One of the most effective and widely-used strategies for link building (also known as backlinking) is commonly referred to as “ego bait.” This term suggests you need to flatter other marketers, via praise and/or recognition, into linking back to your site. But actually, the overall idea is to look for commonalities and connections you have with experts, influencers and peers in your industry, in order to form win/win relationships that promote both of your agendas.
This first article in our 3-part Link-Building Strategies series looks at strategic methods you can use to establish connections with like-minded marketers that can pay immediate dividends — and often lead to mutually beneficial relationships for the long term. Here are some initial ideas:
Shine the spotlight on key influencers and resources.
This approach to backlinking can take on many forms. It could be as simple as an article on a key achievement of a person, business or group. It can be a roundup type article featuring wisdom/statements from an assemblage of experts and influencers. Or it could take on the form of a listicle: a “best of” type article that provides a list of influencers, products or services worth discovering.Invite experts to write guest posts.
Experts and influencers in an industry/niche tend to build up a degree of name recognition. They also build a following by consistently providing their audiences with valuable, relevant content. By soliciting an expert’s perspectives and including them on your site, you bring additional value to your own content — while aligning yourself with opportunities to be promoted through that contributor’s own channels.Conduct interviews with recognized experts.
Whether the final production takes the form of a Q&A blog article, a podcast or a video, the direct and personal nature of the interview format brings information to life in an engaging way. Well-thought-out interviews with a experts/influencers can be a valuable asset for both your company and the interviewees. They add useful, authoritative pieces of content to your mix — one that the experts/influencers will be proud to link back to, while also sharing them across their own social media channels.Highlight products/services that complement your offering.
Chances are, there are other non-competing companies with products/services that augment and/or integrate well with your own. Look for opportunities to collaborate with other marketers in a reciprocal way. The resulting product pairings can give customers/prospects ideas on new ways to maximize the use of your respective components — a value-add that can be promoted via your respective websites and social media channels.Other Articles in our Link-Building Strategies Series
Building Content That Influencers Want to Share
Leveraging Your Posts to the Max