Link Building

Winning With Google

New Development At Google

Last week Google announced SearchWiki

Users rate results upand down the SERPS http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/searchwiki-make-search-your-own.html

The Mindset

Web is the web because of a series of links.  The Internet is social. A means of sharing information and connecting.  Recent estimate = 57 trillion links on the internet.

The Value of Links

Every link =

degree of trust and authorityreputation = text For link equity must not be no-follow

 

Equity And Reputation

No. of links = Authority & Equity

Text of link = Reputation

image link = authority, but not reputation

Search Engines Want

links to be honest relevant recommendations.

The wisdom of crowds.

Problem is...

People will try to influence results to their wishes. So just as in political elections nations have developed ways to limit one vote to one person. Search engines have to try to emulate this.

To do this they have to detect the ways that people are able to cast multiple votes.  Eg linking schemes, multiple sites, throwaway blogs etc.

Not All Links Are Equal

Most relevant links tend to be in body text. Sidebar links generally are static across site and due to friendship or affiliate/advertising relationship, so less relevant than something talked about in body.

Pages change in ranking, trust and authority. High quality, but undiscovered sites can become more valuable than they seem to be now.

Unnatural Links

Hacked sitesBlog comment spamGuestbooks etcContent sharing/Throwaway blog links Reciprocal linksPaid Links

Paid Links

Can buy links through bloggers, high traffic sitesreviews etcyour domain will be viewed with suspicion and so other links may be ignored.Directories

Avoid Tricking Search Engines

Search engines have hundreds of people working full time to detect and remove all these tricks from influencing search results.  They hold summits and conferences where they share their findings and initiatives.  To keep updated follow;

Mattcutts.com/blog

So how to build links.

If the web is a series of links.  And you want more links.

Become a more prominent part of the web and spread out your network.  Everyday you should be found in more and more of the places that conversations about your subject are taking place.

Places To Expand Your Presence

BlogsWebsitesForumsSocial Networking sitesPodcastsVideo Sharing sitesContent Sharing SitesImage Sharing sitesPress ReleasesProduct review sites

The More You Do, The More You Become Known

Everything that you do does two things. It introduces you to new people, some of whom have websites/blogs or other influence in your marketplace.  The second thing is it leaves another trail to you in the form of links.

The more people keep coming across your name, the more they believe you to be a more dominant player in your marketplace. And so you create authority and trust and so you get talked about more.

Depth vs Breadth

Few people continously come up with new insights/techniques

So syndicating same ideas in different places/formats/forms increases market penetration.

Presence = Probability

Remember Page Rank is based on the probability to someone randomly stumbling about the web finding your page. So their equation is geared up to measure your presence and reputation.

Therefore everything you do brings you links. Even no-follow links have some value.

PPC lead people to your site. Some people aren't in the market to buy, but are looking for ideas, for affiliate programs, for Consultants or Partners and for industry sources. So can lead to links from blog posts, forum comments, reviews and polls etc.

Promotion vs SEO

Create lots of promotions and aside benefit will be extra links.  More revenue =  more promotions =  more links.  

Don't Go Bust

If links cost money they reduce profitability and there's a point where you have to stop competing because it becomes too expensive.  If getting links make a profit or at least break even, you'll have more resources to promote more and so generate more links.

It Gets Easier At The Top

Once get more traffic, link building becomes easier because more visible and more credible.

Where Are You Now

Check links in Yahoo Site Explorer & Google WebmasterCan also use tools such as SEO Elite to analyse links

Free tools;

gregboser.com/downloads Backlink Analyser  tools.seobook.com

Tools Help Analyse;

unique sites unique C Block sites Outbound links on the page Inbound links Site traffic levels

General Rule of Thumb

more inbound links  + more pages indexed  = outrank competition

Two Types of Linkbuilding;

Authority = quantity Reputation = anchor text quality.

Tip For Link Targets

Find where competition is getting their links from.  Analyse what people are linking to and why

Need an edge, competitive advantage.

Link Building Strategies

Campaigns For Links

Content Sharing Sites

As explained last week.

Create pages on sites such as Squidoo & Hubpages

Randomly link them together to increase authority and link to own domain content pages.

Not Home Page.

Good Starting Place

Because seems unnatural to get authority links to a new site.

Instead appears content is being found and linked to.

Then it is more natural to gain other links.

Remember;

Google etc monitor pattern of acquiring links

Too good, too soon, can appear unnatural.

Steady growth beats feast and famine.

Article Distribution

Write 600-1,200 word article.   Best quality will rise up rankings.  Might want to write on more general topics, gain interestLink & ad in resource box, bio

Best article directory = ezine articlesIsnare.com,article announcer = distribute articles

Creating Link Bait

Needs to be great quality.  Impossible to sell rubbish.

What could you create that people in your market would find so useful that they would send people to you so they can use it free;

How to plan a wedding? How to budget your finances?Power list/Rich list/Media contacts100 best plug insTop 10 myths in...

Possible Link Bait/Viral Ideas

Facebook applicationsFirefox Ad-ins Widgets - http://sproutbuilder.com/softwareWordpress Plug-ins/ThemesQuizSpreadsheet tools30 day challengeTutorialsResource ListsReports

Obvious Backlinks

Software can then be distributed to hundreds of software download sites with links back to you. Plug ins get directory listings and so on.

Additional Tips

Content/tools must be of great quality to create wow factor or won't spread. Add in viral/tell a friend scripts to make it easier to spread. Build anticipation, create excitement.

Have to Promote It

Have to sell even free stuff.  Go to Giveaway of the day and read comments for an idea of impression free junk makes. People value time and get angry if it's wasted.  Collect Names & get permission.Link for free content is ok.Hidden links or misleading links = observed by manual reviewer how will they view it.

Viral Marketing

Hotmail, videosword of mouth magnified by easier sharing. Depends on copulation rate = Ave no. of people referred per viewer More than 1 = potential for viral growthDifficult for most people However general concepts useful for everyoneBasically boils down to having something genuinely innovative, easily understood and removing friction Read the Tipping Point and Made To Stick

Directory Submissions

Mainly add PR to site because link to Home Page and so spreads to other pages through internal links.

Major Directories pass trust because have editorial standards and so your site has passed first obstacle.

DMOZ – Primary directory, but very difficult to be included. Look for category with Editor. Don't try more than once within 6 months.

Yahoo - $299 with no guarantees. Possibly worth it for traffic anyway and powerful endorsement.

Check standards and follow guidelines. Site must be of good quality or excluded.

If relevant for more than one category, pick one with least other sites .

Other Good Minor Directories;

Best of The WebGimpsyGoGuidesJaydeSkaffeStarting Point

Before Paying For Listing;

Check category page where you will be listed is indexed by searching google for;

info: full url

Find Topical Directories;

searchengineguide.com  http://www.isedb.com/html/Web_Directories/Specialty_Directories/ or by searching  topic directorytopic directory suggest/submit etc

Possibly multiple categories

Blogging

Extra content Internal links Builds relationships with Readers and fellow Bloggers RSS Newsfeed builds links Anchor text links to own pages in RSS feeds leads to spreading more links across the web.

Building Relationships leads to new projects, people talking about you and collaborative efforts.

Find The Connectors

In every market, there are the people who direct people to helpful information.  Can find them because they will link to multiple sites in your topic area. Then attract attention to pages that would most cause them to be interested in you/link to page.

To find these use Hub Finder at;

tools.seobook.com

Find The Water Cooler

Find the gathering places, social networks, blogs and forums. By commenting and genuinely helping you will become respected and people will become interested in you and your site.   Use Google AlertsTechnoratiGoogle BlogsearchDiggStumble UponOdeoYoutube

Social Networking

Facebook 132million usersTwitterRyzeLinkedInYoutube DiggStumbleupon

To Be More Available, Yet Productive

Use Hellotxt.com or 

http://ping.fm/

to update all your profiles simultaneously

Using Facebook

Build Groups And Pages  Import blog posts as notes

Use status updates to involve people

Get involved in relevant groups

Create Your Own Social Network

Facebook Pages Ning.com Buddypress Drupal

News/Industry Blogs

Submit articles etc. Contact Journalists/Bloggers 

 

Or Become The News Blog

Start your own news or commentary blog. It gives you a platform and authority.  Blogs are becoming the new magazines.  This gives you the ability to go out and contact the most influential people in your market and contact them for comments or interviews.

Easiest Ways to Get Links/Attention From Industry Leaders

Publish an interview with them Give award/rank them in a survey on the most authoritative/influential people in your market.  Think Times Rich list/ Hollywood Power list for your Industry. Blog about them/their post Comment on their blog repeatedly with insights, points.

Public Relations

To work again, you need to have something newsworthy. PrWeb, Send2press Paid vs free = announcing vs whispering Don't worry about keywords.  Focus on content. Getting picked up could be huge Keyword in link at end of release Outsource if necessary

Blogger/Industry Leaders Relations Campaign

Develop relationships with those the gatekeepers to your Prospects Can lead to JV's for content or promotion Mastermind Groups/Industry Conferences - physical or virtual Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn Blog Carnivals/group projects Some of your Customers/Subscribers will have an online presence

Your Competition

Competitors can be Allies.  Advertising costs whether Prospect buy or not. There may be lots of reasons why someone won't buy from you.  Features, needs, personality issues.  Can join competitors affiliate programs/jv and still earn extra money on people that will never buy from you.

And vice versa. Can test with segments and measure results.

Video & Podcast Marketing

180 Video Sharing Sites http://www.reelseo.com/list-of-180-video-sharing-websites/

161 Podcast Directories http://www.podcast411.com/page2.html

CamtasiaScreenflow for MacJing.com for easy videoEyejot for video emails

To Distribute;

For distribution use;

Tube Mogul - 22 sites

Or for better results  Traffic Geyser -  Distribution, Social Bookmarking & Syndication System

Great Source of Ideas, Tools & Outlets

http://www.go2web20.net/

30 Bad Ways to Build Links

  Taken From;http://www.seobook.com/archives/001792.shtml

Directories 72. Submit your site to 200 cheesy paid directories (averaging $15 a pop) that send zero traffic and sell offtopic run-of-site links.

Forum Spam

73. List 100 Web sites in your signature file.  74. Exclusively post only when you can add links to your sites in the post area.  75. Post nothing but "me too" posts to build your post count. Use in combination with a link-rich signature file.  76. Ask questions about who provides the best [WIDGET], where [WIDGET] is an item that you sell. From the same IP address create another forum account and answer your own question raving about how great your own site is.

Forum Spam (Cont'd)

77. As a new member to various forums, ask the same question at 20 different forums on the same day.  78. Post on forum threads that are years outdated exclusively to link to your semi-related website.  79. Sign up for profiles on forums you never intend on commenting on.

Blog Spam

 80. Instead of signing blog comments with your real name, sign them with spammy keywords.  81. Start marketing your own site hard on your first blog comment. Add no value to the comment section. Mention nothing other than you recently posted on the same subject at _____ and everyone should read it. Carpet bomb dozens of blogs with this message.

Blog Spam (Cont'd)

82. Say nothing unique or relevant to the post at hand. Make them assume an automated bot hit their comments.  83. Better yet, use automated bots to hit their comments. List at least 30 links in each post. Try to see if you can hit any servers hard enough to make them crash.  84. Send pings to everyone talking about a subject. In your aggregation post, state nothing of interest. Only state that other people are talking about the topic.  85. Don't even link to any of the sites you are pinging. Send them pings from posts that do not even reference them.

Garbage Link Exchange Requests

86. Send out link exchange requests mentioning PageRank.  87. Send link exchange emails which look like an automated bot sent them (little or no customization, no personal names, etc.).  88. Send link exchange requests to Matt Cutts, Tim Mayer, Tim Converse, Google, and Yahoo!.  89. Get links from nearly-hidden sections of websites listing hundreds or thousands of off topic sites.

Spam in Person

90. Go to webmaster conferences and rave about how rich you are, and how your affiliates make millions doing nothing.  91. Instead of asking people what their name is, ask what their URL is. As soon as you get their URL ask if they have linked to your site yet and if not, why not.

Be Persistent

92. Send a webmaster an alert to every post you make on your website.  93. Send a webmaster an email every single day asking for them to link to your website.  94. Send references to your site to the same webmaster from dozens of different email accounts (you sly dog).  95. If the above do not work to get you a free link, offer them $1 for their time. Increase your offer by a dollar each day until they give in.

Getting Links by Being a Jerk

96. Emulate the RIAA. When in doubt, file a lawsuit against a 12-year-old girl. (Failing that, obtain bad press by any means necessary.)  97. Steal content published by well known names. Strip out any attribution. Aggregate many popular channels and just wait for them to start talking about you.  98. Send thousands of fake referrals at every top ranking Web site, guaranteeing larger boobs, a 14-inch penis (is that length or girth?), or millions of dollars in free, unclaimed money.

Links By Being Jerk

99. Wear your URL on your t-shirt. Walk or drive your car while talking on a cell phone or reading a book. When you run into other people say "excuse you, jerk".  100. Spill coffee on people or find creative ways to insult people to coax them into linking at your site.  101. Sue other webmasters for deep linking to your site. Well, this is more "hilariously dumb" than it is a "bad linking practice".