@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Rethink Link
Acquisition

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A About Dustin
Woodard

19991998 2000 20042002 2006 2008
2011 2013

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A ReTHINK Link
Acquisition

@webconnoisseur
#smx #21A
Rethinking Links

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A That’s What
Google Said “Build great content & you will be rewarded with links” ~ Not an actual Google quote

No Need for Marketing or
Sales?

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Black Friday
Case Study • SCENARIO: – Blacklisted Domain – Few links – Poor content – No budget – Only 2 months to gain top rankings

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Black Friday
Case Study • STRATEGY: – Getting back in the index – Content revamp – Survey, Predictions, PR/Blogger Campaign

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Black Friday
Case Study • EXECUTION: – Survey – Package the data – Outreach

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Black Friday
Case Study • RESULTS: – Tons of coverage + links – #3 Ranking – Big traffic & $$ – Post Black Friday links further strengthen site

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Making the
Pitch

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Making the
Pitch

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Making the
Pitch Your pitch

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Making the
Pitch

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Making the
Pitch

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Making the
Pitch Shift your frame: – Not an SEO Company – Links come from anywhere, but you are giving them an opportunity to link to amazing site or content

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Making the
Pitch • Be fast & novel • Shift their frame: – Give them a deadline – Have them do you a favor • Take it away: – Have them justify themselves

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Further Optimization
SEO SMO Website User & Community Optimization Conversion Rate Optimization $$ User & Community Optimization Conversion Rate Optimization

User Optimization: Invest a piece
of themselves

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A User Optimization:
Share Button Placement • Floating sharebar: • 20% increase in social shares • Pin It button placement: 15% increase in pins <div style='padding-bottom: 2px; line-height: 0px'><a href='http://pinterest.com/pin/53691420530417789/' target='_blank'><img src='http://media- cache-ec4.pinimg.com/550x/45/76/16/457616a0a6e7ea800f682a9db9d6e02b.jpg' border='0' width='250' height ='250'/></a></div><div style='float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;'><p style='font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;'>Source: <a style='text-decoration: underline; font-size: 10px; color: #76838b;' href='http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bourbon-Mango-Pulled- Pork/Detail.aspx'>allrecipes.com</a> via <a style='text-decoration: underline; font- size: 10px; color: #76838b;' href='http://pinterest.com/athensdoll/' target='_blank'>Catherine</a> on <a style='text-decoration: underline; color: #76838b;' href='http://pinterest.com' target='_blank'>Pinterest</a></p></div>

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A User Optimization:
Data Collection • Social Media Profiles: • Twitter • FB • LinkedIn • Tumblr • Blog(s)

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A User Optimization:
Gamification • Engagement • Motivation Gamification engages users & changes behavior with the best ideas from games, loyalty & behavioral economics

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification Indirect
Link Acquisition: Overall engagement Repeat visits Sign-ups Direct Link Acquisition Shares Links Embeds

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification is
not…

@webconnoisseur
#smx #21A
Offline Gamification:

@webconnoisseur
#smx #21A
Online Gamification:

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Intrinsic vs
Extrinsic motivation • Status • Access • Power >• Money • Stuff

@webconnoisseur
#smx #21A
Gamification
Dopamine

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification Player
Types: Achievers • 10% of population • Motivated by: winning, challenges, showing off

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification Player
Types: Explorers • 10% of population • View, find, rate, vote, curate, review

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification Player
Types: Socializers • 80% of population • Comment, share, like, discuss, meet up

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification •
Player Types: Killers • < 1% of population • Harass, heckle, hack, cheat

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification: User
Optimization • NFL Example

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification: User
Optimization • NFL Example: 800% increase in site registrations

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Gamification Results
• Expect a 30% rise in engagement statistics • Expect off-the-chart rise in community shares & links

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Cause Marketing
• Film crowdsourcing experiment • Host conference • Get involved w/ charities or causes Campaign Results: 285 Backers $30,000 raised ~350 Backlinks

@webconnoisseur #smx #21A Thank You
For Your Time That’s What Dustin Said #TWDS