In his MozCon presentation this year, Ian Lurie shared his thoughts on this. Yes, that is true, and I couldn’t agree more. This perception alone can even automate the link-building process for you.
It is essential for you to know how to become a link magnet in the Penguin era of link building and to master link baiting (you do not have to produce super viral content, just content that can potentially attract links). As that’s where the majority of natural links come from.
Establish Yourself as the “Go-To” Brand in a Specific Niche
Establish yourself as an authority in one area of your industry. By publishing content on your website and by distributing content on other industry websites/blogs, you can demonstrate your expertise. Scale up to other areas of your industry gradually.
In the earlier days of Automated link building, I somehow shared ideas and strategies for link building, so I was somewhat known in the area.
While establishing a personal brand in that niche, I was able to find tons of opportunities for linking:
- Interviews
- Group interviews
- Roundups of best blogs discussing the niche
- Editorial mentions
- Invites to do guest blogs
You can build a strong brand mindshare by focusing on one specific niche within your industry. You’ll always be on top of people’s mind if they want to write something related to your niche once you’ve become known and seen almost everywhere in your niche.
You are certainly on your way to automating and generating links and mentions to your site in this way.
Trying to Build Links Manually is Not Dead, I Assure You!
There are many of us who are misusing it. A SEO tool is just a side benefit. It’s a marketing tool.
Don’t use it to improve search rankings, but to build awareness. The topic will be discussed in a post I’m going to write, so stay tuned.
You probably already know some of the tips I’ll be sharing in this post if you’ve read some of my stuff on this blog.
This is merely a summary of some of the actions you can take to attract and acquire more natural links to your site.
Make Products that Will Blow your Mind
A unique product or service making it easier to build links, and to market to your target audience as a whole. When people find something really useful or a product that can solve a problem, they will always share that.
The best thing about creating your own brand evangelists with your products is that it will automate your marketing process as you go.
It is likely that your product(s) will be shared voluntarily by consumers when they see real value and awesomeness from using it.
Traffic Travis is an excellent example (even though I used to work for them) – they have helped thousands of Internet marketers around the globe by offering a free high-utility toolset.
The site has acquired thousands of links and press mentions over time due to the high quality of their content (was featured on Entrepreneur by a brand evangelist from Single Grain).
There are other types of businesses and organizations that can benefit from this approach as well (such as service-based, B2B, non-profit, and membership-based models).
I use my ideas as my products on this blog, for instance. My idea will get more links the more people like it, right?
Marketing and product development should be aligned. Help identify any areas of improvement that your client’s products or services could use, or possibly enhancements that could make them more awesome by knowing how they work. Evangelize it instead of just promoting it.
If you have a product that’s almost ready, you can start building good relationships with your satisfied customers, especially those who have written positive reviews or shared their experiences about your product/service on social media.
Your future brand loyalists will most likely be these people.
Ensure your products meet their needs consistently (asking for feedback/suggestions) or offer them co-creation of future products.
Taking these simple steps will encourage them to become advocates for your product, and will increase the likelihood that they will spread the news.
Consider Vans (which I adore). They allow people to create and customize their own designs for shoes: