The emergence of content and digital outreach has come to center stage for most SEO’s. Nowadays, SEO professionals have an infinite thirst for respectable publishing opportunities. The constant struggle to find placement for ones content is the epicenter of search engine optimization now and for the foreseeable future. Those who can mine for potential opportunities, develop unique and intriguing relationships, whilst fulfilling editorial deadlines are those who succeed.
There are many different strategies when approaching link building and content publishing. Here are a few DO and DO NOT tactics to consider when developing an off-site strategy.
- DO your homework
Use competitor research tools to identify and rank competitive sites. Use the Majestic SEO Link Profile Fight or Compare features to easily pull these into an actionable spreadsheet to work from; (you can do this by domain or at the page level).
When comparing at the Page Level it is abundantly more transparent as to who and what links are of value and worth pursuing for you or of no value.
Once you have determined your list of prospective link partners based off competitive intelligence, research the website to identify the webmaster, editor or the proper social connection to begin thinking about how best to build a relationship.
- DO NOT mass email
Lists are useless. The amount of link request emails one receives that are poor quality and have no value is countless. The effort you spend in drafting these emails is better off spent on other work. Put yourself in the place of the recipient of one of those emails. Would you link to a site based off an email from someone you never heard of?
- DO learn the importance of building relationships
“Never confuse movement with action” (Hemingway). Relating to someone you may or may not know online can be easier than one may think. With the right understanding of where and how to learn about prospective publishing partners you can gather a fresh tone, a new knowledge set or a different perspective.
Asking to get involved with a new publisher is very similar to asking for a first date. Observe and learn at first. Is this the right fit for your content? Monitor (not stalk) their social communication. Who do you have in common? There may be some interesting connections there. Only then should you begin your social approach.
A social approach is like foreplay. Follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn, view their profile on LinkedIn (so they know you looked at them via “Who’s viewed my profile?) or re-tweet and favorite some tweets.
- DO NOT flirt with disaster
Remember, during a social approach you can come off too strong if you aren’t careful. You don’t want to appear as desperate or give an impression of “wanting” something. Although you are working toward building a connection you are still dealing with another human being. Someone on the other end of that handle most likely is savvy to prospective wooers. I would think so, otherwise why would you be seeking their connection?
Be careful not to just jump into a conversation, mention them on Twitter or forward them something unsolicited. Your first impression online will last a lifetime. If you make a mistake you can, over time, work to rectify their perception of you.
- DO use digital outreach tools for trending topics
Media relation databases and tool sets have been valuable in building “connections” for years now. And they are still working. While press releases have gotten slammed hard there will always be a need for sources. Vocus/HARO are well worth the effort. Be sure you understand the process of drafting a good pitch at first.
While these tools can come with a large investment they are valuable to content strategists and SEO professionals as PR, Social and SEO come together. Earning mentions & citations from major media to help build brand awareness is an important authority building practice.
“In SEO, there is always a loser but never a winner”
- DO NOT quit
Off-Site SEO can arguably be viewed as the most challenging element of a successful SEO strategy. But it is also the most important. Why? Well, why has Google focused so much on cracking down on link networks, guest blogging, article submission sites and many more? That is because these were lazy, (but easy), ways to gain links. And they worked. So, Google has rewritten that rule on how to play the game. Too many people were winning, and on the contrary hurting many businesses during those times.
We read in great detail of businesses being affected negatively due to algorithm changes. But this is nothing new; those businesses that were succeeding in the past were hurting someone else indirectly. The hardest part about the profession is knowing when to admit that it is time to change the way you work, not quit.
- How will you work off-site?
Still there are many other creative ways to get your content published online, be mentioned by other web sites, build a social following and have your site marketed with earned media. What are your tips in building off-site connections and getting your content placed off-site?
- The Do’s and Don’ts of Digital Outreach for Content Marketing - September 8, 2014
Let me know if you have any questions!
September 8, 2014 at 4:47 pmIt’s really difficult now when you think how much research and effort goes in to potentially getting one link! And just think of the cost of that link. I know if it’s “compelling content” that it may be re-used with a link elsewhere but that is extremely difficult to do. Especially for small businesses which makes the brands even stronger – even though they already occupy the bulk of page one in the SERPS
September 11, 2014 at 4:47 pmThank you majesticseo 🙂
September 12, 2014 at 3:36 pmI agree with Colin – it’s a lot of time to spend (building those relationships) but the payoff for a squeaky clean link is priceless for the boost you can get. That’s why we look at our competitors, right? To see find those little golden nuggets in their link profile. The trick is to find our own. Research, ask, rinse and repeat.
September 27, 2014 at 5:43 pmfantastic!
October 1, 2014 at 8:44 am