My Link Building Story

My Experience The first million visitors are the hardest

What You Need A good story What does your site offer that's unique? The most… the only…. the largest What problem does your site solve? Basic writing & persuasion skills Industry knowledge Basic on-site optimization Crawler-friendly Good URL structure Page optimizations (good unique titles, meta tags, kw density, etc.)

A good story

What does your site offer that's unique?

The most… the only…. the largest

What problem does your site solve?

Basic writing & persuasion skills

Industry knowledge

Basic on-site optimization

Crawler-friendly

Good URL structure

Page optimizations (good unique titles, meta tags, kw density, etc.)

Our Strategies Content Promotion Link Requests PR for Link Building

Content Promotion

Link Requests

PR for Link Building

Srategy 1: Content Promotion 1.0 What we did Forums Usenet news Emailing friends Printable flyers and postcards to apt renters Link exchanges Industry associations Awards Directories “ Do follow” site sponsorships (quasi paid link)

What we did

Forums

Usenet news

Emailing friends

Printable flyers and postcards to apt renters

Link exchanges

Industry associations

Awards

Directories

“ Do follow” site sponsorships (quasi paid link)

Content Promotion 2.0 What I'd do today... Biz dev (n-way link exchanges with trusted partners) Blogging Twitterhawk (Twitter search + automated Tweets) Widgets Relevant “do follow” blog comments Facebook Connect (announce users’ activity to friends) Wikis Indirectly-Paid Links (contests, donations, paid reviews)

What I'd do today...

Biz dev (n-way link exchanges with trusted partners)

Blogging

Twitterhawk (Twitter search + automated Tweets)

Widgets

Relevant “do follow” blog comments

Facebook Connect (announce users’ activity to friends)

Wikis

Indirectly-Paid Links (contests, donations, paid reviews)

Strategy 2: Link Requests Co-citation/hubs .edu sites Similar category, not competitive

Co-citation/hubs

.edu sites

Similar category, not competitive

Link Requests: co-citation/hubs A site that links to multiple of your competitors Free way to find... Google search: linkdomain:competitorA.com linkdomain:competitorB.com -linkdomain:yoursite.com Paid way to find... SEOBook Hub Finder SEOMoz Linkscape

A site that links to multiple of your competitors

Free way to find...

Google search: linkdomain:competitorA.com linkdomain:competitorB.com -linkdomain:yoursite.com

Paid way to find...

SEOBook Hub Finder

SEOMoz Linkscape

Link Requests: .edu sites .edu's are high authority Webmasters will add legitimately valuable resources Google search: linkdomain:competitorA.com linkdomain:competitorB.com -linkdomain:yoursite.com site:.edu Research, research, research Understand who you're contacting Who is responsible? Web editor, web admin, department secretary, director of department

.edu's are high authority

Webmasters will add legitimately valuable resources

Google search: linkdomain:competitorA.com linkdomain:competitorB.com -linkdomain:yoursite.com site:.edu

Research, research, research

Understand who you're contacting

Who is responsible? Web editor, web admin, department secretary, director of department

Link Requests: similar category sites Find related sites that don't compete Your site likely has 2 topics My topic: apartment + city Real estate > Rentals > Apartments US > State > City Go up 1 conceptual level and combine: City + Real Estate Give us a link, get free ad impressions “ Join our directory of realtors who help Denver first time home buyers!” Self-serve system to generate the correct geo-specific anchor text + deep backlink

Find related sites that don't compete

Your site likely has 2 topics

My topic: apartment + city

Real estate > Rentals > Apartments

US > State > City

Go up 1 conceptual level and combine: City + Real Estate

Give us a link, get free ad impressions

“ Join our directory of realtors who help Denver first time home buyers!”

Self-serve system to generate the correct geo-specific anchor text + deep backlink

Link Requests: How To Pitch Research site owner – find a person Track your prospects URL, PageRank, name, email, Twitter ID, Linkedin Personalized email “Hi Mary, I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction... who is responsible for the Dept of Urban Studies website?” BE HUMAN Use multiple channels (Linkedin, Twitter, Email, Phone, US mail) 3 tries, 2 channels, then move on Tools: Twellow, Zabasearch, Broadlook Diver

Research site owner – find a person

Track your prospects

URL, PageRank, name, email, Twitter ID, Linkedin

Personalized email “Hi Mary, I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction... who is responsible for the Dept of Urban Studies website?”

BE HUMAN

Use multiple channels (Linkedin, Twitter, Email, Phone, US mail)

3 tries, 2 channels, then move on

Tools: Twellow, Zabasearch, Broadlook Diver

Strategy 2: PR-SEO PR for Link Building Blogger outreach

PR for Link Building

Blogger outreach

PR-SEO – PR for Link Building Coverage in mainstream media Newspapers and TV Very high influence links Reporters expect to be pitched Website owners and bloggers may get huffy You don't always get a link Approach many Pitch your website, not your company Bloggers often cover news stories

Coverage in mainstream media

Newspapers and TV

Very high influence links

Reporters expect to be pitched

Website owners and bloggers may get huffy

You don't always get a link

Approach many

Pitch your website, not your company

Bloggers often cover news stories

PR-SEO – Finding Reporters Find reporters via news monitoring Be creative “ your landlord ” “ apartment rents ” “ vacancy rate ” “ facing eviction ” Look for competitors & complements: Zillow, Trulia Segment your contacts Real estate beat reporters local/natl, Tech reporters, Multi-family industry trade press, Lifestyle/personal finance, Local interest, Startup/Web 2.0

Find reporters via news monitoring

Be creative “ your landlord ” “ apartment rents ” “ vacancy rate ” “ facing eviction ”

Look for competitors & complements: Zillow, Trulia

Segment your contacts

Real estate beat reporters local/natl, Tech reporters, Multi-family industry trade press, Lifestyle/personal finance, Local interest, Startup/Web 2.0

PR-SEO – Finding Reporters Tools Google Alerts, Topix.net, Technorati, Trackur, Vibemetrix, Filtrbox Factiva (historical news), free via APL http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/databases.htm EBSCO (industry trade pubs), free to UT students

Tools

Google Alerts, Topix.net, Technorati, Trackur, Vibemetrix, Filtrbox

Factiva (historical news), free via APL http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/databases.htm

EBSCO (industry trade pubs), free to UT students

PR-SEO – Reporter Research Research and record Name, email, phone, publication, category, city Relevant story Recent coverage Tools Daylife Media Bistro Vocus/Cision/PR Newswire Search: twittering journalists Broadlook Diver

Research and record

Name, email, phone, publication, category, city

Relevant story

Recent coverage

Tools

Daylife

Media Bistro

Vocus/Cision/PR Newswire

Search: twittering journalists

Broadlook Diver

PR-SEO - Pitching When you find a reporter... Short intro/elevator pitch for your site (100 words) When you have news... Do NOT send one-size-fits-all press releases Write a version for each segment Email each reporter personally, 1-line informal intro Paste your segment-specific story at the end Tools Bad Pitch Blog

When you find a reporter...

Short intro/elevator pitch for your site (100 words)

When you have news...

Do NOT send one-size-fits-all press releases

Write a version for each segment

Email each reporter personally, 1-line informal intro

Paste your segment-specific story at the end

Tools

Bad Pitch Blog

PR-SEO What to Pitch News is... Major company news – round of VC, big client win New product features Apartments + Sex Offenders + Google Maps Industry Calendar + Google Calendar Top 20 Best Cities for X Whatever is new/shiney (Facebook, iPhone/Android app) Someone else's news where you're relevant Zillow home valuations ... “What the Neighbors Pay” Evergreen research tools – rent pricing trend graphs

News is...

Major company news – round of VC, big client win

New product features

Apartments + Sex Offenders + Google Maps

Industry Calendar + Google Calendar

Top 20 Best Cities for X

Whatever is new/shiney (Facebook, iPhone/Android app)

Someone else's news where you're relevant

Zillow home valuations ... “What the Neighbors Pay”

Evergreen research tools – rent pricing trend graphs

PR-SEO - Blogger Relations Rules of Engagement #1 Must be personalized & relevant #2 Follow instructions Sometimes giving bloggers stuff is ok (never ok for reporters) #3 Build a relationship Comment on their blog (add value) Find, follow, and engage via Twitter Email them via their preferred method Beware of the the PR blacklist Lifehacker, Chris Anderson

Rules of Engagement

#1 Must be personalized & relevant

#2 Follow instructions

Sometimes giving bloggers stuff is ok (never ok for reporters)

#3 Build a relationship

Comment on their blog (add value)

Find, follow, and engage via Twitter

Email them via their preferred method

Beware of the the PR blacklist

Lifehacker, Chris Anderson

Additional Resources Laura's presentation http://www.slideshare.net/LauraAlter/linkbuilding-presentation Wiep.net, The Perfect Link Request http://wiep.net/talk/link-building/link-request-email-template/ WebInkNow, How to Pitch the Media http://www.webinknow.com/2007/02/how_to_pitch_th.html

Laura's presentation http://www.slideshare.net/LauraAlter/linkbuilding-presentation

Wiep.net, The Perfect Link Request

http://wiep.net/talk/link-building/link-request-email-template/

WebInkNow, How to Pitch the Media http://www.webinknow.com/2007/02/how_to_pitch_th.html

BuzzStream for Link Building CRM for link prospects Automates contact info & metics research Create campaigns based on advanced searches Tracking outreach Tracking payments Backlink checker Team coordination/sharing

CRM for link prospects

Automates contact info & metics research

Create campaigns based on advanced searches

Tracking outreach

Tracking payments

Backlink checker

Team coordination/sharing

The Link Building Process Find Prospects Review site Research contact info Research metrics Record in spreadsheet Personalized outreach Record in spreadsheet Check for link Make outreach list Lookup previous outreach

The BuzzStream Process Find Prospects Review site BuzzMark It Personalized outreach Advanced Search

BuzzMarker Prospects Existing links Paid links

Prospects

Existing links

Paid links

Link Prospect CRM

Advanced Search

Outreach Tracking

Track Link Payments

Backlink Checker

Thanks! Free private beta invites for SEO Meetup http://kl.am/M7 Jeremy Bencken Co-founder, BuzzStream [email_address] Twitter: @jeb512 Note, capital “M”