Here’s an easy SEO tactic. It’s one of those, “Hmm- why didn’t I think of this before” type of moments for most people when I share it. It’s easy, but it’ll have more branding power than actual “algorithm influencing” power.
So we know that getting links is mucho importanto. But think about this - if you’re signing up for anything social these days, you’re creating a “profile page”. These profile pages are nothing more than websites to search engines, and they compete on their own in the SERPs. Links back to your partner site not only count, but the better your profile is optimized to be relevant to your partner, the MORE that link counts. Since your profile page could theoretically now get served more often for targeted queries (because of good SEO), you’re casting a larger net in search engine land! Your new listing can accompany your main listings, and give a little more branding and mind share. Remember, a high presence in search engines semi-conciously tells people that you’re important because the great Google says so.
You just need to watch for results. You want to make sure your profile page doesn’t trump a BETTER landing page, like one on your actual domain. The profile pages won’t do much for your SEO goals, unless your only goal is getting any kind of SERP exposure.
Let’s say you have a progressive client, and have a Twitter account that you’re running them (or Facebook, or any blogging platform, etc.) - or maybe this is something you want to do for yourself and your LinkedIn page. Optimizing their profile page, and targeting the kind of audience that best suits you, may really help get you more interest and traffic out of the SERPs. Get some good keyword research going, and spread your profile around through links, comments and signatures. With SEO, sometimes the little things go a long way.
Getting links to your site is mucho importanto; not necessarily because of the traffic it will bring, but the SEO link value you’ll earn. It’s true - negotiating links can be a manual, arduous process, but you can save time if you approach it smartly. When reaching out to a webmaster, you want to make sure you are clear in your intention of providing information about the existence of your site, and not to ‘grease the webmaster’s palm’ or buy your way onto their page. Do it ethically - provide other relevant websites with knowledge of your value, and let the webmasters decide if you are a good fit for their site. This good intention is in line with search engines’ interests.
Here’s the Top 5 checklist I use when chasing down links.
- Look for relevant sites to get links from, because these will make the most impact. In getting links, think “Quality, not quantity”. Check niche directories, your competitors’ backlinks, and even searches on keywords related to your website (many times websites that get served are not direct competition - getting links from other keyword related sites can have a big impact).
- Use the Google toolbar PR rating as an indicator of page value. Although this is not the updated often, it is still a relatively directional data point.
- Create a spreadsheet of sites you reached out to, and their response (if any). If they offered to post a link, note where the link is located. This spreadsheet may save you from duplicating your efforts or repeating yourself to uninterested parties. If the only way to negotiate a link is to do it reciprocally, this spreadsheet can also help you make sure your link partner is keeping up with their end of the bargain (provided you revisit this spreadsheet routinely).
- Don’t be afraid to provide a “thank you” gift for the webmaster. A coupon or a gift from your site might create a stronger connection between you and the webmaster, and entice them to consider linking to you longer. Note: I do not recommend doing this as a bribe - do it in good faith, and only after the link has been created. Obviously I can’t convince you to be a pure ‘white hat SEO’, but bribing or buying links can have negative side effects in the slim chance you’re caught.
- Offer to post some of their content on your site, or create your own unique content about their site or service (think reviews, interviews, opinions, pictures, etc.). This will often get you a link, especially if the site you’re referring to is smaller or in the social network space. Who doesn’t like to point out where they’ve been mentioned?
