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Rand Fishkin, Wizard of Moz | @randfish | [email protected]
Link Building’s Tipping PointThe same shifts we’ve seen in query & content evaluation are coming to
links. What does it mean for SEO? And how can marketers react?
Where Link Evaluation Algorithms Have Been…
PageRank
Source Diversity
Anchor Text
Trust Distance
Domain Authority
Location on Page
Spam Outlink Analysis
And Dozens More Individual Factors
Outlink Propensity
Rate of Link Acquisition
Nofollow vs. Follow
Links in Images
Link Density
Content Relevance
Website Relevance
Trust Factors
Co-Citation
Content Duplication
Links within Tags
Geography of Host
Surrounding Text
Surrounding Text
Where We BelieveThey’re Going Next…
From Reasonable Surfer toAll-Seeing Eye
Together we see all…
We know all…
There is no escape…
Google knows where visit paths begin…
Where they go next…
And where they end up.
Their Goal is Searcher Satisfaction
Google’s Core Search team is always asking the same question:
Are searchers satisfied with these results?
How do they get the answer?...
Aggregate Behavioral Data
Do searchers, on average, click the results we rank highly more than the results we rank lower?
Aggregate Behavioral Data
35% of clicks
19% of clicks
11% of clicks
All Good!
Do many searchers click on nothing at all, and instead change their query, or choose a “related search?”
Aggregate Behavioral Data
If it’s these, maybe we show more results for commercial & manufacturing equipment up front.
Do searchers, on average, “short-click” some results, while “long-clicking” others?
Aggregate Behavioral Data
If clicks on Probake.com results in a quick return to the SERPs
While the NYTimes.com piece gets high engagement w/ few bounces…
Google might swap their rankings
Not Sure You Should Believe Me?Here’s Google Ranking Engineer Paul Haahr:
Via Paul Haahr
Machine and Deep-Learning Models
Sites & pages that satisfy searchers
Sites & pages that don’t satisfy searchers
Sites & pages that link to these good
resources
Sites & pages that link to these poor
resources
ML model to identify traits highly
predictive of good vs. bad links
ML Models Can Apply to Spam, Too
Editorial, high value, search-quality-team, hand-reviewed links
Links that point to good stuff, but are
manipulative, sketchy, paid, or coerced
ML model to identify traits highly
predictive of good vs. bad links
Domain Reputation & Author Authority
Based on what Techcrunch links to & its own link attributes, Google may vary the ranking equity passed
by its outlinks
Domain Reputation & Author AuthorityBut, Google might assign
different weight to articles in different subsections, or
different authors.
e.g. Samuel Scott’s links may deserve to pass value
“Anonymous executive”… not so much.
Google’s Transforming Itself into a Company Built Around Learning Models
Via Backchannel
To Build a SustainableLink Strategy for the Future,Every Marketer Needs…
A Strategic Roadmap
Link Goals
Strategic Approach
Tactical Initiatives
KPIs/Metrics
An Example…
@randfish
This is my kinda website!
A) Mustachio’d mascot
B) Pasta-centric
C) Solid reviews
LineaPasta’s Long-Term Link Strategy
Rank in search for key terms and earn direct traffic from linking endorsements
Apply a product-centric link strategy. Use our partnerships & endorsements by chefs, restaurants, & media to earn links.
Outreach to current partners, sales mentions to restaurant buyers, leverage founder’s contacts w/ chefs, PR w/ media
1. Links from our partners2. Links & mentions from media/press3. Rankings for key terms4. Search visits
Link Goals
Strategic Approach
Tactical Initiatives
KPIMetrics
We Also Need…
@randfish
Buy-In on Experimentation
Via PointBlankSEO and Allie Brown
Link tactics like an event photo gallery
might work, but it also might fall flat. Link
building needs room to try and fail.
The Right Expectations RegardingTime-to-ROI
Via WB Friday
A Balance Between Long-Term Investments & Short-Term Hacks
High upfront costs Pay (in time/$$) as you go
Long-Term Investments
Slow to show ROI
Earn links while you sleep
Non-existent Spam Risk
Can Show Fast ROI
Effort In = Links Out
Can Have Spam Risk
Short-Term Hacks
Long-Term Link Strategies that Work5
The Community/UGC Path
@randfish
Enable a platform where a community earns value by contributing content, products, ideas, reviews, submissions, etc.
How Does It Work?
Invest in amplification of the contributions
Nudge your contributors to drive the links
1
23
This is Yelp
It’s TripAdvisor
It’s Etsy
It’s Medium
It’s Dribbble
It’s Memeorandum
It’s ProductHunt
It’s Ravelry
It’s ForexFactory
The Press & Media Path
@randfish
Focus on people, a product, an industry, or a problem that naturally attracts press interest
How Does It Work?
Leverage the fundamentals of fame, controversy, storytelling, etc. to amplify
Associate your narrative with the keywords most important to your search traffic
123
This is Tesla
It’s Warby Parker
It’s Dollar Shave Club
It’s Uber
It’s Goldie Blox
It’s Simple
It’s Glowforge
The Embed Path
@randfish
Create a platform (media, commerce, etc) or product (tools, graphics, forms, etc) that works via installation on 3rd-party websites
How Does It Work?
Build the initial audience that uses your embed and helps it to reach broad adoption
Leverage the embed’s format to earn the right links to the right places
1
23
This is Slideshare
It’s Vimeo
It’s Typeform
It’s RottenTomatoes
It’s Walkscore
It’s TradingView
The Partnership/Alliance Path
@randfish
Find an audience for your service that forms links alongside the partnership/relationship
How Does It Work?
Craft a common structure for the ask or nudge you use in the partnership (in the contract, with a suggested style, logo use, citation requirements, etc.)
Vary link destination & anchor text over time & across partners to give boosts where you need them
12
3
This is ReturnPath
It’s FullContact
It’s Trulia
It’s Box
It’s Sendgrid
It’s Otis Elevators
The Content Marketing Path
@randfish
Publish content that has high chances of earning natural links & citations from others
How Does It Work?
Market your content through channels that reach the audiences most likely to link
Grow a scalable process for amplification to continue attracting new potential link sources
12
3
This is Eater
It’s Master of Malt
It’s Wordstream
It’s Collectors Weekly
It’s Politifact
It’s GrooveHQ
It’s Polygon
It’s KPCB
Why Isn’t Manual Link Acquisition Strategic?
@randfish
Find places to get links (competitors’ link profiles, directories, broken links, et al)
How Does It Work?
Figure out ways to acquire each link
Move on to the next potential source on the list
12
3
Manual Links Don’t Scale w/ Decreasing Friction
Directory Links
Broken Links
1:1 Email Link Outreach
Guest Post Links
Profile Account Links
Same Work Required Day 3 as Day 300
These 5 Strategies Do:
Community/UGC Path
Press & Media Path
Embed Path
Partnership/Alliance Path
Content Marketing Path
Over time, less work yields more links
Great Link Builders Focus on Their Flywheel
Moz’s Flywheel
KW Research + Industry Intuition
Publish Content
Promote via Social Channels
Push to email + RSS subscribers
Earn Links + Amplification
Grow social, email, RSS, & WoM channels
Grow Domain Authority
Earn Search & Referral Traffic
Rank for More Competitive KWs
KW Research + Industry Intuition
Publish Content
Promote via Social Channels
Push to email + RSS subscribers
Earn Links + Amplification
Grow social, email, RSS, & WoM channels
Grow Domain Authority
Earn Search & Referral Traffic
Rank for More Competitive KWs
In 2006, I was lucky if new content led to any links or rankings at all
KW Research + Industry Intuition
Publish Content
Promote via Social Channels
Push to email + RSS subscribers
Earn Links + Amplification
Grow social, email, RSS, & WoM channels
Grow Domain Authority
Earn Search & Referral Traffic
Rank for More Competitive KWs
But, by 2016, nearly every post earns a handful of links, & some earn a lot!
Moz is a Business Built on Content
Dollar Shave Club was Built on a Press
& Media Flywheel
Via NYTimes
Dribbble was Built on a UGC/Community Flywheel
But… Almost Every Flywheel Findsa Point (or Points) of Friction
Publish Content
Promote via Social Channels
Push to email + RSS subscribers
Crap… We’re not reaching anyone who will link/amplify us
Link Building Growth HacksCan Accelerate a Flywheel
Hacks aren’t necessarily evil, spammy, or without value.
They can be highly useful when applied to a sound link strategy.
10 of My Favorite Hacks
@randfish
#1: Republishing
Take an existing piece of content
Re-create a part or the whole
Create additional traffic, reach, and/or rankings
XXa
Xb
Xc3X
Medium is a great cheat-code for this:
Via Medium
The built in network, the ability to use rel=canonical (and/or link to
the original post), and the domain’s ranking ability make it a sweet
republishing platform.
More Republishing Tips & Tacticsin this Webinar:
Via Mozinar
#2: Guest Contributions
Via LitHubThe best guest posting advice I’ve ever read
A Tactical Tip for Guest Contributions:
The language you use in these queries matters
“submit post”“guest blog”“guest post”
Often Sketchy Usually Solid
“share your story”“write for *”
“guest author”
#3: Local Links
Geography can be a big link opportunity… But it can be a process to find potential sources. Try this:
Let’s say you’re Ace Spirits, just off Main Street in Hopkins, MN
Step 1: Find the two most popular, similar businesses in your region.
We’ll skip chains, since Ace is a single-store, and go with Surdyk’s and Zipps (they have the most reviews)
Step 2: Use a combined query for those businesses plus the region
Boom! A link opportunity.
And another one.
And another!
It goes on like this for page after page
We can repeat this with combinations of all the other competitors, too
PSA: Be cautious visiting online liquor stores late at night while building slide decks…
I’ve become a cautionary tale…
But, then I got this note from the owner
#4: Small Site/Content Acquisitions
Likely a very inexpensive purchase that adds lots of high-relevance visitors
Via OSE &
Similarweb ProMore details about this tactic in my blog post
#5: Be Someone Else’s Press
Via Peach and RetailWorks
#6: Bio Links
Anchor links on my bio led to rankings for G’s blog, as the bio was republished
#7: Resource Lists (& Directories)
Once again, language structure matters
“directory”“submit link”
“add your site”“add url”
Often Sketchy Usually Solid
“resource list”“recommended sites”
“inurl:resources”“KW + websites”
#8a: Testimonials
You don’t have to wait to be asked. If there’s a product, service, or
company you love, email the founders or folks on marketing and offer an unsolicited testimonial.
Via Buzzstream Discovery
#8b: Case Studies
If you’re up for a heavier commitment, offering to be
a vendor’s case study is another strong path
Via Bynder
#9: Brand, Image, & Content Reclamation
If you have content (particularly logos, brand names, or visuals) that have widespread use, ID’ing pages with them that don’t link back can be an
easy, powerful link grabVia Vertical Measures (who does, BTW, link back)
For visuals, my best results come
from “search Google for image” (e.g. 200+ vs. 5 in G Images & 7 in
Tinyeye)
Using FWE, you can run queries for unlinked mentions, like this
Better yet, set up an alert so you get notified as
they happen
Via FreshWebExplorer
#10: Orthogonal Alignments
Your website & business
Social Causes
Geographic Connections
Network Connections
Artistic Intersections
Accessibility Programs
Founder Attributes
Technology Applications
Employee Programs
Sponsorship or Support
Artistic IntersectionsThere are literally thousands of web design galleries focusing on various aspects – mobile, web, responsive, use of CSS,
use of JS, etc.
Via BestWeb & MediaQueri.es
Social CausesWhere your businesses values overlap with causes (e.g. Moz & Women in Tech), there’s great opportunity to support visibly &
earn link value
Via GSBA &
50/50 Pledge
Sponsorship / Support
If you host events, sponsor groups, help charities, etc, links are often a
nice byproductVia StartupGrind &
Ronald McDonald House
My Final Advice:Align Your Strategy to Where Google & Users Are Going.
Ask: Do your links mimic how people might find you without search?
The NYTimes writing a feature about pasta machines might be a
strong starting point for restauranteurs & chefs in need
Via NYTimes
Ask: Are your link sources pointing to content searchers find valuable?
By its very nature, sites like Hacker News (despite the nofollows) indicate
a degree of value provided to the audience by the links (and rankings
tend to follow)
Via YCombinator
Ask: Will your link profile pass Google’s machine-learning smell test?
Think of learning models like savvy SEOs manually reviewing your link profile by hand. If they think “this all looks legit,” you’re probably in good
shape. If not…
Via OSE
If your strategy fails to align, you may have a long-term issue w/ Google’s evolving link algorithms.
Link building is far from dead. Links are still critical to rank.
The best marketers will combine long-term strategy & short term hacks to win the SERPs.
Slides: bit.ly/linktippointFollow Rand: Twitter.com/randfish
Rand’s Blog: Moz.com/rand
Thank You!
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