Link building can, in some rather odd ways, be equated to real life. Meaning that if you have ever read motivational books which tell you to build your relationships and connections with others and persevere in your goals, you can see how this can also be a worthwhile lesson in link building strategies. When you are working hard at search engine optimization in an attempt to boost your website up the ranks, you are likely seeking out other quality websites and asking their owners to exchange links with your own site.
Presenting Your Website in a Positive Manner
If you are already in the process of link building and link exchanging, you are well aware that you must, in effect, sell yourself, just as you do in real life. Think about the last job interview you went on, and you will recall how hard you tried to present yourself in the very best light to a potential employer. The same thing can be said about SEO link building—your goal is to present your website in the most positive manner possible in order to persuade other high quality websites to link to yours, giving you higher rankings.
Dealing with Rejection
Just like in real life, you must expect rejections from time to time when you approach other webmasters and request a link, but don’t let that stop you from your goal of garnering links for your site and creating the very best search engine optimization you can. If you do get a rejection, rather than sulk, take an honest, critical look at your site, and make sure it is packed with relevant content which others would be proud to link to. It cannot be said enough that content is king, and without quality content, your link building strategies will be for naught. If you find absolutely nothing on your site which would bring about a rejection, then simply move on. Sometimes there really is no rhyme or reason for a particular rejection, whether from another website owner or from a person in your “real” life, so don’t spend too much time dwelling on the why of the situation.
Don’t Be Judged by the (Bad) Company You Keep
Mom really was right when she told you that others would judge you by the company you keep. So it is with obtaining links for your websites. You will be judged, both by search engines as well as your readers, by the reputation of the sites you link to and which link back to you. In other words, don’t get mixed up with the wrong crowd, or you may be inundated with spammers. Never link to a site which is not relevant to your own site, and never link to a site which is not the highest quality. By the same token don’t allow others to link to your site if you are not 100% sure the link is mutually beneficial.
Politeness Really Does Matter
Once you’ve chosen several websites which are complimentary (but not particularly competitive), it is time to contact the Webmasters of the sites and courteously ask them to link to your site—while explaining the benefits of doing so. Generally you will offer to link back to them in exchange, but spend some time outlining the advantages to them of linking to your content. Explain where the link will be, and above all, make sure your letter or e-mail is personal. The last thing you want is for it to sound like a mass-produced letter sent out to huge numbers of webmasters. Most of us receive so much spam on a daily basis, that it’s crucial you distinguish yourself from the riff-raff.
One Hand Washes the Other
Many experts advise that you already have a link put on your own site prior to asking for a link in return. When you send out your personalized letter, give the location of the link—it will be harder for the other site owner to say no, when you provide the URL of where the link is. Give the other webmaster sufficient information to make it easy to link to you, and if there is a link you want particularly badly, use traditional voice mail rather than e-mail for your request.
Check Out the Competition
Finally, just as in real life, take a sneak peak at the link popularity of your closest competitors and discover who is linking to them. Then contact those websites and get a link of your own. There is nothing dishonorable in seeing how your direct competitors are making their way up the ladder of success.
So, use common sense and the lessons you have learned in your own life when attempting to build links for your website—the results will be well worth the extra effort.
