Link Building Strategies >> Tools & Resources
Building Tools and Resources
In my article, 10 Commandments of Link Building, I stated the following:
With directories and paid listings aside, few people will link to a "bare bones" website that offers nothing unique, helpful or interesting. If start hunting for links before your website has earned its place on the web, you're going to have a long, hard slog ahead of you.On the other hand, if you build the kind of website that makes other in your industry or niche say, "Wow, that's really something! I know some folks who would like that," then your link-building efforts will be a breeze.
What I mean is this. If you build a website that's "just another marketing website," who is really going to link to it? Sure, you'll get some links from article marketing, directory submissions, and other tactics mentioned on this site. But you won't get many "unsolicited" links to your site.
Unsolicited links happen when people happen across your website, find it extremely helpful, and link to it as a recommended resource. Your direct competitors won't do this, but others in related industries will. Let me give you an example from my own experiences:
I once helped a medical clinic increase their online visibility. While working on the website, I noticed they had dozens of articles on various medical subjects related to their practice. It was high-quality information, so I used it to my advantage for link-building purposes.
I made a long list of medical information websites that had similar information (though not as extensive). Then I emailed them, one by one, and pointed out the vast "Resource Center" on my client's website. I invited them to share it with their readers by linking to it however they saw fit.
Nearly half of them took me up on the offer, giving my client high-quality backlinks from relevant websites. This kind of network building is the brass ring of SEO, but none of it would have been possible if not for the great resources on my client's website.
The more "link worthy" your website is, the easier it will be to acquire inbound links.
Related item: More link-building strategies