Link building

SEO link building – get it grooving and you’ve got a top-ranking site on your hands. Lots of lovely authority rubbing off on your relevance ratings, vindication, validation and oodles of Google love. Get it wrong, hang out in the less salubrious link neighbourhoods, take the path of least resistance perhaps, or get caught crossing palms with silver and you could be heading for a fall.

We’ve already taken a look at three tried and tested SEO link-building methods:

• Directory submission
• Competitor analysis
• Online Press Releases

So let’s have a look at a few more.

Killer content – Well it almost goes without saying but…not quite. Develop a site worth linking to. An irresistible site bursting with great content. Even if it’s a case of aggregating other people’s content and curating it – pulling information resources together and representing them, re-purposing them or shaping them with your own style.  Far tougher than it sounds, exceptional content can be costly and can be time-consuming to produce. If you aim high from day one though, then you may stand a chance.

Blogging – It’s essential to keep your site updated with fresh, relevant content. A blog is the perfect way to do this. It also offers great SEO opportunities allowing you to target specific keyword phrases.

Review industry events or live blog – Share insightful takes on shows, seminars, conferences or trade events in your sector being careful to link out to the main players – speakers, other attendees, organisers etc. Not only are you offering a window on the event for those unable to attend, but more often than not those you have linked to in an effort to boost their profiles and link opportunities will repay the kindness by linking back through to your piece.

Guest posts – While we’re on the subject of blogging, guest posts are a fantastic way to both get in front of a fresh audience and reap the rewards of a juicy link or two.

Blog roll – Why not run a couple of list articles on your site linking out to those in your industry that you respect or admire? Maybe you’re a fan of their work, their books or their organisations. It’s surprising how many people are only too happy to reciprocate an unsolicited link.

Testimonials – Offer companies that have done work for you a testimonial. In all likelihood they’ll leap at the invitation and…hey presto – a nice inbound link.

There are countless other ways that SEO professionals mange to evolve a host of position boosting links. Talk to your SEO team to find out the sorts of link-friendly tricks they have up their sleeves.