Link Building: Just Great Content, Blog Comments, and Guest Blog Posts?

[endlessrange]

I love SEOMoz. It has motivated me to dive way more into SEO.

I know all the shoulds. But what fascinates me about SEO is that shoulds don't always match up to what works.

I'm looking at Open Site Explorer, specifically my site. I see a lot of links I got naturally. By having awesome content.

So is there any point in emailing people asking htem to add my link? Or do I spend my time writing awesome content, sharing it on social media, and hoping someone comes across it and shares it?

I know blog commenting, when relevant, can bring me new visitors. I'm sure it helps SEO too.

Maybe I just need to reach out and write guest blog posts for grabbing some links?

Its just as Google wants it! OMG, how white hat. Is that it? or should I be even more active?  I.E. emailing people and saying "hey, I have this awesome website, your readers would find it useful" sort of thing?

Love to hear your opinion!

[danatanseo]

Woot! Way to go!

[endlessrange]

Soooo... First off, thanks for your advice!

Second, maybe I'm lucky, but I wrote to a .edu site (a university), a professor built the site, and I wrote him saying I loved his resources, and that maybe he should add my site.

Well, he did! Wow, this morning! So that was cool. Let's see if a .edu helps rankings!

I may do some cold call emails, but I think in the long run you are right, reach out to people I know already.

Thank you for the responses! I will be using Q & A more... may do more Q than A at first though

[danatanseo]

Hi Don. And it works. Here's a thumbs up to get you one step towards that t-shirt

[donford]

Hi Hilary, Dana gave some great advice. Thumbs up for her.

Great content will generate links, but there is nothing wrong with taking extra steps to get them. You may find that including a little closing statement at the end of your blog post will go a long way in the amount of links you get. In fact I do this regularly when helping people on the forums to entice them for a thumbs up (I want a t-shirt).

Hope this helps,
Don

[danatanseo]

Hi Endlessrange, I love SEOMoz too! Pretty much I agree with everything you just said. Is cold-emailing people to try to get them to link to your site worth your time? No. But I'm willing to bet there are tons of people who you haven't emailed already, who you have some kind of connection with. Those people are definitely worth emailing. But, if you email, maybe a better approach would be to have something specific in mind. Maybe you want to announce something. Maybe you just want to share some information. If you email them, make sure something's in it for them, maybe something more than just a link back. Maybe you offer them a guest blog spot. Maybe you interview them. Maybe you send them a gift. I don't know, be creative.

I personally discard all emails from people who don't have an "in" with me. By "in" I mean, they know enough about me to use my first name, perhaps know someone I know, or know enough about me to know what I'm really interested in.  They have to talk to me in my language, and they better not start their email with "Greetings dear friend."

That being said, just today I contacted 4 editors of industry-related Web publications with whom I have had prior business relationships with. I had a press release I thought they might be willing to post on their sites. All four of them said yes. All four said yes because they know if I say it's a press release it's really a press release, not a badly disguised piece of marketing drivel. I also never presume anything. I don't contact them expecting them to do anything for me. I ask them really really really nicely, and I accept the fact that they just might say no.

Do everything you mentioned and always be on the lookout for an opportunity to contact with someone new. Then, do some research and find out how you might already be connected to them (6 degrees of Kevin Bacon right?). Figure out where the connection is and then email them.

Good luck and make the most of Q & A. It's awesome!