Ever wondered how top-notch marketers acquire those powerful backlinks? 

Yeah, personalized, highly effective cold emails are the answer. But, you need to know more to acquire backlinks and up your SEO game in 2024. 

In this article, I have listed down the game-changing trends that will redefine your approach. From relationship-building tips to the personalization hacks in mass emails, this article has everything to ace your backlink acquisition game in the coming year. 

Let’s get started. 

What is Backlink?

A backlink is a hyperlink from one webpage to another, enhancing a website's SEO by indicating credibility and relevance. Search engines consider backlinks as votes of confidence, influencing a site's ranking in search results.

Backlink Acquisition

Backlink acquisition involves actively obtaining hyperlinks from external websites to your own. It's a strategic process in SEO where quality and relevance matter, aiming to improve search engine rankings and increase the authority of a website through link-building efforts.

Why Cold Emails for Backlink Acquisition

Cold emails are crucial for backlinks, as they enable direct outreach to potential link partners and request for backlinks. They initiate communication with other websites, presenting an opportunity to establish connections, showcase content, and persuade them to link to your site, enhancing SEO and credibility.

While it’s not mandatory to approach potential link partners via cold emails, it’s the most commonly used medium. 

To learn how to send cold emails asking for backlinks, go there, to learn about the cold email outreach trends for backlink acquisition, keep reading till the end. 

Cold Email Outreach Trends for Backlinks in 2024

In 2024, cold email marketing strategy is shifting towards a more personalized and relationship-focused approach. Rather than simply pitching your link-building opportunities, the emphasis is on creating meaningful connections with your prospects. Let’s check out some key trends that are defining this new era of cold email outreach:

Trend #1 Relationship Building

Relationship building is crucial for backlink acquisition as it fosters trust and credibility in the online space. In 2024, it has become a prevailing trend because search engines increasingly prioritize high-quality, contextually relevant backlinks as a ranking factor. Building genuine relationships with other websites or influencers in your industry not only enhances your online reputation but also opens doors for organic backlinks.

Collaborative relationships lead to more natural link placements, as websites are more likely to link to content they trust and see as valuable. This trend is reinforced by search engine algorithms that increasingly focus on content relevance and user experience. By establishing connections within your niche, you create a network that is more willing to share and link to your content authentically.

To build these relationships, engage in meaningful conversations on social media, participate in industry events, and contribute to relevant discussions. Offer value to others by sharing their content and acknowledging their expertise. As your network grows, so does the likelihood of gaining backlinks through collaborative efforts, making relationship-building a cornerstone of successful backlink strategies in 2024.

Trend #2 Personalization

Personalization is crucial in cold email outreach for backlinks as it helps show genuine interest and build relevance to the recipient in the email. Around 74% of marketers observed a noteworthy hike in email engagement as a result of implementing targeted personalization strategies.

Tailoring emails to specific details about their website or recent content not only captures attention but also establishes a connection, increasing the likelihood of a positive response and successful backlink acquisition.

One can personalize in 2 ways:

1. Manually 
2. Using an automation tool, such as Smartlead.

Manual Personalisation

Manual personalization is when you go through every cold email you’re sending and personalize it using the information you’ve gathered from manual research.

Although highly effective, it’s time-consuming and impossible for bigger lead lists. However, it’s a good option when outreaching for backlinks.

So, here are a few ideas on how to write a personalized opening line for backlink acquisition cold emails:

Example for a Blog

"I recently enjoyed your post on [specific topic] and was inspired by your insights. As a fellow enthusiast in [related niche], I believe there's an opportunity for collaboration that could benefit both our audiences."

Example for a Business Website

Congratulations on [recent achievement or news]! Your company's commitment to [specific aspect] caught my attention. I have an idea for a collaborative piece that aligns perfectly with your brand and could provide value to your readers."

Example for an E-commerce Site

"I've been following your online store for a while, and I'm impressed by the way you curate [specific product type]. Given your expertise, I thought we could collaborate on a piece highlighting the latest trends in [relevant industry]."

Example for a Resource Page

"I noticed your comprehensive resource page on [specific topic]. It's an invaluable collection! I've recently created a guide that I believe would be a valuable addition, providing even more depth and variety to your already impressive list."

Example for a Review Site

"Your reviews on [product or service] are my go-to resource when making purchasing decisions. I've developed a unique perspective that could complement your reviews, and I'd love to discuss the possibility of contributing a piece that adds value to your audience."

Always do proper research before adding compliments and references, showing that you've genuinely engaged with their content.

Automate Personalization with Smartlead

One can automate personalization when sending bulk outreach emails for link building in two ways.

• Using spintax or spin-tags
• Adding custom variables.

Spintax

Spintax or Spin Syntax is a bulk emailing hack that creates variations of sentences or words by using multiple words or phrases in the template. You can add similar words such as {Hey} and {Hi}, separated by a vertical line | 

For example: {Hi|Hello|Hey}

Why use spintax? 

Spintax is useful when you’re sending bulk emails for backlinks acquisition. Sending “different” versions of the same CTA or text prompts ESPs into thinking you’re sending a different email to different people vs the same email to 1000 people, in effect not treating it as a “mass” cold email. It will ensure high deliverability. 

or

Here’s an example for better understanding.

Note: Please cross-check your Spintax in the final review to view the content.

Custom Personalisation Variables

Custom Personalisation Variables or custom variables in Smartlead.ai are dynamic tags you can use in your cold emails to personalize content. They can represent dates, time of day, sender's name, domain, or other custom fields. 

Here’s how to add custom variables to personalize your cold emails.

To add the time of day, simply add this to your copy:

Good {{sl_time_of_day}}

This will convert to Good morning, Good afternoon or Good evening based on when the email is sent specific to the campaign timezone you selected. The daytime segments are set up as below.

• For emails sent before 12PM will say Morning
• Emails sent between 12 PM to 3 PM will say Afternoon
• Emails sent after 3 PM will say Evening

Refer to the screenshot for reference:

This will dynamically place the domain of the sending mailbox into the body of the copy using the tag.

Custom personalization variables are good for creating variety while sending mass emails. Going forward, personalization is the biggest cold email outreach trend to follow in 2024 for backlinks. 

Trend #3 Multi-Channel Outreach

Multi-Channel Outreach involves engaging with an audience across various communication channels simultaneously. It leverages a combination of platforms like email, social media, and direct messaging to enhance reach, engagement, and overall effectiveness in connecting with the target audience.

Multichannel outreach is crucial for backlink acquisition as it maximizes visibility and engagement. Utilizing diverse platforms like email, social media, and direct messages increases the likelihood of reaching target audiences. 

This approach allows for a more personalized connection, improving the chances of securing backlinks. A multichannel strategy also adapts to varying preferences, ensuring your outreach isn't confined to a single medium, ultimately enhancing the overall effectiveness of your backlink acquisition efforts.

The most important trend in multi-channel outreach is to follow up on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Trend #4 Automation

Automation plays a pivotal role in optimizing cold email outreach for backlink acquisition. Using a cold email tool like Smartlead becomes indispensable for efficiency and effectiveness. In 2024, automation stands out as a major trend for several reasons.

Firstly, time is of the essence, and automation streamlines repetitive tasks, allowing marketers to focus on strategy and personalization. Smartlead, with its A/B testing feature, enables testing subject lines and content variations simultaneously, refining the approach based on real-time data for higher open and click-through rates.

Secondly, the volume of outreach required for backlink acquisition can be overwhelming. Automation ensures consistent follow-ups, preventing missed opportunities. For instance, Smartlead's spam checker feature ensures compliance with best practices, improving deliverability and preventing emails from being flagged.

Automation is the biggest trend in anything and everything digital. If you aren’t using an AI-based tool yet, it’s time that you do. 

Final Thoughts

Excelling cold email outreach for backlink acquisition is a strategic, time-taking endeavor. The trends we've covered—fostering genuine relationships, incorporating personalization, leveraging multi-channel outreach, and utilizing automation with tools like Smartlead—are practical tools for SEO success. Following these trends can help you create a smooth path for your outreach process. 

Adaptability is crucial in the SEO space. Stay informed about these trends, fine-tune your strategies, and witness the positive outcomes. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the field, these trends are valuable guidelines for navigating the intricacies of backlink acquisition in 2024.