How To Get Backlinks for Your Gaming Website

Getting backlinks for your gaming website is crucial for enhancing your site’s authority, driving organic traffic, and improving SEO rankings. However, achieving high-quality backlinks in the competitive gaming niche requires a strategic approach. This detailed guide will walk you through actionable methods to acquire valuable backlinks for your gaming website. Of course, one of the fastest ways to acquire quality backlinks is to leverage other people’s connections and outsource your link building efforts. Why not take a look at our tailored gaming niche link building service at The SEO Corner and let us help you get all the backlinks you need!

The Importance of Backlinks

Backlinks, or inbound links from other websites to yours, serve as votes of confidence in your content. Search engines like Google view these links as indicators of your website’s authority and relevance, ultimately boosting your site’s visibility in search results. Specifically, for gaming websites—which are abundant and highly competitive—acquiring authoritative backlinks is essential for standing out. If you are looking to acquire backlinks to a gaming application, rather than website, check out our guide on getting backlinks for your mobile gaming application.

How Many Backlinks Does Your Gaming Website Need?

Well, as much as we hate to say it, it depends. Generally the number of links required is dependent on how competitive are the terms you are trying to rank for. To get a ballpark estimate, take a look at 5 or so top results for the term you search and use a tool like Ahrefs backlink checker to identify how many high – quality backlinks those competitors have. The important thing to bear in mind here is to only count the high quality links for an accurate estimate. We cover exactly how to estimate the number of links needed for your gaming website in our guide covering the question of a number of required backlinks for gaming sites in more detail.

If you’re looking for a very broad rule of thumb count. Many gaming websites in our experience do well with 40 – 50 niche relevant, high quality backlinks to their homepage and few to some of the more competitive individual pages.

Create High-Quality, Shareable Gaming Content

The foundation for acquiring backlinks begins with content. Focus on creating engaging, informative, and unique content.

Creating shareable content for your gaming website is essential to attract quality backlinks, boost SEO rankings, and grow your audience organically. Here’s how you can craft gaming content that is highly shareable and backlink-friendly:

1. Produce Comprehensive Guides and Tutorials

Gamers frequently search for guides to help them progress or master new skills. By creating detailed, easy-to-follow guides and walkthroughs for popular or challenging games, you increase the likelihood of other websites linking to your content as a valuable resource.

For example, Rock Paper Shotgun created an in depth, detailed guide on sniping in Fortnite and according to Ahrefs, they scored 25 backlinks from this guide alone!

Essentially, consider what guides others may actually want to link out to. This approach will be especially effective, when you spot some areas of your game lacking quality tutorials and guides. This is where writing up an in-depth guide may help you score especially good backlinks.

2. Leverage Original Research and Data

Original data and research are highly linkable assets. Conduct surveys, analyze gaming trends, or provide unique insights such as game statistics or esports performance data. Websites seeking authoritative sources will naturally link back to your findings.

You know all those wiki sites? Well, these sites actually get tons of backlinks, as they feature lots of game relevant statistics, such as damage of each weapon, their accuracies etc. As you can imagine, many sites will link to these wiki pages. This is an opportunity for you as well. Whilst replicating the data from those wiki sites may not be particularly helpful in your link building, as those sites will outrank you, you could focus on aspects that wikis are missing. For example, how about simulating multiple matchups in an RTS game and calculate the most effective counters for each unit type in the game?

Baldur’s Gate Wiki Astarion’s page earned 4,000 backlinks. That is just one page, imagine how many backlinks the wiki sites are winning every day.

3. Create Visually Appealing Infographics

Gaming audiences appreciate visual content. Design engaging infographics showcasing game mechanics, character evolution, esports statistics, or industry trends. Infographics are highly shareable on social media, forums, and are attractive assets for blogs and news websites to embed and link back.

Our tip here is to combine an infographic with the previous tips around statistics and research. How about creating some infographics that take viewers through all the optimal builds for all classes in an RPG game, or even a shooter?

4. Focus on Trending Gaming Topics

Stay current and responsive to industry trends. By quickly publishing high-quality content about trending games, controversies, patches, or esports events, your content can become a go-to reference that other websites quote and link to.

Here you may wish to look out for new game exploits and glitches, optimal builds/ loadouts for new games and develop some in-depth guides for various aspects of the game. This type of content often gets quoted by content creators on social media, as well as numerous gaming news sites and blogs.

5. Develop Interactive Content

Interactive tools, quizzes, or mini-games related to popular gaming franchises encourage engagement and sharing. Interactive content is memorable and distinctive, making it more likely that other sites will reference and link to your resource.

For example, why not develop an interactive map for a survival game, like many websites did for DayZ? The interactive map for DayZ has 520 backlinks. Other examples of gaming tools that would make for good link – bait content would be things like calculators for city builders specifying how many buildings of each type are required etc. Get creative!

By strategically creating and promoting shareable content, you’ll not only attract more backlinks but also establish your gaming website as a credible and authoritative resource in the gaming community.

When your content is exceptional, it naturally attracts links from bloggers, gaming influencers, and industry news sites. One thing to highlight though, is that in order for your great content to get noticed, you may need to work at promoting it. As if your website is new, without any preexisting authority, search engines are unlikely to rank your content no matter how great it is! Share your content on social media in relevant groups and you could even pitch relevant journalists if your content is especially unique, such as the interactive tools.

Guest Posting on Gaming Blogs

Guest posting remains one of the most effective backlink strategies. When done thoughtfully, guest posting can be a very powerful strategy, as it relies on an exchange of value. The host site gets free content for its website, whereas you get a juicy backlink. To find out more about how to secure guest post opportunities for your gaming site, check out our guide on guest posting for gaming websites. However, Here’s an overview of how you can effectively use the approach:

Identify reputable gaming blogs and websites accepting guest posts

When seeking reputable gaming blogs and websites that accept guest posts, it’s important to recognize certain key indicators of quality and trustworthiness. Here are a few essential criteria to guide you:

1. Content Quality and Consistency:
Evaluate the site’s existing content. Reputable gaming websites publish high-quality, well-researched, and engaging articles regularly. Look for consistent posting schedules, original insights, and articles authored by knowledgeable individuals within the gaming industry.

2. Domain Authority and SEO Metrics:
Tools such as Moz, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can help determine the site’s Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR). Generally, a higher score (typically above 30-40) indicates a credible and reputable site. However, balance this metric with content quality—high DA alone doesn’t always signify good editorial standards.

3. Engagement and Community Interaction:
Check for active engagement through comments, shares, and community interactions. Blogs that facilitate lively discussions and have a responsive audience often indicate a healthy, reputable platform. Additionally, consider social media presence and follower engagement as signs of credibility.

4. Clear Submission Guidelines and Editorial Standards:
Trustworthy gaming sites usually have clearly stated submission guidelines, detailing the topics accepted, article format, quality expectations, and review processes. Absence of such guidelines can indicate a less structured editorial approach.

5. Transparency and Professionalism:
Reliable blogs and websites typically disclose their editorial team, authors’ bios, and contact information. Transparency around publication policies, editorial staff, and affiliation demonstrates accountability and professional integrity.

6. Effective Search Prompts for Google:
Use targeted search queries in Google to find gaming blogs actively accepting guest posts. Examples of useful search prompts include:

• “gaming blog + write for us”
• “gaming website + guest post guidelines”
• “submit guest post gaming”
• “gaming guest article opportunities”

Alternatively you can use guest posting site lists available online. Bear in mind though, because those sites are publicly listed in thes round ups, there’s likely a lot of competition and your pitch will have to stand out. If you’re interested in this approach, check out our list of over 220 gaming niche guest posting websites.

By carefully assessing these criteria and utilizing targeted search prompts, you’ll significantly increase your chances of finding reputable gaming blogs and websites to effectively showcase your guest posts.

Pitch unique, insightful articles tailored specifically to their audience

Successfully pitching your guest post idea requires thoughtful planning and professional outreach. Here’s a simple guide to making a compelling pitch:

• Research the Site: Understand the blog’s content style, target audience, and previously covered topics to ensure your pitch aligns with their interests.
• Craft a Personalized Email: Address your email directly to the editor or content manager by name. Personalize your pitch to show genuine familiarity with their website and content.
• Clearly Outline Your Idea: Briefly and clearly summarize your guest post idea, explaining its relevance and value to their audience.
• Highlight Your Expertise: Provide a brief introduction to yourself, including your credentials or experience in the gaming industry. Link to previous published works if available.
• Follow Submission Guidelines: Adhere strictly to their stated submission guidelines to demonstrate professionalism and attention to detail.
• Be Concise and Professional: Keep your pitch concise, courteous, and professional. Editors receive numerous pitches, so clarity and brevity are crucial.

By carefully assessing these criteria, utilizing targeted search prompts, and crafting compelling pitches, you’ll significantly increase your chances of successfully showcasing your guest posts on reputable gaming blogs and websites. Mind you though, whilst guest posting remains one of the most effective ways to build backlinks, the conversion rates on these cold pitches can be low without prior networking and relationships with the site contributors.

Leveraging Social Media to Generate Backlinks for Your Gaming Website

Social media platforms offer significant opportunities to generate backlinks and amplify your gaming website’s visibility. By strategically using social channels, you can organically encourage sharing and linking, effectively improving your site’s SEO performance.

Why Social Media Matters for Backlinks

Gaming communities thrive on social platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, TikTok, and YouTube. These platforms facilitate quick content sharing, fostering interactions that naturally lead to backlinks from blogs, forums, and gaming news sites.

Strategies to Maximize Backlink Opportunities via Social Media

1. Consistent Sharing of High-Quality Content
   • Regularly post engaging content—such as guides, videos, infographics, and timely gaming insights—that audiences naturally want to share and link back to.
2. Engage Actively with Followers and Communities
   • Respond to comments, participate in trending discussions, and offer helpful insights. Active engagement builds credibility and encourages others to share your content on their platforms.
3. Leverage Influencers and Gaming Personalities
   • Collaborate with influencers who can share your content to broader audiences, dramatically increasing your chances of backlinks from authoritative sources.
4. Use Visual and Interactive Content
   • Infographics, highlight clips, memes, and short-form videos tend to go viral on social platforms. This viral potential significantly enhances the likelihood of generating backlinks.

Encouraging Natural Link Building via Social Media

• Include clear, shareable links in your social media posts.
• Run contests, giveaways, or community challenges that encourage users to visit your website and share it on their platforms.
• Highlight user-generated content, which often results in reciprocal sharing and natural backlinking.

By strategically leveraging social media, you create an ecosystem that naturally generates backlinks, driving significant traffic and enhancing your gaming website’s SEO authority.

Our tip is to take the original research content, or other link-bait content discussed in previous section and break it down into smaller chunks of information, that is easily digestible on social media.

Leverage Influencer Collaborations

Partnering with gaming influencers can significantly boost your backlink profile. Engage influencers through:

• Interviews or features on your website.
• Collaborations on giveaways, contests, or streaming events.
• Inviting them to review your content or products.

Influencers often link to their featured content, providing high-quality backlinks and additional traffic. For example, you could try hosting an interview with couple influencers on a specific topic in the game of your choice. Create a blog post showcasing the interview and there’s a very good chance that influencers will link to your content from their sites, as they cover the interview on their end.

Utilize Gaming Forums and Communities

Actively participating in gaming forums and communities (e.g., Reddit, NeoGAF, IGN forums) helps you organically share your content and expertise. Key tips include:

• Engaging genuinely without spamming.
• Offering helpful answers and valuable insights.
• Linking your content only when relevant and beneficial to the community.

Although forum links are often “no-follow,” the referral traffic and brand awareness can indirectly lead to follow-links from other sources.

The key with this strategy is to avoid spamming forums with your links, and focus on being a helpful member of the community. Only include links where necessary. Our tip is to create some original research posts mentioned in the previous tips, or wiki style stat posts, which are quite easy to work into conversations in forums.

Create Linkable Assets

Linkable assets are valuable, original resources designed specifically to attract backlinks. For gaming websites, effective linkable assets include:

• Infographics summarizing game statistics or histories.
• Interactive databases or tools (e.g., character builders, game performance analyzers).
• Video tutorials or unique live-streaming sessions.

Promote these assets widely via social media, outreach emails, and gaming forums to amplify their reach and encourage backlinks.

Essentially, the idea here is to focus on creating content that attracts links, as well as users. This type of content is very easy to work into conversations on social media and can be used in conjunction with other strategies to increase the likelihood of acquiring those links.

Broken Link Building Strategy

Broken link building is an efficient and effective method for acquiring backlinks, though it requires a bit more effort compared to some other strategies. Despite the work involved, it often delivers high-quality links that are well worth the investment of time. For more details check out our guide on broken link building strategies.

Why Broken Link Building Works

Have you ever clicked a link on a website only to be met with a “404 page not found” message? These are broken links, which occur when a webpage has been removed or relocated without updating the referring link. Broken links negatively impact the user experience and the website’s SEO.

This is where you can step in. By identifying these broken links and suggesting your own content as a replacement, you provide value to the website owner—improving their site’s SEO and user experience—while earning a backlink in return. The mutual benefit makes this method a win-win.

How to Implement the Broken Link Building Strategy

Step 1: Identify Broken Links

1. Target Relevant Websites:
   • Start by identifying websites within your niche or industry where you’d like to place a backlink. These sites should have authority and relevance to your content.
   • Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Broken Link Checker to scan these websites for broken links. These tools generate a comprehensive list of broken links, saving you the time of manually searching.
2. Check Link Relevance:
   • Once you’ve identified broken links, evaluate their relevance to your niche. The closer the match, the higher the likelihood that your replacement content will be accepted by the site owner.

Step 2: Prepare Replacement Content

1. Create High-Quality Content:
   • If you don’t already have suitable content, develop a post that closely aligns with the topic of the broken link. High-quality content increases the chances of your pitch being accepted.
   • Incorporate original data, visuals, and actionable insights to make your content stand out.
2. Optimize Your Content:
   • Ensure your content is SEO-friendly by including relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and a clear structure with headings and subheadings.
   • Make the content engaging and easy to read, using bullet points, images, and infographics.

Step 3: Reach Out to Website Owners

1. Craft Your Pitch:
   • Approach website owners with a polite and professional email. Highlight the broken link and offer your content as a replacement. Clearly explain how your content aligns with their audience’s needs and improves the site’s value.
2. Email Template:

Subject: Found a Broken Link on Your Site

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I hope this email finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I run [Your Website], which focuses on [briefly describe your niche or content].

While browsing your website, I came across a broken link on [specific page URL]. It seems the link to [broken link’s original topic] is no longer working.

I wanted to suggest a replacement for this link that I believe your audience would find valuable. I recently created a post on [your topic] that covers similar information: [Your URL].

If you find it helpful, I’d be delighted for you to use it as a replacement. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional details.

Thank you for your time and for maintaining such an excellent resource.

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Position]
[Your Website]
[Your Contact Information]

Step 4: Follow Up

1. Polite Follow-Ups:
   • If you don’t receive a response, send a friendly follow-up email after a week or two. Persistence can often pay off.
2. Track Results:
   • Use backlink monitoring tools to check if your link has been added and to measure its impact on your site’s SEO.

Efficiency Tips for Broken Link Building

1. Check for Backlinks to Broken Pages:
   • If you find a broken page, use backlink checker tools like Ahrefs or Majestic to identify all other sites linking to it. This allows you to pitch your content to multiple website owners for the same topic.
2. Investigate Entire Websites:
   • If the broken link results from an entire website being down, check the backlinks pointing to that site. This can help you discover additional broken pages or content opportunities.
3. Focus on Recent Posts:
   • Website owners are more likely to care about fixing broken links in newer posts that still generate traffic. Prioritize pitching for these rather than older, outdated content.

Utilize PR and Newsjacking

Stay updated with gaming industry news and trends. By promptly creating and sharing content about trending topics (newsjacking), you can become a go-to resource cited by journalists and gaming media outlets.

What is PR and Newsjacking

Public Relations involves creating and disseminating content that aligns your brand with newsworthy topics, securing media coverage naturally. Newsjacking, a powerful subset of PR, means quickly responding to trending news or events, offering insightful commentary or relevant information that aligns with your gaming niche.

Why Newsjacking Works for Gaming Websites

Gaming is inherently topical, driven by frequent updates, game releases, esports tournaments, and cultural phenomena. By quickly creating relevant content—like expert commentary, analyses, or engaging perspectives—your website can become a valuable resource journalists naturally link to when covering these stories.

Steps for Successful Newsjacking and PR Campaigns

1. Monitor Trends Closely: Use tools like Google Trends, social media platforms, and gaming forums (Reddit, Discord communities) to stay ahead of what’s buzzing.
2. Create Timely and Unique Content: As soon as you spot an emerging story, rapidly develop unique insights or data-backed commentary that journalists can reference.
3. Outreach Strategically: Reach out to gaming journalists, editors, and bloggers immediately after publishing your content. Make your angle clear and concise, and explain why your perspective adds value to their coverage.
4. Make It Easy to Cite You: Offer easily quotable snippets, clear statistics, or engaging infographics that journalists can embed directly, naturally linking back to your site.

Example: Successful Newsjacking in Action

Suppose a major esports tournament announcement goes viral. Quickly publishing an analytical piece predicting outcomes, player statistics, or historical comparisons positions your website as a credible source journalists seek out and reference—earning valuable backlinks that boost your authority and SEO.

Leveraging PR and newsjacking positions your gaming website as a topical, authoritative resource, effectively driving organic backlinks, brand visibility, and sustained growth.

The key to pulling this off well is to either create some piece of really unique content around a game to attract attention of journalists in your PR release, or create cornerstone content for a new game really quickly, such as the most important guides and statistics. This way your content is likely to be cited as the first source identified by the journalists.

Building Relationships and Networking

Beyond creating compelling content, building genuine relationships and networking is crucial for obtaining high-quality backlinks to your gaming website. Here’s how you can cultivate meaningful connections that translate into valuable SEO results:

Why Relationship-Building Matters

Backlinks gained through genuine relationships tend to be more impactful and sustainable. Networking within the gaming community, industry professionals, and content creators not only opens doors for collaboration but also boosts your credibility and authority within the niche.

Strategies for Building Effective Networking Relationships

1. Engage Authentically in Gaming Communities
   • Actively participate in gaming forums, Discord servers, Reddit communities, and social media groups. Offer genuine insights, helpful feedback, and contribute to discussions without aggressively promoting your website.
2. Collaborate with Influencers and Content Creators
   • Identify relevant gaming influencers, streamers, bloggers, and YouTubers. Engage with their content authentically, propose mutually beneficial collaborations, or guest contributions. Collaborative content often naturally generates backlinks.
3. Attend Gaming Events and Conferences
   • Attend both virtual and physical gaming conferences, tournaments, and industry meet-ups. Networking at these events builds personal relationships that can lead to content exchanges, guest posts, and interview opportunities—all excellent backlink opportunities.
4. Offer Value First
   • Before requesting backlinks, aim to provide value—share their content, offer thoughtful commentary, or even invite them to feature in your content. Reciprocal generosity fosters goodwill, making backlinks a natural outcome.

Turning Connections into Backlinks

Once you’ve established relationships:

• Propose collaborations or interviews.
• Invite contacts to contribute guest posts or commentaries.
• Offer exclusive insights or data, encouraging them to reference your website in their content.

By prioritizing genuine relationships and thoughtful networking, you ensure the backlinks you earn are high-quality, relevant, and effective in boosting your gaming website’s visibility and credibility.

Hosting Streams and Gaming Events to Drive Backlinks

Another powerful method to secure backlinks for your gaming website is hosting live streams and gaming events. These interactive experiences naturally attract attention and links from participants, spectators, and media outlets. Here’s how to effectively utilize this approach:

Why Streams and Events Generate Backlinks

Gaming events and live streams create excitement, community engagement, and shareable moments. Participants and viewers often share these experiences online, generating natural backlinks from blogs, news sites, social media platforms, and forums.

Steps to Successfully Host Streams and Gaming Events

1. Plan Unique and Engaging Content
   • Organize tournaments, challenges, live gameplays, charity streams, or Q&A sessions with popular gaming personalities. Ensure your content is distinctive enough to attract attention and coverage.
2. Partner with Recognized Gamers and Influencers
   • Collaborate with known gaming influencers or streamers who bring their own audiences. Their participation boosts the event’s visibility and increases the likelihood of coverage from other outlets.
3. Promote Proactively
   • Use your website, social channels, and community groups to build anticipation. Reach out directly to gaming news websites, bloggers, and influencers, inviting them to cover or participate in your event.
4. Encourage Coverage and Sharing
   • Provide easy access to assets like branded visuals, highlight clips, quotes, and event details. Making it easy for others to share and reference your content maximizes backlink opportunities.

Maximizing Post-Event Backlinks

After the event:

• Publish highlight reels or detailed recaps on your website.
• Share key moments, statistics, and outcomes with media contacts and community platforms.
• Encourage participants and influencers to share their experiences, linking back to your detailed coverage or recordings.
• If you hosted an event involving many participants, you can try preparing a press release to encourage media outlet coverage of your event, thus earning you backlinks.

Hosting streams and gaming events can significantly amplify your backlink profile, enhancing your gaming website’s authority, community standing, and overall SEO performance.

Monitor Your Competitors

Keep track of your competitors’ backlink strategies. Tools like Moz, Ahrefs, or SEMrush help identify sources linking to your competitors. You can:

• Discover relevant websites willing to link to similar content.
• Offer more comprehensive or updated content as an alternative.

This strategy can help you find the potential websites to contact, streamlining your link outreach process. Use backlink checking tools, such as the Ahrefs backlink checker to see where your competitors are getting their links from and you can contact the website owner/ content team to pitch your content and potential guest posts.

Regularly Audit and Optimize Your Backlink Profile

Regularly auditing your backlink profile ensures its health and growth. Use tools to:

• Identify and disavow spammy or harmful backlinks.
• Analyze the effectiveness of your backlinking strategies.
• Adjust tactics based on performance metrics.

Conclusion

Earning backlinks for your gaming website involves consistently producing exceptional content, strategic outreach, and active participation in gaming communities. By implementing these tactics and continuously refining your approach, you can substantially enhance your site’s SEO performance, visibility, and authority within the gaming industry.