We all know that one-way links from authority web sites are essential if your link building efforts are to be successful. But what does it take to get those authority sites to link to you? Well, you'll probably guess that it is not easy - quality links don't materialize from feeble or automated requests. To get those ever so valuable links you've got to adopt the right mindset - the principles that show link targets you mean business and that you're worth linking to.
Here's my baker's dozen...
1. Know your marketplace
The majority if not all of your potential quality links will come from the online marketplace around your industry. They will be made up of information web sites, forums, associations, logs and email newsletters specializing in your industry.
You really must get to know this marketplace and you must establish your position within it. To do that you must devour information: you must know the best news sites, the most popular newsletters, the busiest forums and the most popular blogs. Sign up for the newsletters, get yourself a news reader and sign up for as many useful RSS feeds as you can. These will deliver news to your desktop rather than you having to go and search for it - used well they can be a huge timesaver.
2. Obsess about your customers
Get to know them inside out. Understand their stories. Statistics about customers on their own are not enough - statistics don't give you much to use in link building. Customer stories on the other hand provide wonderful material.
People are interested in other people and if you write web copy that highlights interesting stories, you're sure to attract links.
So find about your customers. What are their needs? How did they arrive at your website? What did they do when they arrived? And most importantly what did they do when they left? Did they find the answer to their problem? How did your site help them?
You can start this process simply by looking at the emails you receive - reply people's queries, enter into email conversations, probe a little deeper to find out more.
Ask your customers directly to share their stories - direct requests can give you some terrific insights. You might even put a formal story gathering project in place.
Whatever you decide to do, the main objective should be to add detail, opinion, examples and 'color' to your web copy.
3. Understand the language that your customers use
Keywords are just 'the words people use when they search'. It goes without saying that using keywords is fundamental to successful link building: there is nothing better than getting keyword rich links coming back to your site.
Keyword rich links are easy when you're buying directory listings or text link ads, or indeed when you have relationships with other sites and can ask them to link to you using your chosen keyword phrases.
But there are other ways to get keyword rich backlinks.
When people link, they often use the name of a product, a publication or the title of an article or blog post, as the linking text. So use keywords wherever you can in names and titles - it's a great way to influence the words people use when they link.
4. Be wary of automation
There are many link building schemes that claim to be able to build you inbound links automatically. Avoid them like the plague - they invariably involve some variation on search engine spam. Don't waste time trying to fake an inbound link network: rather, invest your time and money in building real links from quality sites.
5. Be generous with your outbound links
Giving outbound links to quality content is one of the best ways of establishing yourself in your online marketplace. But be selective with the sites you link to - don't just link to any relevant sites you find, choose sites that have exceptional or useful content.
Add some comments and descriptions as you link. The readers of your website will appreciate it and your generosity will encourage some valuable word of mouth marketing for your site.
And of course, the publisher of the site that you've linked to will appreciate it. Think how badly you want links - other webmasters are the same and they will pay attention to sites that link to them. Your outbound links could be the start of a beautiful relationship.
6. Watch out for great content, no matter where it comes from
There's an old technique that comedy writers use. It's called 'switching'. The idea is to create a new joke from the basic elements of another, successful joke by switching the situation. So the basic elements of a joke about salesmen could be switched to a joke about teachers.
You can do the same switching for content ideas. Take a close look at any piece of content that catches your eye - an article, a contest, a survey. Isolate the basic elements and then transfer the idea to your own industry.
So
13. Be relentless and determined
Of course, the thing about quality links is that they're hard to get - you have to really make a concentrated effort, but the results will be well worth it.
Building quality links is rarely an overnight success but there are exceptions. Sites can make a tremendous impact in a short time if they have an exceptional story to tell. But for most of us, immediate success is not usually the case.
Sure, go for the spectacular if you can but treat it as a bonus. Don't forget to stick to the task and build up quality links over time. If you start with content that is genuinely useful, and if you target sites that are real sources of information for sizable numbers of readers in your marketplace, then you will succeed and start to see powerful and sustained results in a matter of months.
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Wordtracker.com. He writes regularly on link building and online public relations. He is the author of the highly acclaimed 'Linking Matters Report'. You can claim your free copy at
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