While it is easy to go to Google and search what link building is and how to do it, it is beyond that. It is a technical skill that needs to be mastered and there are actually experts on the field. So, who better to listen to but the link building experts to know what’s right from wrong and where you should put your efforts on.
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Target High Domain Authority Sites Within Your Industry
Link Building Expert: Adam Franklin, Bluewire Media
If you want to have the most results, Adam says that you need to target getting links from high domain sites. In his own words, “it will move the needle the most when it comes to getting a better Google rank”.
It’s true. Search engine algorithms put more consideration on links that are placed on high domain websites. However, it shouldn’t just be high ranking, it should also be related to your industry. It is important to remember that the relevance of the content of your backlink and where it is being backlinked plays an impact on your SEO rank.
Link Building Experts Say: Start in the Middle and Work Your Way to the Top
Link Building Expert: Jeremy Moser, uSERP
Truth be told, as a new website, it is close to impossible to have your backlinks in high domain sites. So, according to Jeremy, you shouldn’t aim too high at the start. Instead, domains with rankings between 50-75 should be your go to.
Being approved by these sites are much more likely. So, you are increasing your approval rate, as well as gradually growing your reputation. In the future, this compounded progress will open new doors for you and that includes becoming closer and more likely to be published by larger publications.
Offer Value When Reaching Out
Link Building Expert: Brian Dean, Backlinko
One of the most common ways to create links is through reaching out to sites. But according to statistics, around 90% of outreach goes unanswered. As a matter of fact, only 8% become successful. So, where do people go wrong?
The question isn’t so much as what people are doing wrong, but what these websites already have had enough. You aren’t the only person pitching an idea, there are tens of thousands of you. So, these websites no longer see any real value to the majority of the content being pitched.
According to Brian, it is time to make a shift. Instead of trying to persuade sites that you have value, proceed to ones where the value of your content is apparent. Because real value doesn’t need to be proved.
He says that hunting for broken links should be the new outreach. When you reach out to someone and tell them that you can substitute something better for a link that no longer works, the value of what you have to offer is immediately apparent. So, your approval rate is much higher, plus it still counts as quality links just like any other.
Link Building Experts Say: Bring Back Deadlinks to Their Former Glory
Link Building Expert: Alllstair Dodds, Ever Increasing Circles
On the concept of deadlinks, Alllstair expounds on the idea. He says that deadlinks shouldn’t just be substituted with new functional links. Instead, it is better to check what those deadlinks looked before they disappeared and put in place ones that are closely similar.
The concept behind it is that it creates for better quality links that are translated and accepted better by search engine algorithms.
Give and Take
Link Building Expert: Lesley Vos, Bid 4 Papers
As a website, you want your backlink to be placed on a different site. Conversely, there are also going to be sites who want their links to be placed on yours. And according to Lesley, don’t be too selfish when it comes to that.
Link building is give and take. As much as you want to put your links in quality sites, you must also put links from quality sites on to yours if they ask. That way, you create exceptional relations and connections which you can use in the future.
According to her, it’s just simple psychology. When you say yes to offers, it will be hard for them to say no when it is your time to ask for a favor. So, spreading your links will no longer be that hard and can be done with as simple as a moment’s notice.
Link Building Experts Say: Relationships First, Links Second
Link Building Expert: Sara McGuire, Venngage
Most link building failure stems from the fact that marketers are too keen on creating links alone. They pull out their contacts book and then burn through each contact one-by-one. According to Sara, instead of prioritizing links, creating relationships should be what comes first.
When you ask a site for a backlink, the immediate response would always be no. It’s either they are not open to the opportunity or they don’t have any to offer. With that said, it’s always going to be more of a miss because you need to rely on luck that by the time you reach out, everything is in your favor. That the site is need of backlinks or have an opportunity they can bargain with.
On the other hand, if you concentrate on building a relationship, like understanding one another’s product and asking if they would be open to a partnership, it is easier to find opportunities for one another. There may not be any as of the moment, but since you have established that the two of you can benefit from each other, you’ll be running back to one another when the time is ripe.
Leverage on What You Already Have
Link Building Expert: Britney Muller, Moz
The very first thing that link builders do is pull out their contacts list and start outreaching. According to Britney, it’s such a common response that one of the easiest ways to create links is overlooked and that is reaching out to contacts that are already readily available.
Your client (if you are a link builder) or you already have connections within the industry you are working with. Either you have partners or acquaintances, people who already know you. If there is someone who can do you a favor, it’s going to be these people.
So, why reach out to strangers who are likely going to be skeptical with your offer? When you can approach close contacts that are going to give you what you want?
Listen to the Link Building Experts
All these advices come from people who have worked in the link building industry. They have practiced what they preached and they have seen the results. It’s no longer a matter of theory that needs to be tested, but real-world applications that have been proven.
With that said, if there is a fast way to exponentially reach success with link building, it’s listening to these advices. You no longer have to come up with a strategy from nothing. You can use all of these in your favor to come up with an effective campaign. When you save yourself from the burden of trial and error, it all becomes a matter of reaping the results.
There are seven mentioned here, but there are a lot more experts out there, each with different advices and opinions. You can’t come to them one-by-one and internalize everything they have to say. But you know what’s better than listening to the experts? It’s having them actually help you with your link building endeavors. So, contact us today for a free strategy consultation.
