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    4. Link Building Tactics for 2012?

    Link Building Tactics for 2012?

    Intermediate & Advanced SEO
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    • AWCthreads
      AWCthreads @EGOL last edited by

      This content blew up a server with 80,000+ hits: http://noahsdad.com/target-down-syndrome/

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
      • EppieVojt
        EppieVojt last edited by

        Here are seven actual link-building tactics that don't require you to have amazing content:

        1. Private blog networks - easily the most powerful "hands free" method of building links right now.  Outsource the writing of 150 word posts for $0.50 to $1.00 each.  Perfect for building deep links and anchor-specific links to sites that already have some domain authority.
        2. Guest posting - gives you full control over the content in your posts and the sites you get links from. Allows you to target much higher quality sites than private blog networks but you won't have as much control over anchor text.  Also, not ideal if the site you're linking to is sub par, as your author links are likely to be reviewed.  If your site is legitimate, this is one of the most powerful link building tactics around.
        3. Directory links - they still work and can be completely automated.  Use these to build up a base of links to a site.  I automate through a service that lets me schedule these out over an entire year (100 per month).
        4. Blog commenting - you can easily outsource it, automate it via Scrapebox if you want, or do it manually.  It depends on your risk aversion and own business morals.  There are simple search patterns you can use to identify dofollow blogs as well.
        5. Footer links from WordPress themes / plugins - less obvious but highly effective. I have a site that picked up over 3 million links last year from theme footers ("powered by" links).  If you're smart, you can automate this to vary anchor text on the fly.
        6. Forum profile links - easily automated but clearly spam.  If you're concerned about potentially burning a site, I wouldn't use these extensively pointing to your own site.
        7. Buy them - not through a network, but creatively.  You can sponsor open source software (can get very high PR links this way) or a meetup group, give to a charity, donate a prize for a community event.  If you do enough community related stuff, you may be able to spin that as a newsworthy story to the local press and nab a link there.

        If you combine these 7 tactics, you shouldn't have much trouble ranking.  If your content is awesome, you'll start to accrue natural links once you get the ball rolling.

        Hope you find this to be helpful.

        amit.ganguly jenadams Steve25 DeltonChilds SherWeb 8 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 5
        • amit.ganguly
          amit.ganguly @EppieVojt last edited by

          This is certainly very helpful.I was looking out for this answer only.

          Thank you so much !!

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • jenadams
            jenadams @EppieVojt last edited by

            Hi Eppie,

            Where do you find the 150 word writers who will do this for $0.50 to $1?  Also what services do you use for directory links?

            Thank you

            EppieVojt AustinRealtor65 expertvillagemedia 3 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • jenadams
              jenadams @EppieVojt last edited by

              Have you included social media in your mix?  How much weight do you give to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and +1, and LinkedIn?

              EppieVojt 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • EppieVojt
                EppieVojt @jenadams last edited by

                Most freelance sites should have people willing to write for those rates if you're willing to buy in bulk or commit long-term to a writer.  If a writer can sit down and bang out a bunch of these, they can do it more profitably than if you're giving them 1 or 2 at a time.  I prefer oDesk but any reputable site should do.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • EppieVojt
                  EppieVojt @jenadams last edited by

                  If the content's really good, social can have an excellent pay off.  If you're promoting mediocre "me too" garbage, it's just not going to work.  You have to be really honest with yourself about the client's site and content -- if it's not good enough to work in the social space, don't burn the hours.  Instead, fix the content problem or focus on building links like I noted above, since they largely bypass the editorial process.

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • SeattleOrganicSEO
                    SeattleOrganicSEO last edited by

                    I might be a little late to the party  and didn't go through all the posts shared by Keri (which I hope to do later), but how about social bookmark campaigns.  I have a friend who was able to use stumble upon and the like to get her site to drive huge amounts of traffic to her site: http://www.swayable.com/

                    So, to answer the question you repeat multiple times, "How do we get them to link after we build great content?" Maybe you should find some way to get in front of crowds with the content and hopefully get them to "like it" or promote it somehow?  Facebook...twitter...and these social bookmarking sites.

                    SEOmoz used to have this website and might still somewhere in their recommended social media websites or maybe it was their directory list: http://www.ranker.com  Well, I know I've posted to it's sister site with a blog post of mine and got 10X's the traffic we were used to because it was in front of a crowd.  We didn't get a ton of links, but we may have gotten a few.

                    I thought the original question was about the most effective link building techniques and then has digressed down to a debate about creating great content ='ing link bait vs. other more artificial techniques that Vojt listed.  I'd like to read more about other strategies like Vojt's listed because it is sort of obvious that building great content is going to get you potential links, no?  Well, here's a few more ideas from other places when I searched for "link building 2012":

                    http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/link-building-2012.html

                    http://www.polepositionmarketing.com/library/link-building-secrets-2012/

                    http://weblogbetter.com/2012/01/02/link-building-strategy-for-2012/

                    Not saying these are well written or have good ideas, but maybe one idea about link building is writing posts about the next year with the same topics we ask about year after year (i.e., your question) and then get some idiot like me to copy & past it into SEOmoz and then getting links? There's an idea...

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • Steve25
                      Steve25 @EppieVojt last edited by

                      Private blog networks - I would be very careful with these, there are loads of blog networks currently being de-indexed.

                      Blog commenting - I now have proof that the big G isn't considering these as worthy links and instead consider them as spam.

                      iAnalyst.com Clix 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 2
                      • iAnalyst.com
                        iAnalyst.com @Steve25 last edited by

                        Agreed on blog networks, I also think forum profile links are a definite no no. But what proof do you have that blog comments aren't considered worthy and are additionally spam?

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • simonberenyi
                          simonberenyi @alhallinan last edited by

                          My background is in education, so I set up my site to be a resource and not just a sales brochure. People who visit my site stay on my site because the content is good. My SEO is only just getting started, but I passionately believe that great content, with great context is the way to go.

                          Great content must be worth the authentic natural links?

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                          • NoahsDad
                            NoahsDad @EGOL last edited by

                            Yes it did. 🙂

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                            • DeltonChilds
                              DeltonChilds @EppieVojt last edited by

                              Thanks for the tips.  It's so hard compete with these other attorneys who are using all these crazy link building services.  So many are spammy too.  I'm really iffy about hiring some blogging network to work some magic for me because want quality content associated with my brand but... man it's hard to compete that way!!!

                              Guest Blogging It Is Then!

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • SherWeb
                                SherWeb @EppieVojt last edited by

                                this is definately the best wat to fall under google radar for violation of google quality guidelines 🙂

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • Naziman
                                  Naziman last edited by

                                  I prefer to blog commenting, guest posting, and forum profile links. For blog commenting, it slow but you can get friend also.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • cbielich
                                    cbielich last edited by

                                    Andy you made content with the post and comments you made. Now this blog post has a ton of great links and resources lol!

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • TalkingSheep
                                      TalkingSheep last edited by

                                      I think when it come to great content we should all look to the original experts at content creation - journalists. Ask yourself - is this blog post newsworthy, is it relevant, is it unbiased? Put yourself in the readers shoes and be honest with yourself - is this content really worth the readers time? I mean web content producers have it the hardest - pre-internet journalists weren't competing for nearly as much attention as now. For print media, readers may be stuck with only one magazine in the bathroom or plane - so that is what they will read. The web is inherantly a browsing platform - so we are always looking for something better. That is why online dating can be so discouraging - or so my friends say ! ; )

                                      So be very critical of your content. And obviously put the time into what I call "syndicating"  the content out to social media, bookmarking, etc.

                                      My best,

                                      • A former journalist
                                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • cbielich
                                        cbielich @EppieVojt last edited by

                                        Just a question: aren't these practices going against what Google is trying to fix with the Panda update?

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                        • Clix
                                          Clix @Steve25 last edited by

                                          Is this true, or is it worth my time to continue to comment on relevant blogs/articles?

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                          • Sglowmark
                                            Sglowmark last edited by

                                            Are backlinks services relevant in this post Panda/Penguin environment or are they pretty much considered spam now?

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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