Certain SEO techniques are gradually disappearing while Google Penguin continues to mature. With a focus on ‘earning’ links, more than ‘building’ links, social media is the perfect tool for link building today. Therefore the term 'Social Link Building'.

1. Towards an ‘Integrated’ Approach
Social Link building
July 2013 – Truus Heremans

2. Biston Betularia
The peppered moth (Biston Betularia), once white with black
spots, faced a strange challenge in London during the Industrial
Revolution. Buildings and trees, stained with soot, turned black.
The light colored moths could no longer hide against this
backdrop, and were eaten up by birds.
But some peppered moths survived –
by turning black themselves!
To survive, you must adapt and change
with your environment. Otherwise,
you’re dead.

3. The times they are changin’
Tactical SEO games are coming
to an end
Isolated on-page and off-page
SEO tactics are no longer
enough
SEO is now true marketing. It’s
also about social media and PR

4. A new search landscape
Correctly uncovering searcher intent and understanding
their problems
Identifying real and trusted people, using ‘signals’ that
are tough to cheat
Gaining authoritative links from trusted authorities

5. “Think of any networking event you’ve been to. We’ve all met
that one person with the business cards, right? You know,
that person who boldly walks up to you, hands you their
business card and starts speaking at you about how fantastic
they are and why their business is so brilliant.”
(Laura Hampton)
And it’s annoying… Because you don’t know that person and
they haven’t taken the time to get to know you either.
A new search landscape

6. It’s exactly the same case online. You can’t expect to
receive a link from somebody by asking for it straight away
It’s about building relationships and earning links,
providing unique and highly relevant content
A new search landscape

7. And social media is perfectly designed for that…

8. Social Media can produce both direct and
indirect links
Direct links
• Link connectivity via profile links
• Link connectivity via shared links
Indirect links
• As a result of increased visibility
• By leveraging social media channels
and tools for research and outreach

9. Profile links
Pinterest and Google+ profile links are – for the time being –
followed
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn profile links are no-followed
Establishing your brand
Optimal combination for a natural link profile

10. Shared links
Google+ influences crawling
Twitter links

11. Building an active, engaged social presence
Choose the right platform(s)
Optimise your profiles
Maintain your social presence
Post regularly around relevant industry topics
Link back to your site

12. Use Social Media for Research
Identify key influencers
• FollowerWonk
• Linkdex
• SocialBro

13. Linkdex
Integrated features for SEO, social media, content and PR
Linking authors to content: great for your outreach efforts
Detailed link profile insights

14. Linkdex

15. Use Social Media for Research
Gain real-time insights into popular content
• Audience needs and interests
• Discover unnoticed trends and insights through
interaction and observation
• SocialMention
• Topsy
• MentionMapp

16. MentionMapp

17. Topsy
Activity
Discovery
Influencers

18. Make your online content easily shareable by adding
social sharing buttons
• Gain insights into most popular content
• Current trends and interactions
• Identify potential link partners
Don’t build a brochure website, build a
‘Social Site’

19. Leverage Twitter
To find opportunities
• Anyone following you who isn’t linking to you?
• See what is popular and conversations you can tap into
• Getting your content in front of people who may link to it
• Twilert
• Twitter Advanced Search
To engage with influencers
• Follow industry leaders & engage
around the content they post
• Stay top-of-mind

20. Leverage Twitter
Help people

21. Leverage Twitter
Curate stories

22. Use Pinterest
http://www.sitevisibility.co.uk/blog/2012/11/12/pinterest-is-not-only-about-cupcakes-
what-is-pinterest-and-why-does-it-matter/
• Pinterest is a great traffic driver
• Builds brand awareness and engagement
• Amplifies your existing content
• Can help you find new link building opportunities

23. Social media offers a
quick way to see that
you’re a legitimate
source with an active
interest in the field
And you’re not just out to
spam any email address or
Twitter account you can
get your hands on
Be personal

24. Make your message stand out
Email Social Media
• Use short and natural subjects
• Do not mention ‘link request’
• Send emails as an actual person
• Use names
• Include a natural salutation
• Converse with context
• Do not just tweet a link
• Brief and to-the-point
• Participate in conversation
• Relevant hashtag

25. Simply don’t, dot
Don’t send the exact same message to everyone
You will be perceived as a spammer

26. Build and leverage connections
Connect with key influencers
• Get on their radar
• Give them a reason to link to you
• Leverage their contacts and social networks
Also consider virgin sites
• Blogs that have few outbound links and are more
likely to be approachable
Build a network of bloggers
• Aim for bloggers that are active on Twitter, Retweet
others often, and engage directly with other
bloggers

27. Maintain relationships
After you have secured a link, continue to engage with your link
prospect
Add them to private Twitter lists or Google+ circles
This will keep opportunities open for the future

28. A few closing notes…

29. We need to tear down the silos
All channels can effectively work together to get
your message across successfully

30. The ‘Digital Team’
• To effectively reach and engage your target audience
• Don’t let your digital experts work in ‘silos’!

31. It takes time…
Effective Social Link building doesn’t happen overnight
It is a long-term strategy, so stick with it consistently to see the
results

32. Any questions?