link building 2014: shun the shortcuts to improve search rankings

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Linkbuilding: Shun the Shortcuts to Improve

RankingsBryson MeunierDirector, SEO StrategyResolution Media

David ClukaDirector, Digital MarketingBriggs and Stratton

AGENDA

• What are bad links?• How to find and purge bad links• Finding your niche• The only way to measure link

effectiveness• The right way to get links• Case study: link building strategy

for Briggs and Stratton

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GOOD LINK BUILDING

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4000% increase in visits

BAD LINK BUILDING

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• “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard-core pornography"]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that. [Emphasis added.]”

—Justice Potter Stewart, concurring opinion in Jacobellis v. Ohio 378 U.S. 184 (1964), regarding possible obscenity in The Lovers.

MOST BAD LINK BUILDING NOT HARD TO DETECT

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Anything that seeks to exploit

loopholes in Google’s ranking

algorithm

Anything that’s paid but made to

look as if it’s earned

BAD LINKS FALL IN TWO CATEGORIES

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ADVERTORIALS

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Anything that’s paid but made to

look as if it’s earned

PAID LINKS

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Anything that’s paid but made to

look as if it’s earned

PRESS RELEASE SPAM

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Anything that’s paid but made to

look as if it’s earned

•Widgets or footers with overly optimized anchor text• Low quality directories• Blog comment spam• Article marketing• Automated linkbuilding• Excessive reciprocal links

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Anything that seeks to exploit

loopholes in Google’s ranking

algorithmFull, evolving list at https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66356?hl=en

IF YOU HAVE BAD LINKS

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NOT

IF YOU HAVE BAD LINKS

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GET THEM IN GOOGLE WEBMASTER TOOLS

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SOFTWARE/SERVICES FOR REMOVING BAD LINKS: REMOVEEM

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SOFTWARE/SERVICES FOR REMOVING BAD LINKS: LINKQUIDATOR

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• Open Site Explorer• Majestic SEO• AHrefs

USE SITE EXPLORERS TO UNCOVER OVER OPTIMIZED ANCHORS

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LOOK FOR UNNATURAL PATTERNS IN HISTORICAL LINKS

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DISAVOW & REQUEST RECONSIDERATION

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AVOID MAKING MESSES AND THERE’S NOTHING TO CLEAN UP

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There are no shortcuts to link building for SEO.

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The best link builders earn links by building relationships and creating content that people are compelled to share.

• Mine competitor links, shares and mentions for relevant content• BrightEdge• OpenSiteExplorer • FreshWebExplorer• FollowerWonk

• Sort BrightEdge backlink performance report by # of competitors with backlinks from this domain for more relevant links

FINDING YOUR NICHE

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•No directories that don’t fit the brand•No guest blogs that don’t fit the brand•Only sites that qualified searchers actually visit

SET STANDARDS FOR LINK TARGETS

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MODELING AUDIENCE NEEDS FROM BIG DATA

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LINKBUILDING FOR SPECIFIC PERSONAS

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The only way to measure link effectiveness is…

QUALIFIED SEARCH AND REFERRAL TRAFFIC

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•Domain Authority/Trust•Page Authority/Trust•PageRank•Organic search rankings•Number of links acquired

FORGET THESE LINKBUILDING KPIS

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• Would my target audience feel compelled to share the content I’m promoting with their social circles without outside prompting?

• Do all my partners link to the content I’m promoting? Why not?

• Would a link from this site create referral traffic that might visit the site I’m promoting more regularly?

?ASK THESE QUESTIONS INSTEAD

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If the answer to any of these questions is

No

how do you turn it into a

Yes?

CONTENT

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=≠

• And yet is not visible in search…

0% of

traffic from non-brand keywords, December 2013*

BEETLE.COM WINS WEBBY FOR QUALITY SITE

32*Source: SEMRush, 1/30/2014

THIS IS CONTENT

33Found on https://www.google.com/insidesearch/howsearchworks/fighting-spam.html, 1/31/2014

INFORMATIVEAUTHENTICUSEFULEMOTIONALCONTROVERSIALUNIQUECOMPREHENSIVEDARING

+ACCESSIBLECONNECTEDUSING SEARCHER QUERIES IN PLACES WHERE GOOGLE UNDERSTANDS THEM

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= King/crown picture

BRIGGS & STRATTONLinkbuilding Strategy Case Study

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Would my target audience feel compelled to share the content I’m promoting with their social circles without outside prompting?

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FOCUS ON CUSTOMER PERSONA’S NEEDS

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FOCUS ON CREATING RELEVANT CONTENT WITH BLOG

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CREATING RELEVANT CONTENT WHERE CONSUMERS ARE

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USING GOOGLE TRENDS TO FIND NEW CONTENT OPPORTUNITIES

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IMPROVING AUTHENTICITY WITH AUTHORSHIP

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Do all my partners link to the content I’m promoting? Why not?

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AVOIDING FORM LETTERS

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REAL PEOPLE BUILDING REAL RELATIONSHIPS

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Chris Kovac

Marketing Manager - Digital Channel and Mass Lawn & Garden at Briggs & Stratton

CONTENT SUGGESTIONS TO PARTNERS

Under Lawn Mower Buying Guides, consider adding an article about the importance of an

engine in outdoor power equipment

The page should:• Call out which

lawnmower engine brands are available in products at Home Depot

• Link to those engine brands

• Proposed co-branded Hangout with large retail partner

• Suggested an engines matter page to another large retail partner

• Value add for both businesses, and for searchers

REAL COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS

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Would a link from this site create referral traffic that might visit the site I’m promoting more regularly?

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OLD ARTICLES DON’T GET MUCH RELEVANT TRAFFIC

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SEO AND PR INTEGRATION

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SEO PR

CREATING RELEVANT CONTENT WHERE CONSUMERS ARE

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FIND RELEVANT INFLUENCERS ACCORDING TO PERSONA INTERESTS

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ENGAGE FIRST SOCIALLY BEFORE SENDING EMAIL

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MEASURE REFERRAL TRAFFIC

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Bryson MeunierDirector, SEO StrategyResolution Mediabmeunier@resolutionmedia.comwww.resolutionmedia.com

David ClukaDirector, Digital MarketingBriggs and Strattonwww.briggsandstratton.com

THANK YOU!