What makes a good back link profile ?

[ocelot]

Hi

Now forgive me as I know this question has been asked on this and other sites thousands of times over, but since the recent algorithm changes to Google what would you consider to be

• A good backlink profile for a regional window, doors and conservatories firm

For example looking at a leading SEO firm in the UK and in detail at one of their clients – the backlink profile for a team of 40, is nothing better than an experienced freelancer could achieve.

For example they are mainly directory listings, css design galleries or comments on blogs not relevant to the target site

What should this contain, but please bear in mind there is no budget to develop games, widgets to gain viral back links

Most peoples responses are just great quality content, which although the correct answer they do not go into any detail on what form this should take, where it should reside, how people will find it etc

I was thinking of the following

Web Directories - if yes - which ones should I target and which ones to avoid (UK)

Competitions - Is this a good means of gaining backlinks from the likes of loquax, prizefinder etc - or is it just a short term boost

Forums - Answer questions on the likes of DIYNOT with the web address in my signature response

Suppliers - Get a link from suppliers and the likes of Fensa

Local Search - Yelp, Qype etc

Social Media posts - Facebook, Google+ and Twitter

any thing else I have missed?

[mrdavidingram]

Morning,

Yep, the first step I would take is suppliers, contractors, partners etc etc. Basically anyone you have a business connection with that has a website. A lot of these will simply be happy to do this as a favour, some will want something in return such a reciprocal link (if it makes sense, go for it). Some you might need to be a little smarter with and play a bit of hustle to get. One great way we got in with a couple of software companies we were using was to offer a glowing testimonal for their website. It was win/win, they got a great review, we got a great link.

When it comes to thinking of suppliers and partners, really be creative. Think about every aspect of your business, right down to the cleaners/caterers. If they have a website you want to be on there.

In terms of directories, I would generally say avoid, however there are a few big national ones that pass value, and depending on your resource there are usually a few websites and directories that curate lists of local businesses. For me, the big key when decided whether to use a directory or not is down to whether their results are indexed and ranking. Follow the directory through to an obscure business page (e.g outdoor supplies > gardening > landscape gardening > turf suppliers) pick on of the business on their and search for their name. If the directory isn't showing up in the first few pages, it's really not worth being on.

Regarding competitions; one benefit is the competition websites themselves, however the real win comes from the entrants. The blogging community are very active with competitions, and if you can think of a campaign that is particularly fun, engaging or has a kick ass prize, then you will see a lot of links coming from the blogosphere.

The other option (and in my opinion the quickest way of getting quality links) is through Blogger and Webmaster outreach. Make a list of 100 target sites and approach them. The good old days of simply asking for a link a sadly gone, but there are plenty of ways you can reach out that will result in a link (offer a guest post, offer an interview, form a partnership etc etc). It can be time consuming, although you can make this scalable and see lots of high quality links flying in fast.

Like you mentioned the answer you're going to get from a lot of people is 'make great content' which is pretty vague in itself. The logic behind it is if your site hosts great content, then it will naturally attract links and social shares across the web. There are many ways of doing this, from writing consistently good posts around your industry, to making infographics or videos with the intention of going viral. As a long term strategy, it's a great approach, but it is something that will need a lot of thought, time and often investment.

Best of luck.

David