It can be difficult as a beginner in the digital marketing industry to try to make quality connections with others in the same companies, from not knowing how or even why it is done.
Truthfully, the link building process can be long-winded and take hours out of the working day just to get one that’s successful. With that being said, there may be no simple route or shortcut for link building in a startup that is stable and usable for a beginner.
So, in this article, we will be discussing how a startup can create an effective and well-executed link building campaign in 2020.
Search Engines
The simplest way to understand the way search engines work is that this is an area where businesses dispose of the information their expertise is in, with the hopes of it answering a user’s search query. Search engines are continually expanding, getting smarter and more usable day by day.
When it comes to links, within a search engine, these could be used as small side roads, that will take a user along thousands of different paths, showing them different forms of information that may be of interest to them.
They somewhat work as the satnav that connects specific webpages to one another internally, or externally; the more links, the more information supplied for the user and the better quality the post.
Create Worthy Content
While gaining the links, the steps leading up to this need to be developed in a way that is high quality and strategic. Its basically impossible to gain links, to a piece of work that does not have the assets of doing so.
The way content can qualify for wanted links is firstly ensuring that the content is in the style of an article, infographic, videos, case studies or in the form of a guide. By having these kinds of pieces at hand, it is much easier to cite links, in spots that are most natural and make sense.
Then, ensure that the chosen research is original, the best way to develop linkable content is based on the research and data implemented into it. The unique information between the lines of an article or infographic is what is most attractive for those wanting to link to the content, as they will then be a part of the information that cannot be attained elsewhere, therefore proving to be much higher quality.
Research Into Potential Sources
Once there is a high-quality piece of content drawn up, the next step is to begin devising a strategy that will aid in the gathering of links. It’s almost impossible to achieve organic backlinks from those who just like the content, especially as a startup. So being the one who contacts people instead, is much more likely to achieve link success.
So, this is where the research should take place. It’s important to gather a list of possible opportunities with those blogs or websites that are relevant and will appreciate the quality of the written piece. If the blog that is being offered to a webpage as a guest post, for example, is completely irrelevant to what the blog is about, there is no point asking them for a backlink.
Find places online where leverage can be kept. Sites that need content to stay afloat, offering their audience with great tips and tricks in life. Providing value to the users is much more appealing to a business, and its likely a link will be offered in return. It’s the small, authoritative and industry similar sites that are likely to prove better.
Choose The Right People To Outreach To
Now, it’s time to begin the process of trying to gain links. Knowing the right sources to contact is what poses a challenge in this next step. Because of this, there are two main elements, that when done correctly, can make link building much easier.
The first step is finding who to contact.
Find the right website that relates to the content topic, and pose the blog proposal too them.
You can do this by using these search terms:
- Keyword + Write for us
- Keyword + Contributor Guidelines
- Keyword + Guest Post Submissions
- Keyword + Contribute to Our Blog
Work through these blogs/websites and take note of the progress you have with contacting them. Read their previously published work and see if they are relevant to your startup.
The next step is how to go about contacting people.
During your email outreaching, there must be a willingness to offer something in return, for example, a free guest post or a link back. This way, the business gets free content, and the link building process has commenced. People are much more likely to do a favour for you if you are returning the gesture. Offer this initially before you ask them for anything.
Try to stick to no more than 2 URLs within the email as it can automatically look spammy and keep the email short and sweet. Blog owners receive thousands of these emails a day and so it is important to stand out with a bold subject line and a personalised message so that your email scores a chance of being read and responded to.
Use Social Media
Sharing content on social media sites once it has been written is a powerful link building tactic, especially for 2020 when the use of social media has never been higher.
By doing this, connections can quickly be made, with the more shares, likes and comments are given, companies may want to specifically link with the content, due to the exposure it is getting, this is something a business can benefit from once they have linked.
The main thing to ensure is a powerful, first look connection, with the content being eye-catching and interesting, with a name that will make users want to click on, read and interact with.
Persuade those to see the content, by offering them something back such as exclusive news, discounts or bonuses that wouldn’t normally be provided, to get the motivation to share and work with the content.
Content can and should be repurposed and updated to keep relevant with the times. It is smart to continuously share the content over a period of time. By using tools such as Buffer, you can schedule when these posts are shared to your social media platforms.
Summary
Being a beginner in the link building world can be very challenging, and intimidating when it comes to having to reach out to bigger businesses. Trying to encourage someone to cooperate with your work is likely going to be the hardest challenge of link building, what does this person owe you?
Well, if the content is high quality, you are passionate and real, and the piece is going to continue being used through social media, there won’t be much reason as to why a site will not want to link with the piece of content.
The benefits include boosting their brand awareness, driving traffic to particular pages on their site, and also partnering with an up and comer in the industry, making their business impression much better.
While there are many more tactics that could be covered, these are certainly some of the most important for a startup going into link building in 2020.
With so much to keep up with, giving up can appear very easy. But in the long run, with time, dedication and a reputable workstation making everything online much easier, the process of link building will seem like nothing, and creating the right content will be that of a breeze.
