Link building is an important part of search engine optimization. It’s also among its most challenging parts. To be effective, it requires creativity, hard work, and a financial investment. Your personality and the nature of your website will determine the nature of your link building campaign.
In order to develop a link acquisition strategy that is effective, you’ll want to take in account a few things about your business. There are a number of very effective ways to acquire links. In order to reach your target market, it’s essential that you choose the right ones.
WHAT TO CONSIDER IN YOUR BACKLINK BUILDING STRATEGY
- What industry are you in?
- What peers or competitors are in the same industry?
- Are there any peers or competitors that you could offer a different spin or add to the discussion on their site?
- What cross industries are relevant to your industry?
- Where do your clients/customers frequent? What websites? What do they do in their down time as hobbies?
- Are there any cross industries where your industry could reach your audience?
- What magazines or industry news sites could you offer an article to?
These questions will help you think about different places where you could offer articles and other forms of content (ebooks, webinars, directory listings) to reach your audience. Chances are that your audience frequents these sites and even if you run an ad on the site, you can be placed in front of your target customers.
RESEARCHING COMPETITORS’ BACKLINKS
Some business owners worry about researching competitors’ backlinks and think it is a waste of time. Depending on the industry, researching competitors to see what their backlink strategy is… is actually a smart move. Many bloggers in the same niche and industries often research their competitors to find out where they can get backlinks from that their competitors already have.
Their thinking is that it’s easy to spy and see what the competitor has already done so why not do it too?
CONNECTING WITH CROSS INDUSTRY PARTNERS
There is also the possibility to connect with cross industries to partner and reach their customers. This possibility is seen in many different forms today. Some of the most prevalent are Coke and Pepsi teaming up with restaurants and offering their products in fast food chains like McDonald’s and Burger King. These big name companies connect and even advertise for their vendors based on the popularity of their products.
HOW TO ACQUIRE LINKS
There are several methods of acquiring links. Natural or editorial links are the most organic and require the smallest investment of time and money. They simply link to your content.
Outreach, or manual links, require that website owners contact bloggers or pay popular directories for inclusion. Self-created links are made through blog comments, forum signatures, user profiles, and guestbook signings. Many websites search for links to post by topic-specific popularity within relevant industries, social media, and local directories.
To create a successful link building strategy, website owners should research the elements involved and find out which ones search engines value most. You may have to test several of them to see which ones work best for you. Often, the difference between success and failure comes down to preparation. Set realistic goals, be creative, and be willing to put in the necessary time and effort, and your link building efforts can be successful.
We can also help in your efforts through our SEO program. If you’re ready to get started, request your free search engine marketing proposal today.
