more likely to link back or share your content.
- Monitor Trackbacks: When another sites send trackbacks to your site, it usually shows that they found your content valuable. Encourage this by writing shareable, link-worthy content.
Send Trackbacks For Traffic
Trackbacks are good because they bring traffic to your site when you trackback other blogs. Being the “victim” of a trackback is also good. It means another blogger has read your blog and deemed something you wrote worthy of including in their blog. There is a good chance if they trackbacked you that they also made a direct link to your blog too.
This helps your social proofing because it provides evidence that other people are reading and responding to your blog articles. However the real power of trackbacking is an awareness building tool to get the attention of other bloggers.
When you first start blogging not many people will know your blog exists. By trackbacking other bloggers you demonstrate interest in their content. And it is a surefire way to make them interested in you and your blog.
It’s very likely that the person you trackbacked will check your link and see what your site is all about. If you have been following my advice and have written some pillar articles your new visitor may like what they see and very likely subscribe to your blog. If you are lucky, may even trackback you or mention your website in a future entry on their website.
If nothing else, by trackbacking a blogger you will forever occupy some of their mind-space. In the future this may open up all kinds of doors and opportunities for traffic.
PR: A4JP Design Studio Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
