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Most bloggers and website owners understand that link building is an art, but most fail to see the bigger picture. We also like to think that social media is a science but lacks a clear-cut path. To achieve success in both worlds, we need to combine tactics from each sphere of influence into a cohesive strategy for success. This article will cover the general theory behind social media link building and show you how it works best for your blog or business. Or, more specifically, we’ll reveal: The importance of face-to-face interactions over online efforts, how to uncover blogging opportunities through practical research, What types of content and links produce the best results, How to measure results, and determine what strategies to use.
You might be surprised at how much time we spend online, especially regarding social media. Rather than building relationships the old-fashioned way (face-to-face), we now rely heavily on each other’s digital presence adding to our credibility through social proof. But we need to remember that other people are still out there reading and interacting with us, whether they’re sitting next to you or thousands of miles away. It’s no surprise that search engines like Google favor links from prominent industry members rather than those detected as spam through backlink tracking programs. To Google, a link from someone in your industry or niche signifies that you have been officially endorsed. It doesn’t matter whether you receive the endorsement from being an authority figure yourself or from playing off of the authority of others. The process works just as well either way because Google looks for signals of quality and trustworthiness to provide the best results. Your blog or business needs to seek both types of figures rather than focus on one over the other.
To begin your research, you need to consider what business you are in and your target audience. When you have this information, you should consider this: How can I help or add value to my audience? Once you have identified your ideal customer, think about the specific pain points they face. Then ask yourself these questions: What kind of problems does my target audience experience? Which of their needs is going unfulfilled? After identifying a common problem but a gap in solutions, you need to assess which blogs and websites can help you close the gap. Use a tool like Open Site Explorer (OSE) that allows you to see who links back to your competitors and use this information to brainstorm link opportunities. The more authoritative the linking site is, the better off you will be when it comes time for ranking your site. Once you have identified an opportunity, go to the source and read the content to know whether or not they would give the link back to you. If you find the content interesting, leave a comment with your information so that they can contact you to produce your link. Don’t forget that this is an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise in the topic. So make sure that your comment offers value to their readers before asking them for anything.
Bloggers are always looking for ways to produce high-quality content that keeps people coming back. For effectiveness, your content needs to stand out from the crowd. It is where link opportunities come into play. There are two types of links that will help people take notice:
Blogs actively seeking guest bloggers stand out from other websites because it shows uniqueness in their content. If you plan to write an article for them, make sure that you are an expert on the topic. You can approach your target blogger by finding their email through a quick WHOIS search. If you prefer to communicate via social media, use this platform to send them a message and wait for a response before pitching your idea. Combining both types of links is essential when it comes time for Google’s algorithms to select the “best” link for your content. Remember that Google is not looking at how many links you have, but rather whether or not you provided value to the linker and end-user of your content.
You must engage your target audience through effective link building, as it will lead to better rankings and more sales for your business. You should go into every social media posting knowing the type of responses you hope to generate and be flexible enough to let those interactions fall where they may. Being open and receptive to opportunities at all times will help you see success in your link-building endeavors.
Tags: Backlink, Link Building, Link Building 101, No-Follow, Open Site Explorer, WHOIS
