We’ve seen that the real secret to SEO Copywriting 2.0 is creating compelling content that naturally attracts links, rather than begging for links to our keyword-stuffed “optimized” web page. In other words, SEO copywriting is now all about response-oriented copy—concepts and words that ultimately result in a favorable action from the reader.
Since the popularity of our content depends on the reaction to it off-page, it makes sense that we might also need to step outside the confines of the page itself to get the word out. Luckily, the same copywriting skills you use to conceive and create your content apply to promoting it as well.
The way to create compelling content is to focus on “what’s in it for the reader.” Likewise, no one is going to link to you unless doing so gives them a benefit as well.
The key is the same—understand who you’re talking to and then figure out what will catch their attention and convince them to take action. Here are 5 ways to go about it.
1. Social Media Sites
The quickest way for an exceptional piece of content to get a lot of attention that results in secondary links is to make the home page of Digg or Delicious Popular. There are scores of similar sites that can drive quality traffic as well, such as Reddit, TechMeme, and Magnolia. For more offbeat content, Fark will shake your server. Plus there are dozens of aggregator sites such as PopURLS that also drive traffic based on your inclusion at the primary site.
If you’ve done a great job with your headline, it should magnetically draw people in. However, you need to understand the audience of each social media site. What works as a headline for Digg often won’t work for Reddit. Tweak accordingly, but try to retain your keywords in the title if at all possible, because most of the resulting links will simply regurgitate that title.
Another key element for success on Digg is the summary description, because many people will vote for content based soley on the headline and the brief copy that describes it. Sometimes this may simply be your existing opening paragraph, but you might craft a specialized description that best appeals to the culture of the site.
Submitting your own content to social media sites is looked down upon (at least with your real name), so it makes sense to have a friend submit for you. When specifically targeting a social news site, you want to control the headline and summary copy, because the exact same content submitted with poor headline and description copy may go absolutely nowhere.
2. Linking Out
Linking out to attract links? Yep.
Engaging in dialogue with the relevant blogs in your niche is a great way to get noticed, and it can lead to links back. Bloggers definitely watch who is linking to them thanks to Technorati, and you can take the initiative by linking out first before looking for one in return.
Simply linking out for the sake of linking won’t accomplish much, especially with bloggers who gets lots of links. The key is to be strategic about how you link and what your say.
It’s just like any other conversation. Join in and add your two cents, but make sure you’ve got something substantive to say that will reflect well on you. Use a great headline to make sure you are noticed, and then deliver the goods. And since your cornerstone content is the foundation of what the conversation is likely about, finding a way to mention it in the context of the dialogue will naturally bring it to the attention of influencers in your field.
3. Networking Emails
The days of flat out link begging are fading, but you can still reach out to other bloggers as a way to raise your own profile. Again, can you figure out what’s in it for them?
More than one-off link requests, networking via email and instant messaging is about establishing and growing relationships with others in the social media space. These are the linkerati—prominent bloggers in your niche, top Digg users, web journalists, and prominent web forum contributors.
Write your introductory emails from a copywriting perspective. Catch attention, gain interest, and create a desire to help you in the future by offering something that benefits them first.
4. Guest Appearances
Another benefit of networking within your niche is that it creates opportunities to make a guest writing appearance. You can contribute content that not only allows you to raise your profile, but allows for links back to your own site. Once again, creating killer original content will open doors for you, especially when it’s created for the benefit of someone else. And you can use that killer cornerstone content you’ve already produced as an example of the quality you can deliver.
Depending on your relationship with the site owner, you may be able to link to your cornerstone content from within the body of the content itself, but only if the citation is extremely relevant to the content and beneficial to the reader. Otherwise, your link will need to appear in your byline.
Most people tend to link to their site or blog URL in the byline of contributed content. Turn it around by focusing the byline on the reader instead of yourself, and feature your cornerstone content instead of your home page.
For example, if I were to guest blog somewhere about strategies for attracting links, which byline is more attractive to the reader when finishing my article?
NO: Brian Clark writes about online copywriting at Copyblogger.
YES: Check out Brian Clark’s free SEO Copywriting 2.0 tutorial, which is all about the new style of online writing that helps your web site rank well in search engines.
5. Article Directories
At one point in time, submitting about 20 articles to a directory like Ezine Articles with the right anchor text would get you a really good ranking for some search terms, at least in Yahoo and MSN. However, because the engines discount duplicate content, having dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of sites republish your article (and linked byline) no longer does the trick by itself.
However, a site like Ezine Articles is still excellent for creating exposure to your cornerstone content. Having a link to your multi-part tutorial displayed on hundreds of web pages drives direct traffic, and can lead to your content being referenced in other posts and articles that do pass on link authority.
The strategy is much the same as with guest posting on a blog. Write original content that does not appear on your site, and submit to one or more reputable directories. Repeat until you get results.
Conclusion
The words you put on a web page have no life of their own until they get read. And those same words will not gain prominence in search engines until the words are linked to by relevant, authoritative sources.
Search engines can still be gamed, just like offline real-world systems can be exploited. However, the goals of the search engines are similar to society at large, and they are getting very good at finding rule breakers and dispensing punishment. Creating compelling content and beneficial relationships are strategies that won’t get you banned or penalized, and add value to your overall goal of converting site visits into revenue.
Previously in the series:
- How to Create Content That Ranks Well In Search Engines
- The 5 Essential Elements of Search Engine Keyword Research
- How to Create Cornerstone Content That Google Loves
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It’s cheaper, easier and more effective to manipulate people (linkerati) than it is to try to manipulate the SE algos directly.
I prefer “influence” over “manipulate” Mr. H, but yeah, you’re dead right about that.
Your posts are on target; succinct and helpful. Keep up the awesome work and thank you!
Another link-worthy post! Great advice: “Creating compelling content and beneficial relationships are strategies that won’t get you banned or penalized, and add value to your overall goal of converting site visits into revenue.”
Thanks for the list! It’s great that you point things like a byline; where I might have blown past creating a correct byline on a busy day, you’re suggestion helps put it’s importance in perspective.
Great actionable items. I gotta get to work, thanks.
Have you found much success Brian in article directories?
I’ve tried on occassion but I rarely get anything rewarding back in the whole deal.
David, I used to use article directories a lot, before you could depend on the blogosphere for links in areas such as real estate, and it worked really well in Yahoo and MSN. The thing is, it takes a lot of articles… you can’t just write one or two or even five.
I included article directories because some subject matter is not going to get enough traction with blogs and other social media outlets yet. As some point I think we will see business blogs and topical social sites for more and more verticals, but for now, article marketing can help.
Re: Article Directories –
I heard its not uncommon for the unscrupulous to republish your articles without any creditation to the original author as well.
t
That can happen. Just like we bloggers deal with RSS scrapers. I try not to worry about it.
>1. Social Media Sites
Putting different titles on different social sites does a few things. It gives you backlinks from pages with different titles. It also spreads those different titles around if you’re story gets dogdugg, doggdotted, furlicioused, redscaped or whatever else they call it.
>4 Guest Appearances
If you ever want to be contacted to write on someone elses blog put up a contact form and “about you” page. Put up your email an in human non machine readable format in case your programming breaks (oops). If you blog under the nickname schmoopie tell me what your real name is someplace easy to to find. I’m never going to contact you and write “Hi schmoopie”
>5. Article Directories
Taking the time to write different headlines for different services is worth the time and energy. Taking the time to write a different byline link, anchor text and surrounding text is worth the effort. Use the article directories to point the spiders deep into your site. use the article directories to point the spiders at your relevant non spammy subdomains, myspace pages, youtube vidoes, press releases, googlebase listings, technorati profile, or other top ten reputation management properties you can think of.
Thanks for the great elaboration, Michael. If anyone here is *not* reading Michael Gray’s blog, I think you can see that you should be.
These are great tips.
I’d add that online press releases can also be very effective at getting back links and even top rankings for minor search terms.
Having a blog helps a lot too - but then you know that.
Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh
Hi Brian
With linking out, you discover over time which sources you link to are interested in “conversation” - there are authority bloggers who are quite happy for you to link to them, but don’t offer trackback, and rarely link out to others.
Article Marketing - I would use a different strategy by posting the articles on your site first, and then link to the original article in the resource box as one of the 2 links you can normally use.
By giving Google an original source to reference, the syndication process has more credibility.
Guest Appearances - unique bylines are possible if you are writing something specific for one site, but some writing gigs are just a particular site offering to pick up your content. If they are just picking up your content, you quite often have to supply them with a default byline to use.
Nice work, Brian. While article syndication does present an opportunity (with a ton of effort, a la GrayWolf), it’s worth noting that the most value out of that technique is to be had by driving links to those often-overlooked locations, where just a few links can go a long way. Mentioning Googlebase listings & technorati profiles was dead-on.
Deep links to related money pages
Andy, does that brute force article marketing with affiliate program stuff still work? Haven’t done any of that in ages.
I will write you a blog post about it that you can link to if you like, but the short answer is yes
Deal.
Great article as usual. I’m interested in your thoughts on text link services like
Phrase Links http://www.phraselinks.com
or http://www.buy-text-ads.com
Phrase LInks seems the better of the two as it places the link within relevant content rather then just a sidebar google link type ad.
Another practical, strategic post. I always love reading (skimming) your posts for great content…and always mention you when others ask me about resources for getting started in blogging. We even included a screenshot of your blog in our blogging video that I used for my presentation in Florida earlier this month. Hope you don’t mind the extra exposure! You can see it on my blog at Lessons from the Scrapbook Page.
Brian, thanks for the great post. What are your thoughts on blog carnivals? Have you had any experience with them?
I am going to copy most of what you said and change it for the market we help for free - the church.
Awesome Awesome - keep up the great work -
Brian, should I submit my own content to Digg, other sites? I’ve gotten some negative comments from the Digg community for doing this in the past. Apparently, they hate when people submit their own content.
The social media link strategies described in this thread are definitely very effective. The challenge is that it takes a lot of time and many businesses don’t have the time or patience for it. Good old fashion one-way link building from relevant website pages (who display advertising and welcome the content) is still very effective.
I am doing a website for the third world churches, like teachings, sermons, articles + and will start a leadership section. Thank you for the information Brian. Also some of the commentaries are very good. Some I knew about ages ago, but had forgot. This refreshes my mind +++ gave me new input.
Any comment for my site? I take any critic!
God bless!
I dont think that submitting articles to a lot of directories works any more. Did before but not any longer, just my experience.
SEO that works is not about getting a lot of links to your website. It`s more what kind of websites that have the links. You just need a few links to get a top Page Rank, if it from top Page Rank web sites.
Many thanks for the valuable info!
I believe the whole Article Marketing industry is a bust. That duplicate content bit can really damage your authority.
Your comment on submitting to Ezinearticles and having your articles duplicated interests me. I know that duplicate articles sometimes get overlooked by the search spider right? I’m fairly new to this, but thanks for your insights and advice.
I really like how you emphasize at the end that there’s no point in trying to fool the search engines since in the end they want something very different than you do.. to simply provide the best selection of content to searchers. So it all boils down to two things:
1. Really focusing on quality writing
2. Aggressively promoting that content through the various Web 2.0 tools we all now love
Thanks for the great read!
John Clinebell
Have you seen Ward’s article, Are You a Link Whore?
http://www.ericward.com/articles/linkwhore.html
He seems to suggest that some of the things that you advise is “link whoring”. I don’t intend to offend you, I would just like to hear your opinion on the matter and get your help defining a clear line that distinguishes good strategy from whoring.
I’m working on my own blog post to discuss this issue.
Stan Faryna
well i can say that this article really states truth when it comes getting link builing strategies, more power
Hi all,
Well i can add up some points here. The post gives valuable points however do check this
To get BACKLINKS
# Target Social Marketing
# Get users who are basically from US and go for CA, NY users (active users)
# Users are the Traffic so concentrate on users 1st priority
# First things to do for Link building : Submissions to deep link sub-category (Manual submission)
- Social Bookmarking
- Social Networking
- Social news, Videos, Articles
Target SOCIAL specially
Articles, Forums, Groups, Blogging
# Target only relevant users in Social Marketing
# Give ur users only what they need
That’s it, if u complete the above steps then ur almost done.
Thanx
Pravish Analyst
Good advice. My main traffic comes from article directories. But I want to pull some traffic out of social media and the search engines.
http://www.stocks-simplified.com
Anybody have any tips on marketing a website/blog like mine? Is it to common of a blog? Who doesnt like funny videos?
Thanks in advance
URL: http://www.gahlon.se
I guess these five strategies can be helpful to increase the traffic of my blog web site. Maybe I should try that..thanks bro..;-)
Good tips. As others have stated though i have a feeling that the typical “ezine” article is dead and people are quickly migrating to more “wiki” style SME websites that have user generated content.
Thanks for all the great tips - I am always looking to learn something new.
Thank you for this great tips, I really appreciate it and surely will work on it to improve my link development.
I especially appreciated your thoughts on writing articles, then submitting them to every article directory in the world vs the challenge of duplicate content. Sometimes all the links lead to more traffic without adding to PR. Sometimes, it’s worth it for the traffic without concern of PR. As you said, it gives you exposure that could lead to organic backlinks- good point.
The brass ring is to get the blogs you admire and the sites that complement your offerings to cross-link with you. Dumb question though: How often do you need to post? If you’re a one-person operation when do you get the time to do all of this?
Very useful tips written in a simple manner!
Thanks a lot!
niksan
excellent tips. Nothing works best then quality writing and new content being regularly added to the site.
Getting backlinks is easy. There are several ways you can do so
1) article submissions
2) Directory submissions
3) Social Site bookmarks
4) Forums postings
5) Great sites like this site
Best of all keep adding great content to your site !
Thanks
A great article with lots of ideas for entrepreneurs who do not think of business cards as an effective way to build links.
Getting back links from sites , article submissions , Blog submissions etc is good but i think Viral Marketing is best these days , What you guys think
Regards
Sandy
These are great advice. I’m doing much else to build links other than social media sites and article writing. I should start trying other stuff.
great job!
Great post and I’d like to mention with all the cool social media/networking platforms coming out these days there are almost and unlimited number of places to build one way links.
Most large niches should have an abundance of social sites with places to get links either through bookmarking or your user profile.
Your post is right on the money. I would highly recommend anyone starting to build links and earn their mark in the internet real estate to go through your post.
nice article, though one important thing which is most important is commenting, Commenting is the best way to increase the link and traffic to your page, and its very important what you are commenting and where are you commenting, if you simply end up commenting thanx and nice instead of adding up any good point there is no way you will get a single click via your comment.!!!
regards
VirginTech!!
Its all About US!!!
Thanks Brian,
Couldn’t of put it better, by following these tips they will also increase the relevancy of the links they building.
Mike Kelly
Building links for a site/ blog is essential. The question is can you do it without paying for links to get ahead? Or can organic and natural link building work as well. The answer I always get is paid will get you there faster.
Excellent post Brian, although I dont think #3 should be up there…
Thanks lot
its a great post
i will try to follow this
Obviously there are a log more than 5 ways to go about this (Lord knows I have tried them all) but these are some solid tips.
Of course directories, paid links and some article marketing have not held up their value, but for the most part getting links today takes the same effort it took 2 or 3 years ago.
One thing I have noticed over the years is that SEOs really are starting to specialize. There are a few who can do it all, but I think there are even personality differences to consider. We wrote about that very issue on our blog. Maybe your readers would be interested: SEO or Link Builder
I am struggling with this very problem on my new site, I add links, the recirpocals never get added, it’s a nightmare for a new site with no ranking, and then you have to be careful not to use the wrong steps or one of the search engines will get offended, and ban you.
Keep up the great work!
Lots of great feedback and wisdom. The bottom line is link building is time well spent.
These post may be now nearly two years old, but still offers incredible value. It ’s very easy to start a blog believing people will just magically appear and comment.
The reality is the blogsphere is a community, and if you want to get people to come to you, you need to go out and introduce them to you first, and these are five great ways that show that.
Argh, if only article writing wasn’t so painful, especially since duplicate content is a No No.
-Jack
Definitely some good strategies and this is exactly what it takes to rank well within all of the searach engines.
Great words of wisdom! The bottom line is to work on content and then promote it. I guess I have to spend more time on my net blog!
This is a really good resource for ideas and resources from other posts/comments. Thanks for all the great ideas!
Great article. Link building is very helpful especially with the way the economy is right now, it can help get your sites traffic and result in sales.
Keep up the great work and if anyone has any ques on link building feel free to ask us.
These 5 strategies stand for basic and low cost link building. Brian, do you have any plan to write something on advanced link building strategies?
We see a lot tips on basic, but not for advance level.
I would take a look at how to create to viral content strategies and domaining (building microsites and linking back to your main property via optimal anchor text) for more advanced link building strategies.
Great tips. Linking is definitely important especially to new websites.
“what’s in it for the reader?” Nuff said. A pillar of a post.
Hmmm, well i use three of these on a regular basis, and the other 2 not so much anymore.
Thanks for such a good article, learnt a little from comments, but sure most will learn more.
This is a great list of how to build your backlinks.
Another good technique is to comment on DoFollow blogs. Please don’t just spam them, rather contribute to the post content and discussion.
Regards,
Arnold
Thanks for sharing this usefull list of link building ideas. But is it still recommendable posting own website content in article directories? I think Google will treat this as duplicate content.