Link Building BootcampThe art and science of links.
Debra MastalerAlliance-Link.com
@debramastaler
• Slides on SMX Slideshare but note taking highly recommended
• Q&A at end of session
• Tweet this session But! Please respect request not to tweet
• This presentation is copyrighted and cannot be reprinted
©Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Agenda
• Search algorithms – The influence of link popularity & social signals
• Link building trends – What to avoid.
• Tactics – What is working?
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Search Engine Rankings January 2014
http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Press_Releases/2014/2/comScore_Releases_January_2014_US_Search_Engine_Rankings
67.3%
18.2%
10.8%
2.5 % 1.3%
© Alliance-Link.com @debramastaler #SMX
Organic vs. Paid
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Organic
Paid
What Makes A Page Rank? (Google)
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
http://moz.com/blog/ranking-factors-2013
http://www.google.com/competition/images/search-algorithms.png
Google = 200+ ranking signals
Bing = 1000+ ranking signals
What Makes A Page Rank? (Google)
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
“long clicks” and “short clicks”
What About Social Signals?
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
Google Bing
FacebookTwitterQuora
Says:
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/02/11/eric-schmidt-confirms-google-content-given-search-priority
…”Within search results, information tied to verified online profiles will be
ranked higher than content without such verification, which will result in most
users naturally clicking on the top (verified) results. The true cost of remaining
anonymous, then, might be irrelevance.”
Using To Rank
• Build a strong network , find active and influential people to add to your circles.
• Get links from sites/pages in the Google + network.
• Include your Google + profile in your author bio
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Bottom Line? Link Popularity Still Dominate Factor
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
“…we have run experiments internally and the quality looks
much worse,
turns out backlinks, even though there is some noise and certainly a lot of spam, are still a really really
big win in terms of quality for search results.
…backlink relevance still really helps in terms of making sure we return
the best most relevant…search results.”
Feb 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCY30WhI2og
Google Engineer Matt Cutts
What Is Link Popularity?
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
• Link popularity measures the quality and quantity of links pointing to a page.
• Considered an off-page factor
Slang: link juice, link pop, link love
Link Popularity – Four Components
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Quantity Quality
RelevanceAnchor
Text
Link Quantity
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Link QualityDetermined by the authority of the host sites and the sites linking to them.
Quality flows from one page/site to the next through links.
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Your page
Site X
Site A
Site B
Site Y Site C
Link Quality, Also Known As:
All three engines have a formula to measure and compute quality:
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
PageRank™
TrustRank
NetRank(?)
RelevanceWorks to establish your topical and/or geographic dominance
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Links to
and from
contextually
relevant or
thematically
related sites
convey more
authority.
Anchor Text
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
• The clickable part of the link you see
My child and my money go to The University of Virginia.
My son spends a lot of money buying college text books.
Visit us at www.instatetuitionrocks.com for more information.
• An endorsement of what is to come
• Provides ranking weight and semantic value
Branded anchor
Keyword anchor
URL anchor
Your Goal When Building Links:
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Secure a lot of links from (quantity)
Quality pages using (quality)
Appropriate anchors on (anchor text)
Thematically related pages using (relevance)
Authoritative social media profiles (G+/FB/T)
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Part Two
• Scalable tactics devalued
• Flags and footprints
• Cleaning up “bad” links
Algorithm Changes, Tactics Devalued(Google gets specific)
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Forum links Forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature
Directories Low-quality directory or bookmark site links
Promotional Links Sending someone a “free” product in exchange for them writing about it and including a link
Widget marketing Keyword-rich, hidden or low-quality links embedded in widgets that are distributed across various sites
Algorithm Changes, Tactics Devalued
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Press Releases Links with optimized anchor text in articles or press releases distributed on other sites. For example
Guest Blogging Large-scale article marketing or guest posting campaigns with keyword-rich anchor text links
Content Outreach Services Using automated programs or services to create links to your site
(Google gets specific)
creating links that weren’t editorially placed… can be considered a violation of our guidelines.
How You Use Anchor Text Makes A Difference
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
• My child and my money go to The University of Virginia.
• My son spends a lot of money buying college text books.
• Visit us at www.instatetuitionrocks.com for more information.
Branded anchor
Keyword anchor
URL anchor
…”The following are examples of link schemes…
Large-scale article marketing or guest posting campaigns with keyword-rich anchor text links…”
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66356?hl=en
Anchor Text Best Practice
Example 1: What Not To Do
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
No image
Branded anchorLink to G+ profile
Image also featured in G+ profile
Example 2: Best Practice
Flags And Footprints To Avoid
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
• Do not secure the same type of link over and over
• Avoid linking with low quality pages
• Stay out of known networks
• Avoid placing links in navigation and sponsored areas
• Avoid pages/sites hosting excessive reciprocals and site-wides
• Avoid sites with ads above the fold or excessive Adsense
• Don’t use a directory mentioning the word SEO
• Avoid sites with no Contact or About Us info
Before You Link Checklist
Is the page your link will sit on in the index?
Has the page been cached lately?
Is the site/page tied to an active Google + profile?
Does the site participate in social media (FB/Twitter/Pin)
Is the website tied to a network or content service?
Are all the posts written by guest authors?
Is my content competing with Adsense?
Is the host site topically compatible with mine?
Site/page have contact information?
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Cleaning Up Bad Links
• Pull links from Google Webmaster Tools link list
• Pull links from two additional sources (Majestic/Ahrefs/Moz, etc)
• Keep detailed notes
• Make multiple efforts to contact webmasters
• “Some” is not enough.
• Wait two weeks after using disavow to submit reconsideration
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
Part Three
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
What Works? (Which strategy and set of tactics should you focus on?
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Attraction Content Universal
Foundational Links
Content
Sourcing
What Works? (What should you be focused on?)
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Attraction Content
Reviews
Interviews
Crowd sourced articles
White papers
Case studies
Newsletters
Universal
Video
Image sourcing
Webinars
Infographics
Media links
Social networks
Foundational
Directories
Reclaiming broken links
Email outreach
Comment dropping
Reciprocal linking
Forum links
Sponsorships
Content
Sourcing
Article writing
Guest blogging
Widgets & Badges
Attraction content
50%Universal
25%
Foundational
15%
Content
sourcing
10%
Column1
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Attraction Content
How Do You Attract People To Your Content?
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Relationship Channelscustomers
family/friends
influencers
business associates
memberships
1.Relationship channels
2.Traditional media outreach
3.Social media outreach
4.Paid ad campaigns
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
• Search social media profiles by keywords
• Lists # of followers
• Free and/or paid versions
• General alert service (free)
• General alert service (free)
• General search
• General search
• Lists forums by keyword
Tools To Find Influencers Attraction Content
Outreach Example
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
TIP: Search Google + Communities to find influencers
Using Memberships To Attract Traffic And Links
Chamber of Commerce
Associations
User groups
Clubs
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Getting a link from these organizations is
“nice”, but the real gold is in their membership
lists.
Attraction Content
Finding Media Contacts
• Media wants “fact based” information/content
• Infographics work best on media outlets
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Attraction Content
Buy media listshttp://muckrack.com/
Gebbie PressBacon’s Media List (Cision)
Search Twitterhttp://www.presspass.me/
http://www.journaliststoolbox.org/archive/twitter-resources/
Tap an industry Association
Online Researchhttp://journalisted.com/list
http://www.helpareporter.com/
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
What Attracts The Most Links And Traffic?
Influencers
Crowd sourced articles (egobait)
White PapersInterviews (video)
Business associatesInterviews (written)
White papers
Traditional MediaInfographicsCase studiesReviews (third party)
Through paid adsWhite papersNewsletters (with free offer)
Universal Linking Strategies
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Universal
Video
Image sourcing
Webinars
Infographics
Media links
Social networks
Offer images and/or content in exchange for link credit
Search for blogs (keyword + blog)
You must own the image!
Using Images To Net Links
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
When you find someone using your image without linking back, write and ask for the link.
Universal
Using Video To Attract Links
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
Great linkbait for media and .edu sites
Universal
Reclaiming Links
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Foundational
Directories
Reclaiming broken links
Email outreach
Comment dropping
Reciprocal linking
Forum links
Sponsorships
Tool Free/Paid
Chrome Plug-in (Check My Links) free
Ontolo paid
Citation Labs paid
Replace broken links on other people’s pages with your links.
Video
Articles
Coupons
Photos
Contests
Downloads
Employment BlogAffiliate
Foundational Links | Niche DirectoriesFoundational
General & Niche Directories
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
Directory Source
General
Affiliate http://website101.com/affiliate/directory-listings/
Blog http://www.web-directories.ws/Press/Blogs/
Coupons http://www.onlinecoupon.com/web-directories/
Downloads http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Shareware/Directories/
Photos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_photo_sharing_websites
RSS http://www.toprankblog.com/rss-blog-directories/
Video http://www.fridaytrafficreport.com/list-of-29-free-video-sharing-sites/
Avoid using free general directories and making directory links a large % of your backlinks.
Foundational
Guest Blogging For Links
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
How do I get influential bloggers to accept my guest post?
– Mutual friend introduction
– Point of commonality
– Showcase past writing
– Flaunt Twitter/Facebook/G+ followers
Content
Sourcing
Article writing
Guest blogging
Widgets & Badges
Where Do I Find Guest Blogging Opportunities?
Copyright Alliance-Link @debramastaler
Alliance-Link.comMarketingTools247.com
Keyword + Submit a guest post Keyword + join writing staff
Keyword + Submit an article Keyword + Contribute to our site
Keyword + Write for us Keyword + Suggest a guest post
Keyword + guest writer Keyword + Submit blog post
Tools: SoloSEO Link (free) | Link Prospector | Ontolo
Directories: Google Blog Directory, Technorati Blog Directory
Avoid partnering with blogs where each entry is a guest post.Stay out of the networks!
Content
Sourcing
@debramastaler #SMX © Alliance-Link.com
Where can I find quality sources (not blogs) to host my content?
Author + Keyword
Writer Keyword
Guide Keyword
Columnist Keyword
Contributor Keyword
Editor Keyword
Freelance writer Keyword
Find authors and you’ll find sources
Content
Sourcing
Content Syndication
Copyright Alliance-Link
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Presentations for Slideshare
Turn presentation into video
Pinterest board
eBooks
Content
Sourcing
Re-write/shorten evergreen content and syndicate on high volume sites, turn your written content into:
© Alliance-Link.com
Article Writing For Google+Content
Sourcing
Three times a week, write an opinion piece type article for your Google + page only.
Encourage comments and discussion.
@debramastaler
© Alliance-Link.com
Tip Lightning Round• Turn all written content into Podcasts, upload to iTunes and podcast directories
• Widgets not a good idea unless you can control where they are placed.
• Contests, sponsorships, scholarships, etc – all good ideas but one-off tactic.
• Follow key media on Twitter, engage.
• Fax press releases directly to media, forget the release outlets.
• Find an SEO forum/community and start listening/sharing.
• Use TalkWalker.com instead of Google Alerts.
• Circle Count tool to find G+ influencers.
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Key Takeaways:
© Alliance-Link.com
1. Keep the key components of link popularity in mind when building links.
2. Always look for partner sites with social sharing especially G+.
3. Don’t scrimp on a copywriter.
4. Invest in SEO/link tools after using free trials
5. Budget the bulk of your resources into creating evergreen content.
6. Add email capture to everything, put content behind it or “content for a tweet”.
7. Remember… it’s not what you do, it’s where you do it that matters.
@debramastalerAlliance-Link.com
MarketingTools247.com
Thank you!
Debra Mastaler
ADDRESS :
Fairfax Station, Virginia
EMAIL :
WWW :
www.alliance-link.com
www.marketingtools247.com
@debramastaler
Alliance-Link on Facebook
Google+
I specialize in creating targeted link marketing plans for large and small business. If you
need a list of content ideas and titles plus a list of sites to contact for placement, check out
my Link Building Blueprint program on Alliance-Link.com. ~Debra