Link building, most marketers know how it works, but how do we do it?
Every SEO employee has his own opinion about this.
Everyone agrees that reaching out (aka outreach) is an essential part of a successful link building strategy.
Outreach?
Looking for suitable link partners is the beginning of link building.
Suitable candidates can often be found in the competition’s link profile or on sites that have already listed you, but without a link.
How do you get these prospective partners and the many others you meet to link to you?
Site administrators and bloggers versus SEO'ers?
Getting the sites and blogs you want to reach to get your story heard requires some research first.
Several studies have already been done on outreach and link building.
The common thread is how bloggers and website administrators actually think about SEO’ers.
In short, the studies show that they are often fooled or have that impression.
Many bloggers also feel undervalued.
You only e-mail, without showing any interest in the blog or what is being written.
Fooled and underappreciated. Of course, that’s not the best start to a relationship, Because with clarity and honesty, you can go a long way.
The studies also describe that the majority of bloggers and site administrators are certainly willing to post a link provided the content is relevant to their readers.
Fair links are the longest
If you approach someone via email, a form, the telephone, or social media, just say honestly that you want a link.
Bloggers and web administrators receive several emails per month and often have to make a distinction.
Therefore, make sure that your message to the web administrator includes the following properties:
- Directness
- Unique pitch, not a generic story
- Interest in website, blogger, and content
- Appreciation for the work that the other does
- Sincerity, instead of mountains of gold
- Offer an incentive
Especially that incentive should not be missed. What’s in it for them? 85% of bloggers earn money from her or his blog.
Mainly by selling links and content.
Yet an incentive does not always have to be money. Incentives come in different forms:
- Economic incentives: This can be money, but also the exposure that indirectly generates money for the website or blogger. This also includes the free delivery of good content.
- Social incentives: Giving the blogger more contacts and/or valuable relationships.
- Moral incentives: Who does good, meets well. Or other higher and/or charities.
In order to ultimately get good links, a link budget is not an unnecessary luxury.
Whether this is spent on creating good content that also benefits the other party (e.g., fun infographics, beautiful studies, viral videos, and other shareable content) or investing invaluable partners;
With a little extra budget, you can quickly create leverage for your brand’s link building strategy.
