Visual content has become a powerful tool in digital marketing, and image link building takes this to the next level. People are attracting valuable backlinks by leveraging high-quality images.
Unlike traditional link-building strategies, image link building focuses on creating and sharing compelling visuals. It helps gain natural references from other websites.
In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about image link building and practical steps to create image URLs.
Table of Contents
What Is Image Link Building?
Image link building involves earning backlinks by creating and sharing visual content that others find valuable enough to reference on their websites.
Relying solely on text-based content may not always suffice. So, this strategy capitalizes on the universal appeal of images to attract links naturally.
Importance of Image Link Building
- Enhanced Engagement: Visuals capture attention faster than text, increasing user engagement.
- Higher Link Potential: Images, especially infographics or original photography, are more likely to be cited as resources.
- SEO Boost: Backlinks gained from images improve domain authority and rankings.
- Broader Reach: High-quality visuals appeal to a global audience, increasing your content’s exposure.
- Versatility: Works across platforms, including blogs, social media, and directories, expanding backlink opportunities.
By integrating visuals into your link-building efforts, you add a dimension that text-based strategies alone can’t achieve.
Comparison With Traditional Link Building
Image link building and traditional link building serve the same goal (gaining backlinks) but differ in their approaches.
| Aspect | Traditional Link Building | Image Link Building |
| Focus | Written content (blogs, articles, guest posts) | Visual content (images, infographics, photography) |
| Content Creation | Requires extensive writing and research | Requires design skills and creativity |
| Engagement Level | High, but relies on strong headlines and copy | Very high. Visuals are more likely to attract immediate attention |
| Sharing Potential | Limited to text-heavy platforms | Easily shared across blogs, directories, and social media |
| Monitoring Tools | Backlink trackers like Ahrefs or SEMrush | Reverse image search tools like TinEye or Google Images |
You may need to use both strategies in tandem. This will result in a complete SEO backlink-gaining approach.
How to Create a URL for an Image
Creating an image URL is essential for sharing, embedding, or referencing your visuals online.
This process involves hosting the image in a publicly accessible location and ensuring it’s optimized for SEO and usability.
Steps to Do It
- Choose an image hosting platform, such as your website, Cloudinary, Imgur, or Google Photos.
- Ensure the platform offers public accessibility settings.
- After uploading, find the direct link or URL for the image. For websites, right-click on the image and select “Copy Image Address.”
- Paste the copied URL into a browser to confirm it loads correctly.
Best Practices for Image URLs
- Descriptive Filenames: To enhance SEO, name your images descriptively with relevant keywords (e.g., “organic-coffee-beans.jpg”).
- Optimize for Size: Compress images using tools like TinyPNG to ensure faster loading speeds without compromising quality.
- Secure URLs: Use HTTPS to ensure your image URL is secure and trustworthy.
- Alt Text: Include descriptive alt text to make the image accessible to search engines and users with visual impairments.
Tools to Generate Image URLs
Several platforms simplify the process of creating and managing image URLs. Such are-
- Cloudinary: Offers image hosting with advanced optimization options.
- Imgur: A user-friendly platform ideal for sharing visuals publicly.
- Google Photos: Allows you to generate shareable links for uploaded images.
Types of Images That Attract Backlinks
Not all images are equally effective for link building. To maximize backlinks, you need engaging, shareable, and valuable visuals for your audience.
Below, we explore different types of images that consistently attract backlinks and why they work.
Infographics
Infographics are among the most popular and effective visual assets for link building. These visuals present complex information in an easily digestible and visually appealing format.
They are highly shareable because they condense data, making them ideal for blogs, research articles, and presentations.
Source: Dashburst
To create effective infographics, ensure they are well-researched, cleanly designed, and include a compelling call-to-action encouraging users to share or link to them.
Original Photography
Unique, high-quality photography is a magnet for backlinks, especially in niches like travel, lifestyle, or food blogging. Original photos add authenticity and visual appeal to content, making them highly sought after by other sites.
For example, travel bloggers using unique location photos attract backlinks from websites and social media platforms.
Source: AbsolutelyLucy
Charts and Data Visualizations
Data presented through charts, graphs, and other visualizations is highly valuable for research-based content. These visuals simplify complex information, making them easy to understand and reference.
Source: Venngage
Backlinks to such content often come from bloggers, researchers, or journalists citing the data. Ensure your visualizations are accurate and branded subtly to secure attribution.
Maps
Maps offer a unique type of visual that provides geographical insights, making them excellent for travel, logistics, and research content.
Customized maps, such as tourist guides or regional analytics, add significant value to users looking for location-based information.
Maps are often embedded with links, ensuring attribution when shared.
Product Photos
For eCommerce businesses, high-quality product photos are critical for both customer conversion and link building.
Product images frequently appear in reviews, gift guides, and comparison articles, creating opportunities for backlinks. To maximize their impact, use professional-quality photos with multiple angles and lifestyle settings.
Source: Spectrum
Memes and Social Media Graphics
Memes and social graphics are designed to entertain and go viral, making them ideal for indirect link building.
While often shared without backlinks, popular memes can drive traffic to your site if branded correctly. To succeed with memes, focus on humor and relevance to current trends, ensuring they resonate with your target audience.
Case Studies or Tutorials with Step-by-Step Images
Step-by-step visuals add value to instructional content like tutorials, DIY projects, or case studies. These images enhance comprehension and usability, encouraging readers to share or cite your content.
For example, a recipe blog using step-by-step cooking images often attracts backlinks from other food sites and forums.
Steps to Build Image Links
Building image links is a strategic process that requires planning, creativity, and outreach. Simply creating a visual isn’t enough. You must ensure your images are relevant, valuable, and shareable.
A well-executed image link-building strategy attracts backlinks and enhances your brand’s visibility and authority.
The following steps guide you through the entire process, from selecting a topic to designing and sharing visuals that naturally attract links.
Find Relevant and Trendy Topics Within Your Niche
The foundation of a successful image link-building campaign lies in choosing the right topic. A relevant and trendy topic increases the likelihood that your images will resonate with your audience and attract backlinks.
Analyze Industry Trends
You can use tools like Google Trends, BuzzSumo, or Exploding Topics to identify what’s currently popular in your niche.
Keep an eye on competitors’ blogs, forums, and social media posts to discover trending discussions.
Leverage Audience Interests
Conduct surveys or polls to determine what topics your audience is interested in. You can also review the performance of your previous content to identify high-engagement topics that could work well as visuals.
Follow Seasonal Themes
The seasons significantly affect trends. So, create content tied to seasonal events, holidays, or industry-specific milestones.
For instance, a fitness blog could create an infographic about “Top Summer Workouts.”
Identify Gaps in Existing Content
Research competitors’ content to find gaps where your visuals can add unique value. Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to find keywords with high search volumes but low competition.
Then, create visuals around those topics.
Research and Gather Engaging Information on Your Topic
Once you’ve identified a topic, the next step is to collect data and insights that make your content engaging and valuable. High-quality information ensures your visuals are not only attractive but also authoritative and shareable.
Here are some pointers you can follow-
- Use Reputable Sources: Gather statistics, facts, and insights from trusted websites, studies, or databases.
- Focus on Audience Relevance: Choose data points that resonate with your target audience’s interests or challenges.
- Collect Unique Insights: Conduct your own surveys or interviews to gather exclusive information that sets your visuals apart.
- Structure Your Data: Organize your information logically, making it easy to translate into visuals like charts, infographics, or tutorials.
- Stay Accurate: Double-check all data and citations to ensure credibility and trustworthiness.
Design Your Images to Make It Attractive
An image’s design is its most crucial element. No matter how valuable the information is, a poorly designed visual won’t capture attention or earn backlinks.
A polished, professional design is key to making your images shareable and authoritative.
Use Eye-Catching Visual and Text Elements
Incorporate vibrant colors, bold fonts, and striking imagery to grab attention. Meanwhile, highlight key statistics or takeaways using larger fonts or contrasting colors.
Not all color combos may suit your topic. For example, the following earthly brown and pale shades of sky blue combination by Airbnb showcases a bright and free feeling.
Source: Airbnb
Meanwhile, this next image by Burt’s Bees, featuring a honey yellow, white, and red combination, gives a sense of sun and summer. Since bee products are trendy in summer, it works perfectly.
Source: Burt’s Bees
Keep It Clear and Comprehensive
When designing an image, avoid clutter by using clean layouts and simple designs. Ensure all elements, such as text, icons, and graphics, are easy to understand at a glance.
You can use headings, subheadings, and icons to break up dense information into digestible sections.
Be Practical and Useful
Design images that solve a problem or answer a question for your audience. For example, create step-by-step tutorials or data visualizations.
Include actionable tips or instructions that viewers can immediately apply.
Add Your Brand
Include your logo, website URL, or a subtle watermark to ensure proper attribution when the image is shared. Also, remember to maintain a consistent color palette and font style to align with your brand identity.
Optimize Your Images
Optimizing your images ensures they load quickly, perform well across devices, and are easily discoverable by search engines. This step is crucial for both user experience and SEO.
Without proper optimization, even the most attractive image can fail to attract backlinks or improve your rankings.
Use Descriptive File Names
Before uploading your image, rename the file with a descriptive, keyword-rich title. For example, instead of a generic name like “IMG12345.jpg,” use something like “healthy-snack-ideas.jpg.”
This helps search engines understand the image’s content and improves its visibility in search results.
Compress Image Files
Large image files can slow down your website, negatively affecting user experience and rankings.
Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to compress your images without losing quality. A balance between size and clarity ensures your visuals load quickly across devices.
Add Alt Text and Captions
Alt text is a brief description of an image that improves accessibility and helps search engines index it correctly. Include relevant keywords naturally in the alt text.
Similarly, captions can provide context for users, making the image more engaging and shareable.
Ensure Mobile-Friendliness
With the increasing use of mobile devices, designing images that look great on smaller screens is essential. Use responsive design techniques to ensure images resize dynamically based on the user’s device.
Choose the Right Format
Different image formats serve different purposes. Use
- JPEG for photographs
- PNG for graphics with transparent backgrounds and,
- SVG for scalable vector graphics
Choosing the right format will deliver better quality and performance.
Upload and Host Your Images
Uploading and hosting your images is the next critical step in your image link-building strategy. Proper hosting ensures your visuals are accessible, fast-loading, and sharable across platforms.
This step, whether you use your website or a third-party hosting service, lays the groundwork for effective image promotion.
Start by deciding where to host your images. For most link-building campaigns, uploading images directly to your website provides maximum control and SEO benefits.
When hosted on your domain, images contribute to your site’s overall authority and make it easier to track backlinks. Ensure that your web server can handle the increased traffic and bandwidth that image-heavy pages may require.
If you opt for third-party platforms like Cloudinary, Imgur, or Flickr, ensure they provide secure, shareable URLs and proper crediting options.
Third-party hosting is beneficial for social sharing or collaborative projects where quick access and scalability are necessary.
When uploading images, create a dedicated folder structure for the organization. For example, use folders like “/images/blog/” or “/images/products/” to categorize visuals logically.
This practice makes it easier to manage assets and keeps URLs clean and user-friendly.
Finally, test the accessibility of your hosted images. Copy the direct URL of the image and check it in a browser to ensure it loads correctly.
Double-check permissions to verify that your images are visible to the public, as restricted content won’t help with link-building efforts.
Proper hosting sets the stage for promoting and sharing your images effectively.
Promote Your Images by Sharing
Promotion is where your image link-building strategy truly comes to life. Sharing your visuals across multiple platforms increases their exposure, driving backlinks and traffic.
A strategic promotion plan ensures your images reach the right audience and gain the recognition they deserve.
Leverage Social Media Platforms
Social media is a powerful tool for sharing images. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn allow you to showcase visuals directly to your target audience.
Optimize posts with relevant hashtags, captions, and calls to action to encourage shares and backlinks. For instance, an infographic on LinkedIn with professional insights is more likely to be shared among industry peers.
Collaborate With Influencers
Partnering with influencers in your niche can amplify the reach of your visuals. Influencers can share your images with their audience, increasing visibility and link-building opportunities.
For example, a food blogger featuring your recipe images on their blog can lead to natural backlinks.
Submit to Image Directories and Communities
Platforms like Behance, Dribbble, and Flickr cater specifically to visual content. By uploading your images to these directories, you expose them to a community that values high-quality visuals.
Ensure your profile is complete and includes links to your website to attract backlinks.
Use Email Outreach
Directly reach out to websites, bloggers, and journalists who might benefit from your visuals. Highlight your image’s value and request a backlink in return for its use. A personalized and professional pitch increases the likelihood of success.
Monitor and Claim Links From Uncredited or Misused Images
Sometimes, others use even the most meticulously designed and promoted images without proper credit or a backlink. Monitoring and reclaiming those links is vital to your image link building strategy.
Staying vigilant will ensure you get the full SEO value of your visuals and hold others accountable for their use.
Monitoring Involves:
- Identifying where your images are used across the web
- Whether they are correctly credited and,
- How to reclaim lost opportunities
Tools like Ahrefs, TinEye, and Google Reverse Image Search are invaluable for this process.
Once you’ve identified uncredited or misused images, the next step is to request proper attribution through polite and professional outreach.
Claim Links From Improper Attribution
Sometimes, websites use your images with incorrect attribution, such as linking to another page or failing to include a backlink altogether.
Identifying these cases and reclaiming your links helps maintain your link equity and improves your SEO.
How to Find Improper Links
Follow these steps to find improper attribution-
- Go to Ahrefs’ Content Explorer
- Upload your image or input a related keyword to locate web pages featuring your image.
- Navigate to the “Backlinks” section and cross-check the linking URLs. Look for pages using your image but linking incorrectly or not at all.
- Review Anchor Text. Verify that the anchor text and destination URL for the backlink align with your intended attribution.
- Export the results to identify a list of potential outreach targets for corrections.
This systematic approach will give you a clear picture of where action is needed.
Outreach to Claim Proper Attribution
Once you’ve identified cases of improper attribution, the next step is to request the appropriate link.
Your outreach should be respectful and professional, highlighting the value of your image while politely requesting credit.
Here’s a short and compelling email template:
| Subject Line: Request for Proper Credit – [Image Name or Topic]Dear [Recipient’s Name],I hope this email finds you well. I recently came across your [blog/article/post] titled “[Title]” and noticed that you’ve used my image, [briefly describe the image, e.g., “a chart on organic food trends”]. I’m thrilled to see it featured in your content!To ensure proper attribution, I kindly request that you add a backlink to my site ([your URL]) as the original source. This minor adjustment would mean a lot to me, and I believe it enhances the credibility of your content as well.Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Thank you so much for your time and understanding!Best regards, [Your Full Name] [Your Contact Information] |
Claim Links From Uncredited Images
Uncredited images are a common issue in link building. Websites might use your visuals without acknowledging you as the original creator, robbing you of valuable backlinks.
The good news is that you can find those uncredited image usages and ask for backlinks. This process requires systematic monitoring and professional outreach to ensure your efforts are recognized.
Below are the steps to effectively claim links from uncredited images.
Use Reverse Image Search
Reverse image search tools like Google Images and TinEye are invaluable for identifying uncredited uses of your visuals.
- Google Images: Upload your image or paste its URL into the Google Images search bar. The tool will display all instances where the image appears online.
- TinEye: Similar to Google, TinEye provides detailed results and even offers filters like image size or modification history.
Focus on sites using your images without proper credit or linking back to your website. Save these results for further auditing.
Audit Found Images
Once you’ve located instances of your image being used, the next step is to audit the findings. It helps streamline your outreach efforts by focusing on the most impactful opportunities.
- Review Website Relevance: Ensure the sites using your images are relevant to your industry or niche, as these offer better backlink opportunities.
- Check Attribution: Analyze if the image has proper attribution, such as a backlink or a clear mention of your brand.
- Prioritize Targets: Focus on high-authority websites first, as these provide the most significant SEO value.
Outreach to Claim Backlinks
Once you’ve identified uncredited uses, it’s essential to contact website owners. Your email should be polite and professional and highlight the mutual benefit of proper attribution.
Here’s a sample:
| Subject Line: Attribution Request for Your ArticleDear [Recipient’s Name],I’m thrilled to see that you’ve featured my image [brief description] in your [article/blog post], “[Title].” Thank you for recognizing its value!However, I noticed there wasn’t a backlink to the original source. To ensure proper attribution, I kindly request that you add a link to my site ([your URL]). It enhances the credibility of your content while giving credit where it’s due.I’d be happy to assist with any details. Thanks so much for your time!Best regards, [Your Name] |
Automate the Process to Monitor Regularly
Manually checking for uncredited images can be time-consuming. Automating the process ensures you stay on top of new instances.
- Set up Alerts: Use Google Alerts or Ahrefs Alerts to be notified when new pages containing your image appear.
- Employ Tools: Platforms like Pixsy and Digimarc automate the monitoring and reporting of uncredited image use.
- Track Outreach Progress: Maintain a database to track which claims are pending, resolved, or declined.
Take control of your image link-building strategy with RankPa! Our expert SEO services ensure your visuals are optimized, shared, and credited to maximize link equity.
Important Points
Image link building is a powerful way to boost your SEO strategy when done effectively. From creating engaging visuals to reclaiming uncredited links, every step is vital in enhancing your online authority.
Track the use of your visuals using tools like reverse image search and automation. Request proper attribution through professional outreach.
A well-executed image link-building campaign doesn’t just drive backlinks—it amplifies your brand’s visibility and credibility.
Embrace this strategy to stay ahead in an increasingly visual digital landscape.
