using social media to build killer links

+Eric Enge / @stonetemple© 2012 Stone Temple Consulting

How Social Media Drives Killer Links


Shared onGoogle+

Traffic, Links, and New Subscribers

Helps DriveNew Circlers,Shares, +1s

The Synergy We Are Looking For


#1!


Your Reach Their Reach

The Value of Influencers


20,000 Connections

20,000 Connections

20 Shares

100 Shares

10 Links

50 Links

The Influencer Conversion Bonus


Influencer Summary


PersonalInteraction

Give Back

Value to Others

Creating Trust in One Relationship


Relationship Building Pyramid

1 on 1

Meeting

Blogging

Meetups

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

Higher Value

Higher Effort


Likelihood to Share Formula

Share Rate =

Relevance *

Uniqueness of Content *

Quality of Content *

Trust in Author *

Visibility


Likelihood to Link Formula

Share Rate =

Relevance *

Uniqueness of Content *

Quality of Content *

Trust in Author *

Trust in Referring Sources *

Impressions


Creating ImpressionsDirect Outreach

Broadcast

Shares

PotentialLinker

• Media Sites• Individual Influencers


Summary

• Reach linkers by multiple channels– Create great content– Strong social media presences– Guest posting– Don’t be afraid to hit the road

• Channels / Tactics change over time– Need to reach influencers does not


Case Study 1


Influencer Marketing


Blog with

Quality Content


Lots of Guest Posts


Strong Twitter Presence


Solid Facebook Presence


Basic Strategy

• Post great content: 3 to 4 times per week– 2/3 of the posts are from guest authors

• Guest Post on other sites: 3 to 5 times per week

• Always building relationships with influencers• Great content on Twitter and Facebook• Promote posts on Twitter and Facebook


Sample Results• http://blog.kissmetrics.com/color-psychology/ • 681 links from unique domains• 7,983 tweets• 4k Likes

• http://blog.kissmetrics.com/science-of-social-timing-1/• 504 links from unique domains• 10,600 tweets• 1k Likes

• The site gets 200,000+ visitors per month


Case Study 2


Influencer Marketing


Blog with Great

Content


Gives Interviews


Strong Facebook Presence


Google+ Too


Basic Strategy

• Post great content: 1 post per day– 3/4 of the posts are from guest authors

• Always building relationships with influencers• Rand grants interviews on a regular basis• Great content on Twitter, Facebook, and

Google+• Promote posts on Twitter, Facebook, and

Google+


Sample Results


Case Study 3The

Importance of Opportunism


Issues ….• Started doing SEO in 2002

• Started building consulting biz in 2005• LOTS of companies started way before us

• Slow to start in social media• Limited time to spend:

– Highly Involved in day to day company management– Company is growing in leaps and bounds– Also, run another business too …

• Highly introverted personality• With these disadvantages, was it worth it?


How it started

• Feb/Mar 2005: Went to SES NY• Sat in on this panel:


Methodology

• Front row• First up to speak to Matt Cutts• Rinse and Repeat for every search conference

Matt went to in 2005• Met many other major influencers at those

conferences too!


November 2006


First One In


Still Ranks (Web Analytics Report)

#9


Another Event …


Guess Who Offered to Write for SEW?


SES Chicago December 2008

• Got asked to help write a book

• Published November 2009


Assessment through 2010

• No Social Media activity• Active Guest Posting (SEL, SEW, some SEOmoz)• Active Speaking• Published Art of SEO• Promising Interview Series went dormant

– Because of demands of the book


Results

• Strong Influencer relationships• Good overall visibility• Business size quintupled over two years


Missed Opportunities

• No social media leverage• Ramblings About SEO Blog lost steam


Restart

• May 2011: Got Twitter going• May 2011: Restarted interview series• July 2011: Started leveraging Twitter to

support the interviews


Interview with Tiffany Oberoi


An Influencer Said Something Nice About it


Search on Reconsideration Requests

#4!


Interview with Peter Norvig


Influencer Tweet

3.8 Million Followers!


An “Event” (Peter Norvig Interview)


Thank You!

Eric [email protected]@stonetemple(508) 485-7751www.stonetemple.com For a One Sheet SEO Checklist, email me, or drop

off a business card

using social media to build killer links

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