When Google emerged two decades ago, it swiftly surpassed popular search engines like AltaVista, Infoseek, and Lycos for two main reasons.
Firstly, most search services got caught up in a trend that proved detrimental: transforming their homepages into internet "portals" while neglecting their core function of providing the best search experience. Secondly, and perhaps more crucially, Google innovated by using links as a measure of assessing web page quality through its PageRank algorithm.
The concept was both elegant and straightforward: links resembled citations in academic literature — they were essentially a way for the author of one webpage to endorse or "vote" for another. A plethora of links to a page suggested higher quality compared to a page with fewer links. Even more favorable were links from authoritative pages. With PageRank, Google’s search results significantly outperformed competitors, quickly outshining them.
SEOs soon recognized the need to concentrate on Google, making link building a vital component of search engine optimization. Initially, link builders simply asked other website owners for links to their sites, and such requests were often granted, especially if a reciprocal link was offered.
Nowadays, link building continues to be a crucial part of an SEO’s strategy for gaining optimal search engine visibility. However, in the current climate of fake news, content skepticism, and corporate policies governing what is permissible on most high-quality websites, link building has become a more challenging task.
Lisa Barone, CMO at digital agency Overit, has been engaged in link building and sharing her insights on the process for years. Today, her primary focus is less on outreach for link requests and more on creating standout content — to get it featured, attract links, and ultimately bring traffic back to a client’s business. She will be sharing her approach to creating a content-based link building strategy at the SMX East conference in New York City next month.
Lisa outlines her process in four essential parts:
Setting goals for content. "We do not have the resources to create content with mere ‘hope’ of it gaining traction. Nor can we create content with the ‘hope’ it yields measurable returns. Business goals must guide the identification of opportunities for content themes and types with relevant examples."
Identifying (and obsessing over) core topic themes. "Understanding our content goals helps us develop themes for the content we aim to place. Prioritizing content that advances our objectives while resonating with audiences is crucial. Keyword research tools can identify and categorize topics based on user interest and alignment with business needs. This enables us to build a data-backed strategy for our content/link building efforts around objectives and keywords."
Seeking out host content gaps. "Conducting a content gap analysis on larger link opportunities helps identify existing site content, what works, what’s missing, and where you can augment existing efforts. This approach aids content placement by demonstrating attention to the host site’s needs and targeting content for shares and conversions."
Creating linkable content. "Placing content is one challenge; creating something worthy of sharing is another. To succeed, content must be deserving of links and crafted for spreading. Linkable content includes elements like a strong hook, original research, engaging visuals (videos, charts, infographics, memes) and integrated resources."
Today, link building exceeds the mere acquisition of links to boost search rankings. A comprehensive strategy involves aligning content creation and link-building with business goals, designing content assets with high shareability, and focusing on outreach efforts likely to convert into sales.
If you’re interested in learning more from Lisa and other industry experts, consider attending the SMX East conference in New York City from October 23-25, 2018.
