Link Princess

So often I get the same question whenever I try to explain what I do. It’s a question that is difficult to answer and the answer is difficult to understand.

“How much is a link worth?”

Boy, do I hate trying to explain that one. Not because I don’t know the answer, but because there are so many factors in trying to get a comprehensive overview of it all. Not to mention the questions that accompany the concept throughout the entire conversation. Questions like…

How many conversions did that link drive?

How do you know that increase in links is the reason I’m making more money?

Why do I want that link if it’s most likely not going to drive any traffic?

You got me 100 links. Great. How much is each one worth?

Why is that link more valuable than this one? What’s the difference?

Ok, I’m going to do my best to explain how we try to answer the overall question of the ROI of the link. Keep in mind that this generally involves white boards, several colored markers and lots of talking with my hands to the point where the white board looks like the latest game winning play from the Super Bowl. But here it goes.

The ROI of a link (depending on your pre-assigned conversion points) can be directly measured by:

• Referrals - how many times someone followed that link into the site
• Conversions - how many times referring traffic completes a conversion

Sounds pretty simple, right? And it would be if that were the only factors to consider. But there are more and some of which are pretty intangible.

1. Rankings

Link popularity is (contrary to popular belief) built up to drive rankings. Traffic is secondary. Granted, some tactics are executed for the sake of driving traffic, but rankings will be your best indicator of the strength of your link development efforts. Keep in mind that links can take anywhere from 30 - 90 days to be recognized and indexed by the search engines, mature and then actually count toward your rankings. Watch your visibility trends (or the actual number of keywords that you are ranking for in the top 30 and top 10 search results).

Hunt for correlations and draw reasonable conclusions keeping in mind things like other optimization efforts, recent press releases or news coverage, search engine algorithm changes, and other factors that could also have affected the rankings. Narrow it down to the keywords you have been focusing on in your link development efforts as well as the specific pages you’ve been building links to to get a better feel on how your efforts are impacting the rankings.

2. Type-In Traffic

Check out your analytics and hunt for the metrics on direct traffic. Is there an increase in direct type-in traffic that is otherwise unexplained? With some well placed links in high traffic areas, the brand name can resonate with users to the point where they just type in the home page URL rather than using a search engine. If you’ve recently embarked on a link development or social media campaign, this can contribute (although most likely it can’t take all the credit) for the increase in direct traffic.

3. Branded searches

Similar to type-in traffic, checking your analytics to see if this metric has fluctuated. Again, there are several factors on this one including offline promotions, media buy, and more. So keep it realistic but hunt for those clues that tell you whether or not your efforts are working.

If none of these factors are working, it’s time to re-evaluate your tactics. When it comes to search engine optimization, the number of links isn’t nearly as important as what’s happening after those are live. Anyone can build links, but only true link builders can build an entire offsite marketing and optimization campaign where the dividends are felt long after the link appears.

There has been a quite a bit of discussion lately around ethical SEO practices (or lack thereof). By default, this includes link building. While I don’t think we need a written set of rules for link building to make everyone play nice in the space, I’d like to propose a mantra that all link builders should link by: Be Smart.

Not be sneaky, be manipulative, be crafty, be deceptive. Not even be brilliant. Just Be Smart. Let me elaborate.

There are lots of ways to trick the engines and get ahead of the competition. Believe me, I know. I’ve seen the results via my clients’ competitors. And not just for those long tail keywords, but for big money keywords as well. There are lots of ways to try and circumvent the system. And Web pages are becoming disposable. Buy an aged domain with lots of links, buy some links and Voila! You have top 10 rankings for some big keywords. Sounds easy, right? And it has some serious short term (aka “flash in the pan”) results.

But that’s not how my team does it. We are interested in long term gains. We work for links that stand the test of time and add value to both users (being our primary focus) and search engines (secondary). Yes, we build links to build rankings, but more than that we want to give every user the best user experience possible.

When you’re creating a strategy, be smart. When you are choosing sites to request links from, be smart. When you reach out to that site and make the request, be smart. Don’t try and do something underhanded to get quick results. If you need quick results, try PPC. Above all else, use your head. You’ll be a better link builder for it.

Recently, a client of mine received an email from a “Professional Link Building” company (who shall remain nameless) for some business opportunities. It seems that they were searching for a rather long tail keyword (including a city and state that really has nothing to do with my client) and when they came across the site, they sent a note saying they could get them ranked #1 for this term.

I was really intrigued by this email, so I started to do a bit of research. I found several mistakes within the email that no link building company / team should make.

1. The long-tail keyword. It isn’t relevant and it shows me that they have no idea what the business goals of my client are.

2. They own 1000s of Web sites and get you 100s of links. Wow, if that isn’t SPAM and black hat, I don’t know what is.

3. They make mention of “ALL your keywords” but don’t list any of them out. Again, no idea of business goals and certainly not demonstrating any interest in finding them out.

4. They’re sending it to my client’s competitors. Scare tactics don’t work. What if more than one in a set agrees to the services and you’ve promised them “top rankings” for the same keyword? What happens then?

5. I searched “professional link building” and they are nowhere to be seen.

6. Their site isn’t even optimized. Yet they hammer on about “doing all the things the search engines love” to rank. Build links but screw the rest of SEO?

When it was all said and done, we all had a good laugh about it. Then we went back to building links the right way.

Whenever I speak at an event, present to a client, or have conversations with others about what I do for a living, I always mention social media. The first question is “what is social media?” When I tell them the basics (that it’s anything that can be created by users whether it be reviews, blogs, social networks, videos, etc) the next question is “How can I do that?”

People get into social media for different reasons. The most popular reason is for business purposes. They want to use social media to market their business. Which is great. But not always the best reason for getting involved. Some are just curious to know what all the “buzz” is about. And all of them are looking for the one answer that will help; the one network they should get on; the one profile they need to set up that will make all their business goals come to fruition. I’ve seen many faces fall as I explain that it’s more than that. It’s the “more” that tends to be difficult to explain.

Recently, I was turned onto a book called Now is Gone. The subtitle is “A Primer on New Media for Executives and Entrepreneurs.” I’ve seen (and read) a lot of books about social media. Many have come close to hitting it right, but seem to fall short of the mark. I’m a huge fan of Cluetrain Manifesto. It is the thing that originally got me interested in social media several months ago. The concept that the internet is really a conversation. Having said all this, I admit I was skeptical. But, I was greatly surprised.

Geoff Livingston has written an excellent book divulging the basics of social media with a keen eye on planning a strategy. I have recommended this book to tons of people who are interested in social media but only have a vague understanding of what it is and how it is being used. He methodically hits on the different types of social media that are available and how they will change PR, marketing, and general business conversations that are already happening online.

The thing I like the most about this book is that Livingston has written it in a way that is conversational, much like social media in general. It is reminiscent of Cluetrain, explaining the best practices of transparency, respecting the communities, and planning the best route to engage in social media rather than trying to control it.

In my experience, the biggest obstacle to anyone engaging in social media communities and online conversations is fear. Fear of negative feedback, of uncontrollable conversations, and the inability to convincingly measure the effectiveness of it all. Livingston lays out a solid foundation that can either dispel or at least dissuade a lot of those fears. The second biggest obstacle is time. And social media requires a lot of time. Now is Gone works on laying out the different types of media opportunities so that individuals can lay out plans and timelines to make sure that what they are undertaking is the best use of their time. And the case studies that are explained in the book highlight successes (and not so hot initiatives) to be taken into consideration as well.

In short, Now is Gone is where to start when you are getting ready to delve into social media. Take the foundational elements to heart as you begin the think through your strategy and lay the groundwork for breaking into Web 2.0.

I’ll be honest. It’s tough to do link building when you don’t have the luxury of working closely with SEO team who is actually optimizing the pages you are building links to. And I’ve had this experience where an internal team handles the optimization while we handle the link building.

I love the fact that I work in a search engine optimization firm with a full-fledged team of strategists, technical experts, and industry experts. But there are times that we are doing link building without having input into the keywords that are being selected, the pages that are being optimized, and the overall business strategy. Some lessons I have learned from this are:

1. Have a clear understanding of the pages you are building links for. When you jump from page to page on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, it’s hard to see true progress. Agree before the start of the project on which pages will be the primary focus of link building efforts.

2. Outline tactics that will be undertaken. Changing focus halfway through a project will not help the site nor your linking efforts. If a change of direction is requested, understand the goals that are driving the request.

3. Have keyword discussions. If your SEO-instinct kicks in that a keyword that has been selected is too competitive, too broad, or not as relevant as it could be, open the door for those discussions. Be prepared to have other options ready for the conversation, so do some keyword research before you begin to talk.

4. Have your strategy written out as best as you can along with a timeline. This will keep everyone on the same page as you work on the project.

5. Have open dialogues with the internal SEO team. Make sure that you are being kept updated on keyword changes, URL changes, or anything else that will affect your link building strategy.

6. Most importantly, define goals at the onset. This needs to be priority #1. Is it conversions? Traffic? Increased link popularity? Whatever the goals are, make sure that you are setting realistic expectations within the confines of the project and what you and your team can reasonably do.

There are lots of ways to do link building whether you are part of the actual optimization process or not, but having everything clearly spelled out is the biggest factor in not only a successful linking initiative, but in a successful relationship with your contacts for the site you are working on. It certainly presents its challenges when all you are doing is link building, but it can work and it will so long as you prioritize correctly and everyone involved is on the same page.

Well, it’s been two days since I attended the Cleveland Ladies Who Launch event. And I have to tell you, I’m still impressed. I met so many amazing women, and not just the guest speakers. The women that I met between events through casual conversation and literally “bumping” into each other. It was very celebratory and I enjoyed myself immensely.

To highlight a couple of the women and their businesses, I wanted to give them a quick shout out here:

Just Be - a company completely devoted to bringing out the best in you. I got a gift bag with an autographed copy of their thought-provoking journal and book.

Toilet Tattoos - Yep, you read that right. Totally awesome name for an interesting product.

Better Bit of Butter - I got one of Christine’s completely adorable cookies. She can customize anything and ship them to you. get your company logo or sports icon put on cookies for your next holiday party or special occasion. Absolutely too cute (and almost too cute to eat).

Jennifer Fecowycz of Creative Memories - I got tons of cute stuff in my gift bag from Jennifer including an awesome album. How did she know I was a scrapbooker??

There were tons more, but there is not enough time to mention them all. Again, I had an awesome time and I’m looking forward to watching these ladies grow their businesses!

Daryn Kagan is a former CNN anchor, author, and founder of DarynKagan.com. From the Web site:

“Daryn Kagan is the creator and host of DarynKagan.com, an inspirational online community that features a daily Web cast of stories that, “Show the World What is Possible.” DarynKagan.com has become a daily destination for thousands of Internet users who seek news stories that inspire.  Launched in November 2006, the Atlanta Journal Constitution described DarynKagan.com as “a lively gathering spot,” while the Boston Globe noted DarynKagan.com is “bucking the media tide,” with its “emphasis on stories that illustrate the triumph of the human spirit.” 

You can read more about Daryn here.

 Daryn is a former CNN anchor. She worked there for twelve years before she was told that her contract wouldn’t get renewed. At first she was sad, but inside she knew she was done. She talked about how we all do daily news casts in our heads. You collect stories in your head and she realized that inspiration comes in pieces.

While it was upsetting, she knew that something was coming. She looked at the possibility of launching a site about positive news (awesome). She was inspired by another reporter who focused on war zones. And she thought “why not positive stuff?”

Incidentally, she featured Allison Clarke as one of her first features on her site. She does love bucket stories… all great love stories. She does daily videos, email blasts, and focuses on uplifting stories. Daryn reinvented herself from what the world knew her as. She talks about what happens when the thing that you do and how you define yourself goes away? She says it’s an opportunity to reinvent yourself as something bigger and better.

Daryn doesn’t miss the news world. She loves that she did it, but she loves what she’s doing even more. The most surprising thing for Daryn has been finding out that you can’t do everything yourself. That’s what she wanted to do in the beginning, but her younger sister convinced her otherwise.

Daryn actually pitched her positive site idea to Yahoo! And they passed. So she did it herself. Her sister encouraged her to start her own site, rebrand herself and grow from there. Daryn had no desire to own her own business. Daryn says she has thing about getting picked. By doing her own thing, she was able to “pick herself.”

You can tell she loves her life and she loves what she does. Again, the excitement in the air is infectious. Daryn goes on to discuss that when you give your all and when you stay positive, what you need shows up in front of you.

Daryn’s first big step was to register her own domain. She picked her name. When she went to purchase it, the name was taken. She had been cyber squatted. She was told to prepare lots of money. She sent the current owner a nice email. He called her the next day and they chatted. He told her she could have it without any issues and it all went smoothly.

Daryn’s book, What’s Possible, is all about people who overcome amazing obstacles and do amazing things. She features two Launching Ladies in her book. She has done a lot in 18 months: a new site, her new book, and two documentaries.

Daryn has a great business strategy. She doesn’t have a Web site - she has a media company. She owns her own stories on the site, corporate speaking engagements, and advertisements all work to her revenue model. She talks about how individuals are getting the power that newspapers and traditional media has.

Awesome lady. Awesome site. Check it out.

A what panel? I know I didn’t know what it was either until Margey broke it down for me. Instead of trying to explain it, I’ll pull the information from the Web site. Yes, I am a cheater. I know it.

“Ideas need support and action in order to grow and thrive. The Incubator was designed to give you and your ideas a perfect “growth” environment. It’s equal parts focus group, resource-sharing space, and supportive community, and then another intangible part that you can’t really imagine until you experience it.

The group consists of 10 or so other resourceful, inspiring women who each help one another take their projects, businesses, or ideas to a new place. One night a week for four weeks (or mornings, depending on the schedule), under the leadership of a trained Ladies Who Launch facilitator, you will meet with your group, complete “homework” for yourself and for each other, and find an uncommon bond that exists between women traveling down their own path.”

There is a lot more information on the Ladies Who Launch Incubator page.

 This panel includes:

Rosalie Giaimo of Who Does That? (event planning)

Dawn Hanson of The Fairmount Group

Shannon Tarr of Glam Push Presents

Eileen Smotzer of Real Hot Attitude

These ladies are all sharing their experiences in their incubators. Many of them share that the Incubators have been life changing. The networking and the creativity that happens has such an impact on their lives that they are all nearly giddy on the stage!

Some of these women are launching their business on top of working 40 hour work weeks. They are all truly inspirational and the day is only half over. Off to lunch!

Mei Xu will now be speaking here at Ladies Who Launch. She is the founder and creator of Chesapeake Bay Candle and Blissliving Home.

Chesapeake Bay Candle is something that I’ve heard of (I heart their candles) but Blissliving Home is new to me. Their mission, as stated on their Web site, is:

“It started with a quest for bed linens that combined sublime comfort with modern, tasteful design. After searching the world, we realized that we must make our own dream come true — and if we desired it, others did too. And so was born Blissliving Home.

Already dressing many a bed in Asia, our exclusive sheets, shams and covers are only now available in the United States. Each piece is crafted of fine cotton from the Orient, sumptuous silk from India and China or beautiful cotton jacquard from Italy.

Imagine easing into slumber in silken sheets, or opening your eyes to refreshing graphic patterns. Along with bedding to please your senses, we offer fragrant candles and other accents that bring to your bedroom the colors, textures and influences of exotic destinations. We invite you to discover all you need to create your sanctuary where you can rest and recharge, with stylish, simple solutions from Blissliving Home.”

Wow! I’m in! Where do I sign up??

 Mei Xu (pronouned May She) joins us with an amazing story. She came to America not even knowing the language and now has a billion dollar company.  She loves Ladies Who Launch (at this point, who doesn’t?) and she believes that business is a journey and it can take you absolutely anywhere.

Mei was trained as a diplomat in China at the age of 12.  She was able to learn the language and pick up on the culture very easily. She came to America for a graduate degree in journalism and was unhappy in her job (that has never happened to me. Okay, you caught me. But I’m not there now). She took the risk to launch her own business.

She lived in NY and her husband lived in Maryland. She had ample opportunity to shop. I’m jealous. She says she is a shopaholic even though she was raised in a communist country. I’m cracking up as I type this.

She realized that something was happening in the home decor industry in the early 90s. There was a disparity between home decor and fashion. Her husband gave her the suggestion to start the business in 1994 and they both quit their jobs to start the business (yikes). If you look at the difference between 1994 and now, lots of businesses are now in this space.

Being a world traveller, Mei was able to identify trends in other countries that helped her with the concept behind her business. She used her friends as her focus group (there was no Ladies Who Launch back then).  She loved what she did and she had very high standards. She talks about how she bounced product ideas back and forth until she found her bliss in candles.

Big piece of her advice: start with the niche and grow from there. Don’t start with the big idea. She went to a gift show in an 8×10 show space and picked up $90,000 worth of orders. Wow.

She did it all herself in the beginning including running to UPS to ship those orders. She talks about growing and finding vendors. Vendors are as important as your customers. She looked for ways to finance her business, build a sound business plan, and become a reliable business. She is now manufacturing internationally.

She discovered that many people were buying the candles as a decor item, but not burning them. So she came up with fragances to encourage her customers to actually use her candles. She learned how to create her own fragances. She says she started the business in her basement. She also says basements are precious. She experimented with colors and fragrances. Some of her designs were mistakes. You have to love oops moments.

Her next tip is even if you are starting small, expect and envision yourself at the big events. Attend the biggest events as a buyer and explore what other companies are doing. Draw inspiration from what is around you and at the premiere events in your industry.

All of Mei’s candles were hand poured and they were original pieces of art. She also says that the US is the only country in the world where so many people are open to new ideas. Not just small businesses, but large corporations as well.

Mei is phenomenal. I love the candles and I love the concept on the whole!

Next it’s my turn, I’m (obviously) representing Brulant, and I will be speaking with Kristy from OnMark Solutions. We will be discussing Search Engine Marketing, Social Media, and Email Marketing Campaigns. Wish me luck!