Link Building, Theme & Hosting Suggestions From 5 WordPress Niche Experts

Nothing can beat the quality content! Do you agree with me? 

Recently, I have read the blog post written by Brian Jackson, Stop Obsessing Over Backlinks, Quality content first, and I’m impressed with the piece of content.   

So, valuable content is still the king. You may continue crafting useful posts for your readers. 

What are the other critical factors that influence the success of a WordPress blog or site?

They are Theme (site design), Hosting (server), and the Link building strategies that have to be implemented. 

I have written a lot about WordPress themes and WordPress hosting services.  

However, I’m yet to cover the legit and powerful methods to build links; I’ll share my link building ways as soon as possible through my upcoming blog posts. 

Meanwhile, you may read the replies of 5 WordPress Niche blogging experts (who blog about WordPress) through this roundup post. 

5 WP Niche Influencers Tips For Better Blogging

Honoring the huge number of experts in a single roundup post may annoy you! You might skip reading their replies due to the very long content length and hence I have restricted the number to 5!

wordpress-experts-roundup

Here are my two questions!

1. Which is your preferred link building method in 2017 and why?

2. What is your WordPress Hosting and Theme recommendation for dedicated & upcoming bloggers?

Now check, how they have reacted! 

1. Devesh Sharma - Wpkube
devesh-wpkube 1. Link Building I am not an expert on link building in any way but learned from what I have observed.  I think instead of building links; one should genuinely focus on Paid advertisement. It requires a bit of an experiment when it comes to FB ads, but once you get over the learning curve, you can generate serious traffic to your site, and by doing that, you can also start ranking in search engines. 2. WordPress Hosting & Theme Recommendation In the last two years, I have tested a dozen hosting providers, and I’m currently using a mix of them. If you are looking for a basic WordPress hosting, I’d recommend going with SiteGround or A2 Hosting. Both seem to be doing really well in terms of site speed & quality support. It usually takes less than 10 minutes for someone from SiteGround to reply. If you are a small business owner and looking for a managed hosting, get Flywheel Or WPEngine. I’m using the flywheel for WPKube and so far super happy with the support. Of course, both of these companies are a little expensive, but they make it for, by providing extra security & improving loading times. Go with Kinsta & Pagely, if you are looking for an enterprise hosting. You should take a look at the WordPress hosting comparison I did, a while ago. For WordPress themes, I’d recommend ElegantThemes, MyThemeShop, and MeridianThemes. ElegantThemes & MyThemeShop are a great solution, if you are looking for well-priced WordPress themes, both these stores have a ton of themes to choose from for a small price. MeridianThemes is a small theme shop on ThemeForest that has some really nice themes, but so far they only have 5 or 6 themes. Blog – Wpkube.com

2. Ivan Jurisic - Webfactory

ivan-wploop1. Link Building

My preferred link building method is Guest posting. Let me explain the reasons in a brief manner. 

I think that this is the most natural way of getting high-quality backlinks which could actually do something good for your site.

By providing interesting articles on other blogs, you get a chance to show off your skills (writing and technical) and to get readers interested in stuff you write on your own website.

Because of that, guest posting allows you to pull in new visitors (make them interested) instead of forcing them to visit your site through ads.

I think that because of that your new visitors will stay longer on your site because it was their decision to open it and find out more about you and your site. 

Since the number of blogs is growing rapidly, it’s getting easier to find really good ones that offer guest posting.

By writing an article for someone else, not only you get more exposure and physical backlinks, but you get to grow your network and meet awesome people who are working in the niche. 

This gives you, even more, opportunities for further cooperation which means even more backlinks.

2. WordPress Hosting and Theme Suggestion

I recommend SiteGround simply because I’ve witnessed the change in speed and optimization when it comes to my site.

Transfer from my old hosting provider was quick and painless, and I love that my site opens lightning-fast. I think this is a good reason to recommend SiteGround.

It is hard to find that one theme to recommend since there are so many great WordPress themes which can help a beginner to build his first blog.

If I really had to pick just one, my choice would be Ultra Theme From Themify which I had a chance to review several weeks ago.

Since it comes with numerous skins, layouts, builder add-ons, and pre-made demo sites, it is very beginner-friendly and allows for detailed customization through a visual builder. The theme allows a beginner to create a visually stunning site without any coding knowledge.

The theme allows a beginner to create a visually stunning site without any coding knowledge.

Site – WebFactory

3. Ankit Singla - MasterBlogging

ankit-wptricks1. Link Building

Lately, I have been using Brian Dean’s Skyscraper technique and getting satisfactory results.

Unlike guest posting, it saves me more time in writing content for others. I can create link-worthy content for my own and attract powerful natural backlinks.

2. WordPress Theme & Hosting Advice

I highly recommend ThriveThemes which not only offers SEO friendly and super fast loading WordPress Themes but also great plugins for Internet marketers like Thrive Content Builder and Thrive Leads.

For Hosting, my vote goes to WPX Hosting (formerly Traffic Planet Hosting). The reason being they made my site load super fast, offers free backup and one-click SSL installation that is crucial for SEO in 2017.

Note: It isn’t cheap for all the good reasons, so this isn’t for anyone starting a new blog or hobby blog.

Blog – MasterBlogging.com

4. Dhiraj Das - Begindot

dhiraj-das-sourcewp1. Backlink Strategy

Earning a backlink” is a much better idea than “Creating a Backlink.” I prefer the natural backlinks over manually created links. 

In fact, over 80% of the backlinks to SourceWP were created naturally from relevant topics.  Google search algorithm is constantly changing, so it’s important to get the basics right.

I have seen websites with very few high-quality backlinks doing well vs. sites with thousands of backlinks not doing so well.

However, I did create a few high-quality backlinks by using “Email Outreach” and “Broken Link Building” methods that work really well.

1.1. Analyzing the Competition

Analyzing the competitors’ site is the starting point. In fact, understanding who is your completion is the first step & that can be done with a simple Google search using the keywords you are targeting.

The second step is to create a list of 15-20 blogs that are targeting a similar set of keywords. This will help you to understand their content strategy as well so that you can plan your content accordingly before you email anyone to link to your site.

1.2. Plan your email 

As you know your competitor sites, there are a number of tools that can help you to find their backlink profile.

For Example, a simple tool like Alexa with a premium plan will give you all the backlink details of your competitors’ site.

The next step is to go through their backlinks one by one to understand the kind of content they received the link from. Once you know the sources, you can plan your email accordingly.

For example, if your competitor site received the link from a list article something like ten best XYZ, you can email the webmaster to list your site as well in that list.

The content in your email is important: How you write the email can make a huge difference & increase the chance of getting a backlink.

A very professionally written email with a personal touch will increase your chances to get the link. Don’t worry; there are a number of articles where you can find the email templates that work perfectly, you can find one here.

1.3. Broken Link Building 

Broken link building is another very powerful link building method that work quite well.

Broken link building is the way to simply find broken links in a page & email the webmaster to let them know about the broken link and then recommend your link as a replacement, that’s a win-win situation for both the parties.

I have used this method to create backlinks, and it does work.

You can use tools like ahrefs or the browser extension like Check My Links to find the broken links in a page and if you have good quality ready content in the similar line, you can write a very professional email to the webmaster & request to replace that link with your post link.

2. WordPress Hosting & Theme Guidance 

The hosting provider is really important if you are serious about your online business, you shouldn’t mind spending a few dollars on hosting because of some critical parameters like loading time of your site, security, etc. depends on the hosting to a large extent.

I have been using fully managed hosting by Kinsta, which will be a little expensive for newbie bloggers. But if you have an established site & making some $$$, Kinsta is a great option for you.

SiteGround is another great option for new as well as established bloggers; they have some affordable WordPress hosting plans. They are quick, secure, and have a fantastic support team to make sure that your business is safe all the time.

There are a number of quality WordPress theme providers these days. ThemeForest is a good place to start; you just need to find the popular themes with a good track record (Don’t forget to go through the user comments when you are checking a theme).

MyThemeShop is another amazing WordPress theme store, I have been using their products for a long time, and their themes are really good.

MyThemeShop products are well-coded, perfectly optimized for search engines and they are very quick. If you want to create a unique brand image, customizing a theme is the way to go. We have customized a theme for Begindot to fulfill our needs perfectly.

Blog – Begindot.com

5. Pradeep Singh - Wpism

pradeep-singh-wpism1. Link Building

Producing high-quality content has always been my preferred link building method. Nothing beats the power of a well-researched, high-quality, and unique content to attract links.

I always believe in creating compelling content that attracts links naturally, and that would remain my link building strategy for 2017. 

2. WordPress Hosting & Theme Hint

For new and upcoming bloggers, I recommend SiteGround or WP Engine depending on their needs and what they can afford for hosting.

Choosing themes is a very personal decision and has mostly to do with the nature of the website. With thousands to choose from, recommending one can be very difficult.

I, however, advise choosing a simple, elegant and fast loading themes focused on content. Genesis framework themes are often a good starting point. Grab Genesis Themes Black Friday Discount Sale (50% OFF)

Blog – Wpism.com

My Final Words

[bctt tweet=”Hosting, Site Design, and Backlinks are the 3 key elements of a successful WordPress site. ” username=”Wpglossy1″]

Hosting Server – It is more important as you should have the maximum uptime. I recommend Cloudways hosting that has the high-end server technology and blazing fast servers. You may get some discount through the Cloudways exclusive Code – WPGLOSSY.

Site Design – Engaging your readers will decide your search engine page rankings and hence you should give the best user experience to your site visitors. I suggest you use Genesis Framework or MyThemeShop themes.

Link Building – I’ll reveal my backlink techniques soon, please stay tuned!

No matter whether you are a blogger or small business owner who uses the WP CMS to manage your web content for your business, you must take care of these three factors to stand out from the crowd and run a profitable business. 

I hope this WordPress niche expert roundup post would help you get the best resources for your WordPress site and build links in a better way to stay authoritative in the eyes of Google.

Note: I would like to feature every dedicated WordPress user on my blog. If you want to get mentioned in my expert roundup list post, please reach me with your blog details through [email protected]

Is this post helpful? Please share your valuable views in the comment section! 

by Nirmala
Nirmala is an avid blogger, WordPress enthusiast who has been blogging since 2010. She loves to write useful WP tips & tricks on this active blog.

17 thoughts on “Link Building, Theme & Hosting Suggestions From 5 WordPress Niche Experts”

    • Hi Prabin,

      Thanks for asking about SkyScrapper technique.

      It is a great idea by Brain Deal of Backlinko. If you want to rank for a specific keyword, you have to write a better content than the biggies who are already playing well for that KW.

      I hope Ankit bro will explain in a better way!

      Reply
  1. Hey Nirmala,

    Excellent and inspiring post!

    There are lots of way of building links to your site but you have to find out which method is very effective like Brian Dean’s Skyscraper technique looks very effective and sound indeed.

    I appreciate you Nirmala for sharing this experts roundup with us. It’s really very helpful for a beginner.

    Reply
    • Hi Nihkil,

      Thanks for your comment. I have just visited your blog, it looks nice; keep blogging.

      Yes, as Ankit bro said, Skyscraper way has the ability to get the backlinks in a natural manner.

      I feel good with your appreciation, pleasure to share the helpful stuff for my beloved readers and newbies. Stay tuned!

      Reply
  2. Hello Nirmala,

    First off, I am glad to be back reading your blog. I missed blogging these couple of years, it gives me so much insight into overwhelming information.

    I liked it that you kept this post limited to just 5 of these awesome bloggers. I have seen some similar posts go pages by listing 50-60 bloggers. As you mentioned, we tend to skip what they actually have to say.

    Link building for me is via guest posts, that gives a blogger the ultimate exposure across multiple users.

    Thanks for this post. I will bookmark it.

    Reply
    • Hi Praveen,

      It is really great to see you in the Blogosphere after 2 years, a warm welcome from my side. Yes, we have to keep learning and implement the things in blogging to stay updated and do well on the search engines.

      Good that you liked my idea of featuring few experts in one post and yes, exactly, I too skipped reading the replies of many bloggers in the long roundup post. If we keep the number minimum, it looks precise and the reader can read all the helpful answers listed in the post.

      Link building through guest blogging is the genuine way. However, make sure that you are contributing the helpful post with in-depth details. So, we can get new readers for our blog as well.

      Thanks for bookmarking the post, stay tuned!

      Reply
  3. Well I’ve been a regular reader at Ankit Singals blog and I really love his articles. I just came to know about the other experts from this post. Seems like you did a wonderful job by creating this awesome roundup post.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Ruth,

      Good to know that you are a loyal reader of Ankit bro’s blog. I would say that his blog has huge blogging hints that are executable and thus we can improve the performance of our blog.

      Glad I helped you find out the few more WP niche influencers through this roundup post, thanks for your kind appreciation! Keep visiting.

      Reply
  4. Hi Nirmala, This was a nice roundup of the experts. Most of the time, I create my own themes for every niche as I am well aware of the code rendering my each page on the site thus we can generate a lots of customized solution for the page.
    Now you know how to use roundup to promote better product. It was a nice reading all these experts. – Good luck for your future endeavor.

    Reply
    • Hi Rakesh,

      Thanks for your comment. It’s nice to know that you are customizing the themes for your blog. I would like to get the detailed answers for some other questions. So, please be ready to react!

      Yes, Round-up post is an excellent way to advertise the product/service, but I never overdo it.

      Cheers you liked the replies of these WordPress niche bloggers, and thanks a lot for your great wishes.

      I’ll reach you soon with my questions!

      Reply
    • It’s a pleasure to include your great piece of content in my blog post, Brian. You are most welcome.

      Thanks for your kind appreciation and yes, I’ll put my best efforts for this blog.

      Cheers with your visit, keep coming 🙂

      Reply
  5. WordPress. I use some plugins in my site. But now I understand, I must use some other plugins to make my work easier. Great list. Thank you for sharing. Stay with us.

    Reply
  6. Hi Nirmala, nice article, I learned so much especially about link building.

    It’s interesting how some of these experts prefer to create a high-quality content as their link building strategy. I also used this strategy as guest posting is not really fancy to me 🙂 I just hope I’m on the right track.

    And there an interesting mention about skyscraper technique, I’ll definitely check this one.

    Reply
  7. Best and helpful Post, Hi Sir,I am your regular website viewer and just as your other articles attracts us ,your articles help us a lot.Thanks for publishing this article.

    Reply

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