Link Building Fundamentals Presented by Adam Audette www.AudetteMedia.com

Presented by

Adam Audette

www.AudetteMedia.com

A Brief History MMG offered SEO and link building in 1996 “ Webmaster’s Guide to Search Engines” Link Building Pre-Google

MMG offered SEO and link building in 1996

“ Webmaster’s Guide to Search Engines”

Link Building Pre-Google

Bill Hunt & Jeremy Sanchez, Global Strategies/Ogilvy Derrick Wheeler, Microsoft Detlev Johnson, SearchReturn Marshall Simmonds & Adam Sherk, NYT & Define Search Andre Jensen, Consultant Other Bend OR Search Marketers Paul Owen, MarketLeap/Acxiom Digital

Bill Hunt & Jeremy Sanchez, Global Strategies/Ogilvy

Derrick Wheeler, Microsoft

Detlev Johnson, SearchReturn

Marshall Simmonds & Adam Sherk, NYT & Define Search

Andre Jensen, Consultant

Paul Owen, MarketLeap/Acxiom Digital

A Brief History Some engines DID rank by link popularity Source: archive.org 1996 SearchEngineWatch.com/features

Some engines DID rank by link popularity

Link Building Yesterday Nofollow? didn’t exist All about traffic Mostly non-commercial Easy but confused Naive and innocent

Nofollow? didn’t exist

All about traffic

Mostly non-commercial

Easy but confused

Naive and innocent

Link Building Yesterday

Link Building Today Competitive Expensive Paranoia Almost Infinite Many links worth little It’s Hard! Can be Daunting

Competitive

Expensive

Paranoia

Almost Infinite

Many links worth little

It’s Hard!

Can be Daunting

Link Building Today

What is a Quality Link? Difficult to obtain Contains a human element Has (perceived) credibility Comes from an authority source Requires an investment Contextual Relevant

Difficult to obtain

Contains a human element

Has (perceived) credibility

Comes from an authority source

Requires an investment

Contextual

Relevant

Link Building Chaos

Focus on Your Market

Focus on Your Market Market X

Channels of Discussion Blogs Forums Social Media Directories Resource Sites Advocacy Sites Influencers News Sites Email Lists Market X Hubs Authority Sites Organizations

Link Sources Hard Easy High Authority Sites Key Influencers & Advanced Social Media PR & Basic Social Media, Partnerships Niche Directories, Article Sites, etc Blogs, Forums, Profiles, Email Lists General Directories, Organizations, Classifieds

Build Links Strategically Link Development Triangle Create Content for specific link targets Quality Resources Build Links Quality Resources Ease Solicitation There aren’t any Shortcuts Quality Trumps Quantity Your Neighborhood Matters ... but you have to reach out first!

Link Development Triangle

Create Content for specific link targets

Quality Resources Build Links

Quality Resources Ease Solicitation

There aren’t any Shortcuts

Quality Trumps Quantity

Your Neighborhood Matters

... but you have to reach out first!

Conclusions Use the Best Tools Available Links Reflect Relevance, Contribution SEO for Firefox: tools.seobook.com Juicy Link Finder: seomoz.org/tools Hub finder: LinkHounds.com Other Tools - ask me Google Alerts: google.com/alerts "key phrase" [library] [resources] [links] [sites] site:[.us] [.edu] [.gov] [.mil] Focus on Quality, not Quantity Content is still King

Use the Best Tools Available

Links Reflect Relevance, Contribution

SEO for Firefox: tools.seobook.com

Juicy Link Finder: seomoz.org/tools

Hub finder: LinkHounds.com

Other Tools - ask me

Google Alerts: google.com/alerts

"key phrase" [library] [resources] [links] [sites] site:[.us] [.edu] [.gov] [.mil]

Focus on Quality, not Quantity

Content is still King

Thank you! Contact me: Adam Audette [email_address] www.AudetteMedia.com