Link building has been around for a while. It’s a crucial part of SEO/internet marketing campaigns. When it comes to link building, there is a right way and a wrong way to build links. There are also several link building methods to consider.
The following tips are valuable for building links successfully:
1) Search for Link Building Opportunities Relevant to Your Industry
Google has a ton of blogs, business directories, and other websites related to various industries. You could secure links on these sites and disregard their relevancy to your business…but that would not be a wise decision.
Take this scenario for example: You’re an electrician looking to broaden your online presence by getting listed in business directories. You come across a number of directories and decide to list your company. Some of the directories you add your company to are totally relevant to your industry (electrician directory, contractor directory, home improvement directory, etc.); however, a few of the directories you list your company in are not relevant to your industry (lawyer directory, auto insurance directory, etc.). The latter part of this scenario is a prime example of link building done the wrong way.
No matter which source you decide to use to build links, it’s important to find websites that are fit your company’s industry. Taking this tip into consideration will help to avoid being penalized by Google. It will also save you the hassle of working to remove links from irrelevant sites.
A simple way to find websites that fit your industry is to perform a search in Google for your industry along with the type of website you’re looking to secure a link from (i.e. “home improvement directories”). Using this technique will allow you to find sites that are relevant to your company.
Not only is it important to search for and secure links from relevant websites, but it’s also important to make sure the websites are of high quality. Securing links from websites of poor quality could possibly hurt your website’s ranking in Google and other search engines in the long run.
2) Customize Your Outreach Pitches to Blog Owners
Imagine you are a blog owner with a site that gets thousands of views every day. Also, imagine getting hundreds of emails every day from individuals looking to contribute content to your blog. Most of the outreach emails you receive will most likely be derived from a template and will not stand out from the crowd.
As a result of being one of many individuals that request to contribute content to the same blog, it’s crucial to customize your email and provide the blog owner with an outreach pitch that shows you did not just simply “copy and paste” an outreach template. Instead, you should focus on customizing your email and providing the blog owner with a reason why he or she should use your content on their website.
The key to customizing your outreach pitch is to make your email suitable for the site you are looking to contribute content. A great way to help customize your outreach email is to view the blog owner’s site, read the content already published, and think of a way you can add value to their site. Customizing outreach pitches will lead to a higher success rate than using an email template.
3) Utilize Link Building Tools
Link building seems to be here to stay and there are several SEO tools to help make the most out of your link building efforts. A few SEO tools that are valuable to the world of link building include BuzzStream, Majestic, Google Keyword Planner, and more.
Here is a simple look at a few link-building tools:
• BuzzStream – a great tool for monitoring the progress of securing links on sites
• Majestic – an excellent tool for viewing backlinks and anchor text
• Google Keyword Planner – a valuable tool for viewing keyword search statistics
Utilizing SEO tools helps to make link building efforts more efficient and saves time as well. As mentioned, there are several SEO tools available. Some tools may even allow for a free trial. It may be a good idea to try out the tool first before making a final purchase.
4) Follow-Up on Links in Progress
We have all experienced an email going to the spam folder or maybe inadvertently deleting an email. Emails can go unread for one reason or another. Therefore, it’s important to follow-up on emails sent out to blog owners and other contacts for link building opportunities.
Following up on emails will raise the chances of a blog owner receiving your email. This also shows you’re serious about wanting to contribute content on the blog owner’s site. Following up doesn’t necessarily guarantee a response, but it could result in getting a response.
5) Stay Consistent
When it comes to link building, it’s crucial to stay consistent with your efforts. You may get discouraged as a result of not getting a guest post approved by blog owners, spending a lot of time searching for link building opportunities, or not finding any opportunities with potential after hours of searching.
There are tons of opportunities to build links and blog owners to contact. Never giving up on your efforts to secure a link will ensure you’ll eventually find the right opportunity. Whenever you feel like you’re not making any progress, remember to take advantage of the available SEO tools to come across new opportunities.
Link building may seem like an overwhelming task but it’s worth the time and effort you put into it. Searching for opportunities relevant to your company’s industry, utilizing tools, customizing outreach pitches, following up with blogger outreach efforts, and staying consistent are all important when it comes to securing links. Link building seems to be here to stay. Using the provided tips will enable you to have a higher percentage of securing links should help impact Google rankings in a positive way.
Author Bio:
Elliott Jeter is the CEO/founder of E. Jeter Marketing. He is a professional internet marketer and enjoys helping clients increase web visibility and leads. He drives SEO results for clients in various industries including construction, law, healthcare, insurance, agriculture, fashion, and more. In addition to Internet Marketing, Elliott enjoys playing musical instruments and traveling. View Elliott’s full bio here.