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Are You A Link Building Expert?

By on December 21, 2012

To become a link building expert you need to master several techniques, from choosing link keywords to building relationships with other bloggers. We previously published an extensive link building tutorial if you need to brush up on your skills before reaching expert status.

Here’s a quick review of those key techniques for experts and novices alike:

Small Focus, Big Reach

Only large corporations have any chance of dominating an entire market, so most webmasters reading this article choose to stay within in one niche market. But staying within your niche can be difficult—it’s always tempting to talk about things that don’t matter to your core readers.

A link building expert knows how to stay focused, and the proof of that can be seen in links to his or her site. If every link has a different keyword, search engines can’t determine the site’s niche.

But if most links to the site use the same half-dozen or so keywords, search engines will know exactly what traffic to direct to the site. A link building expert helps search engines send readers to their site.

The Whitehat Link Building Expert

There are a number of link building techniques which try to fool search engines. The most popular of these techniques do fool search engines—for a time. But search engines such as Google often come down hard on sites they think are trying to fool them.

The link building expert knows that the small short-term gain from illicit link building techniques isn’t worth the long-term damage search engines exact in revenge.

The list of allowed and prohibited techniques varies between search engines, and today’s allowed techniques may be banned tomorrow, so a link building expert should follow one simple rule: always make your link building help someone else.

Sites which promote themselves at the expense of other sites will eventually find themselves marginalized by the search engines.

Get Your Audience Working For You

A link building expert’s best asset is his or her audience. These are the people who care about you or your audience, and they will often donate time, space, and energy to promoting your brand—so use them.

There are many strategies which can help you get your audience involved. Don’t ignore any of them (as long as they’re legitimate).

But whenever you use your audience, make sure you reward them. I always use the old “tempt and reward” method: tempt your audience into taking an action and then reward them for that action. For example, ask them to leave a comment at the end of a blog post—and then respond to every comment someone leaves.

Make Friends With Other Webmasters

You probably aren’t the only person in your niche—and if you are, there are probably people working on related niches. Instead of treating these people as competitors, make them friends.

One of the best ways to make friends in the niche website business is by becoming link partners. Modern search engines think not just in pagerank but also in pagerank within a niche—so the most valuable link you can get to your site is a link from another site very similar to yours.

Search engines see links from similar sites as expert recommendations—nobody knows your niche better than the people in it, so if someone links to you, it’s great proof that you’re not a scammer.

But link partners do more than just share links—they also make frequent reference to each other in their blogs and other media, helping what could otherwise be two separate audiences merge into a single audience shared between two sites. One site that kindly links to me out of the blue is Traffic Generation Cafe.

Sharing your audience may sound like a bad idea to you, but to the link building expert it’s a gold mine—it’s a chance to possibly double the traffic for just a few minutes of work, and building traffic is the job of a link building expert.

Automate Link Building

One skill the link building expert masters is automatic link building. For example, consider the typical guest post—you have to email another site, they have to agree to the guest post, you have to write the post, and they have to post it.

But once you’ve built that relationship with that other site, why not automate your guest post? Offer to send them a new post every two months. They can just grab your story and run it. There’s no extra emails involved, no waiting for them to reply to you, and very little chance of rejection.

Link Monitoring

Another link building expert trick is link monitoring. Most people know they can use Google Search to find which sites link to them. For that matter, you can also use Technorati and other sites to monitor incoming links.

If you are smart and using WordPress for your website, you will be able to see your incoming links in the dashboard. See the screenshot below.

But many link building novices skip an important step—acknowledging incoming links. When someone links to your site, consider thanking them or linking back to them from your site.

Acknowledging people helps make them fans of yours, and that will encourage them to link to you again or help promote your brand to other people.

A Final Word Of Advice

But remember that a link building expert never tries to abuse the link system. Every link must increase the value of information on the Web—it must help someone besides you.

If you find yourself making comments just to get a link back or uploading lame YouTube videos just to insert a link, take a moment to consider what a real link building expert would do.

About Mitz

My name is Milica Pantic but everyone calls me Mitz. I am addicted to internet marketing and making money online. Who wouldn't want to live that life? I started out with one website as a hobby and now have over 20. Building websites and making money online is not that hard. You have to actually take action to make money...that is the biggest hurdle! :)

48 Comments

  1. Rohit

    March 15, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    nice article mitz.
    today many peoples are going into the wrong paths of getting the back-links, using the white hat techniques. i think these white hat techniques not gonna end up well in the search after some time. Google surely sort them out/
    by the way very nice an informative article..:)
    Rohit recently posted..Find the sum of the even-valued terms of fibonacci

    Reply

  2. prabhat

    February 13, 2013 at 5:03 am

    hello mitz
    links are the backbone of a blog. a blog or website is nothing without links. they boost our SEO and drive traffic to our blog. and if a person is expert in building links then he will definitely get success. i think commenting is the easy and best way to get links followed by guest posting and forums. guest posting can give you plenty of quality links within a short time. it has great impact on SEO and other things. thanks for the great article

    Reply

  3. Ana

    February 10, 2013 at 6:30 am

    What can I tell you, Mitz; I am a big fan… :)

    Have a great week!
    Ana recently posted..The Ultimate Blueprint to More Profitable Website Traffic

    Reply

  4. Preet

    February 3, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    Building a blog is a easy task , but getting traffic is not an easy work . We must have good quality backlinks so that we can get high rankings . For that we must always choose best method for back links , not a spammy way .I loved the information you stated here .
    Preet recently posted..Lovely Butterfly Tattoos For Women To Look Awesome

    Reply

  5. Ankush

    January 20, 2013 at 2:29 am

    Link Building according to me is the best technique to get your article on top of SERP. I still remembers the days when I use to think that Link building means nothing to me but actual scenario is completely different. If you want to get respect from Search Engines then you have to focus on Link Building techniques.
    Ankush recently posted..Vodafone 4G LTE service: facts and other useful details

    Reply

  6. vicky

    January 17, 2013 at 4:17 am

    Hi Mitz,

    One more awesome article. Its very true that link building is important so that search engine sends traffic to our site. These methods of link building are authentic and they will also nurture the relationship building with other bloggers. I especially noted down thepoint where you mentioned to build links in your niche particularly so that Google will know what audience to send to your blog. Automated link building is also a great tip. Thanks a lot for sharing. :)
    vicky recently posted..iPhone 6 Or Samsung Galaxy S4:The Next Big Phone?

    Reply

  7. Ed Moreno

    January 7, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    Too bad that sometimes other webmasters don’t want to be friends. At least in my niche they don’t. I’m not sure if it’s caused by lack of knowledge or lack of will though.

    Reply

  8. Louella Nannie

    January 4, 2013 at 1:24 pm

    Haven’t tried automated link building yet. It Seems like a good idea though so I’m gonna give it a try.

    Reply

    • mitz

      January 11, 2013 at 8:53 am

      yes it is not really automated but just made a lot easier. :)

      Reply

  9. Margarito Bradford

    January 4, 2013 at 12:33 pm

    Yes, always reply to comments! I cannot stress enough how important that is as there is nothing sadder than a page that ignores its readers.

    Reply

  10. Fredric Nixon

    January 3, 2013 at 10:46 am

    I think that plastering your link all over the web isn’t a good idea for different reasons. For one, is doesn’t look natural in Google’s eyes, and you’ll most likely be penalized for doing it. Also, you want to get qaulity, and niche related backlinks point directly to your blog. I know, from experience, that Google loves seeing natural, niche related backlinks. Good luck.
    Fredric Nixon recently posted..ACW Gold 1500W Portable Infrared Heater (ACW0037)

    Reply

    • mitz

      January 11, 2013 at 8:54 am

      Yes you are right. Plastering your link all over is not good.. But writing great content and distributing that quality around is a good idea. :)

      Reply

  11. Wilburn Boyer

    January 3, 2013 at 10:04 am

    Probably not. I just started my blog, and was looking up for ways to get more traffic. Didn’t know a lot of people “game” google for a living, and I’ll definitely start building links to my posts whenever I can.

    Reply

  12. Krishna Parmar

    January 2, 2013 at 5:40 pm

    I don’t think so that I am expert in link building as i have so many much things to learn!
    Krishna Parmar recently posted..Omegle Italy for Online Chat (dofollow)

    Reply

  13. Bluebird797

    December 30, 2012 at 5:40 pm

    This is a great article, i have learned much about link building. here is writing about white hat seo link building. I think all bloggers just want links. Once you get more experience, you realize that you would rather have a relevant link than just some text on a page,

    Reply

  14. Aayna

    December 30, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    Hi Mitz,
    Link building has always been a significant aspect of any online process. I can sense you possess a great experience in the field of link building, that you come up with such a brilliant post on link building. I believe that backlinks are necessary, but the point is achieving such links ethically. Thanks for the valuable insight.

    Reply

  15. Kyla

    December 29, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    Link building is the first step to becoming a professional SEO. But speaking about link building, Google is banning payed links. So links should be natural and should not be exchanged links. Yes I agree upon your point white hat link building is best and the safest.
    Kyla recently posted..Glazier

    Reply

  16. Calra

    December 29, 2012 at 10:42 am

    Great piece of advice, Mitz. Knowing the Link building basics is very important. Have a happy and fun holidays. Cheers!

    Reply

  17. Silas

    December 29, 2012 at 9:35 am

    A new blogger myself i have learnt that link building is the way to go for your blog or website to rank number one on Google, difficult as it might prove to be with persistence it can be done. The most import aspect of link building is to choose that one niche that you’ll tackle with full force as opposed to throw and lets see what sticks strategy. Thanks for the well organised article tips.
    Silas recently posted..Blogging Basics for Beginners

    Reply

  18. Veronica

    December 29, 2012 at 6:09 am

    I agree that we should take time and make an effort to learn how to build links in our advantage. In this way, we can be able to share our thoughts to mny people and be recommended as well. COOL! :D

    Reply

  19. Len

    December 27, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    Another great article here, just browsing many of your post. Trying to learn more about link building. Not sure I understand its importance yet, but gradually getting there, thanks to articles like this. Happy holidays.

    Reply

  20. Joy

    December 27, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    Hi! Happy holidays!
    That was such a helpful blog! You made ideas and issues about link building clear to me now. Yeah, I agree that back links are important as well. Thanks for sharing this with us! :)

    Reply

  21. shane watson

    December 26, 2012 at 11:01 am

    hey mitz..happy holidays you have shared some of the best points in terms of Link building .back links which are natural,deep,relative to the theme have a longer impact on the website…which in turn return with a good organic result

    Reply

  22. Gautam

    December 26, 2012 at 9:16 am

    I think Some points catched my attention like automate link building and get your Audience working for you.If you are successful in making your Blog A brand Then You Don’t Need to Work Hard From Now… Your Audience Will Do The Rest.
    Gautam recently posted..Top 10 Nokia Phones Below Rs10000

    Reply

  23. Disha Sharma

    December 26, 2012 at 7:43 am

    Mitz…It looks you have lot of experience of Link Building. Thanks a lot for a bunch of good tips.
    Disha Sharma recently posted..Iphone 5 Launch Party at La Suite

    Reply

  24. rahul

    December 25, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    hey mitzthis post is very special as a newbie. really helpful and awesome post…:)thanx for sharing with us…

    Reply

  25. Aasma

    December 25, 2012 at 9:22 am

    Hey Mitz,

    Agreed with your points, As a small business you can’t build natural links. In that scenario your friendship with other webmaster would play handy roles in acquire quality backlinks.
    Aasma recently posted..Mobile Recharge Software (dofollow)

    Reply

  26. Julia Spencer

    December 24, 2012 at 5:13 pm

    I think that link building was, is and will be certainly important for everyone who works in the sphere of online business. Thanks a lot for sharing another tremendous post!

    Julia Spencer’s recent post.. Amazing Design Resources Collection: Especially for Christmas 2013

    Reply

  27. Marry

    December 24, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    Having a lot of SEO experience, I can say that most of your link building ideas are right, but they are enough not for all niches. Such methods really work great for small to medium websites, but when talking about high competitive commercial niche – they are not enough. In such cases you need to combine all possible links sources and at the same time keep your link profile natural looking

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 28, 2012 at 4:04 am

      Yes there are different ways for different niches, no doubt. But building your audience and networking is a base for all good link building. :)
      mitz recently posted..The Top 10 SEO Blogging Tips (dofollow)

      Reply

  28. Daniel

    December 24, 2012 at 2:10 pm

    Thanks for the great post. I agree that high quality links are important. Right now my strategy is providing relevant comments on other blogs (like this one) as well as my own two blogs. I don’t do any research at the moment to find where I can comment and get the best links; I just leave comments when I believe I have something relevant to add. Just starting it, I think all bloggers just want links. Once you get more experience, you realize that you would rather have a relevant link than just some text on a page, such as with link sharing.

    Reply

  29. Jan Desmet

    December 24, 2012 at 12:57 pm

    I never thought about it like that, using ur audience to somewhat benefit ur blog. Commenting on a comment seems like a nice gesture, atleast i like some1 to respond to me for instance.

    Great read, good article :)
    Jan Desmet recently posted..Tips afvallen (dofollow)

    Reply

  30. christina

    December 24, 2012 at 7:03 am

    I must admit that I never had the habit of relying on Google optimizer too much. I’m still not sure if I should try running it or not.

    Reply

  31. Suzanne

    December 23, 2012 at 9:20 pm

    Mitz, You’ve made me think in this post, as usual. I am not great at many of the points you mention, especially guest posting. I do feel that I have SO MUCH to share, yet it is so much easier to write on my own blog versus approaching other blogs in my niche for the opportunity to guest post. I know I have to get off my rear and do it.
    Suzanne recently posted..Stretch Yourself in the New Year – Goal Setting for the Motivated Financial Advisor

    Reply

  32. Joe Clark

    December 23, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Hi Mitz,

    Another superb post from you. :)

    I believe in making friendship with other fellow bloggers. Not only for link building but to find and share new and refreshing ideas. :)

    Joe
    Joe Clark recently posted..Increase website speed upto 50% (dofollow)

    Reply

  33. Ali zia

    December 23, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    HI Mitz,
    I like your point that get your audience working for you.A loyal audience is the soul of blog.The best way of conversation with your audience is social media ,through it you can know the felling of your audience and their opinions that what they want from you in your post.This can help you in making a great content.
    Thanks for this useful article
    Ali zia recently posted..Choosing a domain for the blog – Blogging three’ly 002

    Reply

  34. hira khan

    December 23, 2012 at 8:41 am

    Interesting article. But tell me how you STOP the spammers? I just turned comments off as I am so tired of deleting the spam comments, help with combating that besides as-kismet would be great info. thank you
    hira khan recently posted..Get rid of pimples fast home remedies

    Reply

  35. Richard

    December 22, 2012 at 9:47 pm

    Hi Some great tips here I didnt even realise you could see who had linked to your site! I use Word Press but am a novice as I have only beer operating for around 6 months now. Blogging gains more than just links and relationships with other bloggers it also gains knowledge
    Richard recently posted..F1 Review 2012

    Reply

  36. Carl

    December 22, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    I am SEO since 1999 and I will tell you that your points are correct, but only when we are talking about link building for blog. Usually the SEO and link building companies doesn’t build any relationship with any other webmasters or blogger and doesn’t evaluate the links too much. Every link counts and usually what link builders are looking for are fast one way links from link directories, article directories, social bookmarks and forum signature, nothing more than that. Rarely experienced link builder comment on blog or exchange links. Massive link building is also ok, depending on how many links competitors are getting per day. One point is exactly correct, need to stay focused and build links on daily basis.
    Carl recently posted..Mike Swan created new blog post Need To Chop the Photoshop Site in Web design & Development

    Reply

  37. Sam

    December 22, 2012 at 6:15 am

    If you want to see your site/blog top in Google then you should have enough back links for that because without back links you can’t achieve good rank in major search engines and as you mentioned Guest Blogging is the best way for that and this is absolutely correct because this is nice way to make your relationship as well as back links for your online business.
    Sam recently posted..Goa Holiday Packages

    Reply

  38. Steven Jude

    December 21, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    I like this article. You have talked about link building from a perspective many people know little about but can be a very successful way to build quality links.
    Steven Jude recently posted..How to Drive Low Cost Targeted Traffic To Your Website + The First Key To A Good Night’s Sleep

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