A friend of mine recently started working as a digital marketer on a social media application that would make dining out a more pleasant experience. Like any other marketer, my friend’s aim was to get the site in Google’s good books as quickly as possible.
So a month after starting out, he was telling me about how he needed ‘more traffic’ on his site. I asked him if he was looking for ‘organic traffic’, and instead of responding, he stared blankly at me.
My point here is that it’s okay to go in without knowing everything, but it is also important to try and know as much as possible, as fast as possible. This is especially important when something as tricky as building links is involved. Fortunately, there are sources you can use to become well versed in the jargon.
Most of the basics around link building include working with resources, but they also involve common sense. That said, Google is always shifting its algorithms and therefore its methods to rank pages and content. Knowing how to be smart with link building is an essential skill.
This is for marketers who have crossed the intermediary levels and are well on their way to the next levels in terms of link building.
The thing is, there are no shortcuts. But knowing how to tackle each aspect clearly helps. When you listen to the different perspectives on key topics, they help in building a great strategy.
So whether it is updates, strategy, knowledge about the audience, or just clear insight, the following resources will guide you in all of these areas.
1. The Advanced Guide to Link Building
[The Advanced Guide to Link Building]
If any of you still have questions about the kind of changes in SEO brought on by the Penguin update, then this is the perfect resource for you.
The guide is well written, savvy and gives the entire context on why link building needs to be approached with care and caution. The best thing it offers is how it deals with debunking the methods we have been using since 2012.
The other aspect of why I like this resource is because it gives excellent advice on building professional relationships through link building. Additionally, the book also focuses on how content marketing can be planned in a flexible way, all the while keeping the information correct and up-to-date.
2. Educational Linkbait for Valuable .edu Links
[eBook is available upon subscribing to the blog]
Mind you, this is one lesson that I understood late when I started practicing. Edu links are excessively tricky because securing them is tough. A scholarly resource or an educational website will not feature content unless you write well-researched pieces.
This is one of the main reasons why content marketing has taken such a focused, research-based strategy. The more authentic your content, the higher your chances of securing a link.
Rebecca Haden explains why numerous marketers fail when it comes to capturing the interest of educational websites/ resources. She also gives out pointers on how businesses and companies should use digital platforms to get such links.
Additionally, she points out the importance of making your business more knowledge-centred. The future of digital marketing is based on content that is thorough. Further, she mentions the kind of sites that should be your hotbed and the kind that you cannot ignore. Rebecca then points out strategies that you can employ to ascertain the mental bent of your readers.
3. Linking Out Instead of Link Building to Rank in Google
[Worth Reading Post by Tad Chef]
Since 2009, outbound links have been a ranking factor as admitted by Matt Cutts and it remains the same thus far. Good blogging ultimately scores up good content, and there is little to no debate on how good content is created.
However, Cutts talks about how outbound links can help you gain better link authority over generic links. He also talks about how good blogs can essentially make other sites link back to them.
This particular resource does not gloss over how link-building strategies are outdated, but we have to remember that it was created before the Penguin update. Sadly, because the status has started reverting, the relevance of outbound links is not out of the question.
Get Good At Link Building; Generate More Traffic
These three resources are a treasure trove of link building knowledge for anyone who is just starting out on their journey as a digital marketer. In terms of how you can create a better understanding of content marketing; the first thing you need is credible info on link building.
So, the relationship between good content and well-ranking links is very basic in its nature. Good content gets better links, which drive significant, organic and targeted traffic. Remember, the whole point of building links is to generate traffic. So, if you are doing your homework, then you are well on your way to success.
Thrive Internet Marketing is a full-service digital marketing agency offering a comprehensive array of professional SEO services to get your business to the top of the front page. We use only trustworthy, future-proof, white-hat SEO techniques. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.