The Art of Link Building

January 26, 2009 – 10:18 am by Valarie Bastek

My colleagues and I were reading Dev Basu’s recent article on “The Perfect Link Request” and it got us thinking about our own link building best practices. Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of prospective clients are skeptical to engage in a contract that allows for an agency to contact other Web sites on their behalf. However, after reviewing our process and personal best practices, prospects understand why link building is a crucial element to an SEO program. In addition to the tips Basu offered, here are some additional basic rules of engagement Zeta’s link builders always follow:

Know your target Web site. One of our first steps when we’re examining sites to reach out to is to do a thorough audit of the target Web site in question. This helps us determine if the site is affiliated with our client’s competitors and also helps us determine if there is any negative information written about our client that we may need to address in our outreach letter. Failing to examine a Web site and read archived blog posts can potentially result in a negative post about a client, something we work very hard to avoid!

Personalize, Personalize, Personalize. Basu hit on this in his own article, but it’s so important that it deserves more attention! We’ve all seen them before: the pitch that looks like a mail merge. And what do we do? Delete and move on. Part of getting to know the target Web site includes finding areas of commonality between the target site and the client’s own Web site. It is one thing to point out that a resource might be valuable to the Web site’s readers; however, we try to take this one step further by calling out similar content on the site. For example: “I see that you’ve written about using a postage meter in the past, and wanted to let you know about Pitney Works’ new Web content designed to assist those currently using a meter.”

Transparency. One of the biggest concerns clients typically have is how we will represent their brand. Good marketers will quell those fears by explaining that an agency is an extension of a client’s brand. For this reason, outreach should always be transparent; always disclose who you are and who you’re working with when communicating with third-party Web site owners. It is also important to note that you should never make promises on behalf of a client. Promising items such as reciprocal links on a client’s Web site that you know will never come to fruition only damages your relationship with the Webmaster in the event that you need to contact them in the future.

Brevity. As Thomas Jefferson said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” The same can be said for link building pitches. While it is certainly important to develop rapport in the opening lines of an email, if this section drags on, you’ve lost the Webmaster before you’ve even pointed out your desired anchor text. Keep it simple, keep it short, and make sure you’re making your point in as few words as possible.

Follow Up. Once you’ve sent out the original communication, one of two things can happen: you’ll either receive a response from the Webmaster letting you know they will or will not add a link, or your email will fade into cyber-oblivion. For this reason, it is imperative to follow up with your targets. However, heed caution when it comes to timing; most Webmasters do not appreciate a daily e-mail from you, nor will they remember you if you follow up a year after the fact.

What’s In It for Me? The Art of Flattery. Every once in awhile, you’ll get that one great “hit” where a blogger or Webmaster posts the perfect anchor text along with an extensive article about your client. You’ll of course want to thank them personally via email, but how about offering to submit their article to the usual social media channels (if appropriate)? This may actually help your client even further while establishing a positive, ongoing relationship-maybe even friendship-with the Webmaster.

Does anyone else have further valuable tips to keep in mind when reaching out on a client’s behalf?