Dofollow Backlinks for Better Google Rankings

In today’s digital landscape, simply having a website isn’t enough. For businesses operating in the highly competitive fields of home automation, AV installation, and home security, establishing a strong online presence is non-negotiable. It’s the bedrock upon which customer acquisition and brand authority are built. Why? Because potential customers are actively searching online using terms like “smart home installation near me,” “best home security systems,” or “multi-room audio setup.” Visibility in Google’s search results for these queries can be the critical difference between a steady flow of qualified leads and fading into the background noise of competitors.

The good news? There’s a potent, time-tested strategy that can significantly amplify your online visibility, bolster your credibility, and cement your authority in the market: Dofollow Backlinks. While the term might sound technical, mastering the art and science of building high-quality dofollow backlinks remains one of the most impactful ways to ascend the search engine rankings, attract relevant traffic, and position your business as a leader within the home technology sector.

Think of these links as more than just pathways between websites. They are powerful endorsements, digital “votes of confidence” that signal to search engines like Google that your website is a trustworthy, authoritative source of information. When other respected sites link to yours using a dofollow link, they’re essentially vouching for your expertise.

We understand that businesses in the home tech space appreciate clear, practical, and actionable advice – the kind often found on respected resources like the Ahrefs blog. We admire that approach too, and this comprehensive guide is crafted in that spirit. Forget vague suggestions; we’re diving deep into the mechanics and strategies of dofollow link building specifically for you.

This guide will uncover:

What dofollow backlinks really are (and why the distinction from nofollow matters crucially).
How they directly influence your Google rankings through mechanisms like link equity, authority, and relevance.
Seven actionable strategies to build high-quality dofollow backlinks, specifically tailored for home automation, AV, and security businesses.
The essential tools mentioned within these strategies to streamline your efforts.
Crucial best practices derived from these strategies to ensure your approach is effective and sustainable.

This guide is designed specifically for the marketers, business owners, and decision-makers within the home automation, smart home service, AV installation, and home security industries who are seeking a tangible competitive advantage online. Let’s get started on building your website’s authority.

Decoding Dofollow Backlinks: More Than Just Links

Before we jump into the “how-to,” it’s essential to solidify our understanding of what constitutes a dofollow backlink and why Google values them so highly.

Dofollow vs. Nofollow: The Critical Difference

At its heart, a backlink is simply a hyperlink pointing from one website to another. However, search engines interpret these links differently based on specific attributes. The key lies in the “follow” instruction.

Dofollow Backlinks: These are the standard, default type of hyperlinks. They essentially act as a direct endorsement. A dofollow link instructs search engines like Google to “follow” this link and pass along SEO value – often referred to as “link juice” or link equity – from the site providing the link (the linker) to the site receiving the link (the linked). It’s like one website vouching for another’s credibility and quality. Unless a specific rel attribute like nofollow, sponsored, or ugc is added to the link’s HTML code, you can assume a link is dofollow.
Nofollow Backlinks: These links contain a specific HTML tag, rel="nofollow" (or related attributes like rel="sponsored" for paid/advertorial links or rel="ugc" for user-generated content like comments or forum posts). This tag explicitly tells search engines not to follow the link for ranking purposes and not to pass link equity. Common places to find nofollow links include blog comment sections, social media posts, forum signatures, and links in press releases or paid placements.

Why does this matter? While nofollow links don’t directly contribute to boosting your rankings via link equity transfer, they are still valuable. They can drive significant referral traffic (people clicking the link), increase brand visibility, and crucially, contribute to a natural and diverse backlink profile. Search engines prefer seeing a healthy mix of dofollow and nofollow links, as a profile consisting solely of dofollow links can sometimes look unnatural or manipulative.

Here’s a quick comparison based on the research:

Feature	Dofollow Link	Nofollow Link (rel=”nofollow”, ugc, sponsored)
Definition	Standard hyperlink allowing search engines to pass value.	Hyperlink instructing search engines not to pass value.
Link Equity	Passes “link juice” / SEO value.	Does not pass “link juice” / SEO value.
SEO Impact	Directly boosts ranking potential & authority.	Indirect benefits (traffic, visibility, natural profile).
Typical Use	Editorial links within content, resource pages.	Blog comments, forum posts, paid links, social media.

Understanding this distinction is fundamental. While our primary goal in this guide is acquiring powerful dofollow links for their direct ranking benefits, remember that a balanced link profile is key for long-term, sustainable SEO success.

How Dofollow Links Fuel Your SEO: The Core Mechanisms

Why does Google place such a premium on dofollow backlinks? It’s because these links act as critical signals for assessing trust, authority, and relevance. Let’s break down the key components:

Link Equity (The “Vote”):
- What it is: Link equity, or “link juice,” represents the SEO value or authority passed from one website to another through a dofollow link. It’s the fundamental currency of link building.
- Analogy: Think of each dofollow link as a “vote of confidence.” When a reputable home technology blog links to your detailed guide on “Integrating Smart Lighting with Voice Assistants,” it’s casting a vote, telling Google that your content is valuable and trustworthy on that topic.
- Explain Like I’m Five (ELIF) Analogy: Imagine websites are experts in different fields. A dofollow link is like one respected expert publicly stating, “This other expert (your home automation website) really knows their stuff about smart home hubs!” The more highly regarded experts recommend you, the more trustworthy and knowledgeable Google perceives your site to be.
Authority (The “Voter’s” Reputation):
- What it is: Not all votes are created equal. Links from high-authority websites – those that are well-established, widely trusted, have earned many quality backlinks themselves, and publish expert content – pass significantly more link equity than links from new or low-quality sites. Think of major industry publications relevant to your field (like CE Pro, Security Sales & Integration for trade audiences, or CNET, TechCrunch for consumers), respected tech review blogs, or major news outlets covering technology.
- Metrics: While Google doesn’t directly use third-party metrics, tools like Ahrefs (Domain Rating – DR) and Moz (Domain Authority – DA) attempt to quantify a website’s authority based on its backlink profile. These metrics can be useful indicators for comparing potential link prospects, but they should always be viewed as relative guides, not absolute measures of quality or ranking power. Always combine metric analysis with manual site review.
- Analogy: Consider a school presentation receiving feedback. A commendation or “vote” from the school principal (a high-authority site) carries far more weight and influence than a vote from a brand-new student who just transferred in (a low-authority site). Earning a dofollow link from a highly respected AV review site for your guide on “Choosing the Right Projector Screen” is like getting that principal’s endorsement.
Relevance (The “Topic Match”):
- What it is: The contextual relevance of a link is another critical factor. Links from websites operating within your niche or closely related industries (e.g., home automation, smart home tech, AV installation, home security, consumer electronics, home improvement, architecture, IoT) are far more potent for your rankings on related topics than links from entirely unrelated domains (like a pet grooming blog or a sports news site).
- Why it matters: Relevance signals to Google what your specific page and overall website are about, reinforcing your authority and expertise on those particular subjects. A dofollow link from a dedicated home security blog pointing to your article on “Comparing Wired vs. Wireless Security Camera Systems” strongly reinforces your site’s topical authority in the security space.
- Analogy: Think about seeking expert advice. If you need recommendations for installing a complex home theater system, advice from a specialized AV integrator’s blog or a dedicated home theater forum (relevant sites) is exponentially more valuable and credible than advice from a website dedicated to gourmet cooking (irrelevant site).

Connecting to PageRank (Simplified):

These core concepts of links as votes passing authority trace their roots back to Google’s original PageRank algorithm. PageRank was foundational to Google’s success, using the web’s link structure to measure the relative importance of web pages. It treated links as votes: pages receiving more votes, especially votes from other important (high PageRank) pages, gained higher PageRank themselves and were considered more authoritative.

While Google’s ranking algorithms today are vastly more sophisticated, incorporating hundreds of factors including user experience, content quality, site speed, mobile-friendliness, and semantic understanding (E-E-A-T signals – Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), the fundamental principle of using links to assess authority and trustworthiness remains a cornerstone. Dofollow backlinks are the primary vehicle through which this PageRank-like value, or link equity, is transmitted across the web.

The interplay between Equity, Authority, and Relevance is crucial. A link from a very high-authority national news website (high authority) might seem prestigious, but if the article mentioning your business is completely unrelated to home technology (low relevance), its direct impact on your rankings for specific service terms like “smart thermostat installation services” might be limited. Conversely, a link from a smaller, highly respected, niche home automation blog (moderate authority, high relevance) discussing your specific installation techniques could provide significant, targeted SEO value. The ideal link possesses strong authority and high relevance.

The Proof: Why Google Values Them (Stats & Impact)

The data consistently underscores the power and importance of backlinks:

Correlation with Rankings: Studies consistently show a strong correlation between the number of high-quality backlinks pointing to a page and its position in Google search results. One study highlighted that the #1 ranking result typically has significantly more backlinks (an average of 3.8 times more) than pages ranking in positions #2 through #10.
A Top Ranking Factor: Despite algorithm updates, backlinks remain one of Google’s most crucial ranking signals. They are a direct indicator of a site’s credibility and authority in the eyes of the search engine.
Direct Authority Signal: Dofollow links directly contribute to the signals Google uses to evaluate a website’s Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), which is increasingly important for ranking well.
Long-Term Investment: Building a robust backlink profile is not an overnight task. Research suggests it typically takes around three months, on average, for a newly acquired backlink to demonstrably impact a page’s search rankings. This highlights the need for a consistent, patient, and long-term link-building strategy.

Now that we’ve established the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of dofollow backlinks, let’s transition to the practical ‘how’.

7 Actionable Strategies to Earn High-Quality Dofollow Backlinks (Tailored for Home Automation/AV/Security)

Building impactful dofollow backlinks isn’t about accumulating links haphazardly. It’s a strategic process focused on earning endorsements from relevant and authoritative sources within your ecosystem. Here are seven proven methods, adapted specifically for businesses in the home automation, AV, and security sectors:

Strategy 1: Create Exceptional, Link-Worthy Content (The Foundation)

Explanation: This is the absolute cornerstone of any sustainable link-building effort. The most effective and natural way to earn high-quality dofollow links is by creating content that is so valuable, insightful, unique, or useful that other websites want to reference and link to it as a resource. This often involves developing what are known as “Linkable Assets.”
Types of Linkable Assets:
- In-depth Guides/Tutorials: Comprehensive “how-to” articles (e.g., “The Complete Homeowner’s Guide to Setting Up a Multi-Room Audio System,” “DIY Guide to Installing Smart Plugs Safely”).
- Original Research/Data Studies: Compiling and analyzing data relevant to your audience (e.g., “Survey Results: Top Home Security Concerns in [Your City],” “Analysis: Average Energy Savings from Smart Thermostat Usage in Local Homes”).
- Free Tools/Calculators: Interactive resources that solve a specific problem (e.g., “Home Theater Seating Optimal Distance Calculator,” “Smart Home Automation ROI Calculator,” “Security System Cost Estimator”).
- Checklists/Templates: Practical, downloadable resources (e.g., “Smart Home Pre-Wiring Checklist for New Construction Projects,” “Home Security Audit Checklist for Homeowners”).
- Case Studies: Detailed examples showcasing successful projects or solutions you’ve implemented for clients (e.g., “Case Study: Transforming a Living Room into a High-Performance Media Room,” “Case Study: Securing a Multi-Unit Property with Integrated Smart Locks and Cameras”).
- Infographics/Visualizations: Presenting complex information in an easily digestible visual format (e.g., “Infographic: How Different Smart Home Communication Protocols Work (Zigbee vs. Z-Wave vs. Wi-Fi vs. Thread),” “Visual Guide: Types of Home Security Sensors”).
Step-by-Step (Creating Linkable Assets):
1. Know Your Audience: Develop a deep understanding of the questions, pain points, interests, and goals of your target clients (homeowners, builders, property managers, businesses). What are their biggest security fears? What frustrates them about current AV technology? Use customer feedback, discussions on forums (like Reddit’s r/homeautomation, r/hometheater, r/homesecurity), and insights from your sales and installation teams.
2. Analyze Search Intent & Competitors: Use keyword research tools (like Ahrefs Keywords Explorer) to identify what people are actually searching for related to your services (e.g., “how much does home automation cost,” “best outdoor security cameras 2025,” “how to choose speakers for home theater”). Analyze the content that currently ranks well for these terms. Look for gaps: unanswered questions, topics not covered comprehensively, outdated information, or poor user experience on existing resources.
3. Find Unique Angles: Don’t just replicate what’s already out there. Offer a fresh perspective, incorporate unique data from your own installations or local experience, provide deeper expert insights, create a more thorough resource than competitors, or even tackle a common misconception or contrarian viewpoint.
4. Choose the Right Format: Select the type of linkable asset (guide, calculator, checklist, infographic) that best suits the topic and how your audience prefers to consume information. A calculator is ideal for cost estimations; a detailed guide works for complex processes; a checklist is perfect for actionable steps.
5. Create Outstanding Content: This is non-negotiable. Invest the necessary time and resources into thorough research, clear and engaging writing, and professional design (especially for tools and visual assets). Ensure accuracy, provide actionable advice, cite sources where appropriate, and strive to create the definitive resource on that specific topic.
6. Promote Actively: Simply publishing your amazing asset isn’t enough. You need to actively promote it. Reach out via email to websites or influencers who might find it relevant, share it on your social media channels, distribute it to your email list, and post it in relevant online communities or forums (following their rules).
Niche Examples:
- AV Installer: “Common Home Theater Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (Includes Downloadable Layout Templates)”; “Interactive Calculator: Projector Lumens vs. Screen Size & Ambient Light.”
- Home Automation Firm: “The Ultimate Guide to Selecting a Smart Home Hub for Your Needs (Updated for 2025)”; “Local Case Study: How Integrated Smart Climate Control Saved a [Your City] Business 25% on Annual Energy Costs.”
- Security Firm: “[Your City/Region] Annual Home Security Report: Analyzing Local Burglary Statistics & Offering Actionable Prevention Tips (Infographic + Guide)”; “Interactive Security System Builder Tool: Design Your Ideal Setup.”
Tool Integration: Ahrefs Content Explorer (to find popular content topics/formats), Ahrefs Keywords Explorer (for topic research, keyword ideas, understanding search intent).
Pro-Tips: Focus on solving a specific, tangible problem for your ideal customer. Make your assets visually appealing, easy to navigate, and simple to use or understand. Keep technical information accurate and update assets regularly as technology evolves.
Challenges: Creating truly exceptional, standout content demands significant investment in time, expertise, and potentially budget (for professional design, development, or data acquisition). Effective promotion is crucial but often requires a dedicated effort separate from creation.

Creating genuinely useful linkable assets fundamentally shifts your link-building approach from asking for links to earning them organically. For instance, a local AV installer who creates a well-researched, easy-to-use “Home Theater Room Size & Speaker Placement Calculator” could naturally attract dofollow links from home improvement blogs, interior design websites, real estate agents advising clients, and even DIY forums – sources that offer relevant authority and potential customer leads.

Strategy 2: Strategic Guest Blogging

Explanation: Guest blogging involves writing and publishing valuable articles on other relevant websites within your industry or adjacent fields. This strategy allows you to showcase your expertise, gain exposure to a new, targeted audience, and typically secure a dofollow backlink to your own website. This link is often placed within your author biography at the end of the post, but sometimes editors may allow a relevant, contextual link within the article body itself.
Step-by-Step:
1. Identify Target Sites: Search for blogs, online magazines, industry news sites, or even influential local business publications that cover topics relevant to your audience. Think: home automation, AV technology, home security, smart homes, Internet of Things (IoT), home improvement, architecture/interior design, real estate technology. Use targeted Google search operators like "home automation" + "write for us", "home security" + "guest post guidelines", "AV technology" + "contribute an article". Tools like Ahrefs Content Explorer can also help identify sites frequently discussing relevant topics.
2. Vet Opportunities: Carefully evaluate potential guest blogging targets based on several criteria:
  - Relevance: Is their readership genuinely interested in home technology, security, or high-end AV solutions? Does their content align with your expertise?
  - Authority: Assess the site’s credibility. Check third-party metrics like Domain Rating (DR) or Domain Authority (DA) using browser extensions like the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar or MozBar. Look at estimated organic traffic using tools like Ahrefs Site Explorer. Prioritize quality and engagement over just high metrics. A relevant site with an engaged audience might be better than a high-DR site with no audience overlap.
  - Guidelines & Link Policy: Thoroughly review their “Write For Us,” “Guest Post Guidelines,” or “Submission” pages. Confirm they actually accept guest contributions. Most importantly, determine if they typically allow dofollow links for contributors, either in the bio or contextually. Look at previously published guest posts to see how links are handled.
3. Brainstorm Pitch Ideas: Don’t send generic pitches. Read the target blog extensively to understand their content style, tone, typical article length, and the topics they’ve already covered. Identify content gaps or areas where your specific expertise (e.g., advanced troubleshooting for smart home networks, integrating security systems with automation platforms, acoustic treatment for media rooms) can provide unique value to their readers. Develop 2-3 specific, compelling article titles tailored precisely to that blog’s audience.
4. Find the Right Contact: Identify the most appropriate person to pitch – usually the editor, content manager, or blog owner. Look for contact information on “About Us,” “Contact,” or “Team” pages. Use tools like Hunter.io as a last resort if needed, but always try to find a specific person’s name and email address. Avoid generic emails like info@ or contact@ if possible.
5. Craft a Personalized Pitch: Send a concise, professional, and highly personalized email:
  - Address the editor by name.
  - Briefly mention why you admire their blog (reference a specific article you liked – be genuine!).
  - Introduce yourself, your company, and your specific expertise in home automation, AV, or security.
  - Clearly present your 2-3 tailored article ideas, briefly explaining the unique value each would offer their audience.
  - Ask if they are interested in one of your ideas or if they have other content needs where your expertise might fit.
  - Keep the email brief, focused, and easy to scan.
6. Write Exceptional Content: If your pitch is accepted, treat it like a top priority. Adhere strictly to all their guidelines (word count, formatting, image requirements, linking policies). Deliver a well-researched, engaging, informative, and polished article. Provide actionable tips, unique insights drawn from your professional experience, and relevant examples from the home tech/security field. Aim to make the editor’s job easy.
7. Include Your Link Naturally: Respect the blog’s linking rules. Most sites allow a link back to your homepage or a relevant service page within your author bio. If contextual links within the article body are permitted, ensure they add genuine value to the reader and flow naturally within the text – don’t force them in awkwardly.
Niche Examples:
- AV Installer: Pitch an article titled “Optimizing Room Acoustics for Your Dedicated Home Theater: Beyond Speaker Placement” to a high-fidelity audio blog or a luxury home design magazine’s website.
- Home Automation Firm: Pitch “5 Ways Smart Home Automation Increases Property Resale Value in Today’s Market” to a prominent real estate agent’s blog or a property investment news site.
- Security Firm: Pitch “Are Your DIY Smart Security Devices Creating Backdoors? Common Vulnerabilities and How to Fix Them” to a popular consumer technology blog or a cybersecurity awareness website.
Tool Integration: Ahrefs Content Explorer (finding potential sites), Ahrefs Site Explorer & Ahrefs/Moz Toolbar (vetting site authority/traffic), Hunter.io (finding contact info if needed).
Pro-Tips: Focus on building genuine relationships with editors, not just transactional link requests. Always submit your absolute best writing – it represents your brand. Promote the published guest post through your own social media channels and email list. Personalization in your outreach email is non-negotiable; generic pitches rarely succeed.
Challenges: Finding high-quality, relevant websites that still accept guest posts and offer dofollow links is becoming increasingly difficult and time-consuming. Competition for guest spots on good sites is high, leading to frequent rejections. Many sites now explicitly charge fees for guest posts (which may border on paid links) or only offer nofollow links as standard policy.

Guest blogging remains a viable strategy, but its effectiveness hinges on the quality of your pitch, the value your content provides, and careful site selection. For a local security firm, securing a guest post on a well-read local community news blog discussing recent crime trends and how smart home security can help might yield more valuable local leads and relevant geographic authority than a post on a generic national tech site, even if the national site boasts a higher DR. Always consider audience alignment alongside site metrics.

Strategy 3: Master Broken Link Building (BLB)

Explanation: Broken Link Building is a tactic that involves finding relevant web pages across the internet that contain hyperlinks pointing to resources that no longer exist (these are “broken” or “dead” links, typically leading to a 404 “Not Found” error page). The next step is to either create a suitable replacement resource on your own website or identify an existing piece of content on your site that serves the same purpose. Finally, you reach out to the owner or webmaster of the site containing the broken link, politely point out the error, and suggest your own content as a helpful, working replacement. The appeal of this strategy is that you are initiating contact by offering value – helping them fix an issue on their site.
Step-by-Step:
1. Prospect for Broken Links: There are several ways to find broken link opportunities:
  - Competitor Broken Pages: Use Ahrefs Site Explorer. Enter a competitor’s domain, navigate to the “Best by links” report, and then filter the results by “HTTP code” selecting “404 not found.” This shows you dead pages on your competitor’s site that still have other websites linking to them. These backlinks are now pointing nowhere.
  - Competitor Outbound Broken Links: In Ahrefs Site Explorer, enter a competitor’s domain and go to the “Outgoing links” report, then select the “Broken links” tab. This reveals external pages that your competitor links to which are now dead. The sites linking to these dead pages might be good prospects.
  - Resource Page Scanning: Find relevant resource pages (see Strategy 4 below). Use browser extensions like “Check My Links” (for Chrome) or the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar to quickly scan these pages for any dead links.
  - Topical Broken Pages: Use Ahrefs Content Explorer. Enter a broad keyword relevant to your niche (e.g., “home network security,” “smart lighting guide”). Filter the results to show “Only broken” pages. This can uncover dead articles or resources on your topic that may have accumulated valuable backlinks over time.
2. Analyze the Opportunity: Once you find a broken link, investigate further:
  - Original Content Context: If possible, use the Wayback Machine (archive.org) to view a cached version of the dead page. What was the original content about? This helps determine if your potential replacement is truly relevant.
  - Linking Sites (Crucial Step): This is the most important part. Use Ahrefs Site Explorer. Enter the exact URL of the broken page, then check its “Backlinks” report. This shows you which websites are currently linking to that dead resource.
  - Vet the Linking Prospects: Examine the websites linking to the dead page. Are they relevant to home automation, AV, or security? Are they authoritative (check DR, traffic estimates, manually review site quality)? Are these websites you would actually want a link from? Focus on quality over quantity.
3. Create/Identify Replacement Content: Develop a high-quality piece of content on your own website that serves as an excellent replacement for the broken resource. Aim to make your version even better – more up-to-date, more comprehensive, easier to understand, or with better visuals. Alternatively, you might already have an existing guide, blog post, or tool on your site that is a perfect match. The closer your content aligns with the original dead resource’s topic, the higher your success rate.
4. Conduct Outreach: Contact the webmasters or editors of the websites that are linking to the broken URL (the prospects you vetted in step 2). Craft a personalized email for each prospect. Politely inform them about the specific broken link you found on their page (provide the exact page URL and the dead link text/URL). Then, suggest your own content as a relevant and working replacement, providing the link to your resource. Frame it as helping them improve their site’s user experience. (Pro-Tip: Offering to quickly scan their page for any other broken links as a courtesy can sometimes increase goodwill and response rates).
Niche Examples:
- You find a popular home improvement blog that links to a manufacturer’s page for a specific smart lock model that has been discontinued (now a 404 page). You create a comprehensive article on your security company’s blog titled “Comparing Modern Smart Lock Alternatives to the [Discontinued Lock Model]” and pitch this URL as a replacement for the dead link.
- You discover a tech news website has a broken link within an older article discussing the best ways to set up mesh Wi-Fi networks for smart homes. You offer your recently updated, in-depth guide, “Optimizing Your Mesh Wi-Fi Network for Peak Smart Home Performance in 2025,” as a relevant substitute.
Tool Integration: Ahrefs (Site Explorer, Content Explorer, SEO Toolbar), Check My Links Chrome extension, Wayback Machine (archive.org).
Pro-Tips: Always frame your outreach email as being helpful and providing value first. The closer your replacement content genuinely matches the topic and intent of the original dead resource, the more likely webmasters are to swap the link. Prioritize targeting broken links that have backlinks from multiple high-quality, relevant websites – fixing one link can potentially yield multiple link opportunities if you reach out to all linking sites.
Challenges: Finding genuinely good broken link opportunities (i.e., dead pages with valuable backlinks from relevant sites) can be challenging and requires significant prospecting time. Outreach response rates can often be low, requiring persistence and follow-up. Not everyone will respond or agree to update their old content.

Finding the broken link itself is only the initial step in BLB. The real strategic value lies in the quality and relevance of the websites linking to that broken page. Focus your limited outreach time and effort on reclaiming links from websites that offer genuine authority and topical relevance to your home automation, AV, or security business.

Strategy 4: Leverage Resource Page Opportunities

Explanation: Resource pages are essentially curated lists compiled by website owners or editors, featuring helpful links, tools, recommended articles, or useful websites related to a specific topic. This strategy involves finding relevant resource pages within your niche (or related niches) and persuading the page curator to add a link to your own valuable content (like one of your linkable assets from Strategy 1). This tactic works well because you are directly helping the page owner enhance their resource, making it more valuable for their audience.
Step-by-Step:
1. Find Resource Pages: Use targeted Google search queries to uncover these pages. Try combinations like:
  - "home automation" + "resources"
  - "smart home technology" + "links"
  - "AV installation" + "helpful resources"
  - "DIY home security" + "useful links"
  - "home theater setup" + "recommended reading"
  - Also try variations using search operators like intitle:links, inurl:resources, intitle:resources.
  - Look beyond obvious “Resources” pages. Sometimes valuable link lists are embedded within comprehensive guides or blog posts under headings like “Further Reading,” “Best Blogs to Follow,” or “Places to Learn More.”
2. Vet Opportunities: Evaluate each potential resource page:
  - Relevance: Is the page’s topic directly related to home automation, AV, security, smart home tech, or a closely adjacent field like home improvement or consumer electronics?
  - Quality & Maintenance: Does the page appear well-maintained and up-to-date? Or does it look abandoned with many broken links?
  - External Linking: Does the page actually link out to external websites (not just internal pages or exclusively .gov/.edu sites)? Examine the quality and relevance of the sites already listed – would your site fit in well?
3. Identify Your Best Fit Content: Choose a specific, high-quality piece of content from your website – perhaps an in-depth guide, a unique tool or calculator, a comprehensive checklist, or a particularly insightful article – that perfectly complements the existing list on the resource page and would genuinely provide value to that page’s audience. Don’t just pitch your homepage.
4. Find the Curator/Contact: Look for contact information associated with the resource page. Is there a “Suggest a Resource” link or form? Is there an editor’s or webmaster’s email address listed on a contact or about page? Identify the person most likely responsible for maintaining that specific page.
5. Craft a Personalized Pitch: Send a concise, polite, and value-focused email:
  - Clearly reference the specific resource page you’re contacting them about (include the URL).
  - Offer a genuine, specific compliment about the page’s usefulness (show you’ve actually looked at it).
  - Briefly introduce your specific resource (include the link) and clearly explain why it would be a valuable addition for their audience. Connect it to the page’s topic.
  - (Optional but helpful): Suggest a specific section or category on their resource page where your link might fit naturally. This saves the curator time and thought.
  - Keep the email brief and focused on the benefit to them and their readers.
  - (Bonus Value-Add): Before sending your pitch, quickly scan their resource page using a tool like the Ahrefs SEO Toolbar or Check My Links. If you find any broken links on their page, mention them politely in your email as a helpful observation. This significantly increases your chances of getting a positive response as you’re providing immediate value.
Niche Examples:
- You find a well-regarded DIY blog with a “Smart Home DIY Project Ideas” resource page. You pitch your detailed, step-by-step guide on “How to Safely Install Smart Light Switches Yourself.”
- You discover a local, high-end interior designer’s website that includes a “Favorite Technology & Integration Resources” list for their clients. You pitch your insightful article on “Seamlessly Integrating Smart Home Technology into Modern Interior Design.”
- You locate a consumer advocacy group’s website with a “Cybersecurity Awareness for Homeowners” resource page. You pitch your visually engaging infographic explaining “Common Phishing Scams Targeting Smart Device Users and How to Spot Them.”
Tool Integration: Google Search (for prospecting), Ahrefs SEO Toolbar / Check My Links extension (for vetting and the broken link bonus check). Ahrefs Site Explorer can also be used to find resource pages that link to your competitors (check their backlinks for URLs containing “resources,” “links,” etc.).
Pro-Tips: Heavy personalization and clearly articulating the value proposition for their audience are absolutely critical for success. Generic pitches are easily identified and ignored. Making a specific placement suggestion shows you’ve thought about it and makes it easier for them to say yes. Finding and reporting broken links on their page is often the single best way to get your suggestion noticed and appreciated.
Challenges: Finding relevant, high-quality resource pages that are actively maintained and curated takes persistent searching. Many resource pages are outdated or no longer updated. Competition can be high for spots on the best pages, and curators receive many suggestions.

Resource page link building directly taps into the curator’s goal: providing the best possible resources for their audience. If you approach them respectfully with a genuinely useful, relevant resource that clearly fills a gap or enhances their existing list – especially if you also help them improve their page by pointing out dead links – your success rate can be significantly higher than with more generic outreach methods.

Strategy 5: Become a Source for Journalists (HARO/Connectively/SourceBottle/SOS etc.)

Explanation: Platforms like SourceBottle, Qwoted, and newer initiatives like SOS (Source of Sources) act as marketplaces connecting journalists, bloggers, and content creators who are working on stories with subject matter experts who can provide quotes, insights, data, or commentary. By monitoring these platforms and effectively responding to relevant journalist requests (“queries”), you can potentially earn high-authority backlinks (often from major news outlets, industry publications, and popular blogs) while also gaining significant brand exposure and establishing yourself as an expert in the home automation, AV, or security field.
Step-by-Step:
1. Sign Up & Optimize Profile: Register as a “Source” on the relevant platforms (Connectively, Qwoted, SourceBottle, SOS, etc. – research which are most active in tech/business/consumer fields). Create a detailed and professional profile that clearly showcases your specific areas of expertise (e.g., smart home installation, cybersecurity for IoT devices, custom home theater design, specific security system protocols, energy management through automation). Include your credentials, company information, a link to your website, and a professional headshot if possible. Carefully select relevant keywords or categories during setup (e.g., Technology, Consumer Electronics, Home & Garden, Security, Business) to ensure you receive appropriate queries.
2. Monitor Queries Diligently: Check your email inbox or log into the platforms frequently throughout the day. Journalist queries are often sent out multiple times daily, and deadlines can be extremely tight – sometimes just hours away. You need to be vigilant to catch relevant opportunities quickly.
3. Respond Quickly & Selectively: Speed is absolutely crucial. Journalists often work on tight deadlines and may use the first few quality responses they receive. Aim to respond within hours, if feasible. However, don’t respond to everything. Prioritize queries where your specific niche knowledge is a perfect match, and you can provide genuinely unique, valuable insight that goes beyond generic advice. Don’t waste your time (or the journalist’s) on queries outside your core expertise.
4. Craft a Winning Pitch: Your response needs to be concise, direct, and valuable to the journalist:
  - Clear Subject Line: Make it easy for the journalist to see your email is relevant. Use a subject line like: “Response: [Journalist’s Query Subject]” or “Expert Source for Smart Home Energy Savings Query.”
  - Direct Answer: Get straight to the point. Directly answer the journalist’s specific question(s) clearly and concisely. Avoid long introductions.
  - Unique Insight/Quote: Provide actionable tips, specific data points (if you have them and can share), a unique perspective based on your hands-on experience in the home tech/security industry, or interesting predictions. Offer well-phrased, ready-to-use quotes that they can potentially lift directly into their article.
  - Establish Credibility: Briefly state your name, job title, company name, and relevant expertise (e.g., “Jane Smith, Lead Security Systems Designer at [Your Company], with 12 years of experience in integrated smart home security solutions”). Always include a link to your company website so they can easily verify who you are.
  - Conciseness: Keep your response brief and scannable, often aiming for under 200 words unless the query specifically asks for more detail. Journalists are incredibly busy.
5. Follow Up (Post-Publication): If a journalist uses your contribution in their published article, it’s good practice to send a brief thank-you email. Check the article carefully – they may have linked to your website (sometimes dofollow, often nofollow on major news sites) or just mentioned your name and company. Regardless of the link type, share the published article on your own company’s social media channels and website (e.g., on a “Press” or “In The News” page), tagging the publication and journalist if appropriate. This shows appreciation and leverages the exposure.
Niche Examples:
- A journalist posts a query asking for “expert tips on choosing the best video doorbell for home security.” You respond with 2-3 concise, practical tips focusing on factors homeowners often overlook, like video resolution needs based on mounting height, field of view implications, and the real long-term costs of cloud storage subscriptions, citing your experience as a security system installer.
- A query asks for “predictions for major smart home technology trends we’ll see emerge in 2025.” You offer a unique perspective focusing on the increasing role of AI in home automation for predictive appliance maintenance or more sophisticated, adaptive security protocols, drawing on your company’s focus on cutting-edge integrations.
- A writer requests input on “common mistakes homeowners make when setting up smart lighting systems.” You provide practical, actionable advice based on frequent issues your team encounters during service calls, like network interference problems or choosing the wrong type of smart bulb for specific fixtures.
Tool Integration: Primarily your email client and the specific source-request platform interfaces (Connectively, Qwoted, SOS, etc.).
Pro-Tips: Speed, relevance, and the uniqueness/quotability of your response are paramount. Provide concise, expert answers that make the journalist’s job easier. Try to build relationships with journalists who frequently cover your niche; they might reach out directly for future stories.
Challenges: Competition for popular queries can be intense, with dozens or even hundreds of responses. There’s absolutely no guarantee your pitch will be selected or used. Even if used, the resulting link from major news publications is often rel="nofollow". Requires consistent daily monitoring and the ability to respond very quickly. The landscape has also shifted with HARO being absorbed into Connectively, requiring users to adapt to new platforms and processes.

Even if the backlink you gain from being quoted is nofollow, the benefits can still be substantial. Being featured as an expert source in reputable publications (like Forbes, CNET, The Wall Street Journal, or even a major local newspaper or business journal) provides invaluable credibility, significant brand awareness, and can drive high-quality referral traffic. For a local home service business, appearing as a trusted local expert in regional media is an extremely powerful marketing asset.

Strategy 6: Utilize Testimonials & Partnerships

Explanation: This strategy focuses on leveraging your existing and potential business relationships. Firstly, by providing genuine, positive testimonials for products, software, or services that your business uses and values, you may earn a backlink if that company features customer testimonials (sometimes with links) on their website. Secondly, actively building strategic partnerships with complementary, non-competing local businesses can lead to mutually beneficial cross-promotions, which can include valuable website backlinks.
Step-by-Step (Testimonials):
1. Identify Vendors/Tools You Value: Make a list of the key software your business relies on (e.g., CRM systems, project management tools like Basecamp or Asana, design software like AutoCAD or D-Tools, accounting software). Also list hardware manufacturers whose products you frequently install and trust (e.g., specific brands of speakers, amplifiers, control systems like Control4 or Savant, security cameras, smart locks). Include key distributors or even professional service providers (accountants, marketing agencies) you have a strong positive relationship with. Focus on those you genuinely appreciate and would recommend.
2. Check for Testimonial Opportunities: Visit the websites of these vendors and service providers. Look specifically for sections labeled “Customer Stories,” “Case Studies,” “Testimonials,” “Reviews,” “Featured Customers,” or “Our Clients.” See if they currently feature logos, quotes, or stories from other businesses, and crucially, check if they link back to those featured customers’ websites.
3. Offer a Genuine, Detailed Testimonial: Reach out to the marketing or sales department of a company you genuinely value. Offer to provide a detailed, positive, and specific testimonial. Highlight how their product or service has specifically benefited your home automation, AV, or security business (e.g., improved efficiency, enhanced customer satisfaction, enabled complex installations). The more specific and results-oriented, the better.
4. Inquire (Politely) About Linking: When offering or submitting the testimonial, you can politely inquire if they typically include a link back to the featured company’s website on their testimonial page. You can frame this as being helpful for their potential customers, allowing them to see the types of businesses that successfully use their product/service. Don’t demand a link, but express interest if it’s standard practice.
Step-by-Step (Partnerships):
1. Identify Potential Partners: Brainstorm local or niche businesses that serve a similar target clientele (e.g., homeowners, builders, high-net-worth individuals) but offer different, non-competing services. Examples relevant to home tech/AV/security include:
  - High-end Custom Electricians
  - Custom Home Builders & Remodelers
  - Interior Designers & Architects
  - IT Support & Home Networking Specialists
  - Real Estate Agents (especially those focused on luxury properties)
  - Landscape Architects (for outdoor AV, lighting, security integration)
  - Pool Builders (for outdoor entertainment integration)
2. Propose Mutual Value & Collaboration: Reach out to key contacts at these potential partner businesses. Don’t just ask for a link swap. Propose specific ways you could collaborate for mutual benefit. Ideas include:
  - Establishing a formal referral agreement.
  - Co-hosting a local seminar or workshop (e.g., “Designing the Ultimate Smart & Secure Luxury Home”).
  - Creating a joint educational guide for homeowners (e.g., “Tech Considerations When Building or Renovating”).
  - Offering bundled service packages or exclusive discounts to each other’s clients.
  - Contributing guest posts to each other’s blogs (see Strategy 2).
3. Explore Linking Opportunities: As part of establishing and nurturing this partnership, discuss natural ways to cross-promote online. This could involve adding each other to a “Recommended Partners,” “Trusted Vendors,” or “Local Resources” page on your respective websites. Ideally, these links would be dofollow and placed on relevant pages.
Niche Examples:
- Testimonial: Your AV installation firm provides a detailed, glowing testimonial for a specific brand of high-end architectural speakers you frequently use in custom installs. The speaker manufacturer features your testimonial and company logo on their “Featured Installers” page, including a dofollow link back to your website.
- Partnership: Your home automation company forms a strategic partnership with a well-respected local custom home builder. You provide exclusive smart home pre-wiring design consultations for their new build clients. In return, the builder features your business prominently on their “Our Trusted Partners” webpage with a descriptive paragraph and a dofollow link to your site. You might also co-author a blog post for the builder’s website titled “Integrating Smart Home Technology from Day One: Planning Your New Construction.”
Tool Integration: Your CRM system can be valuable for tracking outreach and managing relationships with both vendors (for testimonials) and potential/current partners.
Pro-Tips: Authenticity is paramount for testimonials – only recommend products and services you genuinely use and believe in. For partnerships, focus on creating real, tangible mutual value; the backlink should be a natural outcome of a strong, beneficial relationship, not the sole purpose. Nurture these relationships over time.
Challenges: Not all companies feature customer testimonials with links back to their websites. Building truly strong, mutually beneficial partnerships requires significant time, effort, trust-building, and ongoing communication. Finding the right partners whose values and target audience align perfectly takes careful research.

This strategy shifts the focus towards leveraging the power of relationships. For local service-based businesses like many home automation, AV, and security installers, building strong local partnerships can be particularly potent. These relationships often lead directly to qualified customer referrals in addition to providing valuable, contextually relevant backlinks that boost local SEO authority.

Strategy 7: Conduct Competitor Backlink Analysis

Explanation: This essential SEO tactic involves systematically analyzing the backlink profiles of your direct competitors – other home automation firms, AV installers, or security companies operating in your market or ranking well for your target keywords. By identifying where your competitors are getting their high-quality dofollow backlinks from, you can uncover potential link-building opportunities for your own business. The goal isn’t just to copy them but to understand their strategies and find similar (or even better) opportunities that you might have missed.
Step-by-Step:
1. Identify Your Key Competitors: List the main businesses you compete against. Include both direct local competitors and potentially larger national players or highly visible niche blogs/websites that rank well for the keywords you care about (e.g., “smart home installation,” “home theater design,” “best security system reviews”).
2. Use an SEO Tool for Analysis: Employ a comprehensive SEO tool like Ahrefs Site Explorer (or similar tools like Semrush or Moz Link Explorer) to examine their backlink profiles. Enter your competitor’s domain name into the tool.
3. Analyze Their Backlinks: Navigate to the “Backlinks” report for your competitor. This report will list the individual pages linking to your competitor’s website. Pay close attention to:
  - Linking Page URL: The specific page where the link originates.
  - Referring Domain: The website hosting the linking page.
  - Domain Rating (DR) / Authority: The overall authority score of the linking website (use as a guide, not absolute truth).
  - Anchor Text: The clickable text used for the hyperlink.
  - Target URL: The specific page on your competitor’s site that the link points to.
  - Link Type: Check if the link is marked as Dofollow or Nofollow.
4. Filter and Prioritize: Don’t get overwhelmed by potentially thousands of links. Filter the backlink report to focus on the most valuable opportunities:
  - Filter by Link Type: Focus primarily on “Dofollow” links, as these pass link equity.
  - Filter/Sort by Authority: Look at links from higher authority domains (e.g., sort by DR descending), but don’t ignore relevant mid-authority sites.
  - Filter by Relevance: Manually review the linking domains and pages. Are they relevant to home tech, security, AV, home improvement, local business, etc.? Prioritize relevant links.
  - Look for Patterns: Does a competitor have multiple links from the same high-quality site? Are they frequently getting links from specific types of sites (e.g., industry blogs, review sites, local directories, partner pages)?
5. Identify Replicable Opportunities: As you analyze, look for link sources that you might be able to acquire as well. Ask yourself how your competitor likely obtained that link. Was it:
  - A guest post? (Can you also pitch a guest post?)
  - A mention in a product roundup or review? (Can you get your product/service reviewed?)
  - A link from a resource page? (Can you suggest your resource?)
  - A directory listing? (Can you get listed too?)
  - A partnership mention? (Could you form a similar partnership?)
  - A source quote in an article? (Strategy 5 opportunity)
  - A forum or blog comment (likely nofollow, but potentially traffic-driving)?
6. Develop Your Outreach Strategy: Once you identify promising opportunities based on competitor analysis, add these websites or link types to your own link-building target list. Develop a plan to pursue these links using the relevant strategies outlined in this guide (e.g., guest blogging outreach, resource page suggestion, broken link building if you find opportunities there).
Niche Examples:
- You analyze a top-ranking local competitor and discover they have several dofollow links from high-quality local business directories where your company isn’t listed yet. You prioritize getting listed in those same directories.
- You see that a national competitor received a dofollow link from a major tech review site in an article comparing “Smart Thermostat Installation Services.” You research how to get your own installation services considered for future reviews or comparisons by that site.
- You notice a competitor has a link from an industry association’s member directory. You check if your business is eligible for membership and the associated directory listing.
Tool Integration: Ahrefs Site Explorer (or Semrush, Moz Link Explorer). Spreadsheets (like Google Sheets or Excel) are essential for organizing and tracking competitor domains, potential link targets, and outreach status.
Pro-Tips: Don’t just blindly copy competitors; understand the context of their links. Focus on acquiring links from high-quality, relevant sources, not just matching link for link. Look for “link gaps” – high-quality sites linking to multiple competitors but not to you; these are often prime targets. Regularly re-analyze competitors as link profiles change over time.
Challenges: Requires access to paid SEO tools for efficient analysis. Can be time-consuming to sift through large backlink profiles. Simply identifying an opportunity doesn’t guarantee you can acquire the same link; you still need to provide value and conduct effective outreach. Avoid trying to replicate low-quality or spammy links your competitors might have.

Competitor backlink analysis is a powerful way to benchmark your efforts and uncover proven link-building avenues within your specific niche. By seeing what works for others successfully reaching your target audience, you can refine your own strategy, identify high-potential targets, and avoid reinventing the wheel.

Tools Mentioned in the Strategies

Throughout the strategies discussed based on the provided research, several tools were highlighted as being instrumental in executing effective dofollow link building:

Ahrefs: Mentioned extensively for various tasks including:
- Keywords Explorer: Researching topics, keywords, and search intent for linkable asset creation.
- Content Explorer: Finding popular content, identifying guest blogging opportunities, and finding broken pages by topic.
- Site Explorer: Analyzing competitor backlinks, finding broken pages on competitor sites, discovering outbound broken links, vetting site authority (DR) and traffic, finding resource pages linking to competitors, and analyzing backlinks to broken URLs.
- SEO Toolbar: Vetting site authority (DR) on the fly, checking for broken links on pages (like resource pages).
Moz: Mentioned for:
- MozBar: Browser extension for checking Domain Authority (DA) to vet potential link prospects.
- Moz Link Explorer: Implied alternative for competitor backlink analysis.
Check My Links: A Chrome browser extension specifically designed for quickly finding broken links on a webpage, very useful for Strategies 3 (BLB) and 4 (Resource Pages).
Wayback Machine (archive.org): Used in Broken Link Building (Strategy 3) to view the content of dead pages and assess relevance for creating replacement content.
Hunter.io (or similar email lookup tools): Mentioned as a potential tool for finding contact email addresses for outreach (e.g., for guest blogging pitches), although finding named contacts directly on websites is preferred.
Source Request Platforms (Connectively/HARO, SourceBottle, Qwoted, SOS): Platforms used in Strategy 5 to connect with journalists seeking expert sources.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) System: Useful for managing outreach efforts and tracking relationships with vendors (for testimonials) and partners (Strategy 6).
Google Search & Search Operators: Fundamental for finding guest blogging opportunities (Strategy 2) and resource pages (Strategy 4) using specific search strings.
Spreadsheets (Google Sheets, Excel): Essential for organizing research, tracking prospects, managing outreach, and monitoring results across all strategies.

Key Best Practices

While a dedicated “Best Practices” section wasn’t fully detailed in the source material, the strategies themselves emphasize several core principles for successful and sustainable dofollow link building:

Focus on Quality over Quantity: Earning links from relevant, authoritative websites is far more valuable than acquiring numerous links from low-quality or irrelevant sources.
Prioritize Relevance: Links from sites within your niche (home automation, AV, security, home improvement) or closely related fields carry significantly more weight for your target keywords.
Provide Genuine Value: Whether creating linkable assets, writing guest posts, suggesting resource links, or responding to journalists, your primary focus should be on offering real value, expertise, and solutions. Link building becomes a byproduct of being helpful and authoritative.
Personalization is Crucial: Generic outreach emails for guest blogging, resource pages, or broken link building rarely work. Personalize your communication, showing you’ve done your research and understand the recipient’s website and audience.
Build Relationships: Think beyond transactional link acquisition. Building genuine relationships with editors, journalists, partners, and other site owners can lead to more organic and long-term link opportunities.
Be Patient and Persistent: Link building is a long-term strategy. It takes time to research opportunities, conduct outreach, create content, and see the ranking impact (often 3+ months per link). Persistence is key, as response rates can be low.
Aim for a Natural Link Profile: While pursuing dofollow links, remember that a natural backlink profile includes a mix of dofollow and nofollow links, acquired gradually over time from diverse, relevant sources. Avoid aggressive tactics that could look manipulative to search engines.
Leverage Competitor Insights: Regularly analyze what’s working for your successful competitors to inform your own strategy and uncover potential opportunities.

Conclusion: Building Authority Link by Link

For home automation specialists, AV installers, and home security providers, navigating the competitive online landscape requires a strategic approach to SEO. As we’ve explored through these detailed strategies based on the provided research, dofollow backlinks are a critical component of that strategy. They are far more than simple connections; they are powerful signals of trust, authority, and relevance that directly influence your visibility in Google search results.

From laying the foundation with exceptional, link-worthy content to strategically pursuing guest blogging, broken link building, resource page placements, media opportunities, partnerships, and learning from competitors, the path to a strong backlink profile involves dedication, creativity, and a focus on providing value.

Remember, building high-quality dofollow backlinks is not a quick fix but a long-term investment in your website’s authority and, ultimately, your business’s growth. By implementing these tailored strategies, utilizing the right tools, and adhering to best practices focused on quality and relevance, you can systematically enhance your online presence, attract more qualified leads, and establish your home automation, AV, or security business as a recognized leader in the digital realm. Start building your authority today, one high-quality link at a time.

Delve deeper into digital marketing strategies and SEO optimization with these articles from our blog:

Dofollow Backlinks: The Secret to Higher Google Rankings

Decoding Dofollow Backlinks: More Than Just Links

7 Actionable Strategies to Earn High-Quality Dofollow Backlinks (Tailored for Home Automation/AV/Security)

Tools Mentioned in the Strategies

Key Best Practices

Conclusion: Building Authority Link by Link

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