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07.24.09 Effectively Requesting Inbound Links To Build Your Site 
By Stephen PittsDirect requests for inbound links are a valuable way to build quality links to your website, however, the effectiveness of requesting links is directly linked (no pun intended) to the delivery of the request. For those who are looking for an automated means or a template that works can stop reading, because to put it plainly, in my opinion there is no such product that will accomplish this task. Building links is just like building relationships... it is a give and take. I don't mean an exchange of money either! Just because your content is the best thing since sliced bread doesn't mean everyone else will see it or agree, however, just like any other marketing effort (and believe me, link building is marketing) it takes time, energy, preparation, tact, skill and a perfect pitch. But before I get too far ahead of myself, before your pitch matters, you have to reach your intended audience. This is where the marketing execution and the preparation are most important. First, lets look into the preparation. Just like any other marketing campaign, a direct request campaign must include a call to action and a value proposition. Simply asking for a link is not an effective way of securing links to your website. Know your audience and apply that knowledge to your presentation, namely your email. Similar to the pillars of effective email marketing, you will need to apply some of the best techniques so your message is opened. If your message is lost because you didn't entice them to open it then you have wasted your time and energy. Here are some of the important things to take into consideration when crafting an email: • Write an effective subject line - Similar to the importance of meta descriptions, the subject line is usually the first thing that a person identifies when looking at their inbox. If written effectively, is your first opportunity to get your foot in the proverbial door to present your pitch. • Have a name behind the address - The second thing that most people use to decide to continue to the full message is the from address. Don't be bland... I am sure that nathan65987 @whatever.com is important... to you, but it might be perceived as pretty impersonal to the recipient. I suggest using your actual full name. You are trying to build trust, don't fake it.
• Email is a conversation - Just like so many of the new waves in social media, email is the origination of online conversations. With this in mind, direct link requests through email should be a conversation and not another means of push marketing. Be receptive to remarks comments and feedback. • Know your audience - Just like a regular communication, you need to know who you are speaking to and respecting their time, understanding and experience. Every email that you send to another web site owner should be unique, sure you can use a template to start from. In fact, I highly recommend building a few and testing their effectiveness. Just like other marketing efforts, measure your conversion rate and try to duplicate it. Do your homework and find out as much information about your audience as you can, just like you were doing research to find a job, if it is important, do it right! • Follow up on your requests - Make sure that when you start a conversation, you are ready to respond to requests, comments and feedback. • Why - What is the point? Why should someone link to your site, page or content. This is probably the most important factor in the success of your campaign, make it count! Finally, understanding your competition may give you the best insight into finding the best sources to go after inbound links. For more information about understanding and analyzing your competition, you should have more insight as it should be a major part of your developed SEO strategy. Link building is one of the most difficult aspect of search engine optimization because it is a difficult and tedious task, but it is also the hardest element to measure. I must apologize to my readers for not continuing this series, but I will complete this link adventure! If you missed out on any of the previous posts in this series, feel free to click the links below to catch up. Comments About the author: In-house SEO for a private travel company with great success. Has been influential in developing and building a niche travel directory and search engine. I enjoy learning and sharing information on my blog, SEOPittfall.com to others in an effort to build relevant, content driven websites with the user in mind. |
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