Scale. Let’s talk about scale and link building. Michael King started the conversation that lasted most of the day on scale and link building. He said, “Scale is code for: I’m Lazy.” Though there has been some internal debate at WrightIMC about the level at which we can scale link-building efforts, one thing remains true: automated or crappy, low-relevance link-building are not good ways to build links to your site. You must be creative, agile and have real conversations in order to build the type of long-lasting, relevant and natural links that will have SEO value.
And, here’s the truth people: We [SEOs] are marketers, as Ruth Barr said in her SEO session. Everyone keeps talking about how the SEO industry is changing – no, it has changed. The days of massive automated links, that did some good more than two years ago, are gone. There is not really a way to do effective link building on a massive scale. We have moved from volume link building with exact match anchors, to quality links with diversified natural anchors. This was truly a theme of the day: create quality for the site you are marketing.
The thing we all really need to remember is that the Internet is still in its infancy. As online marketers, we need to continually be agile in order to keep up with the best methods to promote our sites.
With all that being said, there are some tactics that can help you on your way to building great links (via @ipullrank):
Keep in mind that reaching out via social media first can often be more effective:
This is because you are developing a relationship first, before asking for a link. There are a few great tools to help you research someone or a topic:
- Know’em
- Topsy
- FollowerWonk
- Klout
- Mention Mapp (image below)
It is extremely important to do your research before you start outreaching to your influencers. One of Michael King’s best practices for link building is having a persona when you are doing outreach. He uses one specific account for link building and another for his personal use. This would be the same as using your client’s Twitter account to promote their own content.
SEO Tactics that never stop working (from Ruth Burr)
- Talk about your stuff in the language people use to search
- Make sure robots can crawl and parse your site
- Fix your broken stuff
- Create good stuff people want and encourage sharing
- Build relationships that build links that drive traffic
- Make sure users get what they want/expect
Another great tip, by Derek Mabie during the SEO session, was doing an audit of your site. He had a great example of a site with a new design where they didn’t think about SEO until later.
Looking at your site and doing an audit will help you uncover different avenues that you can improve your site.
Did you like what you read? Check out their slide decks:
Michael King – Social Link Building
Ruth Burr – Marketing is What We Do
Wish there was more? Sneak Peak of the next post: “Honey, why don’t you grab the Merlot, I’ll fire up the laptop, let’s sit in front of the fireplace and do some queries.” – Duane Forrester.
