Whether you call it "link baiting" or not, there is a science behind a good inbound link strategy.
The good news: You don't need a petri dish or lab coat.
Receiving high-quality, authoritative links back to your website takes effort, and it certainly doesn't happen overnight.
Once things begin to fall into place, you'll experience Google-changing effects.
How can you maximize your link building potential without totally depleting your energy?
Here are some basic examples of the most effective tactics used to improve search engine rankings, build high quality inbound links, reach new audiences-and most importantly-drive revenue.
Any Internet daters in the building?
If so, you know the importance of using images and info that put you in the best light possible.
Google operates in a similar fashion.
In order to impress Google, your website needs to be:
The more disorganized your site is, the less likely Google will deem it valuable to its user-base; when audiences can't find you, the less inbound links you'll earn.
When you design your site, people should have a strong understanding of what you want them to do next; here's an example of a site that confuses visitors:
If your site has only recently gone live, you're going need to build authority, and that takes time.
Frequently, site owners make the mistake of hyperlinking as much content as possible, in the hopes that Google's spiders will crawl more often; this is usually combined with including (too many) internal/external links to boost its visibility potential.
Google will interpret this as a red flag, as it gives the impression of trying to "game the system."
The best way to appease Google is to produce only high-quality content. Include relevant links that benefit readers, while support and give context to whatever it is you're trying to convey.
Whether you're buying a loofah on Amazon, searching for a dive bar with 80s karaoke on Yelp, or looking up the top 10 unsolved UFO sightings of the 21st century, there is a high probability you check to see what others have to say before proceeding.
We do this impulsively.
Third-party opinions matter a great deal in today's "demand for perfection" society.
However, the opinion "influencers" carries a much higher significance than that of the average Joe.
Your recent blog post on skincare techniques can't compete to that of an influencer's 30-second video on the same subject.
His or her millions of followers proves that.
If only there were a way to get your content in front of the eyes of your influencer's established network.
Actually, you can-all it takes is one simple message like this:
Hi [Influencer],
I mentioned your words of wisdom in my latest blog post on [topic/industry]! Feel free to Tweet it out to your network or share it on LinkedIn-it wouldn't just make my day; it would make my year!
[link]
Cheers,
[Your name]
Do a little investigating for yourself and see which influencers (relevant to your audience) you can mention. When you do this successfully, you can expect a flood of traffic and backlinks to your website. If a bigger nudge is needed, suggest sending them advanced product releases or to join your affiliate program.
Competitor analysis on backlinks is an effective, albeit uncommon, digital marketing strategy.
The more you know exactly where your competitors earn their inbound links, the more places you can engage with audiences relevant to your product.
If you're business exists within a broad industry, a great tool you can use to narrow down your competitor search is crowdsource business-insight platform, Owler.
Simply enter in your company name, or the name of a specific competitor.
Owler will then filter the most relevant competitors in that specific space.
Once you create a list of your competitors, you can begin reaching out to sites where they earn their inbound links.
Web-based backlink analysis tool, Majestic, makes this incredibly easy to do.
Step 1.) Enter and search the domain or URL of a competitor:
Step 2.) Click on the backlinks tab:
Step 3.) Visit the external links where competitors are featured:
One of the fastest ways to earn authoritative backlinks to your website is through guest blogging.
Fastest. Not easiest.
There is an art form behind a good guest blogging strategy. You have to prove to digital editors and site owners that your thoughts contain value for their particular audience.
However, contributing to websites with low-authority is a waste of time and energy.
Here are the three most important things to consider when looking for a site to contribute to:
Once you compile a list of the best digital publications and blogs you want to be featured on, it's time to reach begin your outreach strategy.
This is where your marketing skills come into play.
There is no right or wrong template regarding how to reach out to site managers. While you brainstorm your pitch, think about intertwining these three elements into your message:
Here are a couple of different angles you can implement into your pitch:
OPTION #1
Hi [site manager].
Your article on [topic/industry/strategy] helped my team and I [result]! Thank you for providing such practical and easy-to-implement insight into this rarely discussed topic.
I've actually been thinking about publishing an article on [similar subject], and I think your audience will find this insight valuable.
Here are a couple ideas I put together regarding the title:
[Headline examples]
To getter a better sense of my writing, feel free to visit my blog [blog link], or check out some of my guest posts on [guest post link]-it was shared over 250 times on LinkedIn!
Would you like for me to send you over a draft?
Love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
[Your signature]
OPTION #2
Hi [site manager]
Your article on [subject matter] has produced a drastic change in my company's ability to [result].
Thank you!
Since I can't shake your hand personally, I thought this message would serve as the next best thing.
I understand publishing informative, hard-hitting content like this isn't easy, so I'd love to help if you're interested.
Here's a few ideas I put together that I believe will resonate well with your audience.
o [Article theme 1]
o [Article theme 2]
o [Article theme 3]
I have quite a bit experience providing insight into this topic. Here's a few examples of my work on [subject matter]:
o [link to blog or guest post]
Being featured on [site manager's blog] would be an honor! Let me know if you would like for me to send you over a quick draft. If not, you can still catch in me in the comment section ;)
Thanks,
[Your signature]