eCommerce Link-Building: 8 Sites That Got it Right

Building backlinks is like creating a network of trust for your eCommerce site.

The more high-quality links you have, the more search engines — and users — know your brand, trust you, and eventually convert into paying customers. But what does a killer backlink strategy actually look like?

To find out, we analyzed eight eCommerce sites that are crushing it with their link-building. Here’s what they’re doing right and how you can follow their lead.

Example 1: Chewy

Chewy's content is engaging, useful, and naturally linkable

What it is: US-based online retailer of pet food and other pet-related products

# of backlinks: 1.2M from 24K referring domains (Ahrefs)

Prominent referrers: Semrush, Business Insider, CNBC, Financial Times

Page with the most backlinks:

• Pet Bird Supplies & Accessories (245K backlinks from 566 RDs)
• Find a Shelter or Rescue Near You (22K backlinks from 492 RDs)
• Connect with a vet (11.2K backlinks from 180 RDs)

Why they’re on our list: Chewy is a perfect example of how you build backlinks to an eCommerce site. They clearly focused on securing links to their category pages and succeeded. For instance, their page with bird products attracted a whopping 245K backlinks - including many from none other than Wikipedia.

But Chewy also leads the niche with helpful content for the good cause. Their list of shelters and rescue centers across the US was cited by many news sites, such as Yahoo, NYTimes, and pet-related websites alike - summing up to 22K backlinks.

Lists and resource pages are highly linkable assets, as Chewy's example shows

Finally, on Chewy’s website, you can get online vet help (even for free, if you’re a Chewy customer). The page was linked to over 11K times - with many, like Zendesk, praising the customer-friendly online service.

Example 2: JustFoodforDogs

JustFoodforDogs is another pet food retailer that found creative ways to build links

What it is: US-based retailer of healthy, vet-recommended dog food

# of backlinks: 19.1K from 1.6K referring domains (Ahrefs)

Prominent referrers: Forbes, BusinessInsider, LAtimes, BusinessNewsDaily

Page with the most backlinks:

• Dog Food Calculator by Breed & Weight (378 links from 29 RDs)
• Vet-Approved Nutritionally Balanced Dog Food Recipes (55 links from 34 RDs)

Why they’re on our list: These pet stuff retailers know something about link-building!

JustFoodforDogs's site is a curious example of out-of-the-box link-building tactics. They're a living proof that free online tools - in their case, a dog food calculator - can be powerful link magnets not just in SaaS, but in eCommerce as well. Apart from the homepage, the calculator is their best-linked page, having earned referrals from such media giants as BusinessInsider.

Free online tools and quizzes are great link magnets - not just for SaaS sites, but for eCommerce as well

By the number of referring domains, the category page with DIY meal kits is the best one. Most backlinks to the page come from personal blogs and pet owner forums like DogFoodAdvisor.

That means, customers are so satisfied with JustFoodforDogs's products that they're happy to recommend it to others - bringing the company free and more engaged traffic.

Example 3: Canopy and Stars

Canopy & Stars leads with inspiring content - and that pays off

What it is: Online collection of treehouses, cabins, shepherd's huts, yurts, and other unusual & luxury glamping places in the UK and Europe.

# of backlinks: 99.5K from 2.1K referring domains (Ahrefs)

Prominent referrers: The Guardian, Telegraph, National Geographic, Cosmopolitan

Page with the most backlinks:

• Gift cards and vouchers (2800 links from 30 RDs)
• The Canopy & Stars Glamping Market Report 2025 (665 links from 18 RDs)
• Treehouse holidays (592 links from 18 RDs)

Why they’re on our list: Canopy & Stars takes glamping seriously. Their content serves different user intents - from getting inspiration from other’s adventures to booking glamping spaces for next weekend’s getaway.

In terms of backlink building, it looks like Canopy & Stars achieved the impossible. Their best-by-link page is the page where you can buy a gift card for your outdoor-loving friends. It secured backlinks from such prominent news & travel sites as the Guardian, the Times, Travel Mag, and Visit England - exposing the site to millions of potential buyers.

Many lifestyle sites link to Canopy & Stars vouchers as unusual gift ideas

And 600+ links to their Glamping Market Report (from sites like the Independent, among others) further improve their backlink profile - and push Canopy & Stars up in the search results. Investing in great content pays for itself!

Example 4: Credo Beauty

Credo is an example of a beauty site that got link-building right

What it is: US-based retailer of clean beauty products

# of backlinks: 1.1M from 5K referring domains

Prominent referrers: Forbes, Telegraph, NBC News, Vox

Page with the most backlinks:

• Follain collection (4.9K links from 278 RDs)
• The Credo Clean Standard (4.8K links from 250 RDs)
• Sun care collection (4.4K links from 111 RDs)

Why they’re on our list: If you look at what pages on Credo Beauty’s site got the most backlinks, you’ll find category and brand pages - and also the page describing their strict quality standards (including prohibited ingredients).

Credo’s rigorous quality guidelines, the Clean Standard, has been hailed and referred by popular magazines such as Marie Claire, Vogue, or Allure - exposing Credo to millions of readers who equally care about their beauty and health.

With quality standards, Credo established itself as a industry leader that others want to refer toan i

Speaking of category pages, various Sun Care products offered on Credo’s website made it to many reviews of the best suncare products on beauty blogs.

So the recipe of success looks like this: high-quality products, paired with industry innovation.

Example 5: REI

REI is one of the leaders in the outdoor & adventure niche

What it is: Online retailer of outdoor & recreational equipment

# of backlinks: 2.6M from 57K referring domains (Ahrefs)

Prominent referrers: NY Times, Forbes, Washington Post, Canva

Pages with the most backlinks:

• Experience outdoor bliss - events (19.2K backlinks from 2K RDs)
• Adventures for Everyone (10.9K backlinks from 1.5K RDs)

Why they’re on our list: REI isn’t just another webshop - it is THE treasure trove of tips for outdoor aficionados.

REI’s site lets you choose your next adventure destination, browse online events or outdoor classes, and get a trip preparation checklist. Their blog is packed with expert insights on the various outdoor sports and types of adventures.

No wonder their site gets referrals from some of the biggest sites out there. For instance, NY Times and Zendesk spread the word about REI's outdoor workshops, while Hubspot praised REI's smart content strategy (and coming from Hubspot, that means something!)

Many news outlets, travel and lifestyle sites recommend their users to join REI's outdoor classes

And REI's selection of adventure trips got backlinks from NY Times, Forbes, CNN, and even Wikipedia. This cannot but further boost REI's popularity with outdoor fans. An example to follow!

Example 6: COOK

COOK's varied content has earned them many backlinks from popular sites

What it is: A UK-based retailer of frozen ready meals, with nationwide delivery service and on-site shops across the country.

# of backlinks: 24.1K from 1.8K referring domains (Ahrefs)

Prominent referrers: Telegraph, Independent, Hello Magazine, BBC Good Food

Page with the most backlinks:

• Christmas Food to Order 2024 (192 backlinks from 77 RDs)
• The COOK Guide to Batch Cooking (93 backlinks) - got 40 backlinks within a week

Why they’re on our list: COOK's selection of Christmas dinners for any size of the family got referred nearly 200 times by 77 websites - the most famous ones being the Telegraph, Good Housekeeping, and Daily Mail.

COOK's Christmas meals collection got many referrals from well-known media sites

But their how-to guides - like the one on cooking batches - are also popular with recipe websites. The guide got 40 backlinks within a week after publication - isn’t that impressive?

Example 7: Ethical Superstore

Ethical Superstore gets most backlinks to their category pages

What it is: UK-based online shop of 500+ groceries, eco-friendly gifts, and gadgets brands

# of backlinks: 10.6K from 1.5K referring domains (Ahrefs)

Prominent referrers: The Guardian, Euronews, CN Traveller, BBC Good Food

Page with the most backlinks:

• Eco-Friendly Household Cleaning Supplies (155 backlinks from 76 RDs)
• Ethical Gifts Guide (67 backlinks from 23 RDs)

Why they’re on our list: Ethical Superstore stands out with strong backlinks to its category pages. Their collection of Eco-Friendly Household Cleaning Supplies got numerous backlinks from interior design, lifestyle, and sustainability websites, as well as consumer forums. Their selection of ethical gifts also secured links from forums and news outlets alike.

The Cleaning & Household category page on Ethical's website

Example 8: Wild Alaskan Company

Wild Alaskan is one of the niche leaders, covered in many media outlets

What it is: Alaskan salmon & seafood producer with delivery across the US

# of backlinks: 30.4K from 1.5K referring domains (Ahrefs)

Prominent referrers: Forbes, Yahoo, BusinessInsider

Page with the most backlinks:

• Tips for Cooking Pacific Cod (85 backlinks from 70 RDs)
• Choose Your Box (119 backlinks from 36 RDs)

Why they’re on our list: Wild Alaskan partners with many food-focused sites that publish reviews about the company’s products and offer a discount. That’s how Wild Alaskan attracted 100+ links to their most important sales page - the one where visitors can order a box.

Wild Alaskan smartly drives referrals to their main sales page

And apart from sales page, Wild Alaskan posts a lot of fish recipes for beginners and pros alike. These recipes attract a lot of nofollow links from foodies blogs, contributing to a healthy backlink profile.

The Wild Alaskan team doesn’t forget that their key goal is revenue - so each recipe page contains a banner with a discount on the first order. That’s a good example of how top-of-the-funnel content can grow brand awareness and improve sales at the same time.

So, how to build links to an eCommerce site?

What can we learn from all these eCommerce sites to excel at link-building?

• Customer forums can get you a lot of backlinks. Investment in product quality and customer service pays for itself - it will bring you word-of-mouth from happy users. Don't worry if forum links are no-follow ones - they still bring you free traffic and more engaged users. (Because customers trust other customers.)
• Free online tools (like quizzes and calculators) are amazing link magnets - JustFoodforDogs proves it. Think of what free tool you can create for your niche.
• Detailed how-to guides, selections (e.g. where users can browse events), and resource pages attract a lot of backlinks.
• If you build links to top-of-the-funnel content, it's a good practice to place an internal link to your sales/product pages (like Wild Alaskan does).
• It's natural for ecommerce brands to work with niche bloggers and influencers for reviews and shoutouts. Influencer marketing stands out for exceptional ROI among marketing channels - so if you're now embracing it yet, think of what niche influencers you can collaborate with.
• Digital PR and brand awareness is the key thing. As Google's leaked docs confirmed, backlinks from media outlets are the most valuable ones. And as many SEO experts explain, the AI algorithms place most value on linked brand mentions in natural context. So in 2025, retailers need to put even more effort in brand awareness.

Closing thoughts

So, there you have it — eight eCommerce sites that turned backlinking into a growth engine. From crafting link-worthy how-to guides to targeting category pages and partnering with bloggers, their strategies are packed with lessons for other players in the eCommerce world.

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