If you’ve ever engaged in link building, you know how challenging and tedious the process can be. While it’s wonderful when everything aligns perfectly, such instances are becoming increasingly rare.
Inboxes are inundated with unsolicited emails, and spam has reached unprecedented levels. You may face unrealistic client guidelines, or the person you’re pitching to might just be having an off day.
So, what’s a good link builder to do? How can you stand out and promote your exceptional content amidst the competition?
Let’s explore the main components of a link-building outreach campaign and discover ways and resources to increase the chances of your emails being opened and responded to.
Content
The primary issue with acquiring valuable links revolves around content. Good content is essential for successful link building. Without it, obtaining links becomes significantly more difficult.
Even if you’re purchasing links, quality content is crucial unless you’re dealing with sites that merely sell links and ads. Many webmasters are increasingly hesitant to link to anything that isn’t quality content useful to their readers.
I’ve managed numerous campaigns with subpar content or nothing more than promotional pages, and the conversion rates for such campaigns are much lower compared to those offering great content resources. Campaigns offering unique how-to guides or video-enhanced guides have seen conversion rates as high as 80-90%.
Here are common obstacles I’ve encountered in managing a content outreach program, along with strategies to overcome them.
When a potential host site already has similar content. Not checking if the topic or type of content you’re offering is already present on your target site can waste a lot of time. Simply conduct a site search with major keywords from your content to see if they already have something similar.
The content isn’t the right fit for their audience. For instance, pitching an article on dog breeds for children to a senior healthcare blog is a mismatch. It’s crucial to ensure your content aligns with the potential host site’s focus and tone.
The content is not link-worthy. This can be subjective, as everyone tends to think highly of their own content. Some clients assume any content they produce merits links, which isn’t always the case. Showing successful content pieces on similar subjects can guide content developers towards making their work more linkable.
Discovery and Prospecting
This stage is where my team and I invest the most time and often face the most frustration. While the fundamentals of link building haven’t changed much over the past decade, prospecting for high-quality sites has become more time-consuming. Manual prospecting is tedious, and automated tools can be inefficient due to CAPTCHA and other hurdles.
Here are some suggestions to improve your discovery and prospecting process.
Avoid contacting every site that seems remotely suitable. This approach can waste your time and that of the webmasters you contact. Be selective and focus on sites that genuinely align with your goals.
Not knowing how to find suitable sites. Be cautious with advanced search operators; they can either narrow your results too much or return irrelevant sites. Use multiple tools to broaden your prospects and leverage free trials to find the best fit for you.
Over-reliance on metrics. While metrics can be useful, they shouldn’t overshadow the potential of a site that fits well with your content, even if it doesn’t meet all predefined criteria.
Outreach
Link-building outreach is tough, and failures are part of the process. Many emails go unseen due to overflowing inboxes. A dull or generic subject line can result in immediate deletion. The following are common issues you might encounter.
Your email doesn’t get opened. Avoid automated emails or misleading subject lines. Ensure your subject line is clear and compelling, free from oddities or errors that might trigger instant deletion.
You receive no response. This can be particularly frustrating. If you don’t get a response, reassess your approach; the subject line might need to be reworked.
You get a negative response. Negative feedback can be instructive and help refine your approach for future efforts. Using each response to learn and improve is crucial.
Sending well-composed, professional emails to well-targeted prospects can help avoid public embarrassment from dissatisfied recipients.
Negotiation and Assistance
Sometimes, to obtain a link, considerable negotiation is required. While some webmasters link to your content spontaneously, others need more convincing. Challenges include webmasters being unclear about what you want or how to implement it. Here are a few potential issues.
Webmasters unclear on the task. Some webmasters might not fully understand what you want or how to execute it. Thus, providing clear, concise instructions from the beginning can prevent misunderstandings.
Webmasters acting independently. Clearly communicate your requirements to avoid issues like misplaced links, which can confuse readers instead of enhancing content.
Follow-up
Opinions vary on the best way to follow-up on outreach emails. Persistence often pays off, but excessive follow-up can be counterproductive. Striking a balance is key.
Failing to include an opt-out option. Ensure all your outreach emails include opt-out instructions to prevent irritating potential link partners.
Skipping follow-ups. Many successful links come from diligent follow-up efforts. Ensure your follow-up emails are courteous and informative, and include the opt-out option.
Overdoing follow-ups. If you’ve followed up more than ten times without success, it’s often better to move on to other prospects rather than risk annoying potential partners.
While it’s not always well-received, a gentle follow-up can occasionally remind someone to consider your proposal. However, avoid public platforms for follow-ups, as it can come across as intrusive.
Conclusion
Every month brings new challenges in link building. Although it may be tedious, it’s never dull. Viewing problems as learning opportunities can help you improve over time and prepare you for the next unexpected development.
