Link Building

[s_EOgi_Bear]

I have to develop a strategy for link building.

The SEO guy I have been speaking with has started putting links on .edu sites etc .

To me - this "stinks" of manipulating the search engines - which I know we will get stung by at some point.

I hope this isn't standard practice - but I don't know what the best way to improve rankings in terms of links etc.

We sell health products and are starting to put out 3-4 high quality articles per week.

Ideas?

Kind Regards

Martin

[Futura]

Thanks @Chris, Sounds totally agreed, one has to know first all about their products/services, employees, audience, market, prices, and competition etc.

[Chris.Menke]

Marty,

The quest for better organic search marketing today a quest for knowing who and what you are as a company better than your competitors know who and what they are. The depth of your knowledge about your products/services, employees, audience, market, prices, and competition all distinguish you from your competition. A link building strategy takes some facet of those things and packages them into content of some sort--and it takes a networking effort so that others recognize your depth of knowledge.

I mention that because it kind of gives you an understanding of what it is, exactly, that you're tossing on your SEO vendor's plate. A link building strategy is an extension of a business plan and is not something to be taken lightly.

I know plenty of people out there can say "that's all hogwash, just give me some links on a PR 5 site and get on with it." So be it. Competitor like that come and go. If you're in it for the long-haul, start really studying what your audience needs that is not yet being satisfied, then study available channels you can use to tell them how you are the one to satisfy those needs.  After you've been immersed in those two things, the content you can use to tell them your story will come to mind.  Your "link building" strategy will be the combination of those three things.

[2MSens]

Hi,

Link Building is now all about industry related : It's not having as many links as you can, but as having health related websites talking about your articles.

Use MOZ tools in order to find those links

Best,

Benoit.

[Sophie-Kool]

Hi Martin,

That doesn't sound to good indeed. I'm still fairly new to Link building myself, but I'm pretty sure that it's not about getting as many (crappy) links as possible by getting your link up on .edu sites. Also I believe that link building is less and less about having your link on other people's website, and more about social media.

I checked out this mozinar recently and thought it had some good ideas about link building now being more about endorsements: http://moz.com/webinars/winning-the-future-of-search-and-seo Maybe it'll help you with your strategy.

Sophie