Testimonial link building is when you provide a testimonial about a product or service in exchange for a backlink from a brand. This is a safe and highly effective white hat link building tactic. When done correctly, testimonial link building can help you gain high authority backlinks, boost your brand mentions, and increase your online visibility. So, how do you get these great testimonial links? Let’s find out more details right now!
What is Testimonial Link Building?
Testimonial link building is when you write a testimonial review for another company’s product or service, and they then publish that testimonial with a link back to your brand.
In simpler terms, for example, you use a tool from a brand like an SEO tool, SaaS platform, or service company, and write a positive testimonial for that brand. Then, if that brand publishes your testimonial, they often include your name and website link as a “thank you.” You’ve just earned a quality backlink for free.
Testimonial link building is a win-win because: the brand gets trusted content thanks to your testimonial, and you get an authoritative backlink. Even if the link is nofollow, you still get a boost in online visibility and trust thanks to the brand mention.
Key Benefits of Testimonial Link Building
Testimonial links can have a positive impact on SEO and brand awareness. Here are some key benefits of building testimonial links.
- High-quality homepage links: Companies will often link to your homepage. A backlink to your homepage from a relevant website (like the SaaS tool you use) will significantly increase your authority.
- Cost-effective and time-saving: Creating a positive testimonial doesn’t require a lot of time and effort. In return, you get a quality backlink for free. What’s better than that?
- Increased brand visibility and mentions: Building testimonial links can also positively impact your brand recognition. “Mentions” on an established website (like Ahrefs or HubSpot) can drive referral traffic and make your brand more memorable.
- Stronger business relationships: Providing testimonials also helps strengthen your relationship with that brand. They will see you as a satisfied customer and partner, opening the door to future partnerships or joint marketing opportunities.
- Credibility and social proof: Being featured as a testimonial on a well-known company’s website (especially with a link) gives your brand credibility. Social proof from a trusted third party can attract more potential customers
How to Get Backlinks Through Testimonials?
Rather than waiting for companies to ask for your feedback, you can take an active approach. Follow these steps to earn links through testimonials:
Identify Relevant Products or Services
Companies want real testimonials, so don’t pretend to have experience you don’t have; start with what you actually use. You can make a list of all the tools or companies you’ve used or partnered with, especially those in your industry.
For example, if your company is in marketing, your list might include:
- SEO tools: Ahrefs, SEMRush
- Content writing/AI tools: Surfer, Jasper
- Email management tools: Mailchimp
- CRM systems: HubSpot
- Project management apps: Trello, Slack
- Social media management tools: Hootsuite
- Ad management and PPC platforms: WordStream
- Web hosting services: WordPress, Hostinger
You can also add in any PR firms you’ve hired, link building services you’ve tried, or freelance designers you’ve worked with. Any relevant vendors on that list are potential testimonial targets.
Evaluate Potential Targets
Once you have a list of tools and partners you’ve used, start evaluating the potential of each name. Not every company on your testimonial link building list will be a good testimonial target. You can evaluate the potential of building testimonial links with other companies based on criteria such as:
Do they feature testimonials on their website?
If the company doesn’t typically publish customer testimonials, they probably won’t publish yours either. Prioritize companies that have their own testimonial page.
Do they include a backlink?
Check the testimonials on their website to see if they include a backlink. If the testimonial doesn’t have a link, is it worth the investment? However, keep in mind: a linkless testimonial on a popular site (like Semrush, Ahrefs, or HubSpot) can also be worth reaching out to.
What is their domain authority and traffic?
Even a nofollow testimonial link can drive traffic to your website effectively, as long as the company’s traffic is strong. You can check the domain rank and monthly traffic of the site. High authority sites (and sites with moderate outbound links) provide more SEO value.
How responsive are they?
Large companies may not respond to unsolicited testimonials, so it’s helpful to start with small to medium-sized businesses in your industry. A published testimonial from a smaller, relevant brand is still useful. It’s a stepping stone to bigger names later.
What type of backlinks do they attach?
A dofollow link can be SEO link juice, but even nofollow links have great referral value and brand mentions. Ideally, target dofollow opportunities, but don’t overlook high-visibility nofollow links.
Locate the Appropriate Contact
Once you have a list of potential companies, you need to find the person who manages the testimonials or customer reviews. In a small company, this might be the owner or CEO. In larger organizations, you should look for roles like Head of Marketing, Content Manager, Customer Success Manager, Partner/Affiliation Manager, or any title that suggests customer interaction.
Next, reach out to the person in charge via LinkedIn under the People section of that company. You can send a connect invitation with a small note about yourself and follow up after they accept. Or you can use Hunter.io to reach out to the person in charge of the testimonial via email.
Craft an Effective Outreach Message
With your contact information in hand, write a short, friendly email introducing your testimonial. You need to state who you are, what your company does, when you used the service, and how it impacted your brand.
You can use email templates when doing testimonial link building.
The trick: Keep it short and clear. Busy marketers appreciate brevity. You can also throw in some impact statistics if it’s helpful, but keep the ask simple: you want to give them value (a testimonial) with minimal fuss. Try to personalize the email: reference something unique about their product or a new feature you like. The more sincere and specific you are in your outreach, the higher your response rate will be.
Draft a Persuasive Testimonial
If your testimonial link building outreach is accepted, it’s time to write the testimonial itself. Make it compelling by following these tips:
- Be authentic and specific: Your testimonial should focus on the actual problem the product solved for you. Don’t just say “It’s awesome,” but instead, give specifics. For example, mention how [Tool X] helped you achieve a 15% increase in traffic or saved you hours each week
- Cite specific results: You should include the results the product has delivered for you. For example, using GetResponse, we achieved a 20% increase in organic traffic. Specific results will make your testimonial more credible
- Highlight unique features or benefits: You should also point out how the product stands out from other products you’ve tried. For example, you might praise the accuracy, ease of use, or quality of support that impressed you
- Keep it short: Aim for 2–3 short paragraphs (about 2–3 sentences each). This makes it easy for the host site to use parts of your quote.
- Use plain language: Write as if you were talking to a colleague. Don’t use heavy industry jargon unless that’s the tone of your industry. An authentic tone will resonate more with readers.
- Invite revisions: At the end of your draft, you can add a line like “Let me know if you want me to adjust anything or add another example.” This shows that you’re flexible and helps the editor incorporate your testimonial smoothly.
Ensure Your Testimonial Gets Featured
After submitting your testimonial draft, don’t assume it will appear right away (or at all). Here’s how to follow up:
Follow up on publication
Make a note in your calendar or RSS reader to check the vendor’s website in 2–3 weeks. If your testimonial hasn’t appeared, send a polite follow-up. For example, “Hi [Name], just wanted to check if you had a chance to publish the testimonial I submitted. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”
Confirm the link
Once it’s live, verify that your website URL is linked correctly. If you notice they forgot to include a link, send a friendly reminder. A simple note like, “Thanks for publishing my testimonial! I noticed the link wasn’t included—could you add it? It helps both of us by connecting the reader to [Your Website],” can often do the trick.
Thank them
Always show gratitude after your testimonial works. Share the link with your network or on social media (give the host free ad space too). Companies appreciate it when you help amplify their content, and it reinforces a positive relationship.
Persistence pays off when it comes to testimonial link building. A little polite nudge can often make the difference between a forgotten draft and a published link. To strengthen your site’s authority even further, explore our Editorial Backlink Services
