First of all; What is Link Building?
Link building is the process of trying to get other websites on the internet to link back to your website. There are many ways to achieve this, ranging from local directories, asking partners, guest posting, acquiring web properties, and much more.
Search engines use these links to discover new web pages and determine how a page should rank in the results. The more high-quality backlinks a page has, the higher it will rank in search engine results (SERP's).
What's our approach to Link Building?
Link building is by far one of the highest-impact tasks that can be completed in SEO. However, “link building” comes in many different shapes and sizes and many different price points.
We take an anchor text-first approach to link building. This means that before we build any links, we analyze the pages that are being returned in positions 1-3 to understand the anchor texts for top-performing competitors. We learn what percentage of links are brand mentions, or keyword-focused, etc. This helps us map out the ideal anchor texts for your specific pages.
After this, we build out an anchor text document - which is basically a document that outlines the priority pages we are targeting and the “ideal anchor text” for each link acquired before we acquire them.
Then, when it comes to actual link sources, this can vary a lot depending on the type of business and industry but is usually comprised of:
- Local directories and citations. These are also used within our local SEO efforts but are a great source of brand-based links.
- Link placements and guest posting. We have relationships with many website owners and are able to place links in existing content or create new content for linking purposes. This is not a large-scale outreach-based approach and is very much focused on existing relationships we already have.
- Acquiring expiring/expired domains. In addition to placing links on other websites, we are constantly acquiring new domains every week as potential link sources. These are websites with existing authority and link profiles that we acquire and repurpose as industry-specific content based on the history of the website. Once these sites have been indexed and start ranking on their own, we can leverage these for link placements and guest posting internally as well.
Links vs. Citations.
Citations are references to a business name, address, and phone number. Often, they are also linked to a website, but this link is typically branded or URL-based and a mix of no-follow and do-follow. They are a great way to add local relevance and round out a link profile. While they should be included in all link profiles, they are not the highest authority links that can be acquired.
The Mechanics of SEO Backlinks
SEO backlinks are not all created equal. Their value can vary greatly depending on several factors.
These factors include the linking site's authority, the relevance of the link, the anchor text used, and whether the link is a dofollow or nofollow link.
Understanding the Different Types of Links
There are two main types of links in SEO: dofollow and nofollow. Dofollow links pass on link equity, while nofollow links do not.
Dofollow links are the most valuable type of link in SEO. They pass on link equity, which can improve your site's ranking in search engine results.
Nofollow links, on the other hand, do not pass on link equity. However, they can still drive referral traffic to your site and increase your brand visibility.
The Role of Anchor Text in Link Building
Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink. It plays a crucial role in link building as it provides context to search engines about the linked page.
The anchor text should be relevant to the linked page and provide a clear indication of what the page is about.
However, it's important to avoid over-optimizing your anchor text with keywords, as this can lead to penalties from search engines. Instead, aim for a natural and diverse anchor text profile.
Content Creation and Marketing
Creating high-quality, link-worthy content is the cornerstone of any successful link building strategy. This involves understanding your audience and creating content that resonates with them.
Here are some content types that are particularly effective for attracting backlinks:
In-depth guides and tutorials
Original research and data
Infographics and visual content
Thought leadership articles
Interactive content, such as quizzes and calculators
Promoting your content is equally important. This can involve sharing it on social media, sending it to your email list, and reaching out to influencers in your industry.
Outreach and Relationship Building
Outreach is a critical component of link building. It involves reaching out to relevant websites and influencers in your industry and asking them to link to your content.
Here are some effective outreach strategies for link building:
Guest blogging: Write a post for a relevant blog in your industry and include a link back to your site.
Broken link building: Find broken links on other websites and suggest your content as a replacement.
Influencer outreach: Reach out to influencers in your industry and ask them to share your content.
Link reclamation: Find mentions of your brand that aren't linked and ask the site owner to add a link.
Building relationships with influencers and other industry professionals can also lead to more link opportunities in the future. This involves engaging with their content, attending industry events, and collaborating on projects.
Measuring Link Building Success
The success of a link building campaign is not just about the number of links acquired. It's about the impact those links have on your overall SEO performance and business goals.
This requires tracking a variety of key performance indicators (KPIs) and using the right tools to measure progress.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Link Building
There are several KPIs that can help you measure the success of your link building efforts. These include:
The number of new backlinks acquired
The quality and relevance of the linking sites
The diversity of your backlink profile
The impact of your backlinks on your search engine rankings
The amount of referral traffic generated by your backlinks
It's important to remember that link building is a long-term strategy. It can take time to see the full impact of your efforts.
Tools and Techniques for Tracking Progress
There are many tools available that can help you track your link building progress. These include SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz, which can provide detailed backlink data and analytics.
These tools can help you monitor your backlink profile, identify new link opportunities, and track changes in your search engine rankings. They can also provide insights into your competitors' link building strategies, which can inform your own approach.
In addition to these tools, it's important to have a system in place for tracking your outreach efforts. This can involve using a CRM or a simple spreadsheet to keep track of who you've contacted, what the response was, and any follow-up actions.
The Need for Campaign Transparency
Transparency in link building campaigns is not just about honesty. It's about providing clear and accurate information about the progress of the campaign.
This includes sharing key performance indicators (KPIs), such as the number of new backlinks acquired, the quality of these backlinks, and the impact on search engine rankings. It also involves being open about any challenges or setbacks and how these are being addressed.
Transparency can help build trust with stakeholders, including team members, clients, and senior management. It shows that you are accountable and committed to delivering results.
Reporting and Communication
Effective reporting is a key part of campaign transparency. This involves regularly sharing updates on the progress of the link building campaign.
Reports should be clear and easy to understand, with a focus on meaningful metrics. They should also be timely, providing up-to-date information on the campaign's progress.
Communication is another important aspect of transparency. This includes regular meetings to discuss progress, challenges, and next steps. It also involves being responsive to questions and feedback, and being open to new ideas and suggestions.
The Future of Link Building
As we look to the future, link building will continue to be a vital part of SEO strategies. However, the focus will increasingly shift towards quality over quantity, with search engines becoming more sophisticated in their ability to evaluate the value of backlinks.
The future of link building will also be shaped by the evolving digital landscape, including changes in user behavior, search engine algorithms, and industry best practices. This underscores the importance of staying informed, being adaptable, and continuously refining your link building strategies to ensure they remain effective and aligned with your brand's goals.
댓글