SIPA Conference Blogger Relations & Linkbait June 1, 2009 Nan Dawkins

Success online requires: Good content (i.e., the audience wants it, likes it, engages with it) Ways to make it visible Search engines Influencers who let their communities know about it Links are critical to visibility in both…

Good content (i.e., the audience wants it, likes it, engages with it)

Ways to make it visible

Search engines

Influencers who let their communities know about it

Links are critical to visibility in both…

Links Why are links important to search engines? Links are votes for your site Search Engines count those votes as part of their ranking algorithms

Why are links important to search engines?

Links are votes for your site

Search Engines count those votes as part of their ranking algorithms

Links All links are not the same to a search engine Search engines weight links based on relevancy & quality of the site linking to you. A link from an Influencer counts more (to an SE) than a link from a less authoritative source

All links are not the same to a search engine

Search engines weight links based on relevancy & quality of the site linking to you.

A link from an Influencer counts more (to an SE) than a link from a less authoritative source

Links Search engines weight links differently depending on the form of content. -Video: The importance of a link from a Youtube video is judged based on tags, views, ratings, and comments (among other things) -Images: domain authority and alt tags (among other things) -Blogs:

Search engines weight links differently depending on the form of content.

-Video: The importance of a link from a Youtube video is judged based on tags, views, ratings, and comments (among other things)

-Images: domain authority and alt tags (among other things)

-Blogs:

Linkbait How do you get more links? 1.) Find and grow your network of Influencers 2.) Create Linkbait Linkbait is content that draws/encourages links – from Bloggers and elsewhere Source: LifeHacker: Discover the .edu underground

How do you get more links?

1.) Find and grow your network of Influencers

2.) Create Linkbait

Linkbait is content that draws/encourages links – from Bloggers and elsewhere

Source: LifeHacker:

Discover the .edu underground

Influencers How to find them? Roll up your sleeves…

Influencers Tools that find and analyze for you… Social Media “Buzz Monitoring” tools have become more affordable; many are web-based, easy to use Most provide features that allow users to map and monitor Influencers Radian 6, Onalytica, Brandwatch, ScoutLabs Email me for a list: [email_address]

Tools that find and analyze for you…

Social Media “Buzz Monitoring” tools have become more affordable; many are web-based, easy to use

Most provide features that allow users to map and monitor Influencers

Radian 6, Onalytica, Brandwatch, ScoutLabs

Email me for a list: [email_address]

Linkbait Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers Informational – Press Releases (careful here)

Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers

Informational – Press Releases (careful here)

Linkbait Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers Lists – i.e. “The top 13 accidents that happen at work”

Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers

Lists – i.e. “The top 13 accidents that happen at work”

Linkbait Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers Contrary Blog Posts – Taking an opposite position to the norm Attackbait – Taking the contrarian approach one step further

Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers

Contrary Blog Posts – Taking an opposite position to the norm

Attackbait – Taking the contrarian approach one step further

Linkbait Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers Quizzes

Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers

Quizzes

Linkbait Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers Emotionbait – Humor or fear

Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers

Emotionbait – Humor or fear

Linkbait Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers Shockbait – Bizarre , strange & unusual

Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers

Shockbait – Bizarre , strange & unusual

Linkbait Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers Negative, shocking negative, shocking negative scoop/investigative

Linkbait that may resonate with Bloggers

Negative, shocking negative, shocking negative scoop/investigative

Linkbait Social Linkbait: Resonates w/Bloggers, encourages viral pass-along Awards, Contests, Giveaways

Social Linkbait: Resonates w/Bloggers, encourages viral pass-along

Awards, Contests, Giveaways

Social Linkbait Radiohead Remix Contest Allowed fans to alter content; i.e., remix a song Incorporated a voting element so encouraged viral in SN’s Heavily covered by Bloggers and mainstream press

Radiohead Remix Contest

Allowed fans to alter content; i.e., remix a song

Incorporated a voting element so encouraged viral in SN’s

Heavily covered by Bloggers and mainstream press

Social Linkbait Nature Conservancy Everyday Environmentalist Tips generated by the community NOT voted on (missed opportunity)

Nature Conservancy Everyday Environmentalist

Tips generated by the community

NOT voted on (missed opportunity)

Linkbait At the end of the day, the Linkbait that will resonate MOST with target Bloggers is the content that is important to the target audience What does your audience really need? Useful information and resources Taking the time to understand your audience in the ONLINE environment is critical…

At the end of the day, the Linkbait that will resonate MOST with target Bloggers is the content that is important to the target audience

What does your audience really need? Useful information and resources

Taking the time to understand your audience in the ONLINE environment is critical…

Linkbait The right Linkbait for you? What does your network of Influential Bloggers want? Look at what’s worked in the past in your content niche Understand what really resonates with your online target audience and how they use social channels (Blogs & others) Where does your content fit/make sense? Do you really want a link from this source? (brand, image, credibility, etc.)

The right Linkbait for you?

What does your network of Influential Bloggers want?

Look at what’s worked in the past in your content niche

Understand what really resonates with your online target audience and how they use social channels (Blogs & others)

Where does your content fit/make sense?

Do you really want a link from this source? (brand, image, credibility, etc.)

Linkbait The upside: Increased short term traffic Increased links Increased Rankings Increased long term traffic

The upside:

Increased short term traffic

Increased links

Increased Rankings Increased long term traffic

Linkbait The downside… Target Fixation: What were they thinking? Bloggers answer to no one; can do harm as well as good Don’t offend Don’t lie Make it a win/win (Bloggers not there to do your marketing bidding)

The downside…

Target Fixation: What were they thinking?

Bloggers answer to no one; can do harm as well as good

Don’t offend

Don’t lie

Make it a win/win (Bloggers not there to do your marketing bidding)

Remember The Internet is changing fast… In the past, not everyone could “vote” for a Web page by linking to it Today, more people can vote with a link (Blogs, easy publishing tools); however, users can “vote” in many ways Ratings, clicks, tags, bookmarks Google launching new API to graph social networks across the Web

The Internet is changing fast…

In the past, not everyone could “vote” for a Web page by linking to it

Today, more people can vote with a link (Blogs, easy publishing tools); however, users can “vote” in many ways

Ratings, clicks, tags, bookmarks

Google launching new API to graph social networks across the Web

So what? The importance of “links” in the traditional sense may be a thing of the past as SE’s become more sophisticated at mapping the social web and using it to rank content . “ There’s a lot of expertise, knowledge and context in user’s social graphs, so putting tools in place to make “friend-augmented search easy could make search more efficient and more relevant.” Marissa Meyer, VP, Search Products & User Experience, Google A comprehensive Social Media strategy is probably the best linking program available.

The importance of “links” in the traditional sense may be a thing of the past as SE’s become more sophisticated at mapping the social web and using it to rank content .

“ There’s a lot of expertise, knowledge and context in user’s social graphs, so putting tools in place to make “friend-augmented search easy could make search more efficient and more relevant.” Marissa Meyer, VP, Search Products & User Experience, Google

A comprehensive Social Media strategy is probably the best linking program available.

Nan Dawkins [email_address] June 1, 2009