Ecommerce link building can be painful.
You are not always sitting on groundbreaking research.
You are not always doing something newsworthy.
You are not always able to publish giant data studies.
And if you are selling products that many other shops also sell, it can feel like there is no natural reason for anyone to link to you.
But there is one obvious place many ecommerce companies forget to look:
The companies, creators and organisations behind the products you sell.
Brands often have “where to buy” pages.
Manufacturers have retailer directories.
Authors have book pages.
Publishers have retailer links.
Artists have stockist pages.
Distributors have partner pages.
Product creators have “available at” sections.
Local producers have shop listings.
If you sell their products, you may deserve to be listed.
That is the tactic.
You are not begging random bloggers for links.
You are getting listed by the brands, creators, suppliers and partners that already have a reason to send customers to retailers.
For ecommerce SEO, these can be some of the most natural links you can build.
The process is simple:
This works because the link has a real reason to exist.
If you sell a brand’s products, their customers need to know where they can buy those products.
Your shop is a legitimate answer.
That is what makes this tactic so clean.
A lot of ecommerce SEO focuses on:
All of that can be important.
But many ecommerce companies forget that their suppliers, brands and product creators already have websites with existing authority.
And those websites often want to send buyers to retailers.
That creates a natural link opportunity.
It is not complicated.
It is just operationally annoying.
You need to gather brands, check their websites, find the right page, and send a decent email.
Most competitors will not do that properly.
That is why it works.
These links are valuable because they are usually:
A link from a brand’s “where to buy” page to your category page is not some weird SEO trick.
It is exactly what users expect.
A customer visits the brand site, looks for a retailer, clicks through to your shop and buys.
That is the perfect kind of ecommerce link.
It helps search engines.
It helps users.
It helps the brand.
It helps you.
Everyone wins.
This tactic works especially well for stores that sell products from multiple brands, makers, publishers or suppliers.
Examples:
It also works for local retailers with physical stores.
Many brands have “find a store” or “stockist near you” pages.
If you are a stockist, get listed.
This is the classic one.
Brands often have pages like:
If you sell their products and are not listed, ask.
Common in industries like:
These pages may be called:
If you are an authorised dealer, the link should be obvious.
Sometimes the brand does not list retailers, but the distributor does.
Look for:
If you buy through a distributor, ask whether they list retailers.
If you sell books, this is a goldmine.
Authors often have personal websites with pages for each book.
Those pages often link to places where readers can buy the book.
Usually they link to big retailers.
But if you are a niche bookshop, specialist store, local bookstore, signed-copy provider, or category expert, you may be able to get listed too.
Especially for:
Publishers often have book pages with retailer links.
You may be able to get listed as a retailer, especially if you are an official stockist, specialist retailer or local partner.
This can work well for:
If you sell products from independent makers, check their websites.
Examples:
Many have “stockists” pages.
They may be very happy to list your shop because it proves their products are distributed.
If you sell local or regional products, the producers may list shops that stock them.
Examples:
These links can be locally and topically relevant.
Some products have their own ecosystem.
Examples:
Look beyond the brand homepage.
Search for each product too.
Start with the brand name.
Use queries like:
For authors:
For makers:
For distributors:
Use local terms too.
For Dutch, try:
For German:
For French:
For Spanish:
If you run an international ecommerce store, multilingual prospecting can uncover a lot of opportunities.
The best thing about this tactic is that your ecommerce database already contains most of the prospect list.
You probably already have:
Export that data.
Then turn it into a prospecting list.
For example:
Prioritise the brands and creators that matter commercially.
Do not start with obscure products nobody buys.
Start where links can support revenue.
Not every brand link is equally valuable.
Prioritise opportunities based on:
A link from a major brand’s “where to buy” page to a high-margin category page can be worth real money.
A link from a tiny inactive maker may still be nice, but it should not be first priority.
This is one of the best signals.
If competitors are listed and you are not, the pitch is easy.
You can say:
We noticed your retailer page lists shops that carry your products. We also stock [Brand] and would love to be added if possible.
This is not aggressive.
It is factual.
Also, competitor listings prove that the brand is willing to link to retailers.
That reduces uncertainty.
Do not always send them to your homepage.
Use the most relevant page.
Examples:
If you have a dedicated brand page:
This is usually the best option.
If your CMS creates clean filtered pages:
Be careful with faceted URLs. Only use them if they are indexable, clean and stable.
Use a product page if the brand only wants to link to a specific product.
This is common for books, limited editions, handmade products or specific models.
If you are a physical retailer, link to your store page.
For books:
For high-value brands, create a stronger page.
Example:
Include:
A dedicated page can improve both link conversion and rankings.
A lot of ecommerce brand pages are terrible.
They are just product grids.
If you want brands to link to you, make the page look good.
Add:
The brand should not be embarrassed to send customers to the page.
That is the quality bar.
Subject: Retailer listing for [Brand Name]
Hi [Name],
We stock [Brand Name] products at [Store Name] and noticed your website has a page listing where customers can buy your products:
[Where-to-buy page URL]
Could we be added as a retailer?
Our [Brand Name] page is here:
[Your URL]
A few details:
Store name: [Store Name]
Website: [URL]
Country/region: [Country/Region]
Online store: Yes/No
Physical store: Yes/No
Address, if relevant: [Address]
Please let me know if you need anything else.
Best,
[Name]
Subject: Adding [Store Name] to your retailer page
Hi [Name],
I noticed your retailer page lists shops that stock [Brand Name]:
[Page URL]
We also sell [Brand Name] products through [Store Name] and would love to be included if possible.
Our page for the brand is here:
[Your URL]
We currently stock [short description of range], and customers can order from [country/region].
Could you let me know if we can be added?
Best,
[Name]
Subject: Retailer link for [Book Title]
Hi [Name],
We sell [Book Title] through [Store Name] and noticed your website has a page for the book:
[Author book page URL]
If you list places where readers can buy the book, would you consider adding us as a retailer?
The book is available here:
[Your URL]
This may be especially useful for readers in [country/region] because [local shipping / specialist store / signed edition / niche audience / independent bookshop angle].
Best,
[Name]
Subject: Retailer listing for [Book Title / Publisher Name]
Hi [Name],
We stock books from [Publisher Name] at [Store Name], including [example titles/categories].
I noticed your website lists retailers or places to buy your books.
Could [Store Name] be added as a retailer?
Our [Publisher Name] collection is here:
[Your URL]
Store details:
Name: [Store Name]
Website: [URL]
Country/region: [Country/Region]
Specialism: [e.g. academic books, children’s books, Dutch-language books, etc.]
Thanks,
[Name]
Subject: Stockist listing for [Maker/Brand Name]
Hi [Name],
We stock [Maker/Brand Name] products at [Store Name] and noticed your website has a stockists page.
Could we be added?
Our page for your products is here:
[Your URL]
Details:
Store name: [Store Name]
Website: [URL]
Location: [City/Country]
Online/physical: [Online / Physical / Both]
We are happy to send over a logo, short description or any other details you need.
Best,
[Name]
Subject: Local stockist listing
Hi [Name],
We sell [Brand/Product] at [Store Name] in [City] and noticed you list stockists on your website.
Could we be added as a place where customers can buy your products?
Our store details:
Store name: [Store Name]
Website: [URL]
Address: [Address]
Product page: [Your URL]
Thanks,
[Name]
When asking to be added, include everything they need.
Do not make them chase you.
Prepare:
If you send a complete listing, they can copy and paste.
That improves your success rate.
Do not only search Google.
Ask your suppliers.
Send a simple email:
Do you have a retailer, stockist, dealer or where-to-buy page where our store can be listed?
This can uncover pages you did not find.
It can also open the door to other opportunities:
If you already have a commercial relationship with the supplier, use it.
You are not a cold prospect.
You are their retailer.
Some brands publish updates when a new shop starts carrying their products.
This is common with:
You can ask:
Do you announce new stockists on your website or newsletter?
This can create a blog link, not just a directory link.
Example announcement:
This can link to your product or brand page.
This helps both users and outreach.
Create a clean page listing all brands you sell.
Example:
Then each brand links to a dedicated brand page.
This gives you a strong URL to show suppliers and brands.
It also helps internal linking.
For each brand page, include useful content, not just products.
This makes your site look more like an official retailer and less like a generic reseller.
If you sell books, create author pages.
Authors are much more likely to link to a page about them than to a generic product page.
Example:
Include:
Then contact the author.
The pitch becomes:
We created a page for your books in our store.
That is more flattering and useful than:
Please link to this product page.
For specialist bookshops, publisher pages can also work.
Example:
This is useful for:
Then ask the publisher to list your store as a retailer.
Sometimes brands do not want to link to retailers directly.
But they may link to useful buying guides.
For example, if you sell pet products, create:
Then include relevant products.
A dog trainer, pet association, vet or product brand might link to that guide if it is useful.
This combines ecommerce with content-led link building.
Good formats:
These work especially well when the guide helps customers choose correctly.
Do not stop at brands.
Think of everyone who serves the same buyer.
Same-audience prospects:
Content ideas:
Prospects:
Content ideas:
Prospects:
Content ideas:
Prospects:
Content ideas:
Prospects:
Content ideas:
Prospects:
Content ideas:
This is the same-pond tactic applied to ecommerce.
Your buyer is someone else’s audience.
Find those people.
Create something useful.
Earn links.
Ecommerce stores often underestimate what they know.
You may know:
That knowledge can become content.
Examples:
Then pitch those guides to non-competing sites that serve the same buyer.
This is much better than asking them to link to a category page.
Many websites have resource pages recommending tools, products, books or suppliers.
Examples:
Search for:
Then pitch your relevant guide, category page or product collection.
For some ecommerce businesses, especially B2B or specialist retail, it helps to show that you are a serious stockist.
Create a page like:
Include:
This can help with outreach because it makes your store look professional.
Brands are more likely to list retailers they trust.
If you sell local or independent brands, use sales data carefully.
For example:
We have sold [number] units of your products in the last [period], and we would love to be added to your stockists page so customers can find us more easily.
Or:
Your products are one of our bestsellers in the [category] category.
Do not share sensitive data if you should not.
But a simple signal that you actively sell their products can help.
Brands want retailers that actually move product.
Brands care about presentation.
If your competitor is listed but has a weak page, you can stand out.
Make sure your page has:
Then your outreach is stronger.
You can say:
We have created a dedicated [Brand] page with the full range we stock and current availability.
That feels useful.
Brands often promote seasonal campaigns.
Examples:
Create seasonal pages that brands and same-audience partners may link to.
Examples:
Then pitch brands included in the guide.
This is especially useful if you feature multiple suppliers.
For larger brands, create curated pages.
Examples:
These can rank, convert and give you a better outreach asset.
A brand may be more likely to share a thoughtful guide than a plain product grid.
Let the brand link naturally.
Good anchors:
Bad anchors:
Do not turn a clean opportunity into something suspicious.
A branded link from a relevant brand website is already valuable.
Big brands can be slow and bureaucratic.
Small and medium brands, independent makers, authors and local producers often respond faster.
If your brand page is just an ugly product grid with half the products out of stock, fix that first.
If competitors are already listed, you have a strong reason to ask.
For bookshops, music shops, art shops and niche stores, creators can be great link prospects.
Search in the local language of the brand, author or market.
Do not say you want a backlink.
Say you want to be added as a retailer, stockist or place to buy.
If you already buy from them, you are not cold outreach.
Use that relationship.
If you have a physical store, many brands want to list physical stockists.
Make sure you are in their store locator.
You sell products from 80 brands.
You export your top 30 brands by revenue.
For each brand, you search:
You find that 14 brands have stockist or retailer pages.
Six list your competitors but not you.
You improve your brand pages so they include:
Then you contact each brand.
Several add you.
A few ask for more details.
One offers a new stockist announcement.
Another wants to run a joint giveaway.
You earn relevant links from product brands and also strengthen supplier relationships.
That is a very good ecommerce link building campaign.
You run a specialist online bookshop.
You export your top 100 authors and publishers.
You create author pages for the most important authors.
You search:
You find author websites that link only to Amazon and a few big bookshops.
You contact authors with a better angle:
We are a specialist bookshop for [niche], and we created a page for your books. We ship to [region] and would love to be included as an independent retailer.
Some authors add you.
Some share the page.
Some publishers add you as a stockist.
That is a natural link building strategy for book ecommerce.
You sell furniture from several manufacturers and independent designers.
You search:
You find dealer locator pages.
You are missing from several.
You contact each brand with:
Several add you to their dealer locator.
These links are locally relevant, commercially useful and likely to send real customers.
Perfect.
Ecommerce link building does not always need to be complicated.
Sometimes the best link prospects are already in your product catalogue.
Brands.
Manufacturers.
Suppliers.
Distributors.
Authors.
Publishers.
Artists.
Makers.
Local producers.
If you sell their products, there is often a natural reason for them to link to you.
Look for where-to-buy pages, stockist pages, dealer locators, retailer directories, author book pages and partner listings.
Create strong brand, author, publisher or product pages.
Ask to be added.
Use your existing commercial relationships.
Then go further.
Ask for new stockist announcements.
Create buying guides.
Build useful category resources.
Reach out to same-audience partners.
For ecommerce companies, this is one of the cleanest link building tactics around.
The link is not forced.
The user intent is commercial.
The relationship already exists.
And the customer actually benefits.
That is the kind of link Google should understand.
And more importantly, it is the kind of link that can send buyers.