Recommendation of a Strategy

Using Your Blog to Build Links
Through Interviews

Visible.net

ByCody Barrus

Advanced Link Building: Part 2

We Will Cover

What your blog needs to be effective

How to find quality websites to build links

Collecting emails and info

Using interviews to reach out, create a relationship and solicit a link

Following Through

Long-term goals

Build a strong backlink profile

Improve SERP* results

Raise Page Rank

Create engaging and quality content

Increase referral traffic

Prepare for Part 3

*Search Engine Results Page

Before you begin

In order to use your blog to build links, your blog will need to already have quality blog posts

5-10 posts minimum

The reason: Nobody wants to link to an ugly, unprofessional, spammy or empty website

Tools You Will Need

Google Chrome: https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/

Install these Google Chrome extensions

SEO Site Tools https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/diahigjngdnkdgajdbpjdeomopbpkjjc

Status Pagerank/Alexa Toolbar https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bjgpmafbkgcchdjehdpnfgfgbdfahapa

Download and install -

Finding a Site

There are many ways to search for quality sites to reach out to. One useful method is a blog search in Google. Simply search for blog:search term

For example:

Blog:self defense

Blog:fashion

Blog:school issues

Blog Search Example

Here's the blog

First lets ask, Will it make a good link?

Read content to make sure the posts are relevant to your niche and good quality

Lets Check Our Tools

Check the page rank (PR)

The higher the PR, the better the link

Only reach out to sites with a PR of 2 or more

Make Sure the Site is Reputable

You can do this by checking the blogs backlinks using the Alexa Toolbar

Make sure they are linked to by good sources

A Good Source

It has a PR higher than 2 (PR 3)

Doesn't have suspicious back links.

Now it's time to gather the bloggers email and store it in a spread sheet.

Emails are sometimes hard to find. Look in About and Contact pages.

If you can't find an email, check what social networks they use and copy a link to their profile into the spread sheet instead.

Example spread sheet

Collect between 15-20+ for each link building campaign

Send an Interview Proposal

We are going to ask each blog if we can interview them via email

People love to talk about themselves so the response rate is very
high for interviews

People who are
interviewed usually link
back to the interview
without even needing
to be reminded

A Few Rules

Only interview via email

Phone interviews take a lot more unnecessary work

Don't mention that you are link building

Do mention that you will link to their site at the end of the interview

An Example Interview Proposal

Email is short and direct

Mentions them by name and mentions their niche

Gives a link to an example blog post or interviewHaving quality blog posts helps!

Their Response

The Interview

Now it's time to write a 5 question interview

Look at their site and ask thoughtful questions which they will be interested in answering

Also make sure the questions will create good content

Remember, they still may not respond if they think you are trying to use them or take advantage

We are constantly building a relationship

Example Interview

The Follow Through

After they respond with their answers, simply copy and paste them into a blog post in a Q&A format.

Q: Tell me about yourself. A: Well, my name is Alice and I am an artist...

Or be as creative as you would like to be.

Make sure to add a link to their website at the bottom of the article

After Posting the Interview

Follow up with another
email

Mention that the post is up
& include a link

Let them know, I would
appreciate it if you could
share this link on your blog
and social networks.

Remember to thank them

Rules

Send out Interview Proposal emails in bulk to manage time

Do not post interviews back to back on your site, instead keep them spread out between regular blog posts

After the interview process, keep their email. A relationship has been created, if you have something you would like the world to know about, email past interviewee's

Win Win

While what you are doing is building links and promoting your online business, you are also promoting the people you are interviewing

This is good for everyone involved, as long as the work you do is well done

Good Luck

Slide show by Cody Barrus cody.barrus@visible.net

Visible.net