Link Princess

I have a three step starter process when working with a client in building links. By knowing the following items, I get a huge jump start on my work. I ask the client:

1. What do you stand for? Not the same as a brand positioning statement, this tells me what is truly important to my client. Is it educating your customer base? Is it providing high quality products that could save their life or otherwise improve their quality of living?

2. Who are you looking to reach? Age, gender, socioeconomic background, status in life… all of those things will guide my strategies in the right direction.

3. What are you doing to better the world? Sponsorships and partnerships play a huge role in this. This also gives your humanitarian position a spotlight. If you’re not doing anything, what do you want to do? Hopefully, the answer isn’t “nothing.”

When you look at these three things and combine with an overall picture of the site (current sources of link popularity, content inventory, etc) you can create a strategy that is not the standard cookie cutter approach, but is tailored to your client, their industry, and their goals.

Myth: Link Builders have to do all the work themselves. FALSE

When it comes to link development, many feel that they are all by themselves in the big, bad world of link requests and directory submissions. That certainly is not the case. Yet many link builders (either paid or suckers volunteers) get lost, overwhelmed and feel as though no one can do what they are doing.

Fear no more! Help is here! And it comes in many different forms.

1. Writers - We all know that valuable content attracts links especially when the content is:

• Interesting
• Attention-grabbing
• Timely
• Relevant
• Equipped with a catchy title

Working with writers will help you reach out beyond the mundane directory submissions that encompass a lot of our time. Having valuable content to present to another site can get you some great links from valuable domains.

2. SEO Strategy Experts. These guys (and gals) should have a ton of insight into industry research, competitors and the targeted (and most coveted) keywords to go after.

3. The Data Junky. Those analytics types blow my mind. I should know, I’m related to one. They are able to look at things in a different, and “unique” manner that will help you in both strategy and execution. Not to mention measuring the effectiveness of your link building efforts. Looking beyond the Site Explorer numbers is critical, but where do you look? How do you know you’re doing “well?” The analytics friends that you encounter along the way will be beneficial beyond compare. Even if they do have an unhealthy affinity for Star Trek.

4. Social Media Gurus. You know the type. Have their own blog, twitter all throughout the day, facebook friends galore… they know everything about social media before the mainsteam crowd does. And they know what works and what doesn’t. Having some insight into the popular and upcoming trends is a huge benefit when it comes to link development, especially ground breaking ideas like link bait concepts. Make them your friends and try to keep up. With friends like these, you’ll need some high tech running shoes.

Now, you may not be on a team as diverse as this where you are working. I am fortunate as I work with a ton of brilliant people. But they are out there. And you will be able to find them the more that you reach out.