Point links at revenue, not content
Most store link campaigns waste themselves on the blog. The pages that make money are category and subcategory pages, and those are the pages that need domain authority — they're the ones competing against Amazon and the big retailers.
Rule of thumb: 70% of links to category pages, 20% to bestsellers and guides, 10% to everything else. Internal linking then distributes the rest.
The link types that work for stores
Roundup placements first — 'best X' lists convert and rank simultaneously, and niche edits into existing roundups are the highest-ROI tactic we see for retail. Niche-relevant guest posts second, aimed at category keywords rather than blog topics.
Gift guides, supplier and partner links, and niche directories round out the profile. Unlinked product mentions from reviews and forums get reclaimed last — real equity that already exists.
Velocity and seasonality
Retail SERPs spike around seasons; links take 1–3 months to mature, so build ahead. Campaigns for Q4 should be placing links in Q3.
Monthly retainers fit stores better than bursts — steady category-page authority compounds while the product catalog keeps expanding to catch it.
Mistakes we keep seeing
Linking everything to the homepage. Ignoring manufacturer pages (free supplier links are sitting in every inbox). And buying authority for categories whose on-page is still thin — links can't rescue a page with no content.
Fix the category pages first. Then pour the authority where it compounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depends on competition, but 10–40 monthly placements on category pages is the range where most stores see movement. Consistency beats size.
Marginally for rankings, but reclaiming unlinked product mentions is free, relevant authority — worth a quarterly pass.