‘What do link builders actually do?’ This question caught me off guard during the week. It caught me off guard so much that I replied ‘Eh…well they build links to websites.’ Probably not my finest moment. In fact building links to your website is pretty straight forward but it does involve hard work and patience.
Here are 5 common link building strategies that anyone can try:
# 1. Blogging – Value: high, Difficulty: high
People link to and share content that they have found useful and that they think will be useful to their audience. Usually a companies ‘About Us’ page will not fall into this category. By hosting a blog on your website you have a platform to publish new content easily whenever you like. If this content is original and useful enough it will generate links providing that the right audience have access to it.
This is the the tricky part but there are things you can do to make the process easier such as:
- Submit your blog Alltop, Technorati and BlogEngage
- Submit your latest posts to BizSugar
- Share your posts through social media
- Share, comment and link out to other bloggers
# 2. Guest Blogging – Value: high, Difficulty: moderate
Guest blogging shouldn’t be used purely for the purpose of link building however it can allow you to link back to your own site as well as reaching a new audience and making connections. To find guest blogging opportunities in your niche Google phrases such as ‘write for us [industry niche]’ or use services like MyBlogGuest.
# 3. Online Press Releases – Value: moderate, Difficulty: easy
Online press releases are an easy way to build links back to your site. You’ll get a link from the website that distributes the link and from whatever website pickup on the press release online. If you use a quality service and take the time to write a really good release the online pickup will be greater and you’ll get more links.
- PRweb is one of the better known online PR sites
- And Irish Press Releases is a free Ireland specific service
# 4. Ask For Links – Value: moderate, Difficulty: easy
This is a really easy one but is often overlooked.
- Make a list of all of your business relationships whether they are suppliers, clients or partners.
- Now take a look at their websites and see if there’s any way they could link to you.
- This will sometimes involve giving something in return such as a testimonial or a reciprocal link.
Another quick win is to make sure that you have a link from any organisation you’re a member of such as the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, IIA, BNI etc.
# 5. Build Relationships – Value: high, Difficulty: high
This is really the key to successful link building. The more people you know online, the more people who are likely to link to your content. The better you know them, the more likely they are to link to you. You build relationships by engaging with others online, sharing their content, commenting on their blogs and linking out to them.
Have you any other link building suggestions?
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Images: ”Crowd of small symbolic 3d figures linked by lines, isolated / Shutterstock.com“
