The best link building tactics for small business' which don't include asking for links or guest blogging?

[sophiecrosby97]

M clients are two estate agents, a photography studio, and a drainage company if that helps!

[julie-getonthemap]

What is the reason they want to avoid those techniques? It would make it easier to suggest something that fits in with their strengths.

[SurgeStream]

Hi  sophiecrosby97,

Google always says to just create amazing content and then people will start linking to you naturally.  Easier said then done, right?  This, of course, is dependent on multiple factors such as your website's competition and the type of vertical you are in and if they are the type that normally link out more naturally then others.  For example, websites in the SEO niche are more likely to link out then photographers.

So, what do you do?

Get creative!  Perhaps create the most amazing post about something within photography that no one else has written about yet people are searching for.  Then, once that starts ranking, people will naturally start to link to it.  The downside to this approach is that this process can take a very long time.

So, what do you do to get fresh eyeballs and links to your amazing new content without asking for links or guest blogging?  You can mention it in their social media accounts.  You can find relevant photography forums and ask for feedback on your latest post.  That will create a link, but also it might get others to link to it if they find it helpful.  You can reach out to influential photography bloggers and mention our latest post and ask them for their feedback.  Technically you are not asking for a link, but many times you will get perhaps a Tweet or link in return.  At the bare minimum you are at least forming relationships in your niche.

Essentially, when trying to create amazing content that gets links, try to write answers to questions that others are searching for, but write it in such a way as to blow anything else that shows up in the top 20 out of the water.

I hope these tips help.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Kevin

[DonnaDuncan]

You can always take a look at the links of your client's closest competitors and see if any of those are worth going after. Minimally it could give you a sense of what has worked for a similar business in the past.

Then there are business partners and associations, local chambers of commerce, local and community news sites (if you have something newsworthy to offer), charitable contributions and sponsorships, fairs, trade shows, events, brand advocates, suppliers, and so on. There aren't any easy answers I'm afraid.

Unfortunately, the best way to earn links in 2016 is still the painstaking process of creating unique, fresh, specific, engaging, and valuable content and then promoting the heck out of it. No client wants to hear it, but it's the truth.

[EGOL]

**No client wants to hear it, but it's the truth.    **

I agree 100%.   And they need to be honest with themselves about the quality of their content.  They can't sit down, type 30 minutes of yada yada yada, and think that they have something that will attract links, shares, etc.  They need to look at the Moz blog to see what type of content real marketers produce.