link building fundamentals by debra mastaler

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The Art & Science of Building LinksLink Building FundamentalsSMX East 2015Presenter: Debra MastalerAlliance-Link.com | @debramastaler

AgendaLink PopularityUnnatural LinksPenalties & DisavowTacticsLightening Round

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12D

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Algorithms &Link PopularityAlgorithms &Link Popularity


Almost 70% of the world uses GoogleMost Popular Search Engine ?


How Are Pages Ranked?

PaidOrganic

Over 200+ factors contributeDomain level links

Page level links

Page Level (Title, tags, content)

Mobile

Query data (long & short clicks)

Social media metrics

Location personalization


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Photo credit: https://blogs.agriya.comMost of the changes/filters are done to help define, evaluate and rate links and the pages they come from.


Link Popularity

Link popularity measures the quality and quantity of links pointing to a webpage.

Considered an off-page factor.

Engines weigh off-page factors more heavily than on-page*.

Slang: Link Juice, Link Love, Link Pop, Link EquityThere are four components of link popularity


Link PopularityFour components and a lot of moving parts


The number of links pointing to a webpage from different websites/pages.Link Quantity


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XXCX

AXXLink QualityDetermined by the authority of the host sites and the sites linking to them

BXXXYour Website


Link QualityAll three engines have a formula to measure and compute quality

PageRank

TrustRank

NetRank


The power of PageRank - Yep, its still around.What Makes A Quality PageQuality pages have unique characteristics, they showAuthority

Expertise

Trust

Algorithms reward quality and factual accuracy*

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DA leather jacket is just a leather jacket but on Fonzie, its a cool ehh. Page quality makes a link cool.

RelevanceEstablishes your topical and/or geographic dominanceBaby StrollersDiamond ringsCosta Rica Vacation RentalsViagraNot exactly pet sites


RelevanceRelevance is keyword, relationship and fact based

Relevance factors change constantly as the index grows

Your relationships may influence what is returned

Factual accuracy plays a part in determining relevance*

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DGoogle tries to return relevant results by learning from previous searchers and returning information from people you know (shared on social sites)

Anchor text is the clickable part of the link you see

My son and my money go to The College of William & Mary My son spends a lot of money buying college text books. Visit us at www.poor-parents.org for more information.

Anchor text is a query ranking factor

From Google: anchor text influences the queries your website ranks for in the search results.

From Bing: anchor text helps define the theme of a linked page.

An endorsement of what is to comeAnchor Text


Hyperlink when it makes sense

Anchor Text

Doesnt matter what you do, if Google thinks your inbound links are anything but editorial, you lose.

Make your anchor text part of the conversation


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Your Goal When Building Links:

Pages relevant to your target audience

Conversational anchors on

Quality pages usingSecure a lot of links from

Quantity

Quality

Anchor Text

Relevance


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Links That Rain On Your ParadeUnnatural Links


What the search engines (especially Google) want you to avoidUnnatural Links

Paid linksLarge scale guest postingLow quality directoriesFooter linksTemplate linksLarge-scale reciprocal linkingPress releasesWidgets & badgesForum drops


What To AvoidAvoid these flags and footprints

Do not acquire a lot of the same links quicklyAvoid using same anchors over and overAvoid linking with low quality pagesAvoid placing links in navigation and sponsored areas

Avoid pages/sites hosting excessive reciprocals and template linksAvoid sites with excessive AdsenseDont make directory links (even niche directories) a large part of your portfolioAvoid sites with no Contact or About Us info

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DIn addition to the type of links there were methodologies they penalize

Think Before You Link Questions to ask Is the page hosting your link in the search index?Been cached lately?Do they use nofollow attributes?Does the website participate in social media?Does the webpage rank for relevant keywordsIs the website tied to a network?Is the content relevant to my site?Search complaint + URL?


What To Do When You Get In TroublePenalties& Disavow


Google Penalty Or Algorithm Update?

Image courtesy @kikolaniIf your sitedisappeared from the search results orlost rankingyou either have a manual penalty orhave been affected bychanges/filters to an algorithm.Not hard to figure out but bad either way

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DOr a hosting issue in which case all you should make WMT your first stop

Manual Action NoticeGoogle love notes in your Search Console not so sweet.

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DIf your site has received a manual penalty, it will show in your search console

Manual ActionsTwo Types, site-wide and partial

Unnatural links pointing to your siteHacked siteUser generated spam in your blog/forumThin content with no valueCloaking/spammy redirectsHidden text/keyword stuffing


Reconsideration For Manual Penalty

A good reconsideration request does three things:Explains the exact quality issue on your site.Describes the steps youve taken to fix the issue.Documents the outcome of your efforts.Asking Google to review your site after manual penalty (request a review)


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How do you determine which search engine update affected you?

https://www.rankranger.com/google-algorithm-updateshttp://moz.com/google-algorithm-change

Google Algorithm Updates History

Check Google/Other AnalyticsRankings Drop Due To Change In Algorithm


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STEP 01

STEP 02

STEP 03

STEP 04

STEP 05

Pull BacklinksUse links from WMT and at least one commercial tool. Audit BacklinksList unnatural links in spreadsheetContact InfoUse a tool like URLProfiler to pull email from list of unnatural linksReach OutAsk to removeRepeat after 10 daysList no responses (provide details!)DisavowLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur elementum posuere pretium. It takes Google some time to process the information youve uploaded, (weeks!), these links will continue to be shown in your Search Console.DisavowCleaning up and disavowing links


Rankings DropWatch, watch, watch.Watch your backlinks like you watch your rankings!

Analyze your websites backlinks and identify what caused your rankings drop.

Once you identify the links, try to remove them

Disavow the ones you cannot get removed.

Be proactive Dont wait for a slap down.


I highly recommend you avoid using a link removal company that does not fully disclose who they are on their website.(Or any service for that matter)Word Of Caution


Link BuildingTactics

Tactics

#So far weve looked at what makes a good link and linking partner, what links Google wants us to avoid, how to get out of trouble if we do slip up. Now letss look at getting some links.

Remember these three simple facts in link building:It It is less about what you do and more about where.

Links help get you ranked but clicks show you deserve to be there.

You need to have something worth linking to.


Poll Title: Do you use any of the following tactics to generate links? https://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/E74lv18vbUqxPK5

Questions To Ask Before You LinkAnd some tools to help

Does the page rank well?

RankRanger AuthorityLabs Does the site have a varied backlink portfolio RavenTools SEOBook Tool Set OSEInbound links use a wide variety of anchors? MajesticAhrefsBacklinkWatch (free) Cache date recent? CachedPages (free)

Lots of social signals from several networks? SendibleBuzzsumo

Content relevant to yours? Buzzstream

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DYou need to protect yourself when placing links on other peoples sites, here are questions to ask. Avoid networks

Link Building Tactics

Link Building Ideas

Reclaiming Broken Links

Un-Linked Mentions

Credibility Links

Citation Building

Resource Pages

Image Gifting

Content Outreach (on your site & content you send away)

Image Galleries

Content SourcingAuthor Prospects & Curator Mining

Repurposing Content

Link Roundups

Content Marketing Tactics

Foundational Tactics


Link Building Tactics

Foundational Tactics:

Reclaiming Broken Links

Un-Linked Mentions

Credibility Links

Citation Building

Resource Pages

Image Gifting


Foundational Links:Links get you ranked but clicks show you deserve to be there.Help position you as a brand expert and credible, factual source

Identify your brand in an ever-growing link graph

Puts you on credible/authority sources

Tend not to change

Inexpensive to acquire

Content marketing should not be your only link building strategy!!


Foundational Link Tactic: Reclaiming Broken LinksTools: Citation Labs | Ontolo Tools | Check My Links (Chrome plug-in) Fix whats broke.

Tactic twist: 404 pages


FLT: Unlinked MentionsTalkWalker | RankTank

Find unlinked mentions of your brand

Contact webmaster

Ask for hyperlink

Not a brand?

Find unlinked keyword phrases (where it makes sense)

Find mentions of out-of-business competitors


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Foundational Link Tactic: Citation Building

Find #1 site ranking for your keywordsCopy their name, address and telephone numberSearch using quotesResults are potential sites you can add your information to. excel spreadsheet + citation buildingUse competitors to find sources to add your site to.Tools: WhiteSpark. Mentions Of A Business By Name, Address & Telephone Number.

WhiteSparkTIP


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Foundational Link Tactic: Credibility LinksEstablish trust, sets expertise Establish trust signals

Chamber of Commerce

Industry Associations

Better Business Bureau

Wikipedia*


FLT: Resource PagesYour keyword inurl:linksYour keyword inurl:resourcesuseful linksyour keywordhelpful links your keyword

Tool: SoloSEO (no charge) use recommended function.

Anyone think it would be a good idea to offer UTA a more current guide?

Find opportunities on academic and government outlets


Foundational Link Tactic: Image GiftingGiving the gift of an image to an article that needs it

Search for blog posts and magazine articles using your keywords.

Offer photo at no charge

Own the photo!


Also known as a .gifFLT: Images Good, Cinemagraphs BetterFun images help sell content

Creates memorable content

Stimulates linking!

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Make your own http://makeagif.com/

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Backlink topical gifs found in directories:

http://giphy.com/search/gif-directory

Imagine from nerdist.com/


Link Building Tactics Using Content

Content Marketing Tactics

Content Outreach (on your site & content you send away)

Image Galleries

Content SourcingAuthor Prospects & Curator Mining

Link RoundupsRepurposing Content


Dont over do the anchorsBest Practice: Using Content To Attract LinksDo not over use keyword anchors in posts/articles/biosHyperlink conversationally.Avoid blog networks. Do not partner with a blog/site not using social media (especially Google Plus and Twitter)Do not partner with a blog/site that does not have an active About Us page. LINK


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Know what your audience wants to read and where they are reading it.What Is Hot In Content Outreach?

Product Reviews

Lists

Infographics

Video

Surveys

.

Roundups

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DThe key is giving people what they want and giving it to the right audience. Lets look at 46

MOBILE & TABLETLorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.Highly sought after written and video content, taps factual Content Tactic: Product Reviews You CreateWritten reviews with images are most frequently linked to(the longer the better)

Keep best reviews on your site, promote from there, unless

Issue press release for substantial reviews

Target social networks for distribution

Bundle reviews into ebooks with email paywall

Reviews dominate on YouTube

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DHot tactic, media loves. Use word product review in title, second biggest content item are case studies. Can be shared, updated

Use what other people have written to gain linksContent Tactic: Product Reviews By OthersSearch for older reviews

Back link, look for sources

Offer your newer review as a source, or

Write a comparison piece

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DUse what others have written to find links. Comparisons good, people upgrade

Search for:

Daily Link Roundup + keywordLink Roundup + keywordWeekly Link Roundup + keyword

Identify blogs/sites in your niche doing roundups, contact the owner and show your very best content.Ask to have your content included in the roundup.A collection of favorite posts from around the Web

Link Roundups

Set an alert and let roundups come to you


Content Tactic: Image GalleriesLet news media and publishers know. Conceptual, factual and historical images.

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DImage galleries are a news worthy item, issue press release, email release. Add to Flickr if you dont want to host on your site

Use Flickr to find images to backlink, or host your image gallery, 10 billion images on Flickr, 2 million groups, news media uses.Content Tactic: Flickr Galleries


Asking webmasters to link to images they borrowContent Tactic: Reclaiming Images


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Get your content added to curation outlets, use to find new sources

Content Tactic: Curator MiningPaper.li paper.li + keyword

Rebel Mouse rebelmouse + kw

FlipBoard flipboard + kw

Kw: accounting software

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12DGet on popular curated news outlets, use newspapers to find sources to host your content53

Look for sources to host your content, look for writers, get yourself pinned, 47% recommend rate Content Tactic: Using Pinterest


Find the writers, find the sources, hire them to write for you.Content Tactic: Author ProspectingAuthorKeywordWriterKeywordGuideKeywordColumnistKeywordContributorKeywordEditorKeywordFreelance WriterKeyword

Tool Tip: https://drive.google.com/templates


Translate or add subtitles to audio/visual content, promote via media and social networks, look for multicultural and internationalContent Tactic: Translating Content

WebinarPodcastVideo


Reach wider audience, attract links, drive more traffic, avoids duplicate content issuesContent Tactic: Repurposing Content

In-depth article with images. Evergreen piece.Product Review1

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Create presentation on each section, add to SlideShare. PresentationSocial Media SnippetsEach blog post covers a section of the review. Multiple Blog PostsCreate infographic using steps in product reviewInfographic

Extended G+ posts, Tweet series, posts on FB

searchmarketingexpo.com@DebraMastaler#SMX #12D8 pieces of content from one product review, different enough to avoid duplicate content issues.57

The Lightening RoundInsights For 2015

Insights


Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.Lightening Round: Insights For 2015APPLICATION

Keep the key components of link popularity in mind when building links.Dont scrimp on a copywriter.Make sure your links sit on mobile friendly sites/pages.Invest in SEO/link tools after using free trials.Create evergreen content that has been personalized for your target audience. Add email capture to everything, look into content for a tweet. Create Knowledge Vault quality content. Site uses nofollow but the link is worth having? Point it to your social profiles for traffic.


Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.Good tipsLightning RoundAPPLICATION

Contests, sponsorships, scholarships, etc all good ideas but one-off, time sensitive tactics.Follow key media on Twitter and LinkedIn. Engage! Fax press releases directly to media, forget the press release submission outlets.Local media outlets love, love, love interviewsMedia doesnt link out except when they have to. Images are that exceptionHARO (Help A Reporter Out) great resource but be quick!

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