What a backlink does for your store
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. It matters in two ways. People click it and land on your store. And Google uses links to find pages. Its SEO starter guide says most of the new pages Google finds every day are found through links. For a new store with few visitors, a handful of links from real, related sites can make a big difference. The hard part is getting them the right way.
What Google counts as link spam
Google defines link spam as links made mainly to manipulate search rankings. Its examples are specific. Paying money for links, or for posts that contain links, is spam. So is trading goods or services for links. Sending someone a product in exchange for a post with a link is on the list too. So are excessive link swaps, links from automated tools and low-quality directory links. The same goes for forum comments stuffed with keyword links. A pack of 500 links for ₹999 is exactly what this policy is about.
Paid links are fine when you label them
Google accepts that buying links for ads and sponsorship is normal. It is not a violation if the link carries a rel="nofollow" or rel="sponsored" attribute. Use rel="sponsored" for ads and paid placements. Google says nofollow still works for these, but it prefers sponsored. Use rel="ugc" for links inside comments and forum posts. Use rel="nofollow" when neither fits and you would rather Google not associate your site with the page. The rule is simple. If money or free goods changed hands, the link should say so.
Safe ways to earn links
| Tactic | What to do | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Suppliers and makers | Ask the brand or weaver whose goods you stock to list you as a seller | A list page stuffed with hundreds of shops |
| Local press | Pitch a real story to your city paper, such as your Jaipur block-print unit | Paid features that pass ranking credit |
| Creators | Send products for honest reviews and ask for a sponsored link | Gifted posts with a plain, followed link |
| Original guides | Publish a size chart or care guide good enough for others to cite | Thin posts written only to attract links |
| Relevant listings | Join a trade body or craft fair list where you really belong | Low-quality directories and bookmark sites |
Creator collaborations, done right
Creators are often the quickest way to a link, and the easiest place to slip up. If you gift a product and the creator links to you, ask them to mark the link rel="sponsored". Tell them to disclose the deal to their audience as well. The Advertising Standards Council of India brought in influencer guidelines in May 2021. It says brands and influencers should disclose such material connections, so ads are not passed off as content. A clear "Ad" or "Collab" label protects you both.
Make your store worth linking to
The best links come from people who want to share what you made. Google's starter guide calls word of mouth one of the most effective and lasting ways to promote a site. It also suggests putting your web address on business cards, posters and other printed material. For a store, add it to your packaging, invoice and thank-you card too. Google also warns that you can overdo promotion. Some of it can look like manipulation to search engines, so keep it genuine.
Keep the links you earn
A link is only useful if it still lands somewhere. When you rename a product or a post in The Storemate, it sets up a redirect from the old address for you. You can add your own redirects in the SEO settings too. So a link a blogger gave you last Diwali still reaches the right page. And if a blog post links to sites you do not vouch for, you can set it to not follow outbound links.