The data produced by large-scale link building research can provide invaluable content strategy insight. By identifying and targeting agenda-based segments within your link prospect list you can drastically improve your link acquisition rates. Further, you set the stage for long term conversation-based relationships with these segments that provide value far beyond influencing the search rankings.

Read more…

When qualifying link prospects you inevitably find a segment of people who influence purchase decisions as well as the search engine rankings. Their ability to sway opinions – and search rankings – within your market makes them a highly valuable link target. Simply writing an acquisition email that makes a link offer leaves a great deal of value on the table in B2B and B2C markets with long and research-intensive buy cycles.

Influencing the Purchase Influencer Link Prospect Segment
Ideally you ally with this influencer segment and provide them with ongoing data, research and expertise access that aids their agenda and educates them about your products and services. You do this in the effort to influence their recommendations and build a sales referral stream, as well as a feedback channel for new business directions.

Read more…

Once you’ve gathered and qualified your list of link prospects you must segment them according to the offers of exchange you’ll make. For some of your link prospects these offers will be quite simple – an attractive badge, a tshirt or a discount coupon. For other segments of your link prospect list you’ll have to expend more resources.

This list of 12 link exchange offers provides a starting point for strategically aligning your offers with the segments you’ll find in your link prospect list. It’s ordered by our assessment of resource expenditure, from least to greatest.

1) Offer Visually Appealing Link Badges
Sometimes the offer of an attractive, appealing logo badge will be enough for your link prospects to add your link to their site. Include the badge in an html email, as well as on a page of your site. Ideally this is a unique badge you can offer exclusively to the people in your outreach campaign.

2) Offer an Exclusive Coupon or Cost Reduction on Next Purchase
Savings can be a powerful incentive to some segments of your link acquisition group. Whether it’s free shipping on the next order, a month of free service or percentage discount never underestimate the power of offering savings in exchange for a link.

3) Offer Exclusive Free Tshirts, Stickers, Tote Bags, Etc…
Free tshirts. Free stickers. Free tote bags. These time-tested offers consistently incent people to take action. Send these offers to the proper segment of your link acquisition list and they will link to you. Ideally you offer exclusive schwag to this segment of your link prospect list.

Read more…

During the acquisition phase of your link building project you will receive many rejections. Because the majority of your rejections will occur through non-response, it’s vital that you grow any written “no” you receive by email into an opportunity to educate yourself. These written rejections represent an opportunity for you to improve your site’s content, your future link building efforts and to better connect yourself to your media space influencers.

In the process of uncovering their main objections you will find yourself building a relationship that will help you in earning links in the future…

Read more…